Merlin was a great TV show consisting of five seasons, or four depending on who you ask. It was full of action, drama, romance, fantasy, magic, and history.
The show has been over for more than 12 years now, but that doesn’t stop people from talking about it in earnest even to this day. But with little chance of the show being continued or rebooted, fans will have to find other great shows to fall in love with. Thankfully, there are plenty of shows about intrigue, historical fiction, fantasy, and drama to try out.
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21 Medici
Netflix
If it was the drama of the show and the trials of the royal family balancing trying to do the right thing and be a good leader, then Medici might be for you. It’s based loosely on historical facts, and one of the most influential families in Italy. The Medici are a family of bankers, popes, and art lovers that basically created the Renaissance by funding a large part of the movement. They even commissioned art by Michelangelo.
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Another benefit of this show is that it features Bradley James, who played the role of Arthur in Merlin. So you get the family drama and a familiar face to get you hooked on the show.
20 Galavant
American Broadcasting Company
Galavant is a comedy that lovers of Merlin won’t want to miss. It has a lot of the fun fantasy and historical elements of Merlin, all while making fun of fantasies and musicals.
The cast is a good one, with people likely recognizing several faces they might love like Timothy Omundson, Joshua Sasse, and Karen David. Unfortunately, this show only premiered for two seasons, so if you did like it, you’ll feel heartbroken quickly enough.
19 The Witcher
While the future of the show The Witcher is up in the air right now, with the show going off script and the main character’s actor being changed, there’s no denying that the first season was absolutely amazing.
The show is based on a mix of the video game and the books of the same name, and the first season stays fairly loyal to them. You have lots of sarcasm, action, adventure, and darkly relatable characters that will make any fan of similar genres excited to watch it.
18 Robin Hood
BBC Studios
There are a lot of shows and movies about Robin Hood, so it can be hard sometimes to figure out which one someone is talking about. This is the 2006 version of Robin Hood by the BBC featuring Jonas Armstrong, Richard Armitage, and Keith Allen as some of the cast.
While this doesn’t follow the plot of the books very closely, it has the same feeling of people pushing back against a tyrannical government and having to do it in secret. Sound familiar? This show features a lot of the same themes as Merlin and manages to treat them pretty similarly, giving you characters that you have a love-hate relationship with, characters that would solve every problem if they could just open up and tell the truth, and the constant need to run around and hide who one is to continue helping others.
17 Da Vinci’s Demons
BBC Worldwide
Merlin was a unique take on the story because Arthur and Merlin were the same age. While we did get some old-man Merlin scenes, it was nothing more than a costume. Similarly, a lot of stories about Leonardo da Vinci focus on him when he is already an old man, not telling much about his story when he was younger.
In Da Vinci’s Demons, we see da Vinci when he is younger. While the show deviates a lot from historical accuracy, there is plenty of intrigue to keep fans watching as he ends up in the middle of a fight between the church and the Medici family. We see da Vinci when he is young and still fighting for a changed future with all he has.
16 Sleepy Hollow
FOX
Sleepy Hollow is a classic story of a man named Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. This TV version of Sleepy Hollow changes it up by having Ichabod and the Horseman wake up in more modern times, with a helpful detective trying to solve the crimes going on.
It has a mix of sarcastic commentary between two main characters, magic and the supernatural, and plenty of action that will twinge the heartstrings of any fan of Merlin and keep them entertained for a couple of seasons at least.
15 Penny Dreadful
Showtime Networks
Penny Dreadful broached various magical and supernatural mythological characters in a variety of classics. There are characters such as Dorian Gray and Frankenstein. It is more of a thriller focusing on psychological aspects than anything else, which makes it a little different from Merlin, but it is still a pretty interesting show that some fans may find they enjoy.
The name of the show came from Penny Dreadfuls in the 19th century. They were a series of cheap pieces of literature often produced in the United Kingdom. Each part, published weekly, cost a penny and was full of stories about monsters and other frights.
14 Reign
CBS Television Studios
On the surface, Reign may seem like just a normal historic fiction movie about the monarchies of France, Scotland, and England. However, it is its own unique story, full of magic and drama. While it does aim to follow major aspects of history for its story plot, it has fun recreating in a way you likely haven’t seen before.
Most of the bad reviews from critics come from the fact that the movie is pretty inaccurate from a historical standpoint, but the filmmakers themselves say the show is meant to be more of a fantasy history and for entertainment than accuracy. They also want to attract viewers that may not be familiar with the history, to enjoy a dramatic and fantasy-filled plot line.
13 Tudors
Sony Pictures Television
Now, if you’ve decided you want something pretty accurate that took its own flare with the story where it is unknown, you may be interested in the Tudors. While there aren’t any magic and fantasy elements, it looks similar to Merlin with the costumes and the way the royalty made a giant spectacle out of everything.
There are great actors in this show as well, such as Natalie Dormer, Henry Cavill, Sarah Bolger, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It also works hard to make sure the story is interesting despite being pretty historically accurate by filling in a lot of drama and moments of tension.
12 Game of Thrones
Warner Bros. Television
If you want a show that is full of magic and drama like Merlin but with a lot more storylines going on at once and a ton more main characters, Game of Thrones is worth a shot.
Even if you’ve read the books, the story deviates pretty quickly, so it will be like watching something completely new but with the same character names. This TV show will keep you going just by making you struggle to remember which character is which.
While there are some complicated storylines and some boring ones, the overall show is full of action and drama as several storylines start off separately, only to slowly grow closer and more intertwined. With nine seasons, it’s certain to keep you entertained for a while.
11 Constantine
Warner Bros. Pictures
DC Comics took a bold step with this show, creating a storyline that focused on demons and darkness with Constantine. It focuses on a man named John Constantine, or Hellblazer who fights demons. While it is only one season, it does end up blending into the Arrowverse and is the longest running comic title by Vertigo. If you find you like this show, you may want to check out the rest of the media that makes up the Arrowverse, or DC’s version of the multiverse.
There are a total of 10 shows and seven web series as well as various comics, shorts, and novels, so if you do find that you like the Arrowverse, you will be set to be entertained for quite a while.
10 Camelot
Warner Bros. - Seven Arts
Not quite ready to leave the world of King Arthur and Camelot yet? You’re in luck, there’s a show called Camelot, which focuses on a similar storyline to Merlin.
Of course, Camelot follows the original stories a little bit more, so the tale is pretty medieval and a bit more gritty than the fantasy show. The show does stand out from other retellings with Arthur being an unknown heir and some darker parts of the story.
The cast is also amazing, with Jamie Campbell Bower, Eva Green, and Joseph Fiennes as some of the major characters. The show is only 10 episodes but will keep your attention the whole time.
9 The Magicians
NBCUniversal Television Distribution
The Magicians has four seasons of magic, drama, romance, and fighting that no one will want to miss. It is based on a book series, and it is about a school of magic users. There are a lot of other supernatural and fantasy elements besides just magic as well, including werewolves.
It’s also a bit more of a mature show, and doesn’t fear broaching deeper subjects like the power of sex, mental illnesses, addiction, and social problems. Many people were swept up into this show, so who knows, you may find you have to find a show to get over watching The Magicians after using it as a show to get over Merlin.
8 Disenchantment
We have to say, Disenchantment is a bit of a stretch from Merlin at first glance. It isn’t a live-action, instead, it is an animated show that is done by the same creator that did Futurama and The Simpsons. All three have similar art styles and sources of comedy, so if you liked one of their other shows, you will also probably find Disenchantment pretty amusing.
However, this story focuses on medieval fantasy, so it is a little closer to Merlin than the other two series. This one might not be for every fan of the magical story about Camelot, but if you like both Merlin and Futurama, you may find that this show fills a gap between them.
7 Shadow and Bone
Based on a pretty popular book series of the same name, Shadow and Bone is a story about fantasy, magic, and stories that intermingle into a bigger plot. Like the character Merlin himself, we see a young girl that has a power that can change the future of the world, as long as she uses it correctly. There are plenty of cute and lighthearted moments mixed in with the darkness and horror. There’s also plenty of action to keep even the most wary of viewers watching until the end.
This show has plenty of fans, and quite of bit of story to pull from, so, hopefully, we see more of these complex characters for a while to come.
6 Cursed
Cursed is yet another King Arthur and Camelot retelling. This time, we see the story told from the point of view of a powerful woman, named Nimue, who meets up with Arthur on his quest to find the legendary and powerful sword. The show is based on a book by authors Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller.
Nimue is close in age to Arthur, and grows close to him as they journey together to find the ancient sword he seeks. In the show, Nimue is a hero and a symbol of courage and hope against the evil king and his mercenaries. This is a different take than Merlin, where Nimue was a major antagonistic force against Merlin and one of the major causes of the horrible ending.
5 The Shannara Chronicles
The Shannara Chronicles is similar to Merlin with angsty teenagers on their way to save the world and fulfill their destinies. There is plenty of magic and adventure as well, so it is very reminiscent of Merlin. Instead of kings and dragons though, this show focuses on elves and demons.
However, what really makes the show stand out, and made some fans enjoy it even more than Merlin is the fact that it boasts some very strong female characters and has LGBTQ+ representation throughout the show.
4 Once Upon a Time
DisneyABC Domestic Television
Do you want to see other fantasy characters besides just Merlin and Arthur? Once Upon a Time focuses on a variety of different characters from Grimms Fairytales and other legends. Right away, we see characters like Rumplestiltskin, Belle, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White. However, unlike the Disney versions, these characters don’t have happy endings and are, in fact, trapped inside a curse.
Though the story is set in a modern world, it will transport you to other places through stories and the history of the characters struggling to remember who and what they are. There are seven seasons, so you can bond with these characters and feel for them as they undergo trial after trial to find happiness.
3 Atlantis
Urban Myth Films
Atlantis is a two-season show about a man looking for his father and ending up in a lost city. Interestingly, it isn’t just about Atlantis, but a couple of historical and mythological characters, like Hercules and Pythagoras, who is absolutely obsessed with triangles.
While it isn’t as fantasy-intense as Merlin, it is still full of different, quirky characters trying to survive and save others. The season starts off a little slow for some but is well worth continuing on a few episodes to get to the best parts.
2 Legend of the Seeker
Disney
Legend of the Seeker is another short show, consisting of only two seasons. The show follows along with the novels by Terry Goodkind known as the “Sword of Truth” series. However, there is a lot of movement away from the books, with extra characters and stories that the novel never brings up. The second book makes up most of the second season. Each season consists of 22 episodes for a total of 44 episodes to binge-watch.
It is a high fantasy story, with a completely different land, series of races, and characters than you’ve seen before. Despite being introduced to new characters and worlds, the story itself is familiar with a tale about characters fighting against tyranny and saving their family and loved ones. Unfortunately, the second season was the last, despite the original author and many fans holding a protest.
