10 Hugely Underrated Fantasy TV Shows From The Last Decade

1. The Fades (2011-2012)

The Fades is a British supernatural miniseries which won a Bafta for best drama series but inexplicably wasn't ordered for a second season. Instead, we got six excellent episodes notable for their striking imagery, complex mythology, and fantastic performances. Iain de Caestecker plays Paul, a teenager who can see ghosts called Fades and who soon finds himself caught in a battle which may lead to the apocalypse.

The storyline unfolds slowly over six hours as other Angelics like Paul are introduced and the bodies pile up in a small town. Daniel Kaluuya is alternately witty and heartbreaking as Paul's best friend Mac, and Game of Thrones' Joe Dempsie plays the villain with much-needed charisma. The cast includes several alumni of the British series Skins, also created by Jack Thorne, and The Fades borrows that show's unsanitised portrayal of teenagers but doesn't commit the same excesses; Mac and Paul's friendship in particular is genuine and instantly believable. Natalie Dormer also pops up, if you're a fan.

The series does end with a hook for the never-realised second season, but it won't ruin your enjoyment of this excellent fantasy horror. It's gruesome when it wants to be and emotional when it has to be, and it deserves to be remembered as a quality entry in the genre.

Agree with this list? What other shows would you add? Let us know down in the comments.