Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donohue standing close together outdoors in Once Upon a Time.
In the last decade, the fantasy genre has exploded on TV, with nearly every streaming service offering its own epic fantasy story, ranging from HBO's growing Game of Thrones universe, to Netflix's The Witcher, and Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time.
While these shows have made the genre bigger than ever, fantasy has a long history on network TV that has been forgotten. Years before these large-scale productions became so common, network TV was home to many fantasy stories. Unfortunately, as the genre gained prominence, these smaller productions have faded away. While the spectacle of recent fantasies can be thrilling, a well-written, creative series doesn't need a massive budget to thrive. Some of the best fantasy series have come from network stations with limited budgets and practical effects. Examples like Merlin, The Vampire Diaries, and Once Upon a Time managed to develop a large fanbase without the advantages that come with a streamer, but this kind of show is no longer made. In 2026, we need to remember the joys of network fantasies and bring back this forgotten section of TV, especially since this format could address some of the current issues modern fantasy series are facing. After all, can't we have a show with dragons or fairies before or after episodes of shows like Matlock, Tracker, The Rookie, and Law & Order? Fantasy Series Don't Need Big 'Game of Thrones' Budgets To Work The recent trend has been to create fantasy shows with massive special effects and give them some of the largest budgets of any show. While that method has led to several amazing series, it isn't necessary for every fantasy show.What is required is a fascinating story and lovable characters. Series likeMerlin and Legend of the Seekerserve as prime examples of this. These shows are less about the epic battles and sprawling worlds, but more about the characters, and that's why they don't need quite as much spectacle as more recent entries into the genre. Related This Divisive 10-Part Fantasy Series Barely Made It To Season Over Its $7M Per Episode Cost A 'Stranger Things' alum took the lead in this short-lived series. Posts By Collier Jennings TakeMerlin, for example, which may not have the bloody wars of aGame of Thrones, but has the relationship between Arthur and Merlin that kept fans engaged for five seasons and continues to be popular. Network fantasies may be different, but they can succeed without the bells and whistles that streamers use.While streamers aim for cinematic effects that leave the audience in awe, network fantasies typically rely on practical effects and cheesy magical elements that ultimately give the network fantasy shows their charm. They may look different, but there is a place for both large-scale epics and the smaller, more character-driven shows in fantasy, if only the networks would start to prioritize them once more. Network Fantasies Can Avoid the Genre's Biggest Problems As the fantasy genre has moved away from network shows, a major problem has become prevalent, especially with these big-budget series: streamers have been cutting back the number of episodes and taking very long in between seasons. While this is true throughout TV, it's an especially noticeable problem for fantasies, which require thorough world-building that simply cannot be done effectively in eight or ten episodes. Network shows have an advantage here as they typically have a bigger episode count, and, on a smaller budget, could likely have a quicker turnaround between seasons while also having seasons that are longer than what streamers can generate. Subscribe to the newsletter for forgotten network fantasy Explore why network-era fantasy still matters — subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth coverage of TV fantasy, including rediscovered network shows, character-driven series, and thoughtful analysis that connects past formats to today's trends. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Not only do longer seasons allow shows to explore the magic within these stories, but they also help the show's longevity. It cannot be ignored that, as streamers have taken over the genre, too many fantasy series have been prematurely cancelled while network fantasies often lasted much longer. The inflated budgets of modern fantasy series make them easy targets, but network TV allows more time to develop the story. While there are examples of shows that didn't last on networks, the fantasy shows of the 2000s and 2010s usually reached a conclusion, and many lasted for several seasons. With examples like Merlin, Legend of the Seeker, Charmed, Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so many more, it's clear that network TV can make memorable fantasy series. TV thrives on variety, and that is what the fantasy genre needs right now. Merlin Like Follow Followed TV-PG Drama Adventure Fantasy Science Fiction Action Release Date 2008 - 2012 Network BBC One Showrunner Julian Jones Directors Jeremy Webb, Alice Troughton, David Moore, Justin Molotnikov, Ashley Way, Alex Pillai, James Hawes, Metin Hüseyin, Ed Fraiman, Stuart Orme Writers Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Howard Overman, Ben Vanstone, Richard McBrien Cast See All
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