Merlin Meets The Tudors In Prime Video's Steamy 8-Part Fantasy Series

Published Aug 29, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. The magic of Merlin meets The Tudors' political intrigue in Prime Video's steamy fantasy series. Even now, years later, Merlin remains one of the BBC's most beloved fantasy shows. The deep friendship between the young wizard Merlin and the noble Arthur is a major part of its appeal, of course. Still, Merlin's fantasy worldbuilding was a vital aspect of the show's success, as Colin Morgan's titular and singularly gifted wizard was forced to hide his magic in a version of Camelot that had outlawed and uprooted any hint of it. This law was enforced by Arthur's narcissistic father, King Uther. Nearly a thousand years later in Britain's perilous history, the Tudor era was marked by royal infighting and religious upheaval, as chronicled (with a solid dose of sexual intrigue thrown in for good measure) in Showtime's Emmy-winning historical drama series, The Tudors. Focused largely on Henry VIII's infamous reign as the King of England and the tragic fates of his many, many wives, the series is one of the most popular depictions of this period. Few shows have examined what happened after Henry VIII's reign, though, except for Prime Video's hilarious, historically inspired, George R.R. Martin-approved fantasy series, My Lady Jane. My Lady Jane Is One Of Prime Video's Best Fantasy Series Based on the book of the same name by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, My Lady Jane explores Henry VIII's grandniece, Jane Grey, and her tragic nine-day reign as queen before she was beheaded for treason and succeeded by her vicious, distant relative, Queen Mary I, also sometimes known as Bloody Mary. While the real-life Mary earned that nickname for her persecution of English protestants during her bid to restore Roman Catholicism in England, in My Lady Jane's world, much like in Merlin's, magic has been outlawed instead; specifically, the Ethians, or people who can turn into animals at will. My Lady Jane asks one all-important question: would Jane Grey have survived if she'd married a man who turns into a horse? The way the show handles its central fantastical conflict and political plots is genuinely compelling, made even more so by Kate O'Flynn's wonderfully unhinged performance as Mary and the iconic Anna Chancellor's devious performance as Lady Frances Grey, Jane's scheming mother. Future rom-com queen Emily Bader is no slouch either, holding her own in every scene, especially during her sizzling banter with Edward Bluemel's Guildford Dudley, who is soon to be seen as a young Hercule Poirot in the BBC's Agatha Christie prequel. The way the series balances its humor — Rivals' Oliver Chris does a fabulous job as the narrator — with Jane and Dudley's steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, Mary's treachery, and the Ethians' social revolution is second to none. There is genuinely something for everyone to enjoy in this show; the costumes are exquisite, the anachronistic soundtrack is slick, and most importantly, it's genuinely fun. Watching My Lady Jane is a blast in a way few epic fantasy shows and period dramas are. There's nothing quite like it on Prime Video — or any other streamer, for that matter. My Lady Jane Deserved A Second Season Tragically, Prime Video canceled My Lady Jane after one season. Period dramas and fantasy shows always carry a hefty price tag, but this cancellation was a real blow. The second season would have had more room to play around with history and specifically Mary's overzealous reign, with the Ethians fighting back against the newly crowned queen (with Jane and Dudley by their side, of course). In this case, My Lady Jane's cancellation seems to be a case of bad timing. The show premiered in 2024 and can be classed as a "romantasy" as much as it can be categorized as historical fantasy. Jane and Guildford's love story is a driving force of the narrative, after all. While the romantasy boom was already in full swing in the publishing world in 2024, it's taken streamers and Hollywood a while to catch up. Now, Prime Video and other platforms like Netflix are betting on other major romantasy stories, such as Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing and Callie Hart's Quicksilver. Though My Lady Jane never received the attention it deserved, it's still certainly worth a watch. In this version of reality, at least, Jane and Dudley do get their happy ending, and their journey is an absolute joy. My Lady Jane is available to stream exclusively on Prime Video. Release Date 2024 - 2024-00-00 Showrunner Gemma Burgess, Meredith Glynn Directors Jamie Babbit, Stefan Schwartz Writers Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand Creator(s) Gemma Burgess