HBO’s new Harry Potter series will finally adapt the world of Hogwarts for television, building on the success of other fantasy shows that have already explored the ‘magical school’ concept. While Harry Potter is the most famous example of a school for wizards, this remake offers a great chance to delve even deeper into the rich history and details of Hogwarts itself. However, it’s worth remembering that Hogwarts won’t be the first magical academy brought to life on TV.
We’ve recently seen the magical school setting—similar to Hogwarts—appear in shows like Netflix’s Wednesday and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. While Nevermore Academy in Wednesday captures that old, magical atmosphere, the story isn’t as focused on the school itself as Harry Potter was. Sadly, Sabrina was canceled before it could fully explore its potential. This means there’s really only one TV show that has successfully used this type of school as a central element.
The Magicians Is The Perfect Example Of The Magical School Trope In A TV Show
The TV series The Magicians, which ran from 2015 to 2020, brilliantly reimagined the magical-school concept. The show follows Quentin Coldwater, a graduate student at Brakebills University, a school for magic. While it shares similarities with the Harry Potter series – like a rich history and hidden mysteries – the longer TV format allowed for a more detailed and complex story.
The compelling stories set at Brakebills University helped The Magicians stand out – all five seasons received remarkably high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Even the first season, the lowest-rated, scored a solid 74%. After that, every season earned scores of 90% or higher, with two seasons achieving a perfect 100%. This level of consistent critical acclaim is something the upcoming Harry Potter series on HBO will likely aim for.
What HBO’s Harry Potter Can Learn From The Magicians
Image via MovieStillsDB
The similarities between Harry Potter and The Magicians are clear. J.K. Rowling popularized the magical school concept with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the 1990s, and The Magicians likely wouldn’t exist without that success. However, The Magicians was the first series to successfully adapt a magical school setting for television. HBO could learn a lot from it.
As a film and TV enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by magical schools, and comparing Brakebills University from The Magicians to Hogwarts is really interesting. What struck me most is how much more mature and realistic The Magicians feels. The characters are older, dealing with much heavier stuff like depression, trauma, and even questioning the meaning of life. Brakebills itself feels less whimsical and more… unsettling, which really fits the show’s tone. It’s still a story about magic, but it feels incredibly grounded and relatable because it tackles real-world issues in a way Harry Potter didn’t, at least not to the same degree.
HBO plans to make its Harry Potter series a bit more mature and atmospheric than the previous Warner Bros. films. If the show can successfully blend a spooky exploration of Hogwarts with the original’s sense of magic and innocence, it could achieve a similar level of success as the show The Magician. Whether it will remains to be seen.
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2025-12-10 02:38