10 Fantasy TV Shows That Wasted Their Massive Potential

In the world of television, the fantasy The genre has proven to be one of the most successful types of on-screen stories, but not every fantasy show has the chance to rise to fame. Since the debut of Game of Thrones in 2011, fantasy TV shows have become a top priority for all networks and streaming services. Even more than a decade later, producers are still trying to recreate the magic of the popular fantasy series. However, while some fantasy shows have achieved surprising levels of success over many seasons, other shows have unfortunately lost their footing.

Several different problems can occur when a fantasy program fails to reach its potential. On one hand, the series may have been criticized due to bad writing, bad acting, or just being a generally bad fantasy. Sometimes this reality is not necessarily the program’s fault, but is caused by a lack of funding. On the other hand, some fantasy shows do everything right, but still end up getting canceled, losing the potential they once had. Regardless of the subject, Each of these ten fantasy shows had the potential to be great, but ended up being wasted.

10

Emerald City

A remixed remake that no one really wanted

A perfect example of a fantasy show that lost success is Emerald City. This 2017 NBC series is a dark, more mature reimagining of The Wizard of Oz. The show follows Dorothy Gale as she is transported to the Land of Oz through a tornado and sets out on a mission to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Despite having a familiar IP with a unique twist, Emerald City was canceled after one season. Worse than that, it became one of NBC’s lowest-rated series of 2017.

The problem with Emerald City it’s likely to look a little familiar to the audience. While spinoffs and sequels are hot right now, viewers can easily see how Emerald City was trying to be an approach Game of Thrones. As such, the show lacked any sense of originality or authenticity. In a genre that often focuses on world-building and magic outside of reality, Emerald City it simply hit too close to home, leading to its untimely demise.

9

Shannara Chronicles

A show that failed to find its audience

A series with the completely opposite problem is that of 2016 The Shannara Chronicles. In this series, three heroes from the fictional Four Lands must travel to a sacred treethe Ellcrys, to prevent the escape of countless banished demons. The series ran for two seasons, first on MTV, then on Spike, before The Shannara Chronicles it was completely canceled in 2017. Notably, the show starred Austin Butler before he became a movie star.

However The Shannara Chronicles was another series clearly inspired by Game of Thrones, the show struggled to find its own identity. At times, the show presented itself as a serious, high fantasy tale. However, at other times, it seemed more like a teen soap opera. Due to this, The Shannara Chronicles never been able to adequately serve a specific audienceand thus viewers lost interest.

8

American Gods

Series that failed to maintain its magic

Yet another difficult case of a program wasting its potential is American Gods. Based on the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman, this 2017 series follows a man named Shadow Moon, who begins working for a strange man named Mr. and discover a hidden world of gods and monsters. Although Gaiman’s novels have often been adapted for the screen with varying degrees of success, American Gods stands out for its sharp decline in quality.

Despite the fact that American Gods attracted audiences in its first season, the show went through a rough patch when it switched producers from season 1 to season 2, and even lost some key cast members. Because of these losses, it was nearly impossible for the show to maintain the magic that made it so enjoyable in the first place. Even with a stronger third season American Gods it was canceled due to conflicting interests and leaders.

7

Shadowhunters

A change in the budget

Another book-to-TV adaptation that left audiences disappointed is Shadowhunters. Running for three seasons on Freeform, Shadowhunters is a television adaptation of Cassandra Clare Mortal Instruments series of books. He follows Clary, a normal teenager who gets involved with a group of young people called Shadowhunters.who are part angels and protect the world from demons. Shadowhunters was the second adaptation of the franchise, following the 2013 film, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

Strangely, it wasn’t the quality Shadowhunters which led to his disappearance. In fact, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the show has seemingly improved with each season. Season 1 had a score of 44%, while Season 2 rose to 86%. However, it was the show’s budget and declining ratings that became its undoing. With fewer people watching the show and a lack of money to fund this vast fantasy setting, Shadowhunters had to be swept under the rug, creating yet another failed adaptation of this story.

6

Carnival

Fantasy that tries to do too much

While some fantasy shows don’t offer enough to keep them interesting, others give a little too much. That was certainly the case Carnival line. The 2019 series is set in a world where mythical creatures are taking refuge in the human worldand a series of murders exposes their differences. Although the cast included big stars like Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, its ratings weren’t good enough to last more than two seasons.

Carnival could have been great. With strong source material, a distinct setting, and an intriguing premise, the show had the opportunity to stand out among Game of Thrones aspirants. However, the show suffered from offering too many good things to its viewers. Despite having beautiful visuals and a fascinating story, Carnival it couldn’t keep everything straight, leading to an overly ambitious plot that was more confusing than engaging.

5

My Lady Jane

Canceled too soon

A number of fantasy shows that never reached their potential did so because they were canceled too soon and My Lady Jane is an excellent example. The 2024 fantasy romance series is a revisionist history of Lady Jane Grey, who became Queen of England for a few days before being executed alongside her new husband, Guildford. The show successfully mixed teenage angst with history and magicbut it was canceled shortly after its first season premiered, leaving audiences disappointed.

Arguably, My Lady Jane You did nothing wrong to cause your cancellation. It was simply a game of ratings numbers. However, it is important to note that if My Lady Jane received a second season, could have gone south. My Lady Jane is based on the novels, but the second book follows an entirely different character. Thus, the series may have strayed from the primary source to continue Jane’s story, which could have been a complete departure from the greatness of the first season.

4

Lockwood & Co.

A show with a lot to offer

Another fantasy show that deserved a lot more time to flourish is Lockwood and company. First released in 2023, The show is set in a world where ghosts wreak havoc throughout London, and young people are tasked with fighting them off. In an effort to join this fight, a young girl named Lucy starts working for a small company called Lockwood and Co., alongside a charismatic ghost hunter and her nerdy but smart best friend. The show was also canceled after its first season.

Different My lady Jane, Lockwood and company. not only did it have a solid first season, but also a great deal of source material to go with it, as the series is based on the books by Jonathan Stroud. Furthermore, Lockwood and company. stood out because its premise was unlike any other fantasy series. Its semi-futuristic version of London was very interesting and its characters defied the stereotypes of other young adult series. However, once again, low ratings cut Lockwood and company. before its mysteries could be solved.

3

Shadow and bone

A show that never got to the good stuff

One particularly disappointing fantasy cancellation was Netflix’s Shadow and Bone. The 2021 show is based on two separate fantasy book series by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. Both stories take place in a fantasy world where individuals called Grisha have magical powers.including the protagonist, Alina. However, Alina finds herself in danger when she becomes involved with an evil Grisha named Darkling. Meanwhile, a group of thieves hatch a scheme.

Unfortunately, this merging of the two book series may have been what ruined Shadow and Bones chances of success. Although there are viewers who enjoyed the Shadow and Bone storyline following Alina and the Darkling, many were much more invested in the Six of Crows history. To get to this, the show had to go through Alina’s story first, thus losing the audience’s interest before even getting to the best parts. In this way, Shadow and Bone had its chance at success, but focused on the wrong elements of the story.

2

The wizard

Changing the source material

Something surprising about fantasy series that don’t live up to expectations is that they don’t always start badly. To take The Witcher, for example. The first season of The wizard was praised for its strong performance and fantastic precision to the novels, written by Andrzej Sapkowski. However, with each subsequent season, audiences become less and less invested in the story and more concerned with how the show is straying from its source material – and arguably making the story worse.

For some, this kind of deterioration can be one of the most disappointing types of fantasy series because hopes get so high, only for the series to fall short of expectations. The audience not only misses out on the scenes they were expecting, but they can no longer identify with what they are seeing on the screen. It’s a completely different feeling than what they expected. That doesn’t help either The wizard Season 4 lost Henry Cavill as Geralt. That’s why, The wizard hindered his success.

1

Game of Thrones

A terrible ending

Ultimately, a fantastic fantasy series that lost potential towards the end is Game of Thrones. During several seasons, Game of Thrones has dominated the TV landscape, not just in terms of the fantasy genre, but across all of television. Game of Thrones It has inspired countless other series and has become inextricably linked to pop culture. Yet, when the time came Game of Thrones to reach its thrilling conclusion, the series completely lost its way. The series’ most beloved characters were turned into villains and left aside.

Ultimately, Game of Thrones it’s the most extreme case of a show wasting its potential because it happened at the last moment. A show that could have been considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time lost a lot of its credentials because of its final season and finale. As much as Game of Thrones is the inspiration for future fantasy series, it should also serve as a warning. Fantasy Series need a chance to take off, but they all need to maintain their level.