Syfy’s 12-Part Fantasy Detective Series Based On A Bestseller Deserves To Be Binged

Published Sep 18, 2026, 3:01 PM EDT Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection. The urban fantasy craze may have died off somewhat, but while it was here, it offered some amazing TV shows. Some of the best married elements of procedurals with fantasy, creating worlds where detectives dealt with supernatural crime or vampires became private investigators. While some of these shows gained great success — particularly Angel and Grimm — and ended up with multiple seasons and tons of viewers, other similar series flew under the radar. One seriously underrated fantasy show from that era definitely deserved more love, though. Adapted from a best-selling book series, this short and bingeable series is still delightfully fun, even 19 years after it premiered. Though it only lasted for 12 episodes, had it run longer, it surely would have found its groove. This Syfy show expertly mixed wizardry with detective work to create a series that was dramatic, a little silly, and incredibly entertaining. The Dresden Files might not have been a favorite among fans of the books, but fantasy fans often rate it as one of the best fantasy series of all. Syfy’s The Dresden Files Is An Underrated Dark Fantasy Detective Series Everett Collection The Dresden Files followed Harry Dresden, a wizard detective (and reluctant hero) trying to right the wrongs of his past by helping others. His mentor, father figure, and sidekick all in one was a ghost stuck in a skull named Bob (who occasionally becomes an actual apparition). He also had to deal with the magical governing body, the High Council (and to say that he and they didn’t get along would be an understatement). Harry additionally had a bit of a tragic backstory that came back to haunt him at times throughout the series. While the show mostly followed the typical case-of-the-week format found in procedurals, it still had plenty to set it apart from the crowded field of crime genre TV in 2007. With its unique mix of supernatural mysteries, noir storytelling, and ambition to tell grander stories than those usually found in fantasy series, it easily became elevated above the rest. The Dresden Files had a darker, grittier vibe to it as well, which made it intriguing, whether Harry was trying to save a vampire’s life or investigating college students using magic for thievery. The show’s unique blend of genres and eagerness to tell great stories made The Dresden Files a perfect TV show for bingeing, but its excellent main cast made it even more so. Paul Blackthorne (Arrow) and Terrence Mann (Sense8) as Harry and Bob, respectively, were enough to take a story that could have been cheesy in the wrong hands and turn it into one with Shakespearean dramatic flair and incredible dry wit. The two actors made the show (though the rest of the cast certainly held their own) into one that was never boring. The Dresden Files Was Adapted From Jim Butcher’s Bestselling Novels By slidemen MovieStillsDB.com The series was adapted from Jim Butcher’s best-selling series of the same name, with the first novel hitting shelves in 2000 and quickly becoming a hit. The series now includes 18 novels (with a 19th supposedly on the way), plus graphic novels, short stories, and even a couple of tabletop games. The TV show should have done just as well, but fans of the book series simply didn’t take to it. While it didn’t help that last-minute changes were made, including casting and rewrites, fans seemed to be waiting for The Dresden Files to follow its literary source material to the letter. However, fans of the fantasy books were soon disappointed when the show took another course. Even the author himself said that the two things were meant to be very different. As Jim Butcher stated in a forum discussion on his website: The show is not the books. It is not meant to follow the same story. It is meant as an alternate world, where the overall background and story-world is similar, but not all the same things happen. The show is not attempting to recreate the books on a chapter-by-chapter or even story-by-story basis. With that in mind, fans of the book series might find The Dresden Files more appealing today, while those who have never read the novels will enjoy it for what it is: a standalone supernatural detective drama. Despite the many other fantasy detective TV shows that have come along since, this one still stands out as one of the better ones, and with only 12 episodes, it’s an easy weekend binge.