5 Fantasy TV Shows Cancelled Way Too Soon, Including An Overlooked Musical Comedy

Skip to content The fantasy genre has given us many iconic stories, but not all of them get the time and attention they deserve. Television, in particular, regularly offers exciting fantasy stories in the form of episodic narratives, but not all great fantasy TV shows earn multi-season runs and considerable acclaim. No matter how good a show’s story may be, the nature of modern television, particularly in the age of streaming, means that no series is ever truly safe. Combine that with the relatively high cost of producing a fantasy TV show, and it’s hardly surprising that there are many fantasy series cancelled before their stories have run their course.

While the very best fantasy TV shows typically continue their run until their narrative has been exhausted, there are always others that struggle to find the success they deserve. Low ratings or poor initial reviews can often lead to a show being prematurely cut short, and in the case of certain fantasy series, this is a travesty. Each of the following shows had a lot to offer audiences and fans of the fantasy genre, but they were all sadly axed ahead of their time.

Over the genre’s small-screen history, many fantasy TV shows were cancelled too soon. Netflix’s reputation for axing great shows just as they’re finding their feet has become something of a joke about the streaming giant, and Cursed is a great example of its itchy trigger finger when it comes to cancellations. The show followed Nimue, a Fey woman destined to become the legendary Lady of the Lake. Combining traditional fantasy storytelling with well-known myths and legends, with a healthy dose of action thrown in, Cursed was a show with major potential. Unfortunately, it was cancelled by Netflix after just a single 10-episode season, cutting its story drastically short and frustrating the fanbase it had begun to build. A single season wasn’t quite enough for Cursed to reach its full potential, but the foundation it laid for an incredible fantasy story was plain to see. That is, of course, for everyone but Netflix, who thought it best to cut their losses at the first possible opportunity despite not giving Cursed a fair shake.

Another example of Netflix abandoning a promising fantasy show after just one season is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. A prequel to Jim Henson’s cult 1982 movie The Dark Crystal, the show made use of the same striking visual style of puppetry to bring its jaw-dropping fantasy setting to life. With an exceptional voice cast and a premise based on a beloved fantasy movie, it was clear that Age of Resistance could easily become one of Netflix’s best fantasy TV shows, given time. Sadly, that was the one thing it wasn’t given, and, like Cursed, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was cancelled after just 10 episodes. For a sprawling and rich fantasy narrative to be given so short a time on our screens seems criminal, particularly as Age of Resistance immediately set about delivering on the grandiose potential of its premise. Solid critical reviews weren’t enough to save the show, making it another frustrating example of a fantasy series gone too soon.

Galavant is a fantasy series that was far more innovative than its obscure reputation suggests. Described by one of its stars as the “child of Monty Python and The Princess Bride“, Galavant was a musical fantasy comedy that aired between 2015 and 2016. It follows the eponymous knight as he sets out to reclaim his kidnapped love from a childish king, eventually helping the monarch to overcome his personal shortcomings. Deeply comedic at its core and boasting many incredible musical numbers, Galavant offered something to the fantasy genre that felt truly original, particularly in the format of an ongoing TV show. Despite securing generally positive reviews across both of its two seasons, Galavant was ultimately cancelled. While its premise might admittedly seem somewhat niche, the innovative execution undeniably warranted further exploration. It’s another forgotten fantasy show that had much more to offer, but its premature cancellation doomed it to remain a largely unknown cult series.

Right off the bat, Carnival Row was far more than just a fantasy series. It combined elements of steampunk, crime drama, and neo-noir into its fantasy-heavy story, which followed faerie refugees forced to live under human oppression. It starred Orlando Bloom as a half-fae detective investigating a series of murders connected to the community of mythological beings. Despite dividing critical opinion, Carnival Row secured a second season, but then proved to be an early casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now remembered as Prime’s tragically cancelled fantasy series, the saddest part is that the show clearly had enough fuel for many years of compelling stories. Given the chance to expand its mythos slowly and naturally as its story continued to unfold, Carnival Row could easily have become one of the all-time great fantasy series, but its hasty cancellation has sadly seen it quickly relegated to obscurity despite its great premise and impressive cast.

When it comes to cancelled fantasy shows, Shadow and Bone is one that often springs to mind for fans of the genre. Another of Netflix’s many fantasy series casualties, Shadow and Bone aired for two seasons on the streaming platform before being unceremoniously axed. Fans of the series will note that its high viewership figures and strong critical and audience response should have secured Shadow and Bone‘s future, but apparently, Netflix was not convinced. What makes the show’s cancellation sting so badly is that there were so many stories still to explore, and so many questions now doomed to go unanswered. Netflix looking purely at the show’s performance might have given them cause to doubt its viability, but the show’s dedicated fanbase and the popularity of the source material seem to have been entirely disregarded when it was decided to cancel Shadow and Bone. All things considered, it’s another clear example of a fantasy show whose run was cut short, robbing audiences of more chapters in its epic fantasy story.