Some people will always disagree, but fantasy television has undeniably gone downhill. That’s not saying much, as fantasy has never been a strong genre, with a few notable exceptions.
Everyone is trying to replicate the success and appeal of Game of Thrones, but no one is asking themselves: What made Game of Thrones so great in the first place?
Even Jeff Bezos, the on-and-off world’s richest man, has expressed a desire for an Amazon series to replicate the success of Game of Thrones.
Instead, we got Wheel of Time and Ring of Power. The former was mediocre in terms of entertainment and ratings (although gradually improving), while the latter is simply a disgrace to modern television.
Netflix gave us a promising series with The Witcher, but it faltered midway through its second season.
The only fantasy TV setting that really compares to this is House of the Dragon, which is more like Game of Thrones. The problem is, people get tired of repetition, especially when the repetition is poorly executed.
The fantasy genre requires some creativity
We get it. “Grey Morality” is an interesting character study and an important part of George R.R. Martin’s successful series, long before the series became a hit on HBO.
We can always count on showbiz to beat a dead horse, kick it a few more times, light it on fire, and then roll it down the hill for the better (I’m pointing the finger at you, MCU).
Not everything has to reflect “dark” realism of moral ambiguity. Most of us are well aware of our ability to walk a fine line between right and evil.
Maritain’s success, and indeed the show’s success, is based not just on this line but on the consequences for those who reject it, on one side or the other. Ned Stark’s honor blinded him.
Denali’s brutal tyranny led to her destruction. While Jon Snow and Bran Stark continue, the series as a whole is just a slice of their lives, suggesting neither a glorious ending nor their fall from grace.
After all, we are talking about the fantasy genre. There have to be rules—some basic basis for credibility, but more than one formula.
To be fair, “dark” fantasy grew out of the tired, formulaic trends in the fantasy genre at the time—elves, fairies, dwarves, and gnomes, oh my! Now, something similar needs to happen if fantasy television is to avoid the same pitfalls of redundancy.
That’s not to say “grimdark” doesn’t have a place on TV. After all, House of the Dragon, The Witcher (at least for a while), and even The Wheel of Time are still popular to some extent.
What is the future of the fantasy genre?
As long as dark, gritty fantasy remains popular, similar shows will continue to emerge from the entertainment machine every year. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.
Some point to “comfort” fantasy or “hope punk” as potential niches within the genre as a whole. Currently they mainly exist in anime content, but maybe not forever.
It would require an epic breakthrough, similar to Game of Thrones. Within the fantasy genre, there are approximately 50 or so subgenres, including gaslighting, steampunk, magical realism, flintlock, arcane punk, and general dark fantasy.
Some are completely different from grimdark, while others have similar characteristics. For example, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas has been called an “assassin” fantasy novel. In 2016, a fantasy TV version of her series was announced, but so far there has been no development.
Different fantasy subgenres are about to have some chance of taking over from Game of Thrones, though it won’t be easy.
Peacock is reportedly developing a fantasy TV version of author Victoria Aveyard’s The Red Queen. The Red Queen is set in a near-future America under the rule of a monarch and contains some fantasy elements, such as superhuman abilities.
Black Bear Television is developing a series version of Legendborn, a teen fantasy series written by Tracy Deonn. Amazon wasn’t satisfied with Ring of Power and The Wheel of Time and is developing the Ninth House series based on the same books.
“The Poppy Wars” (Rebecca F. Kuang) and “Atlas Six” (Olivia Blake) are also filming.
If it’s popular, why is it important?
Look at Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Granted, Deadpool and Wolverine are exceptions to the general rule, but most recent franchises go bust pretty quickly.
Of course, several of Disney’s properties suffer from flaws that have nothing to do with the genre, but there’s a general feeling of unease in the Marvel Universe. No matter how good things are, eventually everything becomes boring.
The list of Disney canceled films continues to grow, including What If? !
Plus, most average American viewers have the attention span of a goldfish. If it’s not fun, it won’t fly.
For now, grimdark is still very popular, and shows like House of the Dragon are the proof in the pudding. But maybe that’s not entirely accurate. Is “grimdark” popular, or are well-written and well-acted shows popular?
I think it’s more the latter than the former. Doctor Who started with a budget of $50,000. Breaking Bad was almost canceled after its first season. Parks and Recreation had low ratings in the beginning, but look at it now.
Fireflies bring tranquility. Peaky Blinders, Empire, Red Dwarf and The Outer Limits all started with low budgets and low hopes, but great writing and great acting propelled them to the top.
change is a good thing
Both film and television go through phases. As a Gen The era of sitcoms covers most of the 1980s and 1990s.
The 2000s saw the rise of reality television, with The Real World, American Idol, Big Brother, and Survivor becoming extremely popular.
The most popular stuff on TV right now is basically the stuff that’s the most interesting, with deep stories, great acting, great character arcs, complexity and depth.
We could say that drama is the most popular genre today, but drama is nothing if not diverse, and it is heavily incorporated into almost any genre.
The argument for eschewing dark fantasy television in favor of soundtracks from other subgenres is simply one of variety. In fact, grimdark doesn’t need to disappear. House of the Dragon is doing well and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Throw in Conan the Barbarian. Xena Remade. Where exactly is Red Rising? Granted, that last one is more of a sci-fi genre written by Pierce Brown, but you get the point.
There are a lot of sub-genres out there. With the right showrunner, Brent Wick’s Night Angel trilogy, Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series or RA Salvatore’s Dist Do’Urden series could see the light of day again .
“Dragonlance”, “Eye of the Dragon”, “Ligant”, “Uprooted”, “Abhorsen”, “Emperor’s Blade”, “The Lie of Locke Lamora”, “Sand”, “Exposed” Archives” and so on, all on a bookshelf somewhere.
Hopefully they’ll make it to the small screen in the near future.
Where do you think the future of fantasy television is headed? Share your thoughts in the comments and take part in the poll below.
