Though fantasy is experiencing a huge amount of growth thanks to on-demand viewing and streaming services, there were a few series from ages ago that dipped their toes into the genre, too. Many of these classic fantasy shows are just as good as they once were, and are likely to be remembered fondly in the years to come. These are the best fantasy TV shows that have aged like a great, big unopened barrel of wine, and have just gotten better and better with time.
6
‘The Addams Family’ (1964–1966)
The original run of The Addams Family is still very much considered a fantasy, especially with how monsters exist, and some of the family members have supernatural powers. In any event, this was quite the revolutionary bit of TV for the time. It focused on a family with non-traditional values, coming in as the exact polar opposite of the standard TV family. Despite this, the Addams family seemed much closer and loved each other more than other sitcom families, with other shows frequently featuring family turmoil or domestic arguments as punchlines. It turns out that living your best life and doing what makes you happy is much better for family life and emotional well-being, which is why the Addamses maintain their Gothic aesthetic and gloomy motifs.
The Addams Family was the sitcom that started it all, with a legacy that can still be felt today in the modern reimagining in the form of Netflix’s Wednesday. Even though this series has been reimagined and rebooted a few times, the original run never gets old. Its humor still holds up, and it still manages to crush the stereotype of the nuclear family just as much now as it did then. It’s touching, unique, and downright hilarious all in one package, and it has refused to age in the six decades since its finale. The fact that it didn’t even get five seasons is honestly kind of criminal.
5
‘Dragon Ball Z’ (1989–1996)
Dragon Ball Z is the sequel to Dragon Ball, a 1986 anime series that was well-received. However, this sequel really propelled the IP into the mainstream, bringing anime to the West and reaching many major networks. Though it generally wasn’t broadcast until after the show had ended (making each “new” episode actually a rerun), it still did very well for itself in many English-speaking countries, including Cartoon Network.
There’s just a lot that this show has going for it, from its goofy humor to its stellar action and gorgeous hand-drawn animation. It became one of the most popular cartoons of the 1990s, practically becoming synonymous with the era. Even years later, many are still familiar with the show, and a sizable fanbase still exists. People can still easily recognize Goku, the main character, even if they’ve never actually watched the show. It’s likely that Dragon Ball Z will continue to entertain audiences in the coming decades, as many younger generations are once again discovering it and finding it enjoyable. It really is a series that just refuses to age.
4
‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (1995–2001)
Xena: Warrior Princess is a fantasy series based on Greek mythology, which stars Lucy Lawless in the titular role. Xena isn’t actually a character from Greek myth, and exists solely as an original creation, but she does encounter many deities, heroes, and monsters from Greek myth. Not everybody knows this, but the TV show was actually a spin-off of another Greek myth-based show: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which aired the same year. However, Xena vastly outgrew the success of the original series that spawned it, and lasted two whole years longer.
One of the main reasons people liked it was, of course, for its female empowerment. Xena was a fierce fighter that could take down any foe, but she also felt realistic and human, and not like a one-dimensional character who was written as tough just for the sake of making them tough. For its stellar action and superb adventure, combined with how it broke boundaries and changed television, Xena is a series that hasn’t aged a day.
3
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Avatar: The Last Airbender might be only 20 years old, but it became an instant classic for a new generation and has established itself as a landmark animated series. Created by Nickelodeon, this show abandons the network’s typical format and opts for a continuous story, which must be viewed from beginning to end in order to be understood. The story itself is about a continent at war with itself, as four nations, corresponding with the elements of air, fire, earth, and water, are at each other’s throats. They weaponize special individuals who can manipulate their element, known as “bending,” to fight against the invading Fire Nation. Prophecy deems that one day, a chosen one known as the Avatar will arise and master all four elements, bringing harmony to the land.
Being a Nickelodeon show, Avatar certainly has its fair share of humor and hijinks. But what also made it great was that it features a good bit of moral wisdom, and some really heartfelt moments that help it appeal to both adults and kids. The excitement for this series has hardly died down since its inception, with Netflix recently producing a live-action adaptation and a new animated movie on the way. Over the years, Avatar has remained fresh, delivering adventure, emotion, and comedy all in one package, and resonating with kids and adults of all ages.
2
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by Joss Whedon and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar in the titular role. Buffy is a seemingly ordinary teenage girl who secretly works as a professional monster hunter at night. However, she is forced to balance this chaotic lifestyle with the awkwardness and social climate of adolescence, which sometimes proves to be even more of a challenge. Based on a 1992 movie of the same name, this series really became a staple of the 90s and 2000s, and is a source of nostalgia for many. That’s probably why many fans are upset that a planned revival of Buffy got canceled before its release.
This was one of the first TV shows to introduce the “monster of the week” format, in which each episode often featured some new, terrifying adversary for Buffy to take down. While it wasn’t the first show to have this format, it definitely pioneered and revolutionized it, making it much more popular in mainstream television. Buffy doesn’t hold up today just because of its story, but because of how it addresses youth and the challenges of growing up. That’s something that will be difficult and awkward no matter what time period one is living in, which makes the show relatable on a special level. For that, it has remained truly timeless, and likely always will be.
1
‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959–1964)
The Twilight Zone is an anthology series that covers a wide variety of topics and genres, from horror to sci-fi, and yes, even to fantasy. Being an anthology series, each episode functions as its own self-contained story, with a clear beginning and ending. It involves new cast members and characters, a new story, and a new concept, with these things often never making a reappearance in other episodes. The show describes itself as being about ordinary people finding themselves in extraordinary situations. Each episode usually involves some monumental plot twist at some point, making the show consistently exciting.
Like many classic TV shows, this one has been rebooted a few times, but you just can’t beat the original. The original run covered topics from aliens to vampires and werewolves, or even more complex concepts like time travel and such. Every episode also has a moral to it, intending to make the viewer think for a while after the credits roll. The best part is, most of these moral takeaways are still perfectly applicable to everyday life, and haven’t changed with the times at all. Because of this, The Twilight Zone‘s original run stays surprisingly fresh, and were it not in black and white, it would be hard to believe it’s nearly seven decades old.
- Release Date
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1959 – 1964
- Directors
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John Brahm, Buzz Kulik, Douglas Heyes, Lamont Johnson, Richard L. Bare, James Sheldon, Richard Donner, Don Medford, Montgomery Pittman, Abner Biberman, Alan Crosland, Jr., Alvin Ganzer, Elliot Silverstein, Jack Smight, Joseph M. Newman, Ted Post, William Claxton, Jus Addiss, Mitchell Leisen, Perry Lafferty, Robert Florey, Robert Parrish, Ron Winston, Stuart Rosenberg
- Writers
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Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Earl Hamner, Jr., George Clayton Johnson, Jerry Sohl, Henry Slesar, Martin Goldsmith, Anthony Wilson, Bernard C. Schoenfeld, Bill Idelson, E. Jack Neuman, Jerome Bixby, Jerry McNeely, John Collier, John Furia, Jr., John Tomerlin, Lucille Fletcher, Ray Bradbury, Reginald Rose, Sam Rolfe, Adele T. Strassfield
