Hollywood is no stranger to retellings, especially ones that revolve around myths and legends. After all, why not utilize the stories that have already been told for hundreds of years and are well-known to the public? The trick is ensuring that the story isn't just a straight retelling of a fairytale or legend, but rather something that builds upon or twists the original story in a new and relevant way.

There was a certain period of time in the 2010s when this was quite popular, especially in the realm of YA literature, but it translated to other part of the culture as well. There are quite a few TV shows that took inspiration from some of the most famous fairytales and mythologies and even translated them to the modern day. Here are just a few of the most notable.

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Once Upon A Time

once upon a time

One of the most well-known shows in this genre is ABC's Once Upon A Time. The show takes place in the fictional town of Storybrooke, where a litany of fairytale characters have been trapped with no knowledge of who they are. The show switches between the plot in modern-day Storybrooke and the past lives of the characters when they lived in their fairytale land, and it manages to inventively change up these classic stories.

Once Upon A Time was beloved by its fans, and it ran for 7 seasons before finally being put to rest. It was one of the most successful shows based on fairytales, and it managed to branch out beyond just the original stories. The characters from the show became iconic in their own right, and the writing of the show totally re-imagined some of these classic fairytale characters and tropes. For example, many characters that were typically villains were given redemption arcs in the show, while some who were heroes in their original stories turned out to be villains on OUAT.

Grimm

grimm

Grimm was very much along the same lines as Once Upon A Time, as it brought fairytale characters into the modern day. However, in this case, the show was a crime procedural and had a bit of a darker tone. The protagonist, Nick Burkhardt, discovers that he is the latest in a long line of Grimms, warriors who hunt down Wessen, which are the monsters from traditional fairytales.

The show is darker because it's based on the stories from The Brothers Grimm, which are the much less sanitized and Disney-ified versions of fairytales, and can instead be quite dark and even gruesome on occasion. Grimm mixes the crime procedural genre with these fairytales, which leads to a lot of interesting storylines involving Wessen politics and the conflict that comes when Nick himself befriends Wessen.

Merlin

merlin

To pivot away from fairytales, this show brings to life a different kind of folklore: the King Arthur legend. Merlin tells the story of, well, Merlin, the famous wizard from Arthurian lore. However, in this version, Merlin is much younger, and lives in a Camelot where magic is forbidden. He slowly earns the trust of Arthur after learning how their fates are intertwined, and various quests and adventures ensue.

Merlin did a great job of making the classic King Arthur myth feel new again, with a much younger group of characters and storylines that felt inventive. The series manages to get the viewer invested in the characters before anything else. That's where a lot of the drama and pathos of the show comes from, as the audience gets to watch some connections grow, while other characters start to turn down darker paths. There is a reason that this show remains so beloved even after 10 years, and it's because the characters managed to stick with viewers.

Kamigami No Asobi

kamigami-no-asobi

This anime takes place in a world where the ancient gods exist, and they're trying to rekindle their relationship with humankind, which has faded significantly over the years. Yui Kusanagi is a high schooler who is taken by Zeus to an academy specifically designed to allow these gods to reconnect with the humans. Zeus tells the gods that they have a year to strengthen the bond, or they will be trapped at the academy forever, Yui included.

It's a very heartwarming story, and actually includes gods from various mythologies, including Greek, Japanese, and Norse. It's hard not to fall in love with the characters when the whole plot is about them trying to understand the emotions of humans, and slowly learning to bond with and trust them.

Class of the Titans

class of the titans

Speaking of Greek mythology, this animated series is about a world where the descendants of Greek gods and mythical Greek figures like Hercules and Jason have to fight to protect the world against the evil Cronus. If this sounds like it bears a lot of resemblance to the Percy Jackson series, it's because it is a very similar base idea.

Fans of Percy Jackson, and mythology nerds in general, are sure to love this series about teenagers going on world-saving adventures based on Greek mythology. It only got two seasons due to low viewership in the U.S. (as it was a Canadian-made show), but it's still well worth a watch for anyone with an interest in Greek mythology.

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