18 Shows To Binge-Watch If You're Having "Game Of Thrones" Withdrawal

    It's a long way to 2017. These shows might help pass the time.

    Andy Golder
    by Andy Golder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. The Borgias

    Showtime

    There are two sides to Game of Thrones: There's the political intrigue (and murder for political gain), and there's the magic stuff. The Borgias has plenty of the former, but none of the latter. So if you want a story about one of history's most backstabbingly ambitious families who pulled enough strings to gain control over the entire Catholic church, this is a show for you. If you want dragons, maybe not so much.

    Available on: Netflix or Showtime.

    2. The Shannara Chronicles

    MTV

    If it's hard fantasy you want, MTV's new show based on the best-selling YA novels is a perfect fit. There are elves, magic, a demon army, and even some big twists that might surprise you.

    Available on: Netflix.

    3. The Magicians

    SyFy

    So, you really want to go to Hogwarts after reading all the Harry Potter books, right? Well, in The Magicians, Quentin enrolls at a school for magicians and discovers that the magical world he heard stories about in his youth is actually real. So basically, it's kinda like Harry Potter for grown-ups. The setting here is very different from Game of Thrones, but there's plenty of magic involved.

    Available on: Syfy and Hulu, but only with a cable subscription.

    4. Spartacus

    Starz

    You know how Game of Thrones is really exciting when there's a big battle? Spartacus gives you a lot more fighting, so it'll help satisfy the craving for major action set pieces while Thrones is gone. Plus, there's plenty of nudity if you also miss that part of Thrones.

    Available on: Netflix.

    5. Black Mirror

    Channel 4

    In terms of setting, Black Mirror is about as far from Game of Thrones as it gets. But in terms of shocking twists and turns and keeping you on the edge of your seat, it's very similar. Each episode offers a dystopian take on aspects of our modern society, much like The Twilight Zone, and some will leave you in as much disbelief as after you watched "The Mountain vs. The Viper." But probably not in as much disbelief as after the Red Wedding.

    Available on: Netflix.

    6. Battlestar Galactica

    SyFy

    Like Black Mirror, the setting for Battlestar Galactica is very different from Game of Thrones. Instead of dragons, you get spaceships. Instead of White Walkers, you get Cylons. There's some seriously apocalyptic drama to be had here, and plot twists that will make your Thrones-less heart feel feelings again.

    Available on: Hulu.

    7. Preacher

    AMC

    Preacher is still a fantasy show of sorts, but in a different vein than GoT. Dominic Cooper plays Jesse Custer, a small-town preacher with a violent past whose job becomes more complicated when he's gifted with extraordinary powers. It uses humor much more than Thrones, but it's every bit as bloody.

    Available on: AMC with a cable subscription.

    8. Vikings

    History

    If it's the gritty realism and character development of Game of Thrones that you like, then Vikings should be another binge-worthy show for you. The series delves into what being a Viking was like in a humanizing way, while still providing the action you'd expect from a show about, you know, Vikings.

    Available on: Hulu.

    9. Sons of Anarchy

    FX

    With Sons of Anarchy, you aren't getting any Thrones-esque fantasy or sci-fi elements, nor are you getting a sword-and-sandals period piece of any kind. What you do get is a drama about a struggle for power that has plenty of shocking casualties along the way. So in that sense, it's pretty much exactly like Thrones.

    Available on: Netflix.

    10. Outlander

    Starz

    Perhaps the biggest hit Starz has aired to date, Outlander takes the popular book series by Diana Gabaldon and puts it onscreen. There's certainly magic here in the time-traveling sense, but the rest is fairly grounded and more historical drama. Oh, and there's lots of sex.

    Available on: Amazon Prime with a Starz add-on.

    11. Merlin

    BBC

    This British import follows the early days of Merlin and Arthur as they both grow into the legends we've seen in so many other movies and shows. It's more lighthearted and family-friendly fare than the doom-and-gloom Thrones, but still contains the magical elements and sword-and-sorcery type stuff you want from a fantasy show.

    Available on: Netflix.

    12. The Tudors

    Showtime

    There's no magic in The Tudors, unless you count sex scenes with a young Henry Cavill. But there is lots of intrigue, scheming, and the aforementioned sex scenes, so you might still feel like you're watching a dragonless Game of Thrones.

    Available on: Netflix and Showtime.

    13. The Originals

    CW

    Whereas The Vampire Diaries and Reign feel very much like CW shows made for teens, The Originals is a little sexier and more adult. The vampire-laden show crosses time periods and is heavy on the fantasy stuff, so it'll help fuel your need for some escapism.

    Available on: Netflix.

    14. True Blood

    HBO

    If The Originals isn't mature enough for you, try HBO's hit True Blood. It's well worth a watch if you missed it the first time around: It's sexy, it's gory, it's funny, and it'll keep shocking you with some major twists.

    Available on: Amazon Prime.

    15. Peaky Blinders

    BBC

    Like Vikings, Peaky Blinders is purely historical drama, with no magic or otherworldly what-have-you. In the absence of dragons and people vying for an iron throne, you get street gangs in 1920s England vying for money and power. It's pretty brutal, which might remind you of a certain show that you're very sad is done for the year.

    Available on: Netflix.

    16. Once Upon a Time

    ABC

    Tonally, Once Upon a Time couldn't be more different from Game of Thrones. But even though it replaces grit and gray with colors and Disney magic, it'll still satisfy those with a craving for a deep fantasy world to delve into.

    Available on: Netflix.

    17. The Walking Dead

    AMC

    Chances are, if you're a Game of Thrones fan, you've already watched cable's other megahit genre show. But just in case you haven't, now would be a great time to start. You'll get the terrifying feeling of potentially losing beloved characters at any moment that you get from Game of Thrones, and you'll get to "enjoy" that feeling from the fall season all the way through to around the time Thrones comes back.

    Available on: Netflix.

    18. Game of Thrones

    HBO

    So there won't be any new episodes until 2017. That doesn't mean you can't still watch the show! If you go back to Season 1 and watch it all again, you might notice a few details that you hadn't noticed before. Plus, if you had watched without reading the books the first time around, now you get to watch it with a full sense of impending doom for the Stark family and revel in the delicious but depressing dramatic irony of the early episodes.

    Available on: HBO Now.