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His Dark Materials poster

Shows that feel likeHis Dark Materials (2019–2023)

Lyra is an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. She is later joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As she learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds.

If you loved His Dark Materials, the closest series we have are Warrior Nun (2020), The Sandman (2022) and Merlin (2008). All three share His Dark Materials' cerebral and dreamlike feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Timeless (2016).

10 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:HBO Max ↗
Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$14.99 buyHis Dark Materials: The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-10-13

If His Dark Materials hit the spot, these will too

Warrior Nun poster
Warrior Nun
2020–2022 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7action & adventure · drama · sci-fi & fantasyNetflix

A chosen girl fighting an ancient church hierarchy with secrets

The difference: Netflix YA action gloss — cancelled on a cliffhanger

After waking up in a morgue, an orphaned teen discovers she now possesses superpowers as the chosen Halo-Bearer for a secret sect of demon-hunting nuns.

The Sandman poster
The Sandman
2022–2025 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.6sci-fi & fantasy · drama · action & adventureNetflix

Worlds stacked on worlds, ruled by powers older than religion

The difference: Episodic dream-logic tales rather than one driving quest

After years of imprisonment, Morpheus — the King of Dreams — embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power.

Merlin poster
Merlin
2008–2012 · 5 seasons · BBC One
★ 7.9action & adventure · drama · sci-fi & fantasyPrime Video

Young destiny and hidden gifts inside a world of watchful power

The difference: Cozier family adventure — the darkness stays at the edges

The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.

Timeless poster
Timeless
2016–2018 · 2 seasons · NBC
★ 7.6drama · action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasyPrime Video

A mismatched trio chasing an enemy across impossible distances

The difference: History-hopping network fun — light on myth and melancholy

A mysterious criminal steals a secret state-of-the-art time machine, intent on destroying America as we know it by changing the past. Our only hope is an unexpected team: a scientist, a soldier and a history professor, who must use the machine's prototype to travel back in time to critical events. While they must make every effort not to affect the past themselves, they must also stay one step ahead of this dangerous fugitive. But can this handpicked team uncover the mystery behind it all and end his destruction before it's too late?

DC's Stargirl poster
DC's Stargirl
2020–2022 · 3 seasons · The CW
★ 7.1sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure · dramaMax

A teenager inheriting a fight much older and bigger than her

The difference: Sunny CW superheroics — earnest but comparatively slight

Courtney Whitmore, a smart, athletic and above all else kind girl, discovers her step-father has a secret: he used to be the sidekick to a superhero. "Borrowing" the long-lost hero’s cosmic staff, she becomes the unlikely inspiration for an entirely new generation of superheroes.

The Gifted poster
The Gifted
2017–2019 · 2 seasons · FOX
★ 7.2sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure · dramaHulu

Cerebral where it counts, dreamlike underneath

A suburban couple's ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.

Cursed poster
Cursed
2020 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 6action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasyNetflix

A young outsider carrying a burden that redraws the world's map

The difference: A flat one-season Arthurian retread — far weaker writing

In this fresh take on the Arthurian legend, teenager Nimue joins forces with mercenary Arthur on a quest to find Merlin and deliver an ancient sword.

Obi-Wan Kenobi poster
Obi-Wan Kenobi
2022 · 1 season · Disney+
★ 7sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventureDisney+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: child kidnapping

The difference: Easier on the stillness than His Dark Materials

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, embarks on a crucial mission to confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.

Continuum poster
Continuum
2012–2015 · 4 seasons · Showcase
★ 7.6sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure · dramaPrime VideoPeacock

Contemplative and kinetic in the same breath

The series centers on the conflict between a group of rebels from the year 2077 who time-travel to Vancouver, BC, in 2012, and a police officer who accidentally accompanies them. In spite of being many years early, the rebel group decides to continue its violent campaign to stop corporations of the future from replacing governments, while the police officer endeavours to stop them without revealing to anyone that she and the rebels are from the future.

Marvel's Runaways poster
Marvel's Runaways
2017–2019 · 3 seasons · Hulu
★ 6.8action & adventure · drama · sci-fi & fantasy

Sci-fi & fantasy with a pulse of scale, in both cases

Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other must unite against a common foe – their parents.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters poster
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
2023– · 2 seasons · Apple TV
★ 7sci-fi & fantasy · drama · action & adventureApple TV+

Cerebral drama in both cases

After surviving Godzilla's attack on San Francisco, Cate is shaken yet again by a shocking secret. Amid monstrous threats, she embarks on a globetrotting adventure to learn the truth about her family—and the mysterious organization known as Monarch.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn poster
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
2012 · 1 season · YouTube
★ 6.7sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure

Dreamlike action & adventure, and it commits to that

The difference: Trades the stillness of His Dark Materials for an angle of its own

UNSC Cadet Thomas Lasky must conquer his inner fears and join forces with super-soldier John-117 to take down a massive faction of the Covenant.

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The best-reviewed series that share His Dark Materials’ defining feeling.