Summary

• The end of Game of Thrones sparked an increase in epic fantasy shows, each hoping to fill the void left by the iconic series.
• While some series, like The Wheel of Time and The Witcher, achieved success, others such as Raised by Wolves and Shadow and Bone were canceled too soon.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power presents an interesting expansion of Middle Earth but lacks the groundbreaking impact of its movie predecessor.

The end of Game of Thrones kicked off an obvious trend in TV of new epic fantasy shows, all hoping to replace the landmark series. Networks and streaming services dedicated more money to production design and special effects than ever before, while producers searched for ready-to-adapt source material. Some turned to video games, novels, or previous movie adaptations to make TV shows that would hopefully match the complex world-building of Westeros. A rare few attempted to pen an original fantasy series, which largely struggled due to rushed development.

These would-be Game of Thrones replacements saw varying levels of success across different networks. While this trend has the advantage of coinciding with the rise of streaming services, it also faces competition from House of the Dragon and other controversial Game of Thrones finale and may be eager to try something similar but new because of it.

10 The Wheel Of Time (2021-Present)

The Wheel of Time premiered to an audience overwhelmed by epic fantasy.

Like A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time is considered a staple of fantasy literature. Its meticulous world-building, larger-than-life characters, and extensive story set it up well to be the next Game of Thrones. Additionally, The Wheel of Time was long overdue for an adaptation. The show has been well-received, making it a strong option for anyone missing the heyday of Game of Thrones.

If The Wheel of Time has been hurt by anything, it is the market to which it was released. It might have become a bigger pop culture phenomenon if it had gotten started while Game of Thrones was still airing. Instead, its strong similarities to Game of Thrones were perhaps too similar following the finale. Additionally, by the time The Wheel of Time premiered, epic fantasy TV shows were everywhere, making it just one more title on a streaming list.

9 Carnival Row (2019-2023)

Carnival Row has an exciting premise but poor execution.

Helmed by Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne as the leading pair of star-crossed lovers, Carnival Row features a fascinating gaslamp fantasy setting characterized by prejudices between the humans of the Burge and immigrant faeries. Carnival Row stands as an underrated Amazon original, although it is easy to see why other shows have done better. Many of the characters lack nuance, while plot points of familial connections and betrayals are contrived, and the overall writing is stilted.

Most people agreed, including Bloom, that Carnival Row needed to end with season 2. When the most complex part of the show was the main romance, which had more or less resolved itself by the end of season 1, the storylines of tyrannical aristocrats would not have carried the show for another season. Carnival Row remains a succinct, enjoyable series for those who are not too critical of its shortcomings, but it is too short-lived to fill a Game of Thrones-sized hole.

8 Westworld (2016-2022)

Westworld is too confusing to have lasted for more than a few seasons.

Westworld's premise is frankly too intriguing to ignore, especially when the most successful network for epic storytelling is presenting it.

Emboldened by the success of Game of Thrones, HBO invested in a completely new, genre-distinct sci-fi TV show based on a forgotten contribution to cinema. Westworld's premise is frankly too intriguing to ignore, especially when the most successful network for epic storytelling is presenting it. The first season takes some mental work to completely understand, but it is not impossible. Meanwhile, the storyline comprises dark mysteries and satisfying plot twists, with hints of equally interesting conclusions to come.

However, Westworld fails to answer the questions that the audience already has and just keeps piling onto the mysteries in the subsequent seasons. The most confusing aspects of Westworld's timeline become even more so with each new episode. By season 4, Westworld was too exhausting to watch, and it ended before it ever came close to the length of Game of Thrones' run.

7 Shadow And Bone (2021-2023)

Shadow and Bone was canceled too soon, leaving many storylines unresolved.

Based on Leigh Bardugo's bestselling fantasy trilogy and its spinoff novels, Netflix's Shadow and Bone was generally popular with audiences leading up to its abrupt cancellation. The show's ending makes it clear that the writers were planning on another season, with a significant amount of source material left to adapt. Now, many Shadow and Bone storylines will never be resolved for those who have not read the books.

Shadow and Bone would likely never have reached the same heights as Game of Thrones. The latter's world-building and characters are far more detailed, while the former is reliant on the established tropes of the young adult genre. The Shadow and Bone TV show is another byproduct of the increase in epic fantasy series of the post-Game of Thrones world. Yet fans are still doubtlessly disappointed that the show was never given the chance to manifest its full potential.

6 Raised By Wolves (2020-2022)

Raised by Wolves does not live up to its HBO contemporaries.

Also premiering around the time of the Game of Thrones finale and midway through Westworld was HBO Max's Raised by Wolves. The show was praised for its detailed world-building, which initially made it seem like another winning title in HBO's repertoire of shows that define the Golden Age of television. Sadly, HBO is subject to the same rises and falls in quality and istration as the rest of the industry, which possibly affected Raised by Wolves' longevity (or lack thereof).

It is possible that Raised by Wolves was canceled after season 2 because of the Discovery and WarnerMedia merger. While Raised by Wolves showed promise, it was not as good as HBO's other series which had to be renewed at all costs. With more time to build up an epic story, Raised by Wolves could have come near what Game of Thrones once was, if not quite reaching it, due to the oversaturation of the genre. However, these istrative circumstances cut the show short, to the disappointment of the cast and crew.

5 The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power (2022-Present)

The Lord of the Rings prequel TV show doesn't have the same impact as the movies.

Rings of a Power is a solid show, but it is not revolutionary enough to be the next Game of Thrones.

There is nothing inherently wrong with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV show's storytelling, but it comes across as somewhat bland, also because of the sheer number of fantasy TV shows in the current market. Rings of Power offers a fascinating look into the lives of a younger Galadriel and Elrond and greatly expands the Middle Earth setting by revealing more about the histories of its different cultures. However, it lacks the impact of the groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings movies.

The Lord of the Rings is ground zero for traditional, medievalist swords and sorcery fantasy. The movies broke ground in their time because nothing on that scale in that genre had ever been seen before. However, for a new fantasy property to make it today, it has to break the mold of this story in some way. Rings of a Power is a solid show, but it is not revolutionary enough to be the next Game of Thrones.

4 Emerald City (2016-2017)

The dark Wizard of Oz show only made it through one season.

With Emerald City, NBC tried a completely different tactic when it came to creating a new epic fantasy TV show. Possibly inspired by the live-action versions of classic fairy tales coming out in the 2010s, Emerald City is a gritty and violent show following the basic outline of the Wizard of Oz story. NBC can be given credit for premiering this show while Game of Thrones was still going strong, showing ingenuity in trying to get ahead of the genre curve that would come several years later.

However, Emerald City never found an audience, perhaps because it was pointlessly violent. Ratings only went down as season 1 continued, leading to the show's cancellation. Fans petitioned to make Emerald City season 2 a reality, but their efforts were in vain and the show has been dormant ever since.

3 The Witcher (2019-Present)

The Witcher is a strong contender to be Game of Thrones' replacement.

Of all the shows that hoped to be the next Game of Thrones, The Witcher arguably did the best job. The world-building shares many genre trappings with Game of Thrones but is still distinct enough to stand on its own. The Witcher also intersects with another popular trend of the late 2010s and early 2020s, of video game-to-TV show adaptations. With a built-in fanbase, iconic and charismatic characters, and Netflix's willingness to throw all the money necessary into production, The Witcher, for a moment, seemed like the real thing.

Despite its popularity, The Witcher could never match Game of Thrones in of quality. With ratings dropping and Henry Cavill leaving the show, The Witcher is on shaky footing as it heads into its next season. While it may have once seemed like it was heading for Game of Thrones levels of success, The Witcher is unlikely to get as many seasons of Game of Thrones, lessening its impact.

2 A Discovery Of Witches (2018-2022)

A Discovery of Witches' highlights are its historical and scientific elements.

A Discovery of Witches ended before season 4 not because it was canceled, but because the creators only intended for there to be three seasons, one for each book in Deborah Harkness' trilogy. The source material for A Discovery of Witches showcases a level of research and detail that few other fantasy series have due to the author being a real scholar in the field of the history of science. Time travel plots also allowed the series to emphasize its history with a period setting.

The circumstances of A Discovery of Witches call into question what a show must be to be compared to Game of Thrones. It had acclaim and a big production, but was ultimately a more contained story focusing on fewer characters that could be completed within a few seasons. Therefore, A Discovery of Witches was a much briefer cultural phenomenon.

1 His Dark Materials (2019-2022)

His Dark Materials succeeds in its own right, not in replacing Game of Thrones.

The TV show adaption of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is concrete proof of what TV show reboots can do for fantasy book series, especially those whose movie franchises completely failed. However, His Dark Materials dealt with the same problem as A Discovery of Witches when it came to living up to Game of Thrones. His Dark Materials is a three-book trilogy, and the story was only suited to a three-season show.

Therefore, His Dark Materials also didn't have the time to build up its fanbase before the show's ending. Additionally, the genre is perhaps too different, not quite meeting those looking for a new medievalist fantasy. Game of Thrones changed the TV industry in many ways and left audiences and producers alike clamoring for the next cultural phenomenon. However, trying to be another TV show is possibly what led so many to failure.