The miniseries Gormenghast has flown under the radar, but it is surprisingly similar to Game of Thrones in many ways. Game of Thrones is a groundbreaking show that changed the way we watch TV, opening the door for extremely high-budget epics. However, while a few modern shows have been hailed as Game of Thrones replacements, a British dark fantasy was an early version.
Gormenghast aired in 2000, and while it did not have the budget of Game of Thrones, it starred household-name actors who would later appear in major fantasy productions. The live-action dark fantasy TV show is eccentric, detailed, and centers on the way one ambitious young man manipulates the inhabitants of the sprawling castle estate known as Gormenghast.
Gormenghast Is An Adaptation Of A British Gothic Trilogy
The Gormenghast novel series was written by the British author Mervyn Peake, who had ambitious plans, intending the books to follow the life of its central character, Titus Groan. However, in a twist of fate that would not be out of place in a Gothic novel, Peake died before he could complete his work. He left behind the first three Gormenghast novels and a novella.
As Peake had written outlines for the story, his wife, the writer Maeve Gilmore, completed the Gormenghast saga, but the work was not published until 2011, when it was found by the family after her death. In the meantime, Gormenghast was getting its own TV adaptation through the BBC. The four-part series covered the main events in the first two books.
Like many fantasy TV shows based on books, the adaptation had to cut significant parts of the plot, but it kept the dark tone and Gothic aesthetic described in the books. Gormenghast is an ancient, decaying structure, with enormous hidden sections and mysterious people living there in secret. The estate extends almost as far as the eye can see, giving the series some standout shots.
The Show Was Like Game Of Thrones On A Smaller Scale
Peake’s original story was extremely complex, but he did a fantastic job of illustrating how the actions of one person could influence the lives of many others that they would never meet. Against the backdrop of its Gothic castle, Gormenghast featured doomed romances, exaggerated characters, several murders, and political scheming. These plot threads make the show resemble a condensed version of Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones’ title alone highlighted the many ways in which characters tried to manipulate their way to the throne. While politics is not always presented as the most interesting subject for a TV show, Game of Thrones made these power plays riveting. Gormenghast follows similar themes but lacks dragons and magic, making it a perfect fantasy show for people who do not like fantasy.
Like Game of Thrones, the story follows several characters. These include Steerpike, who is trying to escape his life by social climbing, the ruling Groan family, who are trying to cling to power despite the patriarch’s growing madness, and the young Titus Groan, who, like Arya Stark, wants nothing more than to escape the rigid social structure of his upbringing.
Gormenghast Had One Of The Best Fantasy Villains Of All Time
As the fantasy creatures in Game of Thrones would eventually overshadow the characters in the later seasons, it is easy to forget that the acting and political manipulations were the best part of the original show. Before the dragons and White Walkers were given more screentime, characters like Cersei and Littlefinger were presented as just as dangerous.
Steerpike is Gormenghast’s answer to characters like Littlefinger and Margaery Tyrell. Coming from a humble background as an overworked kitchen boy, Steerpike resolves to dominate life in the castle. He seduces the Lady Fuchsia Groan, convinces the Lord’s bitter twin sisters that they are the true heirs to the throne, and murders anyone who sees through his charm.
Steerpike turns his charisma on and off depending on who is in the room. His talent for manipulation makes him one of the best fantasy TV show villains of all time, and he could have won Gormenghast’s own “game of thrones” had he not been so overconfident. That said, his downfall is extremely satisfying, involving a fantastic fight scene in a Gothic revenge subplot.
Gormenghast Didn’t Live Up To Its Potential, But It Is Criminally Underrated
Gormenghast was ahead of its time, with the potential to be a high-budget Gothic epic fantasy, had it been made after Game of Thrones. The effects have not all held up well, and the simplification of the main plot has meant that we do not get as much of a chance to know the characters as we would in a longer series.
While some characters, like Steerpike, are instantly captivating, others needed more time to shine. Both the novels and the show are unapologetically weird, and viewers deserve time to get used to the strangeness. Still, Christopher Lee, Celia Imrie, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were excellent, and Gormenghast could have been one of the best fantasy TV shows of all time if it were made today.
Variety magazine described Gormenghast as “ugly and beautiful, confounding and fascinating.” The costumes and set designs were highly praised, and while Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the show a 40% rating, its audience disagreed, giving Gormenghast a 61% positive score. Overall, the dark British fantasy is a criminally underrated hidden gem for Game of Thrones fans to discover.