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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Fantasy is highly in demand right now. No doubt influenced by the success of Game of Thrones, there’s a lot of grimdark fantasy out there these days. If, like Peter, that’s your cup of tea, you may want to take a look at our grimdark tag to see what we’ve reviewed. However, in today’s recommendation, we wanted to highlight some of the more light-hearted fantasy content we’ve come across. If you’re the kind of fantasy lover who’s more into the works of Terry Pratchett than George R. R. Martin, we reckon you’ll love the following suggestions!
Fantasy High
First on my list, there’s Fantasy High. Led by Brennan Lee Mulligan, this Dungeons and Dragons live stream is a delightful blend of classic fantasy tropes, and an all-American high school setting. One moment they’re fighting monsters, the next they’re helping a Werewolf drug dealer find a job as a guidance councilor at their school. The cast is a group of professional improv comedy actors, and unlike most other D&D streams, this is actually a set of pre-recorded, edited sessions, which means that the story flows easily without interruptions to discuss the rules. The full first season is available for free on Youtube, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Galavant
Second on my list is ABC’s musical comedy series, Galavant. Galavant is the story of a tragic hero who loses the love of his life to the ruthless king Richard. His quest to save her from the king doesn’t exactly go swimmingly. While the whole series takes place in a very traditional medieval European setting, there’s lots of modern jokes sprinkled throughout that are very much reminiscent of something Pratchett might write. The writers are not afraid to break the fourth wall every now and then, and it actually works because the show as a whole doesn’t take itself too seriously. Be sure to look out for the impressive range of guest stars while watching!
Merlin
Finally, I have to give a little shoutout to BBC’s Merlin. Merlin is an excellent example of a high fantasy setting where the stakes are clear, but the writers don’t feel the need to rub it in your face. While the show has an overarching plot, the episodes are often written to function well as stand-alone stories. The main focus is the friendship between Merlin and Arthur, and it’s a friendship that relies mostly on teasing and banter. If you haven’t seen Merlin yet, you should definitely give it a try!
Hopefully this list has given you some suggestions you weren’t yet familiar with! If you do watch any of these shows, let us know what you thought of it on one of our social media channels.