Best tv shows like The Magician's House
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The Magician's House is a quartet of children's fantasy books by William Corlett. Two mini-series were produced in 1999 for British television, which were directed by Paul Lynch. The series featured Jennifer Saunders and Stephen Fry voicing some of the animal characters. The books were published in the early 1990s, and named as follows: ⁕The Steps up the Chimney ⁕The Door in the Tree ⁕The Tunnel behind the Waterfall ⁕The Bridge in the Clouds Although in a rural setting, this series' focus on subjects such as industrial development and the combining of present-day and past settings in the plotline gives it a feeling tending more towards urban fantasy than simply contemporary fantasy. In addition, though there is no specific mention of Welsh myths and legends, the strong part nature plays in the stories and the settings bring to mind other British children's authors. Authors like Alan Garner, who is perhaps best known for The Owl Service and Elidor, and Susan Cooper, famous for The Dark Is Rising sequence of books, who allude more specifically to British myth and legend in their writings.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 211
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like The Magician's House (1999):
Similar in 77%
Without Family (2000)
Plot Summary:
Young Remi, a foundling, lives on the farm run by his impoverished foster parents. When their money runs out, unbeknown to his foster-mother, Rémi is sold by his hard-hearted foster father to an old street performer named Vitalis. Vitalis was once a famous opera singer, but became destitute after a tragic love affair.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 366
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family
Country: France, Germany, Czech Republic
Duration: 193 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 87%
Pan Tau (1970)
Plot Summary:
Pan Tau always had a gentle expression and a friendly smile, he was elegantly dressed in a stroller, with an umbrella and a white carnation in the lapel. Foremost, he was famous for his magic bowler hat. By tapping on his hat, Pan Tau was able to change his appearance into a puppet, to conjure up miscellaneous objects or to do other magic. His most characteristically behavior is that he would help children who were experiencing some sort of difficulties in-between their dreams and reality, like finding a place for skiing, settling family problems on Christmas, and even give a boy a good time at a fair when he is supposed to have piano lessons. To adults, he usually remained invisible.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 580
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Czechoslovakia, West Germany
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: urban fantasy
Similar in 79%
The Enchanted Castle (1979)
Plot Summary:
Gerald, James and Kathleen discover a garden in which is hidden a Princess and a magic ring. Although the Princess is not quite who she says she is the ring is truly magic and so are other parts of the castle's grounds.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 53
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 174 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
The Demon Headmaster (1996)
Plot Summary:
The Demon Headmaster is a British television series based on the children's books by Gillian Cross of the same name. Made for CBBC, the drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998. The first series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 2 to 18 January 1996, the second series contained seven episodes, and aired once a week from 25 September to 6 November 1996, and the third series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 6 to 22 January 1998. School location scenes in the first series were filmed at Hatch End High School, in Hatch End, Harrow, North West London and The Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Other scenes were filmed around West London and the Vulcan Tower is in fact the Atrium building in Uxbridge. CGI was used to make this building appear on a traffic island close to Warwick Avenue tube station. Some scenes in the later series were filmed in the village of Sarratt, Hertfordshire and other locations in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 757
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
Today's Special (1981)
Plot Summary:
Today's Special was a Canadian children's television show produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario from 1981 to 1987. It also ran on Nickelodeon and the Faith and Values Channel/Odyssey as well as many PBS stations throughout the United States. It was set in a department store, based on the flagship location of the now defunct Simpson's in Toronto. Many sequences for it were shot at the Queen Street West and Yonge Street store after hours.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 832
Genere: Family, Fantasy, Musical
Country: Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: educational
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Jackanory (1965)
Plot Summary:
Jackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap-o'-Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 1996, clocking up around 3,500 episodes in its 30-year run. The final story, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne, was read by Alan Bennett and broadcast on 24 March 1996. The show returned on 27 November 2006 for two one-off stories. The show's format, which varied little over the decades, involved an actor reading from children's novels or folk tales, usually while seated in an armchair. From time to time the scene being read would be illustrated by a specially commissioned still drawing, often by Quentin Blake. Usually a single book would occupy five daily fifteen-minute episodes, from Monday to Friday. A spin off series was Jackanory Playhouse which were a series of thirty minute dramatisations. These included a dramatisation by Philip Glassborow of the comical A. A. Milne story "The Princess Who Couldn't Laugh".
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 409
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 15 min
Plot tags: anthology, anime, children's story
Similar in 85%
The Owl Service (1969)
Plot Summary:
Three teenagers discover a mysterious set of owl and flower-patterned dinner plates in the attic and the magical ancient legend of the "Mabinogion" comes to life once again in their Welsh valley.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 222
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 200 min
Plot tags: spooky
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Guinevere Jones (2002)
Plot Summary:
Gwen Jones is a high school student. She has fled to Melbourne, Australia with Karen, her Australian-born mother, to escape shadowy danger in Canada, Gwen's birthplace. At fourteen, Gwen is going through huge changes. For most of her life she has been on the run, moving from town to town with her mother, always in hiding - but from what, Karen would never say. When they left Canada for Australia, Gwen's mother becomes withdrawn, refuses to eat, and eventually is placed in hospital. Gwen winds up in foster care. Gwen is a devoted daughter and a devout believer in justice but she has the hot blood of Guinevere running through her veins, which gives her a wildness and unpredictability. She resents and resists the idea that she is re-living somebody else's life. Like any teenager, she thinks of herself as an original.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 92
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Australia, Canada
Duration:
Plot tags: arthurian, surprise ending
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Simon and the Witch (1987)
Plot Summary:
Simon is a very sensible young schoolboy, who has a friend who is a real witch. She is very silly, and a huge showoff.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 188
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 15 min
Plot tags:
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Shoebox Zoo (2004)
Plot Summary:
Shoebox Zoo is a children's fantasy TV series made in a collaboration between BBC Scotland and various Canadian television companies. It is mostly live-action, but with CGI used for the animal figurines. It was first broadcast in 2004 by CBBC. The series was broadcast in the United States by the Showtime network.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 203
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: exciting, touching, captivating, semi serious
Similar in 75%
Moondial (1988)
Plot Summary:
Moondial is a British television serial made for children by the BBC and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by Helen Cresswell, who also wrote the novel on which the series was based. The story deals with a young girl, Minty, staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a moondial that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom, who lives in the Victorian era, and Sarah, who seems to live in "the previous century" to that, and must save them from their own unhappy lives. Regarded as a nostalgic favourite by followers of 1980s BBC children's drama, Moondial employs extensive location filming and fantastical, dreamlike imagery. The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by Colin Cant. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary, Arthur Hewlett as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World and Jacqueline Pearce in the dual role of the vicious Miss Vole and the present-day ghost hunter Miss Raven.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 252
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 158 min
Plot tags: psychological thriller, weird
Similar in 80%
Belle and Sebastian (1965)
Plot Summary:
Mountain-based adventures of a young boy and his dog in a small village in the southern Alps.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 304
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family
Country: France
Duration: 26 min
Plot tags:
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Catweazle (1970)
Plot Summary:
Catweazle is a British television series, created and written by Richard Carpenter which was produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence for London Weekend Television under the LWI banner, and screened in the UK on ITV in 1970. A second season in 1971 was directed by David Reid and David Lane. Both series had thirteen episodes each, with Geoffrey Bayldon playing the leading role. The series was broadcast in Ireland, Britain, Gibraltar, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Czechoslovakia, Nicaragua and Quebec. The first episode is available to view in full at the BFI Screenonline site.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom
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Thunderstone (1999)
Plot Summary:
The year is 2020. Fifteen-year-old Noah lives with his family in the futuristic underground community of North Col. The world above is a frozen wasteland after a massive comet strike destroyed all other life in the world including the animals. One night, he accidentally time travels to the future and finds himself trapped in the year 2085 in a desolate desert place called Haven with a group of children, the Nomads, led by Arushka.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 401
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Australia
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: apocalyptic
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Boohbah (2003)
Plot Summary:
Boohbah was a children's television show. It premiered in 2003 on ITV in the United Kingdom, and on 19 January 2004 in the United States on PBS until 2 July 2006. It was created by Anne Wood with scripts by Alan Dapre and Robin Stevens. Anne Wood also created the children's show Teletubbies, and Boohbah is produced by the UK's Ragdoll Ltd. and the USA's PBS Kids. The similarity between this show and Teletubbies, both of which have a "science fiction" theme, is notable. One of the show's trademarks is a child's voice pronouncing the show's name in sing-song. "Boohbah" means "doll" in Hebrew, but it is not clear if this influenced the name of the show, or even if the creators are aware of this.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 614
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 20 min
Plot tags: educational, funny, feel good, humorous, captivating, entertaining, semi serious, weird, learning, nostalgic
Similar in 87%
Pippi Longstocking (1969)
Plot Summary:
Pippi Longstocking is a TV series based on Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking children's books. The show ran for thirteen episodes, the first episode being broadcast 8 February 1969 on the then Swedish public service channel Sveriges Radio. The series' theme song, "Here Comes Pippi Longstocking" was composed by Jan Johansson, with lyrics by Astrid Lindgren. The song was sung by series star Inger Nilsson.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Sweden, West Germany
Duration: 27 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, semi serious, vintage
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The Box of Delights (1984)
Plot Summary:
Based on the classic children's novel by John Masefield, the story follows the exploits of a young boy, Kay Harker, who finds himself drawn into a world of magic and danger when he encounters an old Punch and Judy man.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 922
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 177 min
Plot tags:
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The Holy Pearl (2011)
Plot Summary:
The Holy Pearl is a 2011 Chinese Television series starring Gillian Chung as the daughter of an archeologist. She time travels back in time to discovers she is a reincarnation a warrior priestess. She teams up with a human-dragon hybrid, to recover a broken magical vase. The story is an unofficial adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's popular Japanese manga series InuYasha.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 75
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: anime, tense, captivating, xianxia
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Diary of a Night Watchman (2014)
Plot Summary:
Being able to see ghosts and other supernatural spirits is a heavy responsibility. Prince Lee Rin (Jung Il Woo), like his father before him, discovers that he has the ability to see ghosts and other supernatural beings. Armed with his newfound abilities, Lee Rin becomes the leader of a group of night watchmen who patrol the streets from dusk to dawn to protect the people of the Chosun Dynasty against evil spirits. Moo Seok (Jung Yun Ho) is the best swordsman in the land who is the prince’s trusty bodyguard. But their loyalties will be tested when they both fall in love with the same woman – Do Ha (Go Sung Hee), the successor of the Ma Go tribe who seeks their help to protect the Baek Do mountain’s spirits. But Park Soo Ryun (Seo Ye Ji), the daughter of a court officer, will stop at nothing to marry Prince Lee Rin. “The Night Watchman,” also known as "Diary of a Night Watchman,".
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 167
Genere: Drama, Fantasy
Country: South Korea
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
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Dog with a Blog (2012)
Plot Summary:
Avery Jennings and Tyler James are step-siblings who are complete opposites. The family faces an even bigger adjustment when their new dog, Stan, can talk and also has a blog, unbeknownst to the family. Stan uses his blog to discuss the happenings in the Jennings-James household. Avery and Tyler later learn of Stan's talking ability and agree to keep it a secret from their parents.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, feel good, semi serious, humorous, not serious, nostalgic
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Tales from the Neverending Story (2001)
Plot Summary:
Twelve-year-old Bastian Balthazar Bux had lost the wonderful imagination he had as a child somewhere between growing older, watching TV, going to school and playing with his Gameboy. But when his mother dies suddenly, Bastian's limitless imagination is reborn. Bastian comes across a magical book, 'The Neverending Story,' in a curious little bookstore. Inspired by the book, Bastian creates an enchanted world called Fantasia, inhabited by dragons, dark knights and assorted heroes and villains.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 923
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Germany, Canada
Duration: 375 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, stylized, semi serious, fairy tale, exciting, serious, nostalgic
Similar in 86%
The Worst Witch (1998)
Plot Summary:
Mildred Hubble is a young witch attending Cackles Academy. She's called the "Worst Witch" because she's always caught getting into trouble.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: semi serious, spooky, offbeat, humorous
Similar in 83%
Scaredy Cats (2021)
Plot Summary:
On Willa Ward’s twelfth birthday, she inherits a beautiful charm necklace that belonged to her mother, who was a witch. She soon learns 2 bad witches, Wilma and Wanda are after her locket so they can have ultimate power, and she alongside her best friends Scout and Lily turn into cats to escape.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 476
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: feel good, captivating, entertaining, satirical, spooky
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Spooky Buddies (2011)
Plot Summary:
Disney's irresistible talking puppies are back in an all-new movie that takes them far across town to a mysterious mansion where something very spooky is going on.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: humorous, not serious, semi serious, entertaining
Similar in 89%
Four Kids and It (2020)
Plot Summary:
A group of kids on holiday in Cornwall meet a magical creature on the beach with the power to grant wishes.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Ireland
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: light, feel good, humorous, entertaining
Similar in 88%
The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
Plot Summary:
A nine-year-old boy gets a plastic Indian and a cupboard for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: touching, light, clever, epic, grindhouse, juvenile, cult classic, weeping, offbeat, feel good
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A Knight in Camelot (1998)
Plot Summary:
Yet another variation on Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee At King Arthur's Court." Here, a computer malfunction causes a science researcher to be sent back in time with her laptop, which she uses to amaze the court.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Hungary
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: humorous, feel good, captivating, entertaining, parody, slapstick, arthurian, offbeat, semi serious
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The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (1988)
Plot Summary:
Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the Lion, Aslan.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 171 min
Plot tags: exciting, offbeat, serious, mystical, mythical, cult classic, stylized
Similar in 76%
The Silver Chair (1990)
Plot Summary:
Eustace, along with a new companion named Jill Pole, is brought back to Narnia. The pair are told by Aslan they must search for King Caspian's missing son, Prince Rillian.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Fantasy, Family, Adventure
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, exciting, humorous, stylized, semi serious
Similar in 82%
The Worst Witch (2017)
Plot Summary:
Join Mildred Hubble in CBBC's adaptation of The Worst Witch books, written by Jill Murphy.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Germany
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: entertaining, humorous, feel good, light, captivating, spooky