From the Salem witches to the magic of the future — television has long loved the theme of magic and magic in all its various manifestations. Today there is a great variety of series, where in one way or another touches on the theme of magic. Some of them can become a great background for those who write Woo Casino review articles, and others are so thrilling that you keep binge watching them. These are the most interesting of them.
Shadow And Bone
Military cartographer Alina Starkova travels to the other side of the kingdom of Ravka, but her path lies through a dangerous darkness called Shadow Canyon. Between the two parts of the state dwell monsters ready to destroy anyone who trespasses into their darkness. Along the way, Alina is accompanied by soldiers and grishas, powerful mages with a wide variety of abilities. The passage through the Canyon turns out to be more dangerous than the heroine’s team thought, and as a result of the monsters’ attack they lose a good part of their soldiers. Suddenly, Alina awakens an ancient magic that can resist the strongest enemy.
The steampunk fantasy is based on the literary source material, books by writer Leigh Bardugo. The atmospheric series was filmed in Europe, mainly in Hungary, which allowed its creators to go beyond the usual studio sets and endless green screen.
A Discovery Of Witches
Diana Bishop is a successful historian who denies her magical heritage and relies only on science. One day, a mysterious alchemical tome falls into her hands that no one has seen for centuries. This book and Diana herself become interested in supernatural beings, and the girl has to unlock her potential and let magical powers into her life. She is helped in this by an unexpected ally – the centuries-old vampire Matthew Clermont, with whom Diana forms a strong bond.
The project is also based on a series of books. In 2018, the British TV channel released the first season of the series, named after the first book of the Harkness trilogy — A Discovery Of Witches. The love story of a witch and a vampire was welcomed by critics and viewers alike — it helped not only by the fascinating plot but also by the chemistry between Theresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, which is visible to the naked eye. The series ran for three seasons and was shut down in 2022.
His Dark Materials
Lyra Belacqua lives with her uncle, a polar explorer, in Oxford, where she socializes with almost no one and goes nowhere. Among her entourage are only teachers and other students. But one day Lyra meets a mysterious woman named Marisa Coulter, who opens for the girl a world of adventure and travel. After becoming Miss Coulter’s assistant, Lyra travels to London and then to the North Pole, where she meets magical creatures like the armored bear Jorek Byrnison. Many discoveries and dangerous events lie ahead for Lyra as she learns the truth about herself and makes new friends.
The fantasy series is based on Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. As with other adaptations of novels, the saga was initially scolded for the poor quality of the portrayal of the magical world created by the author. Nevertheless, the project received high marks from viewers, and it was repeatedly compared to the legendary “Harry Potter” and “Game of Thrones”.
Merlin
Merlin, an aspiring wizard, arrives in Camelot and finds a job as an assistant to the court healer Gaius. Upon arrival, the young magician learns that King Uther Pendragon has forbidden the use of magic and any manifestation of it is threatened with death. At court, Merlin meets the royal family, including the heir to the throne, Arthur, and his sister, Lady Morgana. Merlin soon learns of his destiny – to guard the Prince of Camelot at all costs, but it isn’t so easy to do so without showing his abilities.
This is one of the rare projects where the famous wizard Merlin appears before the audience not in the image of a wise old man. Here he is a young and not the most experienced sorcerer, who makes mistakes and learns as the plot develops. “Merlin” was a huge success for the British channel BBC — the rights to show it were sold to over 10 countries around the world. Viewers liked the fresh look at the outdated myths of Camelot, as well as the game charming Irish actor Colin Morgan, who managed to create a touching and strong character at the same time.
Legacies
A school for gifted children starts working in Mystic Falls, run by Alaric Saltzman, who knows firsthand how supernatural forces can affect people’s lives. He himself raises two daughters, Lizzie and Josie, who stayed with him after the death of their mother, the witch Jo. Along with the girls, Hope Michaelson, daughter of the original vampire Klaus and werewolf Hayley, vampire Milton Grizzly, and werewolf Raphael Waite also attend the school. One day, the latter begins to turn into a wolf, which is witnessed by his half-brother. Now the safety of the school and the secret of the creatures are at risk, and the inevitable teenage problems are piled on top of these troubles.
A spin-off of the popular series “The Vampire Diaries”, from which some already beloved characters have migrated to Legacies: Alaric Saltzman, Jeremy Gilbert, and Matt Donovan. Legacies isn’t the only series that grew out of The Diaries: The CW also produced The Originals, about the original vampires who started a huge population of the species.