4 epic new fantasy shows that might just be the next Game of Thrones.

When Game of Thrones ended this year it left an epic fantasy-filled hole in viewers’ hearts.

This is exactly the sentiment TV networks were banking on: the newest trend in TV show commissioning clearly shows that the race to fill the Game of Thrones market gap is well and truly heating up.

A slew of fantasy-based small screen epics are heading our way over the coming weeks and it’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

Here are four of the best new fantasy shows that are about to replace Game of Thrones.

Carnival Row

This neo-noir fantasy drama stars model-turned-actress Cara Delevingne as a fairy called  Vignette Stonemoss and The Lord of The Rings alum Orlando Bloom as human detective Rycroft Philostrate. The unlikely pair rekindle a past love affair while tracking down a serial killer.

Carnival Row is set within a Victorian-era like fantasy world that is filled with mythological immigrant creatures who have left their war-torn homes in search of a better life. These creatures are now feared by humans and work as house servants or in the streets while also being forbidden to live, love, or fly with freedom from their masters.

As the series goes on, tensions begin to heat up between the human citizens and the growing immigrant population of fairy folk.

Coming to Amazon Prime Video Friday 30 August. 

Take a look at the trailer for Carnival Row.

The Witcher

The Witcher is coming in hot on Game of Thrones territory due to the fact that it is also based on an extremely popular series of novels, in this case by the author, Andrzej Sapkowski.

The series stars former Superman actor Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a solitary and brooding monster hunter in possession of “witcher” powers who is struggling to find his place in this fantasy world where the people are just as wicked as the beasts he is hunting.  But when a powerful sorceress and a young princess who is holding onto a volatile secret come into his world, the three of them will band together on an epic journey across the Continent.

Coming to Netflix. 

His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials is the upcoming British fantasy adventure series based on the books of the same name by Philip Pullman. Series director Otto Bathurst has said publicly that the TV adaption will be darker and more modern than expected, given the books are Youth Adult fiction.

His Dark Materials is set in an alternative world where all humans have animal companions called dæmons, which they live side-by-side with.  Dæmons are in fact a manifestation of the human soul and appear as different animals.

The series follows the life of a young girl named Lyra (played by Dafne Keen) who is an orphan living at Jordan College. As the series progresses Lyra discovers a dangerous secret about her world that involves Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) and Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson).

When her close friend suddenly goes missing, Lyra also uncovers a string of kidnappings and sets out on an epic journey to set things right.

Coming to HBO and BBC. 

On Mamamia’s daily podcast The Spill hosts Laura Brodnik and Kee Reece take you through the biggest pop culture and entertainment stories of the day. 

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone is the upcoming eight-episode series based on the first novel in the Grisha book trilogy penned by Leigh Bardugo.

The series follows Alina Starkov, an orphan living in the Russia-inspired Kingdom of Ravka, who discovers she has the power to summon light, a rare ability possessed only people known as “Grisha”

Due to her special abilities, Alina has to protect herself against Ravka’s enemies and uncover the hidden agenda of the Grisha leader, the Darkling.

Coming to Netflix 

For more stories like this, you can follow Mamamia Entertainment Editor Laura Brodnik on Facebook.  You can also visit our newsletter page and sign up to “TV and Movies”  for a backstage pass to the best movies, TV shows and celebrity interviews (see one of her newsletters here).