The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is reputed to be the most expensive show on TV, with Amazon throwing so much cash at Middle-earth that even a greedy dragon would have to take notice. This epic prequel to JRR Tolkien’s legendary The Lord of the Rings trilogy was recently confirmed for a third season, but – with cameras not due to start rolling until the spring – we still have a while to wait to see what the evil Sauron does next.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of epic fantasy available to stream in the meantime. Historically found on the big screen, tales of magic, monsters and good old-fashioned battles between good and evil have become a TV staple. Indeed, there’s something out there for everyone, whether you’re looking for the gritty, adult-oriented family drama of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, or the more teen-friendly adventure of Shadow and Bone. So, as Amazon gets to work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3, here are six more massive shows ready to provide your fantasy fix.

House of the Dragon

Set in: Westeros

Where to watch: Now TV

Seasons to date: 2

Assuming you’ve already watched Game of Thrones – and if you haven’t, where have you been for the last 14 years? – this is the place to get your next fix of Westerosi action. Set centuries before the events of the parent show (and inspired by author George RR Martin’s faux historical tome, Fire & Blood), it’s a tale of unadulterated blond ambition, as two branches of the Targaryen family scrap for the Iron Throne – and threaten to plunge the Seven Kingdoms into civil war. Two seasons in it’s yet to catch fire like the parent show, but the cast (including Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke) is first rate, and the aerial dragon battles are truly spectacular.

Another Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas), is due later this year.

The Witcher

Set in: The Continent

Where to watch: Netflix

Seasons to date: 3

Netflix also looked to fantasy literature when it launched its own contender to Game of Thrones, adapting Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of Witcher novels. It’s proved an extremely smart move, as – in no small part driven by the popularity of a Witcher videogame series – it’s has become one of the biggest hits on the platform.

The Witcher is the story of Geralt of Rivia, the eponymous Witcher who travels around the Continent killing monsters, but finds himself becoming a reluctant player in the political scheming of kings, queens and magic wielders. Narratively it's a bit of a mess, with some extremely confusing timelines in season one, but Henry Cavill makes a compellingly gruff hero – it’ll be intriguing to see how Liam Hemsworth fares when he takes over the role in season 4 later this year.

The Witcher has also spawned prequel series Blood Origin, and animated movies Nightmare of the Wolf and Sirens of the Deep. All are available on Netflix.

The Wheel of Time

Set in: Randland

Where to watch: Prime Video

Seasons to date: 2 (season 3 streams from 13 March)

Before Amazon got stuck into Middle-earth with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it launched another epic fantasy show. The Wheel of Time is adapted from Robert Jordan’s book series, and – while its main plotline focuses on the search and rise to power of the mythical Dragon Reborn – it pulls in so many seemingly disparate storytelling strands that you have to concentrate pretty hard to understand what’s going on. So far so Game of Thrones but, unlike George RR Martin’s rather more grounded saga, The Wheel of Time makes little effort to hide its fantasy credentials. Indeed, this is targeted squarely at fantasy fans, and more casual viewers may occasionally find it harder going.

(There’s little danger of The Wheel of Time running out of source material, as the story runs to 14 novels and a prequel. When Jordan died in 2007, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson worked from his copious notes to complete the series.)

Shadow and Bone

Set in: Grishaverse

Where to watch: Netflix

Seasons: 2

Most of these shows could be described as Tolkien-esque, with generous helpings of elves, dragons and other magical beings, and settings reminiscent of medieval Europe. But – in keeping with the trend of a new breed of fantasy novels looking elsewhere for real-world inspiration – this adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s popular Grishaverse YA novels borrows heavily from Slavic folklore and 19th century Russia. It also acknowledges the existence of science and, as a result, looks rather different to the other shows on this list.

It has a brilliant premise at its heart, in which the nation of Ravka is literally divided into East and West by the monster-filled Shadow Fold. Meanwhile, magical Grisha – including the story’s protagonist, Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Lei) – are recruited by Ravka’s military to help reunite the country.

This teen-focused show picked up a passionate fanbase on Netflix but was cancelled after two seasons.

Disenchantment

Set in: Dreamland

Where to watch: Netflix

Seasons: 5

If Disenchantment’s animation style looks familiar, that’s because it’s the creation of Matt Greoening, the brains behind The Simpsons. It follows the misadventures of Princess Tiabeanie (better known as Bean), the heir to the throne of Dreamland who’d much rather be out drinking with her friends – cynical personal demon Luci and over-optimistic half-elf Elfo – than carrying out her royal duties.

What Futurama has done for sci-fi, Disenchantment does for fantasy, meaning that this cartoon is, by some distance, the most comedic entry on this list. It’s more serialised than its predecessors from the Groening stable – and the gags and references hit the mark less frequently – but that trademark wit makes a successful transfer to a land far, far away.

Merlin

Set in: England

Where to watch: ITVX, Disney+, BBC iPlayer

Seasons: 5

Back in the days when sci-fi and fantasy ruled Saturday nights on BBC One, this YA take on the legend of Camelot was one of the best shows to occupy the Doctor Who slot. This origin story ditches the classic notion of Merlin as an old guy with a beard to show how a promising young wizard becomes the future King Arthur’s BFF.

All of the familiar cornerstones of the Arthurian mythology are here – Guinevere, Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake – but you also get plenty of family friendly action and adventure. The comedy and drama are carried by a winning quartet of young leads (Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Arthur, Angel Coulby as Gwen, and Katie McGrath as Morgana) with Anthony Head, Richard Wilson and John Hurt on hand to supply a little extra gravitas.

The Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Prime Video. The Wheel of Time season 3 streams on Prime Video from Thursday 13 March.