Greek mythology shows have been popular across various genres for decades, with the epic myths and legends of the ancient civilization recreated for the small screen, or even simply inspiring new stories for the modern era. Greek mythology is regularly adapted for the small screen due to how poetic, tragic, and philosophical it can be.
That has allowed it to be relatable for fans of everything from romantic stories to high drama to superhero tales. Whether it’s epic heroes or the gods on Mount Olympus themselves, Greek mythology is notorious for how wild and unpredictable it can be, making it the perfect source material for thrilling TV shows.
Greek mythology shows prove that the genre remains in fashion with a mix of vintage and contemporary entries, both in prestige formats and in lighter fare in the swords and sandals genre.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023 – )
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a work of fiction that adapts the incredible body of work by Rick Riordan, which is heavily inspired by Greek mythology. The story includes gods, monsters, demigods, trials of courage and bravery, and a fully fleshed out world that brings these ancient mythologies to the present day.
While the previous film adaptation of the Percy Jackson books managed to gain mediocre success, the recent TV series has exploded in popularity, and made these epic tales into something more tangible and present for modern audiences, and, of course, younger viewers who have taken to the show.
American Gods (2017 – 2021)
American Gods is a series that weaves together a broad range of myth and legends, particularly focused on the most powerful and influential characters in these various realms. With that in mind, the story does prominently feature elements of Greek mythology, including characters like Argus, Vulcan, and the Fates.
On top of that, American Gods opens the door to a wide array of stories that all come together to create something truly gripping. While it may not be a purely Greek tale, it is certainly an imaginative and inventive approach to some of the world’s most legendary stories, and one worth exploring if you are drawn to mythos in general.
Kaos (2024)
One of the latest TV shows about Greek mythology is 2024’s Kaos, which arrived on Netflix in August 2024. Not only does Kaos include one of the most star-studded casts among shows about Greek gods and legends, it’s also one of the most innovative takes on the mythos of the ancient empire. Kaos is set in a modern world that is ruled over by the Greek gods, including Zeus (as played to paranoid perfection by Jeff Goldblum).
Kaos makes use of multiple characters from Greek mythology, including both Gods from Olympus and heroes (and villains) of classic legends, including Orpheus (Killian Scott), his muse Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), and the Trojan priestess Cassandra (Billie Piper). Many traditions of Ancient Greece have been masterfully reworked into the modern setting, and for viewers seeking a show about Greek mythology with a slick and modern twist, Kaos is bound to satisfy.
Ulysses 31 (1981)
There are several anime shows about Greek Mythology, but one of the most timeless is the French-Japanese cartoon Ulysses 31, which aired between 1981 and 1982. The premise of Ulysses 31 was in some ways straightforward. The show simply took characters from Greek mythology and retold (loosely) their stories in the 31st century.
It’s far from a historically accurate show about Greek legends, but it never tries to be, and instead uses Ancient Greece’s myths as a foundation to build a colorful anime space-opera adventure. The Odyssey is now a space-ship, for example. Zeus remains the god of gods, and Poseidon’s servants have spacecraft shaped like giant tridents.
Ulysses is a ship captain in Ulysses 31, and is tasked with finding the interstellar kingdom of Hades so that he can return to earth. While only 26 episodes long, Ulysses 31 serves as both an intriguing twist on Greek mythology and a nostalgic throwback to the unique anime era of the early 1980s.
The Mighty Hercules (1963)
Anime isn’t the only subgenre of animation that drew from Greek Mythology. Saturday morning cartoons were entering their heyday in the 1960s, and among the dozens that kick-started the weekend for children across the nation was 1963’s The Mighty Hercules.
As the title reveals, The Mighty Hercules monopolized in the spike of popularity of the swords-and-sandal genre of the late 1950s and 1960s, using Hercules as its central point to loosley adapt a multitude of different Greek myths and legends (or characters from them, at least).
The Mighty Hercules didn’t even try to stay true to the source material, but this is no surprise, since its goal was to simply create engaging animated entertainment for younger viewers. Hercules would face a different villain each week, coming down from Mount Olympus to thwart the likes of Medusa, the Cyclops, or The Minotaur.
The format was successful enough to carry The Mighty Hercules for 128 episodes, and the character design of Hercules himself was cited as inspiration for Bruce Timm when designing the look of Superman in Superman: The Animated Series.
Hercules: The Animated Series (1998 – 1999)
There’s not much argument that Disney’s Hercules movie was a much more beloved adaptation of the tale than 1995 show, and made him a more charismatic character as well as a Disney prince. However, the movie did a huge time jump and skipped Hercules’ progress from “zero to hero” by including it all in a single musical montage.
The 1998 cartoon series, Hercules: The Animated Series fixes that, although in doing so it makes several contradictions to the film’s timeline. The tie-in animated series from Disney explores the unexplored period where Phil was training Hercules to become a hero and mercenary.
That goes to show that montages aren’t all that, and it actually takes plenty of time before one can achieve an Olympian physique. Notably, both Tate Donovan and James Woods returned to voice Hercules and Hades, respectively.
Young Hercules (1998 – 1999)
While it only lasted for one season, Young Hercules featured an early role for a very young Ryan Gosling. This Greek mythology show was a prequel to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and aired on the Fox Kids Network between 1998 and 1999. Hercules attended Cheiron’s Academy to train to become a warrior, all while his half-brother, Ares the God of War, plotted to destroy him.
Kevin Tod Smith reprised his role as Ares from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys for this spinoff series. The show is mostly geared toward a younger audience and its Greek mythology was strained at best when it came to a faithful adaptation.
Several characters from Greek legend appeared in the show though, including Jason, Iolaus, Theseus, Hephaestus, and, of course, Zeus. While Young Hercules failed to leave a cultural mark, it was nominated for a PrimeTime Emmy in 1999 for Outstanding Sound Editing.
Helen Of Troy (2003)
Released in 2003, the TV miniseries Helen of Troy followed the woman who stood in the middle of the savage war in Troy that stretched out over 10 years. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is Zeus’s daughter and this story came from Homer’s epic poem the Iliad. In the series, the goddess Aphrodite promises him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world.
When Helen of Troy’s father presents her to marry Menelaus, it starts a war between all who fell short of her love. By the time Paris finally arrives, Troy is left in ruins. Helen of Troy picked up several awards, including a nomination for Best Miniseries at the Satellite Awards.
This 2003 miniseries is one of several instances when the siege of Troy has been adapted for screens, with it famously being the subject of the epic movie Troy starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Sean Bean, and Orlando Bloom, which was released the following year.
The Odyssey (1968)
There have been several adaptations of Homer’s Odyssey, and an Italian miniseries based on the epic poem arrived in 1968 called The Odyssey. One notable thing about this specific tale of Greek mythology is that Italian horror icon Mario Bava was one of the directors of the eight-hour series. Of all the re-tellings of Homer’s epic, this one sticks closest to the story and is the most faithful to his tale.
It was clear that Bava had his hand in the series, as it looked like it was pulled out of Ancient Greece and the scene with the one-eyed Polyphemus was as horrific as it was brilliantly realized. The cast was also remarkably well-selected too. Of note is the inclusion of Demkin Fehmiu, a Yugoslavian actor who was the first Eastern European to land a role in Hollywood, as Odysseus.
Valentine (2008 – 2009)
Valentine was an unusual Greek mythology show, as it aired on The CW as a romantic comedy-drama in 2008. Created by Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives), the Valentine family are gods living among the humans on Earth. They have been hiding their true nature from humans, but they realized that if they don’t do a better job when it comes to matchmaking, they will end up becoming mortals.
What connects this with Greek mythology is that Grace (Jaime Murray) is the Greek god Aphrodite and other gods include Eros, Hercules, Hephaestus, Circe, and Ares. The series only lasted for one season and eight episodes. There are elements of later shows like Small Gods in Valentine, as the Greek pantheon must also come to terms with the fact that they’re much less powerful than they used to be.