5. Northlanders
Genre: Historical Drama
What it is: Northlanders is a fictional historical drama, by Brian Wood and various artists, set around real events during the age of vikings. It is very much like a set of mafia stories, told in a fantasy setting. Following different characters, over many centuries, Northlanders is a gripping read, full of drama, action, and the occasional violence.
Why it would be great: Game of Thrones has a huge following, and has proven that if done well fantasy can have a place on television. Now, while a totally different beast, Northlanders shares many similar themes. Because of that, this is the perfect time to get Northlanders on the air. Family struggles, war, social, political, and technological developments, revenge, the rise of new religions, and the fall of a culture are just a few of the thematic links shared with GoT. Blending mythology and history, have each series take from a different story arc, completely different stories and characters, set in the same expanding world. Sven the Returned is a perfect place to start, setting up the world, and giving the viewer a surrogate to experience it through. With Merlin gone, other than Game of Thrones, our small screens are lacking any true fantasy series. What are you waiting for, Hollywood?