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Fantasy shows have found their fanbase in audiences of all ages and groups. What's healthier than a good old entertaining fantasy story, set in a different reality than ours? It truly gives us an opportunity to escape our very own harsh realities and escape into fantasy worlds instead.
Action, drama, sci-fi, comedy - all of them may do a good job in entertaining us, but nothing accomplishes the mission better than the epic fastasies of faraway lands.
With December almost halfway through, the end for 2022 is closer than it ever was. And the end of the year means that it is time for us to take a look back and reflect on some of the best titles that have released this year.
In this article, we will list some of the best TV shows that 2022 had to offer in the fantasy genre, giving you an opportunity to figure out which one you would like to watch next.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.
House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, and more - 5 best fantasy TV shows that 2022 had to offer
1) House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is one of the most popular series that was released in 2022. The fantasy drama offering acts as a prequel of sorts to the cult phenomenon of the last few years, Game of Thrones.
The series is a brainchild of the best-selling author, George R. R. Martin, and is based on his book, the A Song of Ice and Fire, that released on HBO Max via Game of Thrones.
With the kind of success its predecessor had attained, House of the Dragon had high hopes riding on it. With a huge budget allocated for production, the show did it justice and became one of the best fantasy offerings to catch this year.
It is set two centuries before the the events of Game of Thrones and focuses on the rise and fall of the mighty House Targaryen, the ones who united and ruled over the Seven Kingdoms.
2) Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is undoubtedly one of the biggest titles of the year. Developed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the series has been adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien's celebrated fantasy book series, The Lord of the Rings.
It came to attention for its whopping budget of $465 million from Amazon Studios, which has essentially made it the most expensive series to be ever created.
The Rings of Power is set milleniums before the events of the film franchise and chronicles the Second Age on Middle Earth. The show portrays the forging of the Rings and the eventual rise of Sauron, the Dark Lord. It also focuses on the Last Alliance of Elves and Men to put an end to Sauran's plan.
3) Wednesday
Wednesday is a late release from Netflix this year, but has become a massive hit with its wide fanbase. The fantasy horror series is a coming-of-age comedy at its center, which follows Wednesday Addams from The Addam's Family as its titular character.
The series stars Jenna Ortega in the lead role, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwendoline Christie, Luis Guzmán, Riki Lindhome, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, and Hunter Doohan among others.
The series follows Wednesday Addams, a 16-year-old psychic who is admitted to the Nevermore Academy after her mischievous stunts at the previous schools she attended. However, she is not a fan of socializing with others and enjoys her own life as an outcast.
The show chronicles her life at her new school of monsters and outcasts, as she makes unusual bonds and solves a local murder with her powers.
4) Parallels
Parallels is a French-origin fantasy sci-fi series from the house of Walt Disney Productions. It was created by Quoc Dang Tran and released exclusively on the online streaming platform, Disney+, in March 2022.
It stars Thomas Chomel, Jules Houplain, Omar Mebrouk, Jade Pedri, Naidra Ayadi, and Guillaume Labbé in pivotal roles. The six-episode miniseries was received well by both audiences and critics, who praised the storyline and characters.
The show primarily follows four friends - Sam, Victor, Bilal, and Romane - who decide to celebrate their graduation from middle school.
They meet at their secret spot, a bunker in the forest. But everything goes awry when the friends suddenly disappear following a power outage. When Sam is left alone with an older version of Bilal, they are thrown into a mysterious adventure to find out what truly happened and where their friends went missing.
Parallels dabbles in time travel, multiverses, and superpowers, all of which are trending topics in contemporary media content. The plot makes for a compelling and intriguing watch, which is well-suited for a wide range of audiences who have an interest in fantasy and mystery.
5) The Sandman
The Sandman is a 2022 fantasy drama series from the house of Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. It was developed by creator Neil Gaiman along with David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg, exclusively for the streaming giant, Netflix.
The show stars Tom Sturridge as the titular character, alongside Vivian Acheampong, Patton Oswalt, and Boyd Holbrook.
The Sandman follows Morpheus aka Dream, the Endless, an entity who is even older than the gods. He is the literal personification of dreams but got caught by humans in an occult ritual in the 1910s.
After being held captive for over a century, he has to get back to his realm of Dreaming and restore the order in it. During his absence, a nightmare, Corinthian, had also escaped, who needs to be found and brought back.
