When David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’Game of Thronesended in 2019, leaving an Iron-Throne-shaped hole in the television landscape, audiences were bereft, but one hidden gem stepped up. A BBC drama that American and Canadian audiences are not so familiar with arrived to take its place. This is one of thebest fantasy TV shows based on books, and although it is long-finished, there is lots of surrounding content to sink your teeth into. With a range of books behind it, this TV show may just be your next big fantasy fix.
That may be reasonably important, given thatGame of Thronesauthor George R. R. Martin still has not finished theA Song of Ice and Firebook series on which the TV show is based.Despite ample pressure from fans, Martin can’t decide how to finish the series, and some worry that he never will.The bestGame of Thronesepisodesare those that remain more faithful to the books, with the final season of the show veering into dubious territory. Thankfully,His Dark Materialsdoesn’t face this issue.
His Dark Materials Is Underrated But One Of The Greatest Modern Fantasy Shows
His Dark Materials Is Relatively Unknown
With 84% on Rotten Tomatoes,His Dark Materialsis a comparatively unknown TV show. Based on the hugely influential fantasy book series by English author Philip Pullman,His Dark Materialsstars MCU’s Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua. Lyra is the protagonist of this low-fantasy show with enough talking animals and magical sci-fi hocus-pocus to give any high fantasy a run for its money. The 2007 movieThe Golden Compassis based on the same series of books, butHis Dark Materialsis not a sequel toThe Golden Compass.
His Dark Materials Debuted The Same Year That Game Of Thrones Ended
Game Of Thrones Created A Moment For Fantasy TV
Even as what may be one of thegreat recent TV shows that probably went under your radar,His Dark Materialswas a success from the moment it started airing in 2019.WhileGame of Throneslaunched in 2011 and lasted eight (mostly) glorious years,His Dark Materialsonly aired for three seasons,starting that November.Game of Thronesended earlier that year in May. Debuting on the BBC,His Dark Materialssoon aired in the U.S. on HBO, filling a gaping void, and it certainly isn’t too late to catch up on this show.
Many were disappointed with howGame of Thronesended, but at leastHis Dark Materialswas there to catch the fallout.His Dark Materialshad the full set of books to adapt, unlikeGame of Thrones, which definitely helped its narrative reach an organic conclusion. However, the downside of this is that it is almost certain that there will not be aHis Dark Materialsseason 4. The BBC and HBO show ran three seasons in line with the trilogy of books it covered. It ended with a bang, providing the satisfying finale that some saidGame of Throneslacked.
Its Closeness To Game Of Thrones May Have Hurt HBO’s Other Fantasy Show
HBO’s Fantasy Shows All Get Compared A Lot
Game of Thronesset a new standardfor fantasy TV and TV in general,and other shows struggled to keep up. Written by Jack Thorne,the season 3 ending ofHis Dark Materialsmarked the end of another fantasy era for the high-quality American channel, but the show never received the recognition it deserved while it aired. Along withThe LeftoversandWestworld,His Dark Materialswas left in the dust left behind byGame of Thrones. Although brilliant, it couldn’t quite compete and faced comparison from viewers encountering the show without having read the books.
In reality, of course, one can only compareGame of Thrones,His Dark Materials,The Leftovers, andWestworldto a certain extent. Each of these shows is fundamentally different, withWestworld’s Western theme andThe Leftoversseeming closer to sci-fi.Game of Thronesinspired creators and investors both to take a stab at the fantasy genre, seeing asGame of Throneshad been so lucrative. The result was amazing and diverse TV series includingHis Dark Materials,which still influences further fantasy to this day.
His Dark Materials
Cast
Based on author Philip Pullman’s beloved novel trilogy, His Dark Materials is a fantasy/drama television series that follows Lyra, a brave young woman from another world. Lyra’s quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings, and protect dangerous secrets. Lyra will find that her life is inextricably linked with another as they discover they may be the ones to change the world.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
