Diksha Sundriyal
The genre of science fiction gives ground to the stories that tinker with the laws of time and space. Some of the best shows on television right now are sci-fi, and the popularity of this genre has allowed a great number of stories to come alive on the screen. In comparison to other genres, sci-fi has seen a great development in the creativity of ideas and introducing brain-frying concepts to the audience. The very nature of this genre allows the storytellers to let their imagination run wild and create universes out of scratch. If you are a fan of the genre and have been waiting for some new shows, then you have come to the right place. Here’s the list of upcoming new sci-fi series coming out in 2019 and 2020. We hope that these latest sci-fi shows are as good as some of the recent releases.
15. The 4400 (TBA)
‘The 4400’ was a show that aired on USA Network from 2004 to 2007. The show focuses on an event that brings back a great number of people who have been missing for a very long time. When what looks like a comet burst over the Cascade Range in Washington, exactly 4400 people emerge in the aftermath. These people look exactly as they had the day they disappeared, and none of them recounts the memories of all that happened to them within this time frame. A task force is given the charge of investigating these people, especially the ones who exhibit superhuman powers now. Much to the distress of fans, the show was cancelled after four seasons. CW has taken the responsibility of telling this tale again, focusing on the things that hadn’t been taken care of before.
14. Aeon Flux (TBA)
MTV’s animated series ‘Aeon Flux’ had become a huge sensation amongst the audience. The last episode of the series aired in 1995, but the development of the story didn’t stop there. Since then, it has been adapted into a film, and more successfully, into video games and comic books. MTV has recently been going through its own library to revive/reboot various fan favourites, ‘Aeon Flux’ being on the top of that list. This live-action reboot takes you back to the future where the world has been divided into two regimes, one of which employs Aeon, a deadly assassin, to infiltrate the other regime and eventually bring it to its knees. The show will be helmed by Jeff Davis, who has previously handled ‘Teen Wolf’ for MTV, and Gale Anne Hurd, producer of ‘The Walking Dead’.
13. The Building (TBA)
Neil Gaiman is one of those novelists whose stories have been adapted quite frequently and received much love from the audience. Amazon has ‘Good Omens’ lined up for release, something that has already buzzed a lot of excitement amongst the fans. Meanwhile, Gaiman has been working on a new idea for Fox. The concept of the show has been taken from a film called ‘Parallels’ and will focus on the story of the residents who live in a building that keeps traversing from one parallel universe to another universe. The people who live in it have to find a way to get back to their original realities before the building moves on to another world. While the film only minorly touched the idea, the show will explore the mythology of the building and the places it goes to.
12. Halo (TBA)
‘Halo’ is a military sci-fi game that is set in the 26th century and places its players in the battle against aliens. The central character, the Master Chief, is helped by an artificial intelligence named Cortana while trying to solve the mystery of the ring-shaped Halo around the world. The game has been a huge success and plans of turning it into a TV series has been going around for a long time. The wait will soon be over for the fans as the series has witnessed its first stages of production and will soon begin filming. Otto Bathurst, who has previously worked in ‘Black Mirror’, will reportedly direct the first episode.
11. Demimonde (TBA)
J. J. Abrams’s name has been attached to some of the best sci-fi shows of all time, including ‘Westworld’, ‘Fringe’ and ‘Lost’. He is also a part of the team of executive producers for HBO’s upcoming horror show,, ‘Lovecraft Country’. But his most anticipated project is ‘Demimonde’. With it, he will be returning to creating original series after a very long time. Considering his past record with shows in various genres, it is obvious that this show, too, will be complexly plotted with highly conceptual storylines. This sci-fi fantasy will feature its protagonist on a battle against the monstrous forces that are trying to take control of the world.
10. The Nevers (TBA)
Another of HBO’s sci-fi projects is helmed by Joss Whedon who will be returning to television with this epic drama. For now, all that we know is that it is set in the Victorian era and focuses on a group of women who possess superhuman abilities which not only saves them from nefarious entities but also put them on their radar. Like Abrams, it has been a while since Whedon came up with some new, original story of his own. The reboot of ‘Buffy’ has been the talk of the town, but as the development seems stalled for that, ‘The Nevers’ has picked up the pace. Whedon’s last venture on television was ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’, which he still continues to executive produce.
9. Undone (2019)
This adult animated comedy has been created for Amazon by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Prudy, who have previously collaborated for Netflix’s popular ‘BoJack Horseman’. The story of ‘Undone’ focuses on a character called Alma whose understanding of time and space changes after an accident in which she almost dies. Recovering from this experience, she realises that her brush with death has not only given her a new perspective but also bestowed on her a power that allows her to manipulate time. She uses this ability to solve the mystery of her father’s death. Rosa Salzar, who has previously worked in shows like ‘Parenthood’, ‘American Horror Story: Murder House’, her most recent credits including ‘Alita: Battle Angel’, ‘Bird Box’ and ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’, has been cast to voice the role of the lead character.
8. Foundation (2019)
Apple will soon enter the race of providing quality entertainment through its streaming service, and to build its repertoire on a strong foundation, it has included some incredibly interesting shows in its original programming. ‘Foundation’ will lead its sci-fi section and will be based on the book series of the same name by Issac Asimov. The story is set in a planet called Trantor where a scientist predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire, which will be followed by extremely miserable conditions for the inhabitants of the whole galaxy. In order to change the future, the scientist leads a team of people who work to accelerate the process of the fall so that they can repair the damage in a strategic manner before it is too late for everyone.
7. Pacific Rim (2019)
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pacific Rim’ was a massive box-office hit and has gained a strong fanbase. The sequel might not have been able to recreate the magic of the original film, but there are still many unchartered territories when it comes to exploring the several plot-lines and the characters of the film. Netflix has recognised this untapped potential and has given a series order for an anime that will build upon the struggle of humans to defeat the beasts called Kaijus using their man-handled robot machines, Jaegers. The story will be pursued from the point of view of a teenager and his sister who use a Jaeger to find their parents.
6. Raising Dion (2019)
‘Raising Dion’ will be adapted for Netflix based on the comic book by Dennis Liu. Alisha Wainwright will play the role of Nicole Reese whose husband, Mark, was a scientist. After his death, Nicole is left to raise their son, Dion, alone. Their problems are escalated when Nicole realises that Dion has superhuman powers. She doesn’t know how he got them or to what extent they will develop. What she knows is that his powers will act as a magnet for bad people who might try to use Dion, if not kill him. Her only support comes from Pat, Mark’s best friend, who helps her in figuring out Dion’s situation while keeping it a secret from the rest of the world.
5. Star Trek Picard Spin-off (TBA)
When every major franchise is working to extend its reach from films to television, how can one expect ‘Star Trek’ to remain behind, especially considering that they have been here before? Fans of the franchise don’t need any introduction of Captain Picard. The French guy who’s somehow more English than others, Patrick Stewart’s Yvette Picard is one of the most iconic figures of the ‘Star Trek’ franchise. He was last seen in ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’, which was cancelled after four seasons. The films did a great job of rebuilding this world, but no further developments were seen on television, not until ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. The success of the show has given life to the television run and we’ll finally get another story featuring Picard. The details of the series are unknown, but the hints suggest that it is going to be great.
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4. Devs (2019)
In the current wave of sci-fi filmmakers, the name of Alex Garland shines the brightest. In just two films, he has proved himself to be an impeccable director with some mind-bending stories to tell. He had previously laid the foundation for this reputation through the scripts he wrote for the films that turned out to be very successful. His latest project is a miniseries that will premiere on FX. The show follows the story of a woman who gets entangled in the conspiracy that involves her missing boyfriend and her shady boss. Sonoya Mizuno, who has worked with Garland on both his films, plays the role of the protagonist. Nick Offerman, Zack Grenier and Alison Pill appear in supporting roles.
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3. The Mandalorian (2019)
Based on a character from the ‘Star Wars’ world, this series will premiere on Disney’s upcoming streaming service. It has been developed by Jon Favreau, who has been a part of some of the biggest projects of Disney in the past decade or so. Stars like Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers and even Taika Waititi, who is also a potential director for one of the episodes, feature in the main cast. The story of this series picks up a couple of years after the events of ‘Return of the Jedi’ and follows the adventures of a lone Mandalorian.
2. Watchmen (2019)
The list of HBO’s upcoming shows boasts the entries that have the potential of turning into another hit for the channel. The network’s selectivity for its programmes is so impressive that you can be sure that whatever they serve will be, at its worst, a moderately enjoyable show. The sci-fi genre is one of the most heavily invested sections of the network, and HBO has delivered some spectacular series with the premise of science fiction. If you have any doubts, watch ‘Westworld’! ‘Watchmen’ is one of the most celebrated comic book series and with HBO’s brand attached to it, expectations are obviously very high. The series has been adapted for television by Damon Lindelof, who has previously served HBO as the showrunner for shows like ‘The Leftovers’. The cast includes names like Regina King, Don Johnson and Jeremy Irons.
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1. The Twilight Zone (2019)
It’s a great time for the anthology format. It has given a chance to storytellers to condense their stories in a single episode, or season, without having the pressure of stringing it along just for the sake of telling a very long story to the audience. ‘The Twilight Zone’ is one of the shows that perhaps started a trend which has given us things like ‘Black Mirror’. The first two revivals of the original 1959 series didn’t turn out to be as effective. However, expectations from this one are very high and there is a solid reason for that: the attachment of Jordan Peele’s name has lent more credibility to the project and with the premiere date almost upon us, it has become very hard to contain the excitement.
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