26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next

17. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

We might as well get this out of the way now: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is one of the most criminally underrated fantasy shows in recent memory, and I die a little bit inside every time I think about it not getting a second season. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that in terms of fantasy television, it’s probably the best show that has come out since Game of Thrones to date.

There. Now that the bold statements have been taken care of, let’s talk about why this show is so awesome and worth giving a chance.

Age of Resistance is a prequel series to the 1982 Jim Hensen Dark Crystal film. In classic Hensen Studios fashion, the entire cast of the show is made up of puppets. But these are not just any puppets. Age of Resistance might be the single most ambitious puppeteering project ever committed to film. The scale, scope and complexity of some of the creatures that appear on screen is staggering. This show was a feat, plain and simple. It’s even more staggering when you consider the sets, all of which had to be constructed for these puppets to inhabit. Everything about Age of Resistance is intentional, and it really shows in the finished product.

If you’re not familiar with The Dark Crystal, the original film told the story of the mythical world of Thra. A race of elf-like people called Gelflings once inhabited Thra, before they were all but wiped out by a race of powerful bird-creatures called Skeksis. The movie is about the last Gelflings restoring balance to the world. Age of Resistance, however, is a prequel that depicts the beginning of the end for the Gelfling people. We see them at the height of their society, before the Skesis make their move.

The story itself is solid. It doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel where fantasy tales are concerned, but what it does do is tell a classic fantasy story perfectly. There is never a bad moment in Age of Resistance, and by the time you reach the finish line you’re left with the feeling that the creators were able to tell the story exactly as they meant to.

And then there’s the insane voice cast. Age of Resistance features the talents of actors like Nathalie Emmanuel, Lena Headey, Mark Hammil, Simon Pegg, Caitriona Balfe, Anya Talyor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Jason Isaacs, Andy Samberg, Taron Egerton, Ralph Innes, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Eddie Izzard and Helena Bonham Carter. It’s hard to think of a show that has a more impressive cast, honestly.

Alas, Age of Resistance was enormously expensive to produce, and Netflix pulled the plug after its first season. Despite that, however, the 10 episodes we did get stand extremely well on their own and tell a well-rounded story.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is available to stream on Netflix, along with the original Jim Hensen film and a behind-the-scenes documentary about the series that is also very much worth the watch.