Despite being the age of peak TV, the genre of post-apocalyptic-themed shows peaked three years ago.
In 2016, there were a record 16 post-apocalyptic shows airing on broadcast and cable channels.
Today there are just five such shows and two of those (“The 100” on CW and “The Rain” on Netflix) are scheduled for their final seasons in 2020. The others are AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” both of which are suffering ratings declines, and “Van Helsing” on Syfy.
I didn’t include “Black Summer” from Netflix as a current show, because it hasn’t been renewed for a second season and now appears to be a one-and-done mini-series.
But more post-apocalyptic-themed shows are in development. So, perhaps there’s a comeback ahead for the genre.
Snowpiercer
TBS will premiere “Snowpiercer” in spring 2020. The long-gestating series is based on the 2013 movie “Snowpiercer,” which was adapted from the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige.” The series takes place on a globe-circumnavigating train seven years after an attempt to reverse global warming froze the world.
“Snowpiercer” stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. Originally slated for TNT, WarnerMedia moved the show to TBS and approved a second season. (See articles by
Entertainment Weekly,
Deadline,
Wikipedia and
WarnerMedia news release.)
The Last Kids on Earth
Netflix is scheduled to premiere the first season of animated show “The Last Kids on Earth” on Sept. 17. It’s based on the New York Times bestselling book series.
The humorous show follows “13-year-old Jack Sullivan and a band of suburban middle schoolers who live in a decked-out tree house, play video games, gorge themselves on candy, and battle zombies in the aftermath of the monster apocalypse.” (See article by
Deadline.)
Untitled Walking Dead spinoff
A third show set in AMC’s “Walking Dead” television universe is due to premiere next year. The as-yet-untitled series will follow two female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come-of-age in the zombie apocalypse, according to
Variety.
Y
FX is developing a TV series based on the comic book “Y: The Last Man,” which is about the world after an illness wipes out every male on the planet except one man, Yorick Brown. The series, “Y” starring Barry Keoghan and Diane Lane, is set to premiere in 2020. (See FX press release and article by
GeekTyrant.)
War of the Worlds
Canal Plus, Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa, and AGC Television are making a TV series of the classic H.G. Wells sci-fi novel. It stars Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern, according to
Variety.
“Set in contemporary Europe, the reimagining will follow the pockets of humanity left on earth following an apocalyptic extra-terrestrial strike,”
Deadline said. “The series is due to debut later this year on Canal+ in France, and on Fox in more than 50 markets.”
See
Apple’s new subscription video-on-demand service Apple TV+ has ordered a series called “See.” The drama stars Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard. It “takes place centuries after a virus wiped out most of Earth’s inhabitants and left the only survivors blind,”
Entertainment Weekly reported.
(See
Wikipedia article.)
Into the Night
Netflix will introduce its first series from Belgium in 2020, a drama called “Into the Night.” The series “tells the story about retaining humanity in the face of a cosmic disaster, as a flight departs Brussels,” according to
Programming Insider.
Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix: “‘Into the Night’ begins with a sudden solar event, as the sun inexplicably starts killing everything in its path. The show centers around the ‘lucky’ passengers and crew of an overnight flight out of Brussels, as they attempt to fly west — into the safety of the dark night. The plane’s manifest is multinational and multilingual, with passengers rich and poor, young and old, civilian and military. The seemingly ordinary travelers share but one thing: A desire to survive the sun — and each other — by any means necessary.”
Reality Z
Netflix is doing a Brazilian remake of the British horror series “Dead Set,” created by Charlie Booker of “Black Mirror” fame. The show depicts what happens on a “Big Brother” type reality TV show when a zombie apocalypse breaks out. The series is set to premiere in 2020.
(See article by
Deadline.)
V Wars
Netflix is producing a TV series based on the graphic comic series “V-Wars.”
“V Wars follows the story of a scientist and his best friend, as they face the evolving crisis of a deadly outbreak, that fractures society into opposing factions, potentially escalating to a future war between humans and vampires,”
Wikipedia says.
(See articles by
CinemaBlend and What’s on Netflix.)
Daybreak
Netflix has ordered a post-apocalyptic dramedy called “Daybreak,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. “Daybreak” follows a 17-year-old high school outcast in post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. The world is “populated by Mad Max-esque bands of marauders, including cheerleaders who have become Amazon warriors and evil jocks, and zombie-like beings known as ‘Ghoulies,’” according to the
Hollywood Reporter. Season one premieres on Oct. 24.
Station Eleven
WarnerMedia has ordered a limited series based on Emily St. John Mandel’s bestseller “Station Eleven” for its HBO Max streaming video service. The story takes place after a swine flu pandemic kills most of the world’s population, according to
Deadline.
Aeon Flux
MTV is doing a live-action reboot of its animated series “Aeon Flux.” The series is set in a dystopian future and revolves around a young assassin who teams with a group of biohacking rebels to save humanity. (See article by the
Hollywood Reporter.)
More post-apocalyptic TV series in the works
Other post-apocalyptic themed shows have been discussed in recent years, but some might have slipped into development hell. Those shows include adaptations of novels “Dawn,” “MaddAddam” and “Who Fears Death.”
Another long-in-development show is “Judge Dredd: Mega City One,” based on the comic book and movie series.
Related articles:
Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic TV shows
