Forget Netflix, BBC iPlayer has the best fantasy series I've seen in years

EntertainmentStreamingForget Netflix, BBC iPlayer has the best fantasy series I’ve seen in yearsAll three seasons of His Dark Materials are on BBC iPlayer – it’s a superb fantasy series to stream this summerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

All three seasons of His Dark Materials are on BBC iPlayer – it’s a superb fantasy series to stream this summer

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: BBC / HBO)

His Dark Materials

(Image credit: BBC / HBO)

I was on a long-haul flight recently and, in light of a total lack of decent movies – ok, so I didwatch Avatar 2, but I can’t say the word ‘good’ is the first that comes to mind regarding that – I instead dug into the ‘TV’ section. And I’m oh so glad that I did because I stumbled upon the best fantasy series that I’ve seen in years – and it’s now easy to stream at home too.

Yes, I know I’m late to the party, asHis Dark Materialsfirst aired back in 2019. But I don’t mind that I’ve unknowingly had to wait, as all three seasons are available right now. Not onNetflix, not onDisney+, not onAmazon PrimenorApple TV+, but available on BBC iPlayer. So if you’ve got a TV License in the UK then that means it’s free to watch.

Better still every episode – and there are 23 in total across the three seasons – is available in 4K Ultra-HD with high dynamic range (HDR) for the best possible picture quality. And as I’m watching on one of the currentbest OLED TVs(for a future review) it looks a total treat in my living room (certainly better than a tiny in-flight entertainment screen!).

(Image credit: BBC / HBO)

His Dark Materials

(Image credit: BBC / HBO)

So while I can’t judge the book-to-TV adaptation for its accuracy, I can say I’ve been revelling in this joint HBO and BBC production. The cast is superb, with favourites Ruth Wilson (as Marisa Coulter), Dafne Keen (as Lyra Belacqua), James McAvoy (as Lord Asriel), Will Keen (as Father MacPhail) all playing vital roles. The list of support cast is as long as my arm and everyone is excellent.

I wouldn’t usually say I’m a big fan of fantasy novels or TV, butHis Dark Materialsstrikes a great balance of being child-friendly – anything with cute and transforming talking animals (albeit known as ‘daemons’) will qualify that – with a dash of darker content thrown into the mix. Those daemons do a little too often sound like their child partners, but aside from that the way in which the show is shot, the beautiful staging and excellent CGI, all come together to make for a real show-stopper.

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So if, like me, you’ve not seen it yet then definitely jump in – asHis Dark Materialsis available in UHD on BBC iPlayer right now. And on Rotten Tomatoes the series overview has a highly-rated 84% critics score and close-run 82% audience score. Knowing how much lower those scores are for many other shows, that’s a strong showing!

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