Listening to or reading fairy tales is a quintessential part of growing up. After all, stories are how humans have made sense of the world since the dawn of time, and for many, that begins in childhood. Fairy tales tend to feature a common structure and recurring tropes, many of which have become so famous that they’ve left their mark on all the stories to have come after.It’s no surprise, then, that many TV shows draw inspiration from fairy tales, either basing their entire premise around this whimsical storytelling or taking more specific elements from them.
Plenty of films and shows attempt to replicate the magic— and sometimes darkness — of fairy tales, withDisney’s classic animated moviesbeing the most obvious examples. It’s no secret that films likeCinderellaorSnow Whiteare modeled after fairy tales, even if they put new spins on the classic narratives. And comedies likeShrekbase many of their charactersand tropes on these traditional types of stories, poking fun at them and offering fresh takes. The continued use of fairy tales to shape modern stories proves how enduring and timeless their charm really is.
Shadowhunters
Cast
Shadowhunters is a television series based on the book series by Cassandra Clare. Premiering in 2016, it follows Clary Fray, who discovers her lineage and joins a group of demon hunters called Shadowhunters. As she navigates her new reality, she embarks on a mission to rescue her kidnapped mother.
Shadowhuntersis the second live-action adaptation of Cassandra Clare’sShadowhunter ChroniclesafterThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bonesmovie. The story follows New York teenager Clary Fray as she realizes that she is one of the Shadowhunters: half-human, half-angel warriors tasked with keeping the world safe from demons. The fantasy show unravels from there, and its main lore relies heavily on religious traditions. However, there are other creatures that populate this world, including faeries.
The faeries inShadowhuntersare inspired by Western folklore, with their hidden underground courts, love of trickery and wordplay, and inability to lie all stemming from fairy tales.
Andthe faeries inShadowhuntersare inspired by Western folklore, with their hidden underground courts, love of trickery and wordplay, and inability to lie all stemming from fairy tales to some extent. All of these things makeShadowhunters’world feel rich, though their smaller influence on the show ranks it lower than other fairy tale-inspired series.
Merlin
Merlin is a 2008 fantasy television series following the formative years of the legendary wizard Merlin, portrayed by Colin Morgan. Set in Camelot, it explores Merlin’s early friendship with Prince Arthur, played by Bradley James, amid a kingdom where magic is banned.
All five seasons ofMerlinaired on the BBC, reimagining the legends of the Arthurian cycle, which are perfectly poised to infuse fairy tale elements into their narratives. While the stories of King Arthur, his knights, and his magical advisor Merlin are not proper fairy tales,the characters and adventures of the Arthurian cycle feel comparable in many ways. The details of Arthurian lore feel just as ever-present in Western literature and culture as fairy tales, and certain themes and archetypes even overlap.
BBC’s Merlin: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Merlin And Arthur’s Relationship
Merlin is still talked about today, mainly thanks to the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, which remains one of the most memed on social media.
That’s why it feels likeMerlinpulls from fairy tales to tell the story of a young warlock arriving in Camelot and meeting Prince Arthur. From that first encounter, the story moves through the years and the events most people are familiar with: Arthur becoming King of Camelot, his marriage to Guinevere, and the threat posed to the kingdom by Morgan Le Fay. These events makeMerlinfeel familiar, even as the show throws surprises our way. It’s a great series, if only loosely connected to fairy tales.
The Legend Of The Blue Sea
The Legend Of The Blue Sea is a South Korean television series starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho. The story follows a mermaid named Shim Cheong who navigates the modern world after coming ashore and encounters Heo Joon-jae, a genius scam artist. Their lives intertwine as they uncover a deep connection rooted in their past during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty. The series blends fantasy, romance, and action with a historical backdrop.
Popular K-DramaThe Legend of the Blue Seafollows main characters Shim Cheong and Heo Joon-jae— respectively, a mermaid and a con artist —who mysteriously meet in Spain before their paths cross again in Seoul. They are bound together by fate and have already been lovers once before during the Joseon era, something that is gradually revealed over the course of the drama.
The Joseon era is the period of Korean history that goes from the end of the 14th century to the end of the 18th century, when the Korean peninsula was ruled by a monarchy.
The K-Drama’s story is based on an old Korean legend, one of the very first to be documented in a collection of such tales. This particular narrative centers on a fisherman who captures and then releases a mermaid. This story is, of course, reworked forThe Legend of the Blue Sea.The K-Drama does an impressive job of bringing this narrative to life, honoring Korean folklore and putting an intriguing spin on it. It’s one of the shows to tackle a more original fairy tale, even if it isn’t as well-known or loved as some of the bigger series to do so.
Willow
Based on the 1988 film of the same name,Willowfollows a Nelwyn magician and an infant girl who are destined to unite their realms. Set over twenty years after the film’s events; Willow sees a ragtag crew of heroes led by the titular Willow Ufgood as they journey to stop the Gales, an evil group set on conquering the world.
Disney’ssadly short-livedWillowseriesis a sequel to the 1988 classic fantasy movie of the same name, where would-be sorcerer Willow Ulfgood embarks on a journey to save the newborn Elora Danan from the wicked machinations of Queen Bavmorda. Now a teenager, Elora Danan has no idea of what power she truly holds. But like many Chosen Ones in fantasy stories, she finds out as she embarks on an adventure under Willow’s guidance.
Fantasy movies from the ‘80smight not be for everyone, but theyowe everything to Western fairy tales and folklore, from their esthetics to their story structures and tropes. Disney’sWillowutilizes many fairy tale stapes as well, including magic, enchanted forests, evil fortresses, brave princesses disguised as kitchen maids, and knights eager to prove their worth. It’s an absolute feast for fairy tale lovers, and it’s a shameWillowwon’t see season 2. Its shorter run lands it lower among fairy tale-inspired series, but it’s still worth watching.
The Magicians
The Magicians follows a group of young adults who enroll at Brakebills University, a secretive institution devoted to teaching magic. As they engage in an unconventional education in spellcasting, they realize that a childhood fantasy world is indeed real and presents a significant threat to humanity.
The Magiciansis based on Lev Grossman’s book trilogy of the same name, which focuses on a group of young magic users who attend the prestigious Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy.The show’s premise is heavily reminiscent ofThe Chronicles of Narnia,and that’s because it draws inspiration from C.S. Lewis’ books, as well as stories likeHarry Potter.These obviously pull elements of their narratives from fairy tales, butThe Magiciansalso puts a dark spin on common fantasy motifs, giving it a tone that almost feels more in line with certain fairy tales.
The Magicians Has 1 Of The Best Villain Introductions In A Fantasy Show & It’s Not Even Close
When comparing The Beast’s villain introduction to other iconic fantasy television shows, it’s easy to see that The Magicians did it best.
The Magiciansfeels like a more “adult” take onThe Chronicles of Narnia,and its fantasy elements draw from fairy tales and folklore in intriguing ways. This is best seen in Fillory, but it goes beyond the fantastical world and its creatures and encompasses the lessons the characters learn and the dark turns the story takes. All of these things makeThe Magiciansone of the best TV shows to pull from fairy tales and folklore, though its more subtle use of its inspirations lands it in the middle of the list.
Galavant
Galavant is a musical comedy television series that follows the adventures of the eponymous knight as he attempts to reclaim his reputation and his love, Madalena, from the villainous King Richard. Created by Dan Fogelman, the show combines elements of fantasy and musical theater, featuring a blend of humor, romance, and catchy songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.
Galavantis what would happen ifThe Princess Diarieswas a musicalthat also subverted all its predictable tropes. When Galavant, a dashing knight, storms into the evil King Richard’s castle to rescue his beloved Madalena, he finds out that she prefers marrying the King and having access to his money and power. From there, Galavant embarks on a hilarious and musical quest to win back his happily ever after. The premise alone is reminiscent of classic fairy tales, but that isn’t all.
Hilarious and filled with songs that will worm their way into anyone’s ears — starting with the opening number, “Galavant" —Galavanthas all the esthetics and charm of the most classic fairy tales, and it features all the archetypes — from knights and princesses to kings and sorcerers. But while it recycles these elements of fairy tales, it puts a unique spin on them, resulting in a compelling show that should have continued beyond two seasons. It’s not as well-known as other shows based on fairy tales, but it’s still easily among the top five.
Grimm
Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he’s a Grimm, a guardian tasked with keeping the balance between humanity and mythological creatures. As he navigates his new role, he battles dangerous Wesen while uncovering secrets about his ancestors. With the help of allies, Nick confronts dark forces threatening both worlds.
NBC’sGrimmis the perfect example of reworking fairy tale conventions for modern audiences, as the show combines this category of storytelling with a police procedural format.Grimm’s story follows detective Nick Burkhardt, who is a Grimm, a guardian tasked with keeping the human world safe from the creatures of legend and folklore known as Wesen. He battles a great number of them over the course ofGrimm’s six seasons, working alongside his partner, Detective Hank Griffin, who is initially unaware of Nick’s supernatural nature.
Grimm’s dark fantasy undertones reflect the original works well.
As the title suggests,Grimmtakes its inspiration from the work of the Brothers Grimm, who collected the most popular German fairy tales of their time in the bookGrimms’ Fairy Tales, published in 1812. Most of their fairy tales, even those that have become popular thanks to adaptations, are dark and bloody in nature.Grimm’s dark fantasy undertones reflect the original works well. This elevates it to be one of the best fairy tale TV shows of all time, though there are a couple that capture their essence even better (even if they’re not as dark).
Over the Garden Wall
Over the Garden Wall is a miniseries that follows brothers Wirt and Greg as they navigate the mysterious Unknown, a timeless and enigmatic forest. Accompanied by a wise Woodsman and a bluebird named Beatrice, they embark on a journey filled with unexpected challenges to find their way home.
The critically acclaimedOver the Garden Wallis an animated show that follows two half-brothers as they travel together and get lost in a mysterious and enchanted forest. The forest itself is reminiscent of common fairy tale settings, with even its name — the Unknown — alluding to the mysterious whimsy of these sorts of stories. In the Unknown, the brothers meet an array of people and creatures as they try to find their way back home. All the while, they must elude the terrible Beast, who traps lost souls who have abandoned all hope.
While not inspired by one specific fairy tale,Over the Garden Wallundoubtedly draws inspiration from the genre. The dark forest is just the tip of the iceberg; there are also magical helpers who aren’t what they seem, a looming evil threatening the protagonists, and two brothers willing to sacrifice themselves for one another. There’s a reasonOver the Garden Wallcontinues to be discussed a decade after its release, and it’s because it embodies everything we love about fairy tales. There is one show that does this on an even wider scale, however.
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
Once Upon a Timeis perhaps the most famous piece of media inspired by fairy tales, since a huge number of them are adapted over the course of its seven seasons.All the fairy tale characters one might think of make appearances inOnce Upon a Time,and they’re all connected to one another. It makes for quite a complicatedfamily tree inOnce Upon a Time, but it’s also the perfect setup for a shocking number of twists and turns.
10 Saddest Once Upon A Time Scenes
Over its seven-season run, Once Upon a Time has had many heart-breaking moments from character deaths to great romances seemingly ending.
The story starts when Emma Swan arrives in the fictional town of Storybrooke, whose residents are all fairy tale characters transported to the real world by a spell of the Evil Queen. The spell robs them of their memories, and they believe the identities the Evil Queen crafts for them. Emma uncovers this and tries to save them with the help of her son, leading to an emotional and gripping run. It’s undoubtedly one of the best TV shows to take on fairy tales because it covers such a wide range of them in a fresh way.
