- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Sleepy Hollow Today
By the People, for the People
8 Fantasy Shows That Would've Thrived in the Streaming Era
These character-driven, mythology-rich fantasy series feel built for binge-watching on modern streaming platforms.
Published on Feb. 26, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Although they were popular at the time, fantasy series like Once Upon a Time, Charmed, and Grimm feel like they were meant to be streaming shows. With the rise of streaming, fantasy TV has been able to deliver richer character development, deeper world-building, and more cohesive storytelling. This list highlights fantasy shows that embody this recent era of masterful television and would have found great success on streaming platforms.
Why it matters
As streaming has become the dominant way people consume television, fantasy series have been able to thrive in this new format. These shows, with their serialized narratives, evolving mythologies, and cinematic production values, are better suited for binge-watching than the constraints of traditional network television.
The details
The article highlights 8 fantasy series that would have found greater success on streaming platforms: Lucifer, Lost Girl, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Merlin, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Charmed, and Sleepy Hollow. Each show is praised for its character-driven storytelling, deep worldbuilding, and ability to keep viewers invested through continuous viewing, all of which are hallmarks of the streaming era.
- Lucifer aired from 2016 to 2021, with the show finding greater success after being picked up by Netflix.
- Lost Girl aired from 2010 to 2016 on the Canadian network Showcase.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender originally aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon, but has found renewed popularity on streaming platforms.
- Merlin aired from 2008 to 2012 on BBC.
- Once Upon a Time aired from 2011 to 2018 on ABC.
- Grimm aired from 2011 to 2017 on NBC.
- Charmed aired from 1998 to 2006 on The WB.
- Sleepy Hollow aired from 2013 to 2017 on Fox.
The players
Tom Ellis
The actor who portrayed Lucifer Morningstar in the series Lucifer.
Anna Silk
The actress who portrayed the succubus Bo in the series Lost Girl.
Zach Tyler Eisen
The actor who voiced Aang, the protagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Colin Morgan
The actor who portrayed the young Merlin in the series Merlin.
Jennifer Morrison
The actress who portrayed Emma Swan, the main character in Once Upon a Time.
The takeaway
These fantasy series, with their rich character development, deep worldbuilding, and serialized storytelling, are perfectly suited for the streaming era. While they may have found success on traditional network television, their ability to captivate audiences through continuous viewing makes them ideal for the modern streaming landscape.
