Harry Potteris one of the most popular media franchises of all time, as the franchise based onJ.K. Rowling’s novel series managed to have a firm grasp on popular culture for an entire decade. While not everyone who saw theHarry Potterfilms had read the books, the franchise was remarkably consistent in terms of quality, as all eight films can at least be considered to be “good.” Reactions to the prequel series,Fantastic Beasts, were much more mixed, but Warner Bros. Discovery is rolling forward with a new television series set to debut on HBO within the next few years.
Harry Potterfans have struggled within the last few years, asRowling’s offensive comments have causedmany to turn away from the franchise, as they do not want to offer financial support to someone who uses their resources for hateful reasons. However, there aremany other great shows that may fill theHarry Potter-sized hole in their lives. Here are ten great shows to watch if you loveHarry Potter.
10’Game of Thrones' (2011–2019)
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Game of Thronesis one of the biggest sensations in television history, as it successfully managed to adapt the dense source material fromGeorge R.R. Martin’s novels into an incredible series that captured the sheer depth of the world of Westeros. Although Martin’s novels had a sizable fan base,Game of Thronesbecame so popular that even non-readers could recognize beloved characters like Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).
Game of Thronesmay now be at risk of being underrated when considering the incredibly negative response to the final season. Although the eighth season undercut a significant portion of the drama that the show had been building towards, the first seven seasons of the series are masterful, and include manyall-time greatGame of Thronesepisodeslike “Blackwater,” “The Rains of Castamere,” “The Mountain and the Viper,” “Hardhome,” “Battle of the the Bastards,” and “The Winds of Winter.”
Game Of Thrones
9’Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003)
Created by Joss Whedon
Buffy the Vampire Slayeris one of the definitive coming-of-age stories of the late 1990s and early 21st century. Similar toHarry Potter, it combined a complex mythology of magical creatures and spells with relatable characters that deal with the inherent challenges of being a teenager. AlthoughSarah Michelle Gellar’s performance as the teenager “slayer,” Buffy Summers, has been recognized as being one of the greatest heroes in television history, fans fell in love with the amazing cast of supporting characters.
Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas somewhat inconsistent in terms of quality, as it is really only the second, third, and fifth seasons that represent the show at its best. However, there is room to still be excited, asGellar is in the midst of collaborating with Hulufor a new reboot that will introduce a young cast of characters.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
8’Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance' (2019)
Created by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceoffers the type of fantasy spectacle that is not often seen outside of films likeHarry Potter, as supernatural stories have often been replaced within popular culture by superhero and science fiction tales. Although it was based on the underrated classicThe Dark CrystalfromJim Henson, which utilized groundbreaking puppetry effects that were ahead of their time,Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceexpands the world to include a much broader set of characters, locations, and magic.
LikeHarry Potter, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceexplores an elemental battle between heroes and villains, yet recognizes that not everyone can be easily classified as “good” and “bad.” AlthoughDark Crystalwas sadly canceledafter its first season, as the audience was not sizable and the viewership was too low, the show is a true achievement that will hold up for many years to come.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
7’Star Wars: The Clone Wars' (2008–2020)
Created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni
Star Wars: The Clone Warshelped create a new chapter in theStar Warsuniverse that appealed to fans ofHarry Potter, as it was a coming-of-age story about a young character growing up within a crisis. Although it was the return of characters from the films, including Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), the focus ofStar Wars: The Clone Warswas on the young Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and the Clone Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker).
Star Wars: The Clone Warshelped open up theStar Warsuniverse to new stories, as it established characters and events that would go on to factor into other shows, includingRebels,The Bad Batch,Tales of the Jedi,The Mandalorian,Andor, and more.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
6’Percy Jackson and the Olympians' (2023–)
Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg
Percy Jackson and the Olympiansis based on a novel series that was often compared toHarry Potter, as it was also a coming-of-age adventure story about a group of gifted children who are trained in a secret academy as they prepare to go on quests to save the world from evil. It was actually the second adaptation of the first novel in the series, asHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneandHarry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsdirectorChris Columbusdirected the 2010 filmPercy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson and the Olympiansworked much better as a television show than it did as a movie, as the series cast the characters at an appropriate age, and included the subtle worldbuilding and snarky sense of humor that had made theoriginal novels by author Rick Riordanso beloved among readers around the world.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
5’Cobra Kai' (2018–2025)
Created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg
Cobra Kaiexplores the nature of training and competitive collaboration that is inherent to theHarry Potterseries, but applies it to the world of the originalThe Karate Kidfranchise that began in 1984 with the Oscar-nominated film of the same name byJohn G. Avildsen.Cobra Kaisubverted expectations ofwhat a legacy sequel should look like, as it was told from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the former bully who had been bested by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio)in the All-Valley tournament.
Cobra Kaiwas able to establish a new audience through its many new characters, all whilst having a cheeky sense of humor about itself. Although Sony Pictures recently released the new filmKarate Kid: Legendsstarring Macchio andJackie Chan,Cobra Kaiis the better continuation ofThe Karate Kiduniverse, as it capped off six solid seasons with a very satisfying finale.
4’I Am Not Okay With This' (2020)
Created by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall
I Am Not Okay With Thisis a very underrated fantasy coming-of-age drama on Netflixthat would certainly resonate with fans ofHarry Potterwho felt represented by the show,Sophia LillisofItfame did a great job at playing a young teenage girl who discovers that she has superpowers, despite coming from a meager home that somewhat resembles what life was like for Harry when he was forced to live with his Muggle family.
I Am Not Okay With Thiswas able to explore surprisingly dark material, yet retained the sharp comedic edge that had made theHarry Potternovels so beloved among young readers. It’s very unfortunate thatI Am Not Okay With Thiswas canceledafter only one season, as the final episode set up a compelling hook for future installments that could have taken the series to greater emotional depths and included more spectacle.
I Am Not Okay with This
3’Good Omens' (2019–2023)
Created by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Good Omensis another adaptation of a beloved fantasy novel seriesthat managed to satisfy both fans of the original source material and viewers who simply wanted to be whisked away on a madcap adventure. AlthoughDavid Tennantgave a memorable performance inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he has one of the best roles of his career inGood Omensas the demon Crowley, who is obsessed with the music ofQueenandFreddie Mercury.
Good Omenshas unfortunately suffered similar controversies toHarry Potter, as momentum on a third and presumably final season of the show was stalled after disturbing allegations of sexual assault and traffickingwere made against Neil Gaiman, the original author and producer of the show. Although it’s unclear if the show will be impossible, those capable of separating the art from the artist may still be able to enjoy the first two seasons.
Good Omens
2’Stranger Things' (2016–2025)
Created by The Duffer Brothers
Stranger Thingsbecame one of the biggest television phenomena of all time for a reason, as it captured the imagination of young viewers in the same way thatHarry Potterdid. Although the show has many references to classic films from the 1980s, includingGremlins,Goonies,E.T. the Extra Terrestrial,Ghostbusters, andBeetlejuice, among others, it is also steeped in the fantasy lore that madeHarry Potterso popular.
Similar toHarry Potter, part of the joy of watchingStranger Thingsis getting to see the young cast grow up, as the show has tracked their adolescence and development for almost ten years. Theupcoming fifth and final season ofStranger Things, which is set to air in three installments this winter, is easily one of the most anticipated projects of any form within the entire history of Netflix streaming.
Stranger Things
1’Legion' (2017–2019)
Created by Noah Hawley
Legionis easily the most underrated television show ever based on a Marvel comic book series, as it is far more emotionally succinct, dramatically compelling, and visually dynamic than generic Disney+ shows likeWandaVision,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, andMoon Knight.
Similar toHarry Potter, Legionexplores the challenges that come with being a “gifted” person, as the protagonist, David Haller (Dan Stevens), is a mutant who is sent to an asylum because he is deemed to be mentally unwell. Although it includes the type of action that one would expect from a series based on theX-Mencomic books,Legionmanaged to go to some fairly dark and psychedelic places over the course of its three seasons. It’s one of the few shows not made byDavid Lynchin which the word “Lynchian” could apply.
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