Binge-watchers rejoice because Netflix has added a slew of AMC shows this month. While the likes of “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Interview with the Vampire,” and “Gangs of London” appear to be the headline new additions to the streaming service, it’s a British fantasy TV show that is making the biggest splash with Netflix subscribers.
The show in question is called “A Discovery of Witches," and it ran for three seasons between 2018 and 2022. The complete run is now available on Netflix U.S. and the English series is making quite the impression on American viewers, as the show is currently ranked in the No. 4 spot in Netflix’s most-watched list (as of August 22).
If you’re looking for something to binge-watch this weekend, you’ve got 25 episodes of magical mystery, drama and romance to enjoy. Here’s why “A Discovery of Witches” should be your next Netflix watch…
What is ‘A Discovery of Witches’ about?
Based on the popular All Souls Trilogy of novels by author Deborah Harkness, “A Discovery of Witches” begins with Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), a reluctant witch who has rejected her magical powers and now works as a historian with a tenured position at Yale University.
However, while conducting research at Oxford’s famous Bodleian Library, she stumbles upon a long-lost manuscript imbued with coveted information on the origins of various supernatural species. Its discovery forces Diana back into a world of witches, vampires, and daemons as she attempts to prevent the book from falling into sinister hands.
But Diana is not alone in this quest. She also meets a Professor of Biochemistry, Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) a vampire drawn to the book’s power, and the two strike up an unlikely alliance that eventually begins to develop into something even more passionate.
‘A Discovery of Witches’ is a compelling fantasy drama
“A Discovery of Witches” debuted in 2018, and was warmly received at the time. Its first season holds a very strong 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from almost 35 reviews.
The sophomore season wasn't quite as well regarded scoring 82%, but the show rallied to finish strong with an 86% rating for its third, and final, season. Even if season 1 was the show's peak, those are still relatively strong numbers overall.
Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus for the fantasy drama reads, “‘A Discovery of Witches’ smartly grounds its flights of fancy with a lived-in authenticity and harnesses the chemistry between its two star-crossed leads to make for a promising foray into the occult."
One of “A Discovery of Witches” biggest strengths is that it constantly weaves overarching mysteries that will keep you pressing the “play next episode” button long into the night. It also constructs an intriguing fantasy mythos that takes elements from other folklore tales but still manages to feel entirely it's own. That’s what makes it such an excellent binge-watch.
So, if you’re eager for a new Netflix show that will hook you from the very first episode, and have you in its hold until the final moments, “A Discovery of Witches” is a great pick, and at 25 individual chapters, it feels like just the right length to tell this story without overstaying it’s welcome.
Looking for even more Netflix recommendations? Don’t miss this dark thriller series that is also rocketing up the streamer’s top 10 list or this AMC detective show that one of our streaming writers has labeled one of the very best series of 2024.
Watch "A Discovery of Witches" season 1-3 on Netflix now
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