Television series

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is Disney+'s earnest, book-faithful adaptation of Rick Riordan's series, following a dyslexic New York kid who learns he's a demigod and gets swept into a cross-country quest through American-flavoured Greek myth. It's bright, funny, family-friendly fantasy — light on darkness, heavy on heart, built for kids who want to see themselves as heroes and grown-ups who loved the novels first time round.

TVMaze rating6.7

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone2001

The template for every 'ordinary kid discovers secret magical destiny' story since — Chris Columbus's warm, faithful adaptation nails the wonder of a first year at a school for the chosen.

But Slower and more boarding-school ritual than road-trip adventure, and there's a decent chance you've already seen it a dozen times.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone poster

Avatar: The Last Airbender2005

A trio of kids on a quest across a mythologically rich world, mixing genuine comedy with real stakes and loss — animation this smart rewards adults as much as children.

But It's a long commitment across three seasons, and the tonal turn into serious war trauma might surprise anyone expecting a pure lighthearted romp.

Avatar: The Last Airbender poster

His Dark Materials2019

A darker, more philosophically ambitious YA fantasy adaptation — a girl crossing worlds with a talking-animal soul, wrestling with theology and free will dressed as adventure.

But Noticeably heavier and slower-burning than Percy's world; viewers wanting breezier fun may find it dense.

His Dark Materials poster

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Jason and the Argonauts1963

It's the ur-text for exactly this story: mortal heroes on a quest, meddling gods, monsters drawn straight from the same myths Percy fights — just told with rubber and wire instead of a writers' room.

Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion gods, skeletons and hydra bring the exact same Greek mythology to life decades before CGI Olympus — Talos alone justifies the runtime.

But The effects are charmingly creaky by modern standards, and the pace is stately rather than the quippy sprint Percy fans expect.

Jason and the Argonauts poster
More like this (8)

The Mysterious Benedict Society2021no page yet

Gifted misfit kids recruited for a secret mission, solving puzzles and outsmarting adults — the same scrappy-underdog-team energy, wrapped in whimsical mystery instead of myth.

But Gentler and more mystery-box than monster-fight, so viewers wanting action may find it too talky.

A Series of Unfortunate Events2017

Misfit children navigating a strange, dangerous adult world with wit and resilience — Neil Patrick Harris's gleeful villainy gives it a darker comic edge than Percy's Olympus.

But Deliberately bleak and repetitive by design — the humor is drier and the misery more insisted upon than most family viewers expect.

A Series of Unfortunate Events poster

Stranger Things2016

Kids banding together against forces way bigger than them, biking through small-town America toward genuine danger — the same found-family thrill, aimed at a slightly older audience.

But Considerably scarier and gorier, with more graphic violence than anything in Percy's world.

Stranger Things poster

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe2005

Ordinary kids stepping into a world of gods, prophecy and talking beasts to fight a cosmic battle — the granddaddy of portal-fantasy quests, done with old-school sincerity.

But The Christian allegory is baked in pretty overtly, and its earnest tone can feel stiff next to Percy's jokier voice.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster

Wednesday2022

A sharp-tongued teen navigating a school for the supernaturally gifted, solving a mystery while dodging monsters — the same outsider-finds-her-people energy with a gothic twist.

But Snarkier and more mystery-thriller than mythic quest, with a heroine deliberately less warm than Percy.

Wednesday poster

Willow1988

An old-school practical-effects fantasy quest with a reluctant hero, a ragtag party and genuine stakes — great if you want the tactile, pre-CGI version of this kind of adventure.

But Dated effects and pacing by modern standards, and the humor leans broader and cheesier than today's YA fantasy.

Willow poster

Hercules1997

Same studio, same pantheon, same 'kid finds out he's a demigod' engine — but turned into a full musical comedy instead of an adventure quest, showing how differently Disney has told this exact story before.

Disney's own earlier crack at Greek mythology — a demigod discovering his powers, gospel-choir Muses narrating, Zeus as a booming comic-relief dad. Genuinely funny and a great musical.

But The mythology is heavily sanitized and reshuffled for a G rating, and anyone who likes Percy's more accurate myth-nerdery may wince.

Hercules poster

Kaos2024no page yet

Same gods, same myths, even overlapping character beats — but reimagined for adults, proving the material can carry existential dread and satire just as easily as YA heroism.

A darkly funny, very adult retelling of Greek myth — Zeus as a paranoid, aging tyrant, prophecy unraveling his grip on Olympus — gorgeously designed and properly strange.

But It's explicit, violent and philosophically bleak in ways nowhere near Percy's family-friendly register — not for kids, and it was cancelled after one season.

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