Feverish TV trend: Disease outbreak shows

At least five TV shows are airing or in production that attempt to portray somewhat realistic outbreaks of deadly diseases.
It’s a hot new trend for the entertainment medium.
In April, I posted a list of the best-reviewed disease outbreak movies and documentaries. My list included only those films going for relative realism, not ones about zombies or diseases from outer space.
What follows is a list of TV shows about disease outbreaks using the same criteria.

Between

On Thursday, Netflix will premiere a new series called “Between.”
It’s a Canadian drama in which a mysterious disease kills every resident of a small town over the age of 21. The government quarantines the young survivors who must fend for themselves. The first season consists of six one-hour episodes. (See articles on Metacritic and Wikipedia.)

The Last Ship

The second season of “The Last Ship” will premiere on June 21 on TNT.
“The Last Ship” takes place after a global viral pandemic wipes out over 80% of the world’s population. The show centers on the crew of an unaffected U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer.

Containment

“Containment” is an upcoming series for the CW based on the Belgian TV series “Cordon.” It will air as a midseason replacement, most likely premiering in January or February next year.
“Containment” is a drama revolving around a flu-like epidemic that breaks out in Atlanta, leaving some people stuck in a city quarantine zone.

The Day After

Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video are currently streaming a Russian TV drama called “The Day After” (or “Vyzhit posle”).
“In an attempt to create a new race of perfect humans – a drug company unleashes what turns out to be a deadly virus. Now as thousands are killed in Moscow, it’s up to 11 individuals to figure out the future of mankind,” the synopsis says.

The Hot Zone

Producer Lynda Obst and director-producer Ridley Scott are developing a mini-series about the Ebola virus based on Richard Preston’s 1994 nonfiction best-seller “The Hot Zone.”
The story likely will be update with information from last year’s deadly Ebola outbreak in Africa.
(See articles by the Hollywood Reporter and io9.)