The desire for more shows like Game of Thrones is understandable – and while there are many imitators, the selection of series is worth recommending.
Game of Thrones was a landmark in television — a sprawling, highly polished series that elevated the fantasy genre to prestige television (it won 59 Emmys over eight seasons). Even viewers who aren’t usually obsessed with zombies and dragons were drawn to the very human aspects of the show — pride, jealousy, betrayal, love, lust, ambition, nihilism, and other emotions conveyed by a slick cast.
Despite a lot of disappointment from subsequent seasons, GoT still left a huge hole in its millions of viewers when it concluded in 2019. HBO attempted to fill the void with House of the Dragon (one of HBO Max’s best shows), a prequel that focused on the decline of a house Targaryen. But the show has only had one season so far, which was quickly burned by die-hard Thrones fans.
But you can quell your Westeros withdrawal with a collection of excellent shows that capture the adventure, blessing, magic, and intrigue of Game of Thrones. It is available on Netflix, HBO Max, or Starz.
His dark materials
Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels come to life in this three-season series. It centers around Lyra Silvertongue (Dafne Keen), a young kid who is brought up in a college like the Oxford University of our world. But Lyra’s world is somewhat different: full of witches and companion animals “demons” that are physical manifestations of a person’s inner self.
Like many heroic children in fairy tales, Lyra’s story is built on the revelation that she is a very different person than she thought she would be, with an identity (including her own family) wrapped in powers and events far greater than she ever imagined. Lyra’s quest for the truth takes her through her own world and into many others, including a dystopian twist of our own. His Dark Materials is distinguished by Pullman’s ability and galleries to combine the familiar, in a world like ours, with fantasy to produce a thrilling story and commentary on the roles of science, religion, and family in our society.
a witness HBO Max
The last kingdom
Based on Bernard Cornwell’s books The Saxon Stories, this historical fiction series on BBC Two/Netflix traces the battles between the Saxons and the Danes for control of 9th-century Britain. Main character Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) has a foot in both worlds. The son of a Saxon nobleman of the same name, he was captured as a boy by invading Danes and raised in the household of their lord, Ragnar.
As a young man, Uhtred returns home to claim his birthright to the kingdom of Bebbanburg. When that fails, it aligns itself with Wessex, the last independent Saxon kingdom. Given his dual identity, Uhtred is familiar and an outsider on both sides of the decades-old conflict. He sees it as having the power to bring the two sides together, even though they are so far apart. The Last Kingdom is compelling not only for its adventure and drama but as a fascinating view into a critical but largely overlooked historical era.
a witness Netflix
witches
Set in the modern era, this five-season SyFy show, based on Lev Grossman’s book series, will satisfy a GoT fan’s craving for fantasy. The story begins when a young Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) attends Brakebills University to learn the art of magic. In Harry Potteresque fashion, he quickly makes friends with fellow students who realize the world is in great danger, and will be invited to practice their still-forming skills to save it.
Season 2 takes the heroes beyond this world to the magical kingdom of Fillory – though the magical part is in danger. The rest of the series is largely dedicated to saving magic – often at great cost to the witches themselves. Like Game of Thrones, The Magicians isn’t shy about cutting out key characters or turning the narrative into an ending to challenge its viewers.
a witness Netflix
A stranger from home
Time is fluid in this seven-season show based on Diana Gabaldon’s novel series of the same name. It begins when World War II nurse Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) is suddenly transferred from 1945 to Scotland in 1743 and the Jacobites rise up against the English. Knowing its history, Claire realizes the movement is doomed, but is unable to convince her new Highlander friends to drop the case.
Instead, she ends up falling in love and marrying Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Outlander spans time and space, with plot lines set in 18th-century France, England, and America as well as late 20th-century United States – in which Claire marries men from two different centuries. The story spans generations, too, with Claire’s adult daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) playing a major role. All of this complexity holds together thanks to Balfe’s ability to portray Claire as a coherent moral steadfast in the midst of all the turmoil.
Shadow and bones
This Netflix retelling of Leigh Bardugo’s book series describes an early modern European world where magic plays an important role. The heroine, Alina Starkov (Jessie May Lee), is a military cartographer as well as Grisha – a character with magical powers who can play a critical role in saving her nation. That nation, called Ravka, is divided by an almost impossible darkness called the Shadow Fold.
Alina may have the power to break The Fold and save her country, making her invaluable to General Rafka Kerrigan (Ben Barnes). But another faction seeks to capture Alina and harness her powers for their own benefit, while an anti-mage faction seeks to hunt down and kill her. Yet other people worship her. Alina’s struggle to navigate the varied and complex reactions to her identity is as exciting to watch as any magical powers she and fellow Grisha can wield.
a witness Netflix
Succession
While factions on Game of Thrones fight for control of Westeros, those on HBO’s other side are clashing over media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. And while the GoT drama begins with an empty throne, “Succession” begins with patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) deciding to hold the seat of president indefinitely – much to the chagrin of his ambitious adult sons.
Military battles are replaced by legal and political maneuvering, as the royals engage in a bloodless (yet still fierce) battle for influence and control over the media empire. While the Murdochs may first come to mind as the inspiration for the Roys, showrunner Jesse Armstrong says they were just one of several, including Hearsts, Sumner Redstone of Viacom, Robert Fitz of Comcast, and Robert and Rebekah. Mercer from Breitbart.
The fourth and final season of the Succession series debuts in 2023. While Thrones can rely on magic, blood, stunning wardrobes, and numerous special effects to hold audiences’ attention, Succession is made equally addictive through the use of witty, intelligent dialogue, and nuanced performances. .
a witness HBO Max
the magician
With wizards, monsters, and a gritty medieval aesthetic, this TV series based on a book (it’s been adapted into a video game) might be more relevant to Game of Thrones. It also features the most sophisticated cinematography of the bunch, with more sophisticated lighting and alternate camera angles than you’ll see on any other show.
The decent-looking Henry Cavill plays Geralt of Rivia, a mutant warrior “mage” who earns his currency by killing monsters that have bled from parallel universes to conquer a world known only as the Continent. Geralt is the classic reluctant hero – a misanthropic moneylender thrown out of his nihilistic existence by world-altering dangers and a reluctant sense of duty to a powerful but endangered young girl, Crown Princess Ciri (Freya Allan), whom he has sworn to protect.
Season 3 begins June 29, 2023, and season 4, with Liam Hemsworth swapping in for Henry Cavill, is in the works. Netflix also launched a miniseries, The Witcher: Blood Origin, in December 2022, but it’s less compelling.
a witness Netflix
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