10 Best Shows Like Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

If you liked Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, haven’t seen it yet but want to, or are waiting for one of those rare 70mm IMAX seats, check out these 10 shows. They might give you a little of what you’re looking for. When it comes to The Odyssey, you don’t even need to hear a description.

The title alone tells you everything you need to know. An “Odyssey” is a genre unto itself, and there are plenty of TV shows that dabble in a similar energy. If it’s the Greek mythological aspects of The Odyssey that have your interest, there are plenty of shows to watch in that register as well. You won’t have to look far to find something satisfying.

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999)

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is an American fantasy series, filmed in New Zealand, starring Kevin Sorbo as the mythological Greek figure. Michael Hurst co-stars as his sidekick, Iolaus, who in this version is more like the Robin to his Batman rather than his servant and charioteer.

The series combines Greek, Egyptian, Medieval, and East Asian mythology and folklore into a fantastical representation of Ancient Greece. Greek gods and monsters are frequently featured in episodes, with Hercules fighting them or helping them in this campy romp that inspired a popular multimedia franchise.

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)

A spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess ended up as one of the rare spinoffs that became bigger than the original. Lucy Lawless rose to international stardom thanks to her portrayal as Xena, an infamous Amazon warrior who sets out to redeem herself after years of violence and domination.

Originally a villain in Hercules, Xena goes on to become a great hero, helping those in an effort to pursue what she refers to as “the greater good”. Xena takes on, and sides with, many characters from myths, fables, and fiction, and the series has a noticeably more adult tone than Hercules.

Mission Odyssey (2002-2003)

The German/French animated series Mission Odyssey was a 26-episode series centered on the adventures of Ulysses, the Romanized name of Odysseus. The series charts Ulysses’ journey, depicting the most crucial events of Homer’s Iliad, though without the violence and terror of Nolan’s film.

Most of the major characters appear in the show, and some other famous figures from Greek myths also have roles despite not being a part of the original tale. It’s a classically animated series that is the perfect entryway into Greek myths for younger audiences who are just getting interested.

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2008)

Battlestar Galactica is the reimagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series, and it has some similar themes to The Odyssey despite being a science fiction adventure set in space. The series follows the crew of the Galactica, the last remaining ship in humanity’s military fleet, all but destroyed after a war with androids.

Galactica is commanded by William Adama (Edward James Olmos), who steers his crew across the stars in the hopes of finding a fabled planet capable of supporting life: Earth. It’s an acclaimed science fiction adventure, but the themes of returning home and surviving through near-mythical trials are easy parallels to the journey in The Odyssey​​​​​​.

Rome (2005-2007)

photo: Franco Biciocchi / © HBO / Courtesy: Everett Collection

While Rome is set perhaps 1000 years after the generally agreed-upon time period of The Odyssey, it still has the sword-and-sandals storytelling of The Odyssey. Like the film, this HBO classic series is as concerned with how its characters change over their journey as much as the journey itself.

Rome is set before and after Julius Caesar’s (Ciarán Hinds) civil war, but the real story involves two soldiers whose lives intersect with momentous events in Rome’s history, but whose problems and concerns are much smaller and personal in nature. It’s a gorgeous series, with incredible performances that bring the era to life.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Avatar: The Last Airbender, the original animated series from Nickelodeon, remains one of the greatest animated adventures ever and still holds up well years later. Set in an Asian-inspired world where people can manipulate the four elements of water, earth, fire, and air and are frequently at war with one another.

Aang is a twelve-year-old and the last surviving member of the Air Nomads. He’s also the latest incarnation of the Avatar, a being capable of wielding all four elements. It’s a powerfully told series, with incredible and creative action. Its typical beginning leads into a complex, heavy story with lore filling out every corner.

Legend Of The Seeker (2008-2010)

Created by Sam Raimi, Legend of the Seeker is based on Terry Goodkind’s fantasy novel series, The Sword of Truth. It follows Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who is the long-awaited “Seeker of Truth” of the title. The world of the show is divided into three provinces, each separated by magical boundaries.

Richard and his three companions set off through the land to fulfill a destiny and defeat the Keeper of the Underworld. Their journey through magical lands, dealing with mystical and strange creatures, is very reminiscent of The Odyssey. It’s a great-looking series, with New Zealand serving as the backdrop.

Spartacus (2010-2013)

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Starz’s original historical drama Spartacus is a bloody, sexy, action-packed affair inspired by the slave uprising in the Roman Republic, led by the Thracian gladiator Spartacus (Andy Whitfield and Liam McIntyre). The show depicts Spartacus’ beginnings, enslavement, time as a gladiator, and finally his ill-fated quest for freedom.

The series is steeped in the violence inherent in gladiatorial combat, and there is an overabundance of sex scenes and nudity, somewhat standard for a Starz show, but underneath is a well-produced series with some standout performances, particularly by the lead character, who was forced to switch actors after Whitfield’s passing from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The Sandman (2022-2025)

Based on Neil Gaiman’s comic book series of the same name, The Sandman is a Netflix fantasy drama that ran for two seasons between 2022 and 2025. The series stars Tom Sturridge as Morpheus, the personification of dreams and nightmares. After being captured and imprisoned for 106 years, Morpheus escapes in the year 2022 and sets out to restore his realm.

The series pulls in original characters, Norse gods, figures from Greek myth, and much more. The Sandman is a bizarre, sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying show that transports the audience on a quest where it’s not always clear who the heroes are. A mind-bending, beautiful series, it’s its own sort of Odyssey.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians (2023-Present)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is The Odyssey for the younger generations. Based on Rick Riordan’s book series of the same name, previously adapted into two films, Percy Jackson is a fantasy adventure that brings Greek myths to the modern world through Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), the secret son of Poseidon.

Other characters from The Odyssey make appearances, including Polyphemus (Aleks Paunovic), Circe (Rosemarie DeWitt), the Sirens, and Scylla and Charybdis. It’s a captivating series filled with strong performances from a young cast, and it has a competent handle on a story that’s only getting bigger.