Television series
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
A richly imagined drama that asks what happens when magic returns to Regency England. Two magicians — one cautious and controlling, one reckless and brilliant — become locked in a battle that threatens far more than their rivalry. Gorgeously shot, intricately plotted, and grounded by performances that make the supernatural feel urgent and real. For anyone who loved the ambition of *The Leftovers* or the literary fantasy of *Midnight Club*.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like magic treated as scholarly politics, with fussy gentlemanly rivalry, footnoted wit and a sly, bookish voice, where wonder arrives with a little dread.
Skip it if the pace is deliberately unhurried across seven hour-long parts, and if you want a tight, action-driven story, its digressions and drawing-room talk may feel tiresome.
What it asks of you: Seven hour-long episodes, so a patient commitment, and the mood stays measured and wry rather than frantic, asking you to savour dialogue more than spectacle.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Leftovers2014
A show that takes supernatural mystery seriously and refuses easy answers. Like *Strange & Norrell*, it uses the impossible as a lens to examine how people break under pressure and what they're willing to sacrifice for those they love.
But Relentlessly bleak. Even when it offers hope, the show doesn't let you rest in it. Some find this punishing rather than cathartic.
The Midnight Club2022
A literary mystery that trusts its audience and rewards close attention. Shares *Strange & Norrell*'s love of narrative layers, unsettling beauty, and the idea that knowing too much about the wrong thing can destroy you.
But Takes several episodes to establish what story it's telling. The pacing is deliberate and some plot threads feel rushed near the end.
Penny Dreadful2014
Gothic, ambitious, and stuffed with literary references. Like *Strange & Norrell*, it finds horror in obsession and uses historical setting to explore timeless moral questions about ambition and the price of knowledge.
But Wildly uneven across seasons. The finale divides viewers sharply, and some characters disappear for long stretches with no explanation.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Witch2016
Both examine how the pursuit of power and knowledge isolates people from those they love, and how certainty about magic can destroy a community from within.
A period horror film that uses the possibility of real magic to explore paranoia, family breakdown, and the terror of the unknown. Arrives at the same emotional register as *Strange & Norrell* — beautiful and deeply unsettling — but through folk horror rather than Regency fantasy.
But Glacially paced and deliberately ambiguous. If you need clarity about what's real and what's psychological, this will frustrate you profoundly.
More like this (8)
The Miniaturist2017
A tightly plotted mystery built on secrets and the weight of small revelations. Both shows share a fascination with the Baroque period and understand that magic—literal or metaphorical—emerges from emotional desperation.
But Slow to reveal its central mystery. If you need immediate payoff, the early episodes may feel frustratingly coy.
Grimm2011
A procedural that builds a deep mythology without losing sight of character. Shares *Strange & Norrell*'s interest in a hidden magical world existing alongside the real one, and in how that knowledge isolates you.
But The monster-of-the-week structure can feel repetitive, and the show's ambitions don't always match its budget or pacing.
Carnival Row2019
Fantasy worldbuilding set in a quasi-historical setting, with a focus on two people caught between powerful forces larger than themselves. Lush and intricate, with the same sense that magic is beautiful and dangerous.
But The plot sometimes moves too slowly, and the second season feels diminished. Some dialogue can veer toward heavy-handed.
His Dark Materials2019
Adapts literary fantasy with intelligence and visual splendor. Like *Strange & Norrell*, it's grounded in character relationships and builds its world carefully, treating the fantastic as consequential rather than decorative.
But Spreads itself across multiple worlds and timelines in ways that can feel scattered. Younger viewers may find it more satisfying than adults who read the books.
The Nevers2021
High-concept Victorian fantasy with strong performances and genuine mystery. Shares *Strange & Norrell*'s interest in power, knowledge, and the question of who gets to decide what's real.
But Cancelled after one season on a cliffhanger. The resolution you want may never come, and that's a real wound.
Sleepy Hollow2013
Takes a classic story and rebuilds it as a high-concept mythology. Features two leads with strong chemistry navigating escalating supernatural stakes while trying to understand what they're up against.
But Loses the plot in later seasons and relies too heavily on exposition. The show rarely trusts the audience's patience or intelligence.
In the Flesh2013
Both shows understand that the fantastical element is a backdrop for asking how people survive revelation, shame, and the loss of the life they thought they'd have.
A three-part miniseries that uses zombie revival as a metaphor for coming out and social acceptance. Shares *Strange & Norrell*'s interest in how revelation transforms everything, and in the courage required to assert your truth against institutional power.
But Brief and designed to end. If you want sprawling narrative, this concentrated approach may leave you wanting more story.
The Name of the Rose1986
Both are convinced that the pursuit of arcane knowledge is a form of ambition that can corrode the soul, and that secrets held too close become poison.
A medieval mystery about forbidden knowledge and intellectual obsession. Utterly absorbing, beautifully made, and operates in exactly the mode *Strange & Norrell* does: historical setting, philosophical urgency, the sense that ideas and secrets can kill.
But Dense and demanding. No scene is wasted, but that means nothing is explained for your convenience. You must attend carefully.
People
Cast
Production
- Peter HarnessAssociate Producer
- Toby HaynesExecutive Producer
Recommended by
Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, The Crimson Petal and the White, Dickensian, Les Misérables