As the 2020s pass the midpoint of the decade, Western fantasy television appears similar to what it was in the 2010s. Instead of looking forward to new, interesting intellectual properties (IP), studios have continued to fall back on what brought them success. Franchises including Game of Thrones and Harry Potter continue to dominate the TV Fantasy space with the House of the Dragon spin-off and casting calls for the upcoming Harry Potter television series remake.
New efforts to create the next big fantasy TV franchise have been lukewarm at best, with Netflix’s Shadow and Bone being one of the most anticipated productions, only for its rating to crash and burn. Now, the only popular fantasy shows in circulation are ones from previous decades or attached to current popular franchises.
While many factors can explain the state of modern fantasy TV, a major obstacle in the genre’s growth is how shows are currently structured. Like Sci-Fi, fantasy stories are throwing audiences into completely foreign worlds. Episode counts for modern television shows have been capped at just eight or nine episodes, sometimes even less. A fantasy show will often need more time to introduce the audience to its world and characters.
Additionally, properties that were adapted from a source material have the bonus of already having a dedicated fanbase that can prop the show up during its premiere. Regardless, nothing compares to modern audiences’ lack of interest in properties with fully fantastical worlds.
While it may seem strange to think that audiences aren’t interested in fully fantastical settings, Game of Thrones initially grew popular because of its more down-to-earth setting, focusing on medieval political intrigue rather than its magic and dragons. Harry Potter remains popular due to its nostalgia and as a children’s media franchise. It is often forgotten, but due to past children’s media incorporating fantasy settings, the genre itself has been seen as childish for decades.
Recent years have seen that view decline, only because the generation that grew up on Harry Potter and other similar shows is in their adulthood. Regardless, if fantasy shows were to make a serious comeback, studios would need to take a risk financing them. Considering the state of Hollywood, it’s unlikely that this would ever pan out.
