His Dark Materials is a notoriously difficult fantasy story to adapt. Still, HBO’s version is not only faithful to the book trilogy but well-deserving of its 84% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The TV series is much better than its movie counterpart, as the much longer time allowance allowed His Dark Materials to fully explore its fantasy setting.
Fantasy TV shows are often canceled too soon, especially when they do not get an instant following. With the movie The Golden Compass failing to impress, the TV series seemed like a risky choice for an adaptation. However, the series lasted for three seasons, with each season of His Dark Materials corresponding to one of the books and building to a heartbreaking but satisfying ending.
His Dark Materials Has A Perfect Ending
Fantasy can be a difficult tone to get right, with elements like talking animals and magic sometimes coexisting with much heavier themes. The original His Dark Materials books explore the nature of the human soul while skewering the hypocrisy of organized religion, and also telling a love story. Ending this would be a challenge for any director, but His Dark Materials finishes perfectly.
The book’s ending is heartbreaking, but it leaves many characters alive. The makers of His Dark Materials could have continued the story or altered the original ending, but chose not to. This was an excellent decision as it kept the show as a faithful adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy without overtaking it and then facing similar issues to those found in Game of Thrones.
His Dark Materials Was Luckier Than Most Fantasy Shows
Netflix has a growing reputation for canceling great fantasy shows without giving them a chance to build momentum and an audience. This has led to dissatisfaction among creators, while viewers find it increasingly hard to get invested. HBO’s His Dark Materials series excelled over Netflix as the streaming platform allowed the creators the time needed to translate the full story for the screen.
There are many great fantasy series that have been canceled too soon, and depriving audiences of an ending means they may not stream the next fantasy epic, in case that is left unfinished, too. The OA, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and The Wheel of Time are all shows that have not been as lucky as His Dark Materials.
What Are The Best Fantasy Shows Like His Dark Materials?
His Dark Materials is a difficult show to categorize, as it is such a complex story, with many different elements that will appeal to different audiences. The story has angels, witches, a multiverse, and magical technology, while also taking place in several worlds. That said, there are some great fantasy shows to watch if you liked His Dark Materials.
Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy that centers on children with an animal connection similar to His Dark Materials‘ daemons. Locke & Key features magical objects, so viewers who like that aspect of His Dark Materials should watch it next. Carnival Row involves battles between different species, touching on similar themes to His Dark Materials, though it lacks its perfect ending.
- Release Date
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2019 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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William McGregor, Amit Gupta, Leanne Welham, Charles Martin, Otto Bathurst, Euros Lyn, Dawn Shadforth, Harry Wootliff
- Writers
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Francesca Gardiner, Amelia Spencer, Sarah Quintrell