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The Witcher's performance has been trending downward for years, but the good news for viewers is that there are other great fantasy TV shows to watch. Though The Witcher season 1 became a quick cultural phenomenon, things fell apart almost immediately in season 2. If there was any hope in the series redeeming itself, it was entirely overshadowed by the announcement that Henry Cavill was being replaced as Geralt. Overall, The Witcher season 4 wasn't bad television, and replacement actor Liam Hemsworth would have been just fine as Geralt from the beginning. Unfortunately, the countless issues this show has faced mean that the cultural outlook on this series may never be positive. There are a few things that The Witcher got right, but for every way it fell flat, there's a fantasy TV show that did it better. Buffy The Vampire Slayer There's no question that Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a very different vibe than The Witcher. However, this classic TV series set the standard for monster-of-the-week supernatural shows. Every episode, Buffy and her pals had a new creature or villain they had to overcome. These various beasts gave Buffy the Vampire Slayer its flavor. Since Geralt is a monster-hunting witcher, we expected The Witcher to capture some of that monster-of-the-week energy—just a bit more refined. Unfortunately, after season 1, this element fell to the wayside. Though seasons 3 and 4 attempted to bring it back, Buffy the Vampire Slayer still reigns victorious in this regard. The Magicians The Magicians is another fantasy TV show with a lot of cheesy camp, but it still consistently performed well with critics. All five seasons are "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, which is certainly not something that The Witcher can claim for its existing four installments. Something that The Witcher captures rather well is the magic system of Andrzej Sapkowski's books. The magical training and combat isn't at all cheesy like it often is in fantasy TV shows. However, this wasn't enough to save it. The comparatively silly magic of The Magicians proves that a series' consistent dedication to a cohesive plot will trump visually stunning fantasy elements any day. Arcane Video game adaptations are notoriously hit-or-miss. Movies and TV shows based on games can either be massive successes or major failures. Arcane, based on the League of Legends video game franchise, is an example of an absolute triumph. The animated series has a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, leagues better than The Witcher. If book fans are hard to please, it's nothing compared to video game fans. The Witcher isn't only a book series, but a game franchise as well. Some of the biggest critics of the Netflix series are those dedicated to the games, and, unlike Arcane, The Witcher didn't deliver for this fanbase. His Dark Materials Yet another TV adaptation of a beloved book series, His Dark Materials is based on the Amber Spyglass series by Philip Pullman. Interestingly, this series wasn't an instant hit. Season 1 performed well enough, but not spectacularly. However, each new installment saw an upward trend in critical approval. This is, of course, not something that The Witcher achieved. Season 1 performed well enough, especially with general audiences, but each season has seen a decline in both critic and viewer reception. If you're looking for a fantasy TV show that climbs in quality, His Dark Materials is the way to go. Merlin High fantasy is the genre standard. Unfortunately, there aren't nearly enough of these types of stories in the TV medium. Merlin is an Arthurian adaptation, which makes it an absolute classic in the high fantasy subgenre. Like Buffy, it's a bit cheesy, but like His Dark Materials, its critical reception only grew with each installment. The Witcher is also considered a high fantasy series. However, Netflix's version has made desperate attempts to modernize the culture of the Continent. This worked better back in season 1, but the gag began to fall flat going into its later seasons. Sometimes, a good ancient feel like Merlin's is best. The Sandman The Sandman is a dark, gritty fantasy through and through, making it a great option for those who were initially drawn to The Witcher. Of course, it takes this intense grittiness even further with a unique premise. With an overall 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, this series is a pretty good bet. Still, what makes The Sandman superior to The Witcher is the fact that it, too, has been at the center of controversy. After only one season, things got complicated behind the scenes, owing to allegations against author Neil Gaiman. The Sandman's writers saw the writing on the wall and wrapped up the series on a high note. It's a tactic that, perhaps, should have been adopted by The Witcher. Castlevania When it comes down to The Witcher's central concept, Castlevania is likely the best replacement. Another medieval dark fantasy inspired by a video game, this animated series has a very similar monster-hunter tone. Unlike The Witcher, however, Castlevania is pretty close to a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Castlevania's lowest RT score is 83%, earned in its first season. From there, things only improved, with a whopping 100% score in season 2, which was repeated again with season 4. The proof is in the pudding on this one. Good Omens Good Omens is a great option for those who initially started watching The Witcher for its unique brand of self-aware, meta comedy. Another Niel Gaiman series, Good Omens took this clever comedy up a notch, pulling it off spectacularly with the help of stars Michal Sheen and David Tennant. Though the story of Good Omens is spectacular, the series has legs because of the chemistry between its two stars. Had either of them needed to be recast, it would have been the end. Thankfully, despite other controversy, this never happened (unlike with The Witcher). Game Of Thrones You can't have a list of great fantasy TV shows without Game of Thrones. This series is the easy figurehead of the genre, and we could spend all day talking about what did or didn't work. What's worth mentioning in regards to The Witcher is how Game of Thrones handled its political conflicts.
