
Shows that feel likeThe Magicians (2015–2020)
If you loved The Magicians, the closest series we have are Once Upon a Time (2011), Merlin (2008) and The Wheel of Time (2021). All three share The Magicians' contemplative and cerebral feel, which is what we rank on before quality.
Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Dark Matter (2024).
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If The Magicians hit the spot, these will too

Beloved childhood stories dragged into complicated adult lives
The difference: Family-friendly and earnest — none of the boozy irreverence

Magical talent learned in secret, with friendship at the core
The difference: Sunny Saturday-adventure tone — grief and sex don't exist here

Magic as a discipline that demands training and takes its toll
The difference: Straight-faced epic questing — the genre-savvy jokes are gone

Young people discovering power that isolates as much as it elevates
The difference: YA-clean and plot-driven — trauma is gestured at, not lived in

Ordinary people warped by discovering what they can do
The difference: Superhero sprawl that famously loses its own plot

Magic school as a crucible for messy young-adult feelings
The difference: Thinner CW-style writing — the wit and weirdness are missing

A doomed band of outcasts on a quest bigger than any of them
The difference: A rushed four-episode prequel — widely considered a misfire

A gateway into another world that turns out to have teeth
The difference: Hard sci-fi and tech — wonder comes from machines, not magic

An ordinary life shattered by stepping through the wrong door
The difference: One tight thriller premise — no ensemble, no whimsy at all

Both keep coming back to the same thing: magic

Common ground: superpowers
The difference: Leans harder into action & adventure than The Magicians does

Both are built on the same subject: magic
The difference: Easier on the stillness than The Magicians
In the mood for more contemplative?
all contemplative shows →The best-reviewed series that share The Magicians’ defining feeling.









