Fantasy television is a pretty popular genre, but fantasy stories often results in some very long-winded narratives that can take days, weeks, or even months to tackle completely. Take Game of Thrones for example, which has eight seasons and 73 episodes, with each episode being at least one hour long. There’s no way one can safely binge that in a reasonable amount of time without feeling like they’ve wasted their days on one show.
Fortunately, some fantasy series aren’t nearly this complex, and can easily be finished in as little as a day or two. Heck, if you’ve got a weekend where you’ve had a stressful week and you feel the need to sit back, relax, and watch some quality television, you’ll likely be through with these series before you even know it’s happening. These are the best fantasy TV shows that can be binged in one weekend.
10
‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (2019)
Developed by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews
Back in 1982, Jim Henson came out with The Dark Crystal, a family dark fantasy film set in the world of Thra, which was absolutely teeming with lore. The basic story of the film was that a mystical artifact called the Dark Crystal fractured, which spawned two new races of beings: the Mystics and the Skeksis. The Skeksis began to use the Crystal to magically drain the life out of the native species of the planet and transfer it to themselves, forming an Empire that would never die, and eventually exterminating the Gelfling species.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance expanded upon this lore, serving as a prequel to the films, exploring the Skeksis’ rise to power. Though not intentionally made into a miniseries, the show only got one season after The Dark Crystal was prematurely canceled (which viewers still haven’t forgiven Netflix for) in spite of excellent reviews. The puppetry is absolutely gorgeous, as is the set design, and with its updated visuals, it’s a real feast for the eyes. And with only one season, one should have no trouble seeing it finished in one short weekend.
9
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ (2023–)
Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg
Based on the YA novels of the same name by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a second crack at adapting the books following a miserable attempt at a movie franchise in the early 2010s. This series proved to be a much more faithful adaptation, and one that was infinitely funnier and more exciting. It’s geared towards pre-teens and young teenagers, but it can easily be enjoyed by anyone with its dry, sarcastic humor and whimsical adventure based on Greek mythology.
The series stars Walker Scobell as the titular Percy, who is a demigod, with Poseidon as his father and a human mother, who must embark upon a quest after the Greek god Zeus has his lightning bolt stolen and believes Percy is responsible. There are a lot of creatures and aspects from Greek myth that appear, and it makes for a fun series that’s a nice blend of coming-of-age realism and magic that anyone can enjoy. It’s also a pretty simple story, meaning one doesn’t absolutely need to give 100% of their attention if they want to know what’s going on. Plus, the episodes are generally only 30-40 minutes long, and there are only eight of them. So even when Percy Jackson Season 2 comes out, it’ll still be easy to binge in one weekend, even if you want to leave it on in the background while cleaning the house or something.
8
‘Lost Ollie’ (2022)
Created by Shannon Tindle
Lost Ollie is a fantasy miniseries that can not only be binged in one weekend, but in one day if you really want to. There are only four episodes, so it really isn’t a long ride at all. The series is reminiscent of Toy Story, only in live-action, featuring a stuffed rabbit who wakes up in the lost-and-found and becomes determined to find his way back to his beloved owner. On his travels, he meets other lost toys and visits many wondrous places… or at least, wondrous for a stuffed rabbit.
Lost Ollie isn’t just a kid-friendly adventure story, it’s a love letter to love itself, and of the bond that kids create with their stuffed animals, which inevitably withers away as those kids grow into adults and take on new responsibilities, leaving their childhood’s sense of wonder and love behind for the monotony and burdens of everyday life. It isn’t just an exercise in creativity; it’s something truly special that anyone will appreciate. And with only four episodes, it’s easy to get rapt in its immersive adventure and finish it in one day.
7
‘The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself’ (2022)
Created by Joe Barton
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself is another show that got pretty good reviews, yet was inexplicably canceled by Netflix after just one season. The eight-part series follows Nathan Byrne (Jay Lycurgo), the illegitimate child of the world’s deadliest witch, who is being spied on by a rival coven of witches as the opposing clans are in a sort of Cold War with each other. Tensions eventually come to a boiling point, and the covens go to war, with Nathan becoming the target of a literal witch hunt.
Embracing his true identity as a witch, he pursues a dangerous quest to bring peace to his adolescent life once again and to protect the legacy of his ancestors. This show is not hard to follow at all, and is fairly straightforward, meaning one doesn’t need to invest too much to understand the plot. On top of that, there are only eight episodes (though there should’ve been more), so bingeing it in one weekend shouldn’t be a problem.
6
‘Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell’ (2015)
Directed by Toby Haynes
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is another fantasy miniseries based on a novel of the same name by Susanna Clarke. Set in the 19th Century during the global conflict known as the Napoleonic Wars, the series is about an alternate version of Earth where magic not only exists, but is widely known about by the general public, albeit it is rarely put into practice. In rural England, the eponymous Mr. Norrell (Eddie Marsan) decides to try and make magic a more socially acceptable concept by using it to aid his fellow countryfolk.
Short, simple, and to the point, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a breath of fresh air, contrasting a world at war with a peaceful, simplistic story about the benefits of magic. While widely praised by critics and viewers alike, it’s a bit of an underrated series, which is honestly kind of a shame. Of course, because it’s a miniseries, tackling the whole thing at once is absolutely doable, with only seven episodes in total.
5
‘Over the Garden Wall’ (2014)
Created by Patrick McHale
Cartoon Network isn’t always known for producing miniseries, so Over the Garden Wall was a bit of a strange project for them. Yet, it was absolutely worth it, as the show received rave reviews and a dedicated fan base following its release. There are only ten bite-sized episodes, plus one special episode for its 10th anniversary, so it’s not hard to binge the whole thing in one weekend, or even one day.
The animated series, which comes with a star-studded cast, is about two brothers who get lost in a dark forest known as the Unknown. But they are not alone, as a monster is stalking them through the woods as they desperately try to find their way out of the thicket and return home. Its whimsical enough at first, but the final chapters drop an absolute bombshell of a reveal that makes things so much more interesting. It’s a real must-see for fantasy fans, especially with how unique it is.
4
‘Kingdom’ (2019–2021)
Created by Kim Eun-hee
Kingdom is a South Korean fantasy-horror series set at the turn of the 17th Century in the Kingdom of Joseon, which once encompassed the entirety of the Korean Peninsula. The king, who is a fictional character in this show, has married into the tyrannical Haewon Cho clan, impregnating his wife before falling ill and dying of smallpox. In order to make sure the King’s surviving adult son doesn’t get the throne, the Haewon Cho clan devises a plan to bring the King back to life using a mythical resurrection plant. But this plant causes the King to turn into a zombie, unleashing a plague of the undead.
The zombies in this show are super unique, in that they are just corpses during the daytime, and only become active at night, and in their behavior. This show, which was based on a webcomic-turned-graphic novel, is unlike anything you’ve seen before, yet it sadly remains in a state of limbo since Netflix hasn’t officially canceled it, yet there’s been no word on its future. There are two seasons plus one special episode, but each season only consists of six 60-minute episodes. Combine this with a 90-minute special episode, and it’s easy to binge this show in one weekend, tackling one season a day.
Kingdom
- Release Date
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2019 – 2019
- Directors
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Kim Seong-hun, Park In-je
3
‘One Piece’ (2023–)
Developed by Steven Maeda and Matt Owens
The original One Piece anime has been running since 1999, so there’s definitely no way that it can be binged in one weekend. As for the live-action Netflix series, though, it’s much more feasible considering there’s only one season so far. Upon the release of the second season, whenever that might be, this may be subject to change, but for the time being, it’s easy to get through it all in one weekend.
The series is about a young aspiring pirate named Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), who has eaten the forbidden Devil Fruit, allowing him to stretch his body like rubber at will. He inhabits a fantastical world chock-full of rival pirate crews and gangs, all of whom are in search of a missing piece of a treasure map, which will supposedly lead to untold riches. The series is a bit goofy, but that’s what makes it so lovable. It’s cartoony, but much more palatable for non-anime fans in its live-action format, and it’s been a brilliant foray into the fantasy genre.
2
‘Blood of Zeus’ (2020–2025)
Created by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides
Blood of Zeus is based on Greek myth, yet crafts a wholly original story with a few new characters for something never seen before. Unlike Percy Jackson, there is no intersection with modern life here—the series is set entirely in Ancient Greece, and comes in as an animated epic fantasy made for anyone who loves Greek mythology. With its beautiful animation and unique story, it’s easy to get immersed in this grand adventure.
There are three seasons of this show, which sounds like a lot, but don’t worry—it can still easily be watched in one weekend. This is because the episodes are only about 30 minutes long, on average, and there’s only 24 of them in total, meaning the series isn’t even that long in spite of its episode count. Despite the short runtime of the episodes, the show is perfectly paced, and has garnered some incredible reviews with every new development.
1
‘Castlevania: Nocturne’ (2023–)
Created by Clive Bradley
Castlevania: Nocturne is a companion piece to the original Castlevania animated series, which is based on the hit video game series of the same name. The original series gets much better reviews than Nocturne, but the latter is still enjoyable. Though both shows are crafted in a way that makes them look like Japanese anime, they technically don’t fit the definition of anime since they are both made in the United States rather than Japan.
Much of the series is inspired by European Gothic literature, meaning it’s rife with vampires and werewolves and looming, dark castles. Nocturne is still ongoing, but for the time being, it’s totally feasible to binge it in one weekend. There are two seasons, each consisting of eight 30-minute episodes, so it’s not as long as it sounds at first glance. In any case, fans of Gothic themes are sure to enjoy it, though they’ll likely enjoy the original series a lot more. That said, the original is a lot longer and isn’t likely to be binged in one weekend.