Fantasy continues to be one of the most popular genres on television. It allows the audience to let their imagination run free and dream of worlds and creatures that they will never come across in real life. However, creating fantasy shows costs a lot of money, so they're not as common as other genres, such as crime shows or sitcoms.
With that said, fans of fantasy shows got the chance to watch several new shows in 2022. Of all the live-action fantasy shows that premiered this year, some of them stand out among the rest and have earned above-average ratings online, as well as were renewed for another season.
5 Interview With The Vampire
Even though they have faced multiple crises in the past, vampires remain among the most popular fantasy and horror creatures. The new adaptation of the iconic novel by Anne Rice proves it by scoring an above-average rating from the audience.
Thanks to the story told by the vampire Louis, the show takes the audience back in time, to the early 20th century, and creates an intense story of blood, hate, and passion. The actors have strong chemistry between them, and the show is just as captivating from a visual point of view, proving once again that the vampire topic is far from dead.
4 Wolf Like Me
Not every fantasy show that premiered in 2022 got as much attention as it would have deserved. Wolf Like Me is one of the underappreciated pieces. The fantasy elements are more subtle in it, which, combined with the fact that the first season only has six episodes, can be one of the reasons why Wolf Like Me mostly flew under the radar. Josh Gad and Isla Fisher form an unexpected duo as two people who find their way to each other even though they have dealt and continue to deal with some unexpected problems.
The less the viewers know about the story before watching it the better, even though Wolf Like Me does itself a disservice by spoiling a part of its plot because of the show's title. Even so, the actors are excellent, the show is set in the beautiful Australian landscape, and the story doesn't give the viewers the chance to become more. With being renewed for the second season by Peacock, it's as good a time as any to catch up on Wolf Like Me.
3 The Sandman
The Sandman, based on the successful comic book series by Neil Gaiman, took a long time to arrive on the TV screens. But once it did, the audience fell for the show. Set in an original world where Dreams and Nightmares walk among humans, the show tells the story of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, who loses his powerful tools when captured and has to get them back and fix what was broken when he frees himself after a long time. Tom Sturridge is hypnotic in the inhuman leading role, and the series has a strong cast overall.
It crosses the boundaries of what's possible since everything and anything can happen in the realm of dreams. The Sandman takes care to follow the comic book storyline closely, but at the same time, it's accessible even to those who haven't heard about the Dream of the Endless and his siblings before. Netflix has already renewed the show for a second season, so the viewers who enjoyed it are bound to receive even more adventures of their favorite heroes and villains.
2 Wednesday
As one of the latest hits on Netflix, Wednesday builds an extraordinary world populated by werewolves, gorgons, and other creatures. Some viewers called the show 'Gothic Harry Potter' but the original adventures of the Addams family are much older than the Harry Potter books. The main similarity is that the main heroine, Wednesday Addams, starts going to a new live-in school and has to take on a murderous enemy while getting used to her new home and the people who surround her. Jenna Ortega is morbidly hilarious as Wednesday, who sees the world differently from her classmates, including her almost-werewolf roommate Enid.
The first season seems to have it all - from humor and romance to action and horror. Other than Jenna Ortega, the series features strong performances from the likes of Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990s Addams Family movies, and Gwendoline Christie, who also appeared in The Sandman as Lucifer Morningstar. With Tim Burton directing four out of the eight episodes, Wednesday is unlike any fantasy show that premiered this year, and it's been breaking records on Netflix.
1 House Of The Dragon
The Game of Thrones sequel/prequel House of the Dragon was easily one of the most anticipated TV shows of 2022. And it didn't disappoint. It brings the viewers into the fascinating world of Westeros and chronicles the rise and fall of the House Targaryen. Filled with corruption, the heroes and antagonists alike have to navigate the scheming of their enemies, or they're going to die.
The series offers interconnecting stories of multiple characters portrayed by excellent actors. It mixes drama, action moments, and the occasional humor. To top it all off, House of the Dragon, according to its name, has even more dragons than Game of Thrones, cementing its status as one of the best examples of fantasy TV that's currently available on HBO, or anywhere.