Inspiration Month: Fantasy TV

This week I'm excited to talk about some of my favourite fantasy TV shows, that have either inspired my work or just put me in the mood for writing stories!

Grimm #

First up is Grimm, an urban fantasy series that takes the (frankly bonkers) idea that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were actually monster-hunters in 19th-century Germany, and that their heirs still hunt "Wesen", were-like creatures who hide among—and occasionally prey upon—humans, and turns it into a surprisingly good TV show.

It has so many tropes I love, from the protagonist being a police detective, to the cool fantasy jargon (can you pronounce Kehrseite Schlich-kennen?), and of course the folkloric roots of its worldbuilding. Plus David Giuntoli is pretty decorative, amirite?

Once Upon A Time #

My second selection is Once Upon a Time, a TV show based closely upon Disney's fairytale movies. What could have been quite a saccharine premise is given teeth by two delicious villains - not only the evil queen from Snow White but a new villain, Rumpelstiltskin, played with pantomime flair by the ever-talented Robert Carlyle.

The Queen gets a wonderful redemption arc, while Rumpelstiltskin teeters on the brink of redemption over and over but can never quite bring himself to take the final step - his addiction to his magical powers are just too strong.

Supernatural #

Supernatural probably counts as a guilty pleasure rather than an inspiration! I'm mostly not a horror fan, but I'm OK with a few creepy monsters and some gore as long as the overall mood is feelgood. Plus I've been a fan of Jensen Ackles since he appeared on "Dark Angel" 😀

Da Vinci's Demons #

I was rather late to the party when it came to "Da Vinci's Demons" - the real Leonardo has a place in my heart, so I wasn't all that excited about a cheesy fantasy update. But the chemistry between Tom Riley and Blake Ritson won me over, along with the gorgeous soundtrack by Bear McCreary.

Just check your history-loving brain on the way in and enjoy it for what it is - a visually stunning alternate-universe Renaissance Florence where the usual laws of physics don't apply and da Vinci's inventions actually work! Oh, and content warning: there is a lot of male nudity in this show! 😏

Carnival Row #

Last, but certainly not least, is Carnival Row, Amazon's steampunk fantasy show set in a faux-Victorian world where human factions fight over control of fae lands, in a rather obvious allegory of colonialism and racial tension. Since the protagonist is a half-fae police detective, this is by far the closest thing on TV to my current project, albeit rather darker in tone.

I've enjoyed seeing Orlando Bloom in a more serious role, and model Cara Delevigne is surprisingly good as fae rebel Vignette. Alas the upcoming second season, due out in February next year, is also the last, so we'll have to make the most of it!