Fantasy television is a genre of television programming featuring elements of the fantastic , often including magic , supernatural forces, or exotic fantasy worlds . Fantasy television programs are often based on tales from mythology and folklore , or are adapted from fantasy stories in other media. The boundaries of fantasy television often overlap with science fiction and horror but also realistic fiction.
57-440: The Owl House is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles , Wendie Malick , Alex Hirsch , Tati Gabrielle , Issac Ryan Brown , Mae Whitman , Cissy Jones , Zeno Robinson , Matthew Rhys , Michaela Dietz , Elizabeth Grullon, and Fryda Wolff . In November 2019, ahead of
114-600: A charity stream saying that Lilith didn't have any romantic attractions was "basically canon". On May 21, 2022, the penultimate episode of season two " Clouds on the Horizon " aired, in which Luz and Amity share a kiss on the lips. A promotional video released on September 25, 2022, depicted Luz in a new outfit with a pin on her beanie, picturing the bisexual flag . On October 15, 2022, the first The Owl House special " Thanks to Them " has Luz coming out to her mother as bisexual. The special also reveals that Vee's campmate Masha
171-600: A comic strip created by Rose in the early 1990s for YM magazine. The animated series received popular and critical acclaim and earned numerous awards including Parent's Choice and Girls Inc. Rose and Ferrone later created the animated television show Angela Anaconda , which aired on Fox Family Channel from 1999 to 2001. Rose was also the voice of Angela. The cut-out animation show also aired on Teletoon in Canada. The show earned Rose numerous awards and nominations, including nominations for Young Artist Award in 2000 and 2001,
228-500: A compromise between her ideas and Disney executives' wishes, though she nevertheless was proud of the final product. The tone of season 2 is closer to what Terrace originally intended. Following the series finale, Terrace stated that she has not ruled out the possibility of a continuation at some point in the future. The show is animated by Rough Draft Korea , Sunmin Image Pictures , and Sugarcube Animation. Terrace said that
285-409: A fourth season. However, Terrace said that she believed there was a future for the show if Disney Branded Television had "different people in charge". When asked about the series' future on Twitter, Terrace expressed interest in continuing it in other media. This content could include comics and a limited series centering on Eda's past, as well as other potential spin-offs , though Terrace stated
342-439: A little scared" as a child, though she also wanted to balance them with comedy and heartfelt moments. She described the magic elements on the show as "a framing device for the grounded emotional stories" featured in the series. The series initially had a darker tone, as Terrace wanted to create a TV series targeted at older audiences "where things like whimsy and darkness can coexist", but had to tone it down during season 1 to find
399-457: A panel at New York Comic Con 2019. The show's main title sequence for season 2 was released on May 17, 2021. A trailer for season 2 was released on June 3, 2021. Season 1 aired its 19th and final episode on August 29, 2020. On November 21, 2019, the series was renewed for a 21-episode second season prior to the first season's debut. On May 17, 2021, the series was renewed for a third season, which would consist of three 44-minute specials, ahead of
456-429: A series about a girl learning to be a witch in late 2016. While working on DuckTales , Terrace did not feel "fulfilled artistically or emotionally", so she began to research influences and work from her college years, eventually rediscovering the works of artists such as Hieronymus Bosch and Remedios Varo , inspiring her to create a show for Disney that features strong surreal visual elements. Terrace initially pitched
513-476: A series for Disney Television Animation, after Sue Rose ( Pepper Ann ), Chris Nee ( Doc McStuffins ), and Daron Nefcy ( Star vs. the Forces of Evil ). Terrace said that the general lore for the series was inspired by art and storybooks by Hieronymus Bosch. According to Terrace, the hardest decision when creating the series was whether to implement potential lore elements in the series. Terrace also stated
570-515: Is intended to be a lesbian and that Luz is bisexual . The two girls represent Disney's second animated LGBTQ+ characters after Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland in Gravity Falls, and the first to be unambiguously portrayed as such. In the episode "Understanding Willow", one of the main characters (Willow Park) is shown to have two dads. Some noted that the beginning of the show's second season, which began airing in 2021, continued to build out
627-625: Is known for co-creating the character Fido Dido with Joanna Ferrone . She is also known for creating the children's television programs Pepper Ann , Angela Anaconda (with Joanna Ferrone) and Unfabulous . Rose was born in Hudson, New York and attended Hudson High School. After graduating in 1971, she attended Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hartford Art School . Rose and friend Joanna Ferrone first developed
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#1732794499271684-621: Is non-binary: at the character's workplace, their desk has a name plate that reads "MASHA (they/them)", and their nails are painted the colors of the non-binary pride flag . On April 8, 2023, the series finale " Watching and Dreaming " revealed King's father "Papa Titan" to be genderqueer, as he refers to himself as "both king and queen". After the series' finale, Dana Terrace clarified two of Luz's friends, Willow and Hunter, as being pansexual and bisexual respectively. Whip Media , which tracks viewership data for over 1 million daily users worldwide of its TV Time app, calculated that The Owl House
741-525: Is similarly ambiguous for the Tokusatsu superhero programs from Japan , such as Mahō Sentai Magiranger . A wide variety of fantasy subgenres have been represented on television, both as original series and as television broadcasts of fantasy films. Typical examples of original programming in various subgenres include: Sue Rose Susan Rose (born July 2, 1954) is an American cartoonist, animator, voice actress and television script writer. She
798-510: The United Kingdom , the term "telefantasy" is used as an umbrella term to collectively describe all types of programs that feature elements of the fantastic. Some critics consider Superhero programs to be works of fantasy ("Superhero fantasy"), but others classify them as science fiction and still others consider them to be their own genre of programming (see, for example Wonder Woman and Lois & Clark ). Proper classification
855-415: The coven system. The episode also includes a scene of Luz and Amity asking each other out and officially becoming a couple. GLAAD praised the episode, saying they were excited to see a "wonderful and affirming message" from the series. Jade King of TheGamer praised the series for having a fictional universe where queer characters can "learn to love themselves without the fear of ridicule", comparing it to
912-497: The Boiling Isles from Earth, such as making the ocean purple. On July 19, 2019, Terrace announced that TJ Hill composed the series' score. On January 10, 2020, Hill said that the score features "interesting and experimental sounds that [he] had a ton of fun cooking up". In the second season, Gravity Falls and Star vs. the Forces of Evil composer Brad Breeck took over as composer. By March 2020, Disney Television Animation
969-495: The Boiling Isles, an archipelago formed from the remains of a dead titan , and befriends the rebellious witch Eda Clawthorne , also known as "The Owl Lady", and her adorable demon housemate King . Despite not having magical abilities, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda's apprentice at the Owl House and ultimately finds a new family in an unlikely setting. In the second season, Luz attempts to return to
1026-465: The Disney Channel over the series' horror elements, Terrace nevertheless chooses to feature horror elements, arguing that "Disney is the full spectrum of emotions, creatures and scary things". Terrace said that Disney "allowed me to do more than I thought they would". Terrace also said that the producers "[don't] want to pull [their] punches on the show" in its horror elements, as she "loved being
1083-459: The Disney brand". She stated that this was the case due to the serialized nature of the show and an audience that "skews older", rather than due to its LGBTQ+ representation, saying that she would not "assume bad faith" against the studio executives. Terrace also noted that due to the pandemic, budgets were constrained and episodes were cut, further adding that she was not allowed to present a case for
1140-529: The Human Realm, Eda tries to confront her curse, and King searches for the truth about his past while contending with the Boiling Isles' ruler, Emperor Belos, who is preparing for the mysterious "Day of Unity". In the third and final season (labeled as specials), Luz and her friends journey to save the Boiling Isles from Emperor Belos and the Collector. Dana Terrace first began conceiving early ideas for
1197-499: The Looking Glass Ruins" received significant attention over Luz and Amity's growing relationship and its ending, in which Amity kisses Luz on the cheek. The episode "Eda's Requiem" introduces a character named Raine Whispers, who is referred to with singular they pronouns. Raine is voiced by transgender and non-binary actor Avi Roque. Raine is Disney TVA's first transgender and/or non-binary character. Roque said that
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#17327944992711254-496: The Owl Lady." The second character created was King, who was described by Terrace as "a little guy that wants to be big", something she related to. Luz was the final main character created and was inspired by her roommate, consultant and story artist Luz Batista. Batista agreed to let Terrace use her name for the series' main character on the condition that she be Dominican-American, which Terrace agreed to. The character's personality
1311-459: The Princesses of Power and Steven Universe . King also said that the show could make sure "queer content isn't merely a footnote to the overall story" but ingrained into the show itself. In another review, King compared the series to Matt Braly 's Amphibia , another Disney Channel animated series, noting their similar premise and characters, calling them "kindred spirits". As of April 2023,
1368-605: The U.S., the first five episodes of the second season were added to Disney+ on July 21, 2021, while episodes six through ten were added on August 18. The show was originally intended to premiere on January 2, 2021, on the local Disney Channel feed shared by Hungary and the Czech Republic , but it has not aired on the channel for unknown reasons. The series later premiered exclusively on Disney+ in those two countries on June 14, 2022. The Owl House has been praised for featuring several characters who are LGBTQ+, in particular
1425-905: The UK & Ireland on August 10, 2020, in the Netherlands on August 24, 2020, in Spain on October 3, 2020, in Africa on October 26, 2020, in Romania and Bulgaria on January 2, 2021, in Poland on Disney XD on January 4, 2021, in Portugal on January 11, 2021 and in Scandinavia on February 15, 2021. The entire first season was added to Disney+ in the United States on October 30, 2020. In
1482-556: The character Fido Dido in 1985, after Rose drew him on a cocktail napkin at a restaurant. Ferrone named him "Fido Dido". They later stenciled Fido on T-shirts with the credo: "Fido is for Fido, Fido is against no one". Fido Dido was licensed to PepsiCo in 1988 and appeared on numerous products. In 1996, Rose created the animated television series Pepper Ann . The series was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and aired on Disney's One Saturday Morning block, debuting on September 13, 1997, on ABC . Pepper Ann began life as
1539-446: The character is based on their own experience, with the character's skin color reflecting their actual skin color, praised the show as normalizing queer identity, and said it was an honor to voice Raine. In the episode, Eda Clawthorne is shown to have romantic feelings for Raine. The subsequent episode, "Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door", reveals that Eda and Raine were formerly dating, before breaking up due to Raine beginning work in
1596-484: The developments between Amity and Luz", but praised Eda's character. Ben Bertoli wrote that Terrace and those working on the job had done a great job creating a fantasy world, and relatable characters, and predicted a "big animation fandom". Nick Venable wrote that fans of Gravity Falls and Steven Universe would love the series because the "otherworld-ness of the Boiling Isle[s] immediately asserts itself" while
1653-609: The difficulty faced by scholars of fantasy film , classifying a television program as fantasy can be somewhat problematic given the fluid boundaries of the genre. Not all programs with fantastic elements may qualify as fantasy. Children's programs in particular often feature fantastic elements that do not qualify the program as fantasy, such as the giant talking avian Big Bird of the popular PBS series Sesame Street . Nevertheless, some critics classify certain children's programs that feature traditional fantasy elements such as barbarian characters, wizards , and magic swords as part of
1710-445: The episode, written by Molly Ostertag , aired, and it featured a scene in which Luz and Amity dance together while casting spells to defeat "Grom", a demon that manifests as their deepest fears. The animation supervisor for the show, Spencer Wan, referred to their intimate dance as "the gay thing" and the first time he got to "do anything even remotely queer". On September 2, 2020, during a Reddit AMA , Dana Terrace confirmed that Amity
1767-533: The fantasy and horror genres, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel . And still other programs feature dream sequences or other surreal elements, yet would not be considered fantasy shows by most fans or critics. Some of these programs serve as examples of the magical realism genre rather than fantasy, such as HBO 's Six Feet Under , which featured a realistic setting except for occasional scenes in which living and dead characters interact. In
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1824-481: The first Disney property to feature a same-sex couple in leading roles, a same-sex kiss involving lead characters , same-sex parents, and non-binary characters. The series also won an award for Children's & Youth Programming at the 2021 Peabody Awards . The series centers on Luz Noceda , a 14-year-old Dominican-American human girl who accidentally stumbles upon a portal to the Demon Realm. She arrives at
1881-489: The first and second seasons both hold a critic score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. A light novel based on The Owl House was set to be released in May 2022. According to Dana Terrace, the novel was to feature an original story based on the in-universe fictional series The Good Witch Azura . However, Terrace confirmed on March 25, 2022, in a now-deleted tweet, that the light novel had been cancelled due to financial disputes between
1938-516: The genre (see, for example, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ). Programs for general audiences may also be difficult to classify. The program The Twilight Zone presented a series of unrelated stories, some of which were works of science fiction and some of which were tales of fantasy. The more generic term " speculative fiction " might be appropriate for such shows. Other series blend
1995-439: The idea to both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network , but neither deal worked out. In 2018, it was reported that Dana Terrace, previously a storyboard artist for Gravity Falls and later a director on the 2017 DuckTales reboot, was creating and executive-producing an animated series, titled The Owl House , for Disney Television Animation . The series was greenlit alongside Amphibia in 2018 with an order of 19 episodes, and
2052-424: The kind of weird junk I wanted to do", and Cometa agreed to work on the series due to being interested in the concept. Cometa said that he wanted to "try and show the dualities between the Demon Realm and the human realm, and with a little twist of demons and eyeballs and bones and whatnot". He also wanted some demons on the show to have non-frightening appearances, as they are supposed to represent normal people within
2109-410: The lore of the series is "70 percent made up", with writers also drawing inspiration from books about witchcraft for spells and character names, to add depth to its lore. The Pokémon franchise served as a strong influence on the series. Eda was the earliest character created for the show. Terrace said the character is inspired by "the women who raised me. My aunts, my Nana, and my mom, they're all in
2166-499: The publisher and authors hired to write the book. On April 15, 2023, while addressing the possibility of a continuation, Terrace stated she would be focusing on new personal projects, but did not write off the possibility of such an installment in due time. She reiterated this sentiment in November 2024, explaining that she did not want to "make [her] entire career revolve around one show idea". Fantasy television Similar to
2223-476: The relationship between Amity and Luz, with Luz reciprocating Amity's feelings at the end of "Escaping Expulsion" and both blushing at each other. Others praised Amity's character evolving outside her "relationship with Luz". The series was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming in 2021 and won a Peabody Award for "...giving queer kids a welcome template...to explore their own budding creative energies." The episode "Through
2280-477: The romance between the characters of Luz Noceda and Amity Blight . Series creator Dana Terrace first implied a romance between the two on July 7, 2020, when responding to a fan who posted a screenshot from the upcoming episode " Enchanting Grom Fright " on Twitter which showed Amity putting her hands on Luz's shoulders and looking into her eyes. Claiming "there is no heterosexual explanation" for Amity's action, Terrace responded, "there really isn't". On August 8, 2020,
2337-523: The second-season premiere. The episode order was much shorter than the 10–20 episodes that the production team was anticipating, only for Terrace to later confirm in a response to a fan's question that it would be the final season. In October 2021, in an AMA on Reddit , Terrace explained the series was cut short not because of its ratings or the COVID-19 pandemic , but rather because executives at The Walt Disney Company believed that it did not fit "into
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2394-483: The series for its unique visuals and voice acting, stating "The performances fit together beautifully as the diversity in their delivery showcases the characters' unique roles in the Demon Realm." Collider ' s Dave Trumbore gave the series' first episode a 4-star rating, feeling that the episode "[has] got a dark, yet darkly comic edge to the whole thing". The conservative evangelical Christian religious television network Christian Broadcasting Network attacked
2451-461: The series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on June 12, 2021. In May 2021, ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season consisting of three specials, later announced to be the final season of the series, with Terrace later stating the show had been shortened, because the series "did not fit the Disney brand", ultimately announcing she
2508-568: The show makes "relationships feel genuine and tactile", following in the footsteps of those shows. At the same time, Colin Hickson of Comic Book Resources praised the series, while noting that the opening of the series would give "any Gravity Falls fans a major sense of deja vu". Jade King of TheGamer described the show as a "groundbreaking queer adventure" that has broken boundaries in LGBTQ+ representation, noting how it builds off of She-Ra and
2565-464: The show, declaring it was part of a "witch agenda to make witchcraft look positive", an assessment that a writer for The Mary Sue called "hyperbolic", and stated that a "rebellious Latina witch" is, to those like CBN, "probably the scariest thing", while stating that the show sounds like "a ton of fun". Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club was critical of the series, stating that they were not "buying
2622-442: The show. Terrace said that Luz's design was "challenging", as she struggled to create a design for Luz that didn't make her look too old or that felt too much like a costume. Cometa eventually created a t-shirt for Luz to wear that is "low key, and like a nod to all our fellow nerds out there". Cometa said that it was "fun" to design demonic versions of common places. The animators also changed real-life elements to further distinguish
2679-470: The similar approaches in Steven Universe and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power , noting the relationship between Luz and Amity. In March 2022, Lilith, Eda's older sister, was shown to be aromantic and asexual during a charity Livestream, via an in-character letter read by the character's voice actress Cissy Jones . Jade King of TheGamer noted that Cissy Jones said that her letter during
2736-903: The three specials of season 3 were the end of the main story, persuading fans to ask Disney regarding more content based on the show. On March 10, 2023, Terrace confirmed that production on the series had been completed. The Owl House had its first international debut in Canada on January 12, 2020, in Southeast Asia on March 20, 2020, in Turkey on April 6, 2020, in Latin America on April 13, 2020, in France on April 15, 2020, in South Korea on May 23, 2020, in Japan on July 23, 2020, in
2793-477: The visual style was inspired by paintings by Remedios Varo, John Bauer , and Hieronymus Bosch, as well as Russian architecture . By December 2019, the show had 120 people working on the show, including those in the animation studios, and 50 staffers on the pre-production crew. Spencer Wan served as the animation supervisor during season one. Disney initially refused for the series to have an in-house animator, feeling Wan may not meet their "overseas pipeline", but he
2850-462: Was closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , forcing the production crew to work on season 2 remotely from their homes. On June 10, 2019, the trailer premiered during the show's Annecy 2019 panel. It was uploaded to Disney Channel's YouTube channel a day later. The show's main title sequence was released on July 19, 2019, during San Diego Comic-Con 2019. The show released a sneak peek and an official end credit sequence on October 4, 2019, during
2907-512: Was eventually hired. Kofi Fiagome serves as animation supervisor for season two. Terrace also provided rough animation for three season 2 episodes. Ricky Cometa served as the art director for the series. Cometa first became involved with the series when Terrace began working on the pilot, before the series was green-lighted by Disney, and was approached by Terrace, a fan and friend of Cometa's because she "really wanted to work with someone who I vibed with, someone whose style I knew, that could execute
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#17327944992712964-550: Was inspired by "stories of each other about what dorks we were in high school", as well as parts from Terrace's childhood. Alex Hirsch, Terrace's partner and creator of the TV series Gravity Falls , on which Terrace served as a storyboard artist and revisionist, served as a creative consultant on the series. Several of the series' themes are inspired by Terrace's childhood. The series features themes of uniqueness and conformity, which were inspired by Terrace's experience at school, where she
3021-478: Was leaving Disney after completing work on the final episode. The first episode of the final season premiered on October 15, 2022, followed by the second episode on January 21, 2023, and the series finale on April 8, 2023. The Owl House has received widespread acclaim from critics and fans, with many praising its animation, humor, characters, voice acting, themes, emotional weight, and its LGBTQ+ representation compared to other Disney media, including becoming
3078-403: Was mocked for her habit of drawing roadkill , only to meet people with similarly different personalities when she went to a new school. The series also explores the idea of getting close to fulfilling a dream, yet being unable to completely fulfill it, inspired by how Terrace was told that she wouldn't be a cartoonist, only to "[find her] own path". Hirsch said that while there was a concern with
3135-650: Was one of the most in-demand shows on Disney+ , with 31.50 times the average series demand, placing it among the top-performing series on the platform in December 2022. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media rated the show 4 out of 5 stars and said putting different elements together made the series quirky and likable. It was also described as well-written and animated, and speculated that "[the show] likely will be one you will want to watch alongside your older kids and tweens, allowing you to discuss these kinds of themes as they come up." LaughingPlace.com ' s critic praised
3192-412: Was set originally for a 2019 release, but delayed to 2020. Terrace would later call the decision to work with Disney as a fortuitous one stating, "I think it's important to note that Owl House would NOT be what it is if made at another studio", and cited the fact that having each episode run for 22 minutes rather than 11 is one of the reasons why it worked out so well. Terrace is the fourth woman to create
3249-556: Was the eighth top-rising show across all platforms based on the highest week-over-week growth in episodes watched during the week of June 13, 2021. JustWatch , a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users around the world, estimated that The Owl House was the sixth most-streamed television series in the U.S. from October 10 to October 16, 2022. According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, The Owl House
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