Diksha SundriyalAs the name suggests, Syfy has kept itself involved with the stories that lie in the science and fiction genre while toeing the line of horror and paranormal. The network has been a haven for sci-fi genre fans and has delivered some true gems in television. Its niche was created after it aired shows like ‘Battlestar Galactica’, ‘The Expanse’ and ‘Helix’. The horror anthology series, ‘Channel Zero’, is one of the best horror series of contemporary times. Gradually, Syfy has expanded upon the fiction part of its name by adding more supernatural shows to its list. ‘The Magicians’, ‘Wynonna Earp’ and ‘Van Helsing’ are examples of this course. With every passing year, the channel has been upping its game by bringing highly conceptual and increasingly experimental series on its slate.
While the fate of a couple of projects hangs in balance, I’ve included them in the list considering the incredible potency of the storylines and hoping that the network (if not this, then some other, perhaps) will make it happen in the near future. So, here’s the list of upcoming new Syfy series coming out in 2019 and 2020. We hope that these latest Syfy shows are as good as some of the recent releases.
10. Tales for a Halloween Night (TBA)
From recent development, it seems unlikely that horror fans will see their worst nightmares materialise on their TV screens within this year. ‘Tales for a Halloween Night’ was picked up by Syfy and John Carpenter himself, who is responsible for the graphic novel of the same name, was going to direct at least the pilot for the series. However, creative differences between the writers and the showrunners couldn’t be mitigated, and for now, the project seems dead. The one consolation is that the writers, which also includes Sandy King who was also a part of the stories in the novel, didn’t want to bring something on the screen that would be a disappointment for the fans of the graphic novel. This “no compromise” condition means that if we see any further developments in the project, it’ll mean that the show will remain true to its source material and won’t just be adapting the name for the sake of it.
9. The Woods (TBA)
‘The Woods’ is a graphic novel written by James Tynion, who has previously earned a reputation for himself by working on the Batman series. This novel follows the story of a group of people who are mysteriously uprooted from their life on earth and find themselves on an alien moon in an unknown part of the universe. Seven students set the flow of the story as main characters, while through extended plot devices, we get to explore the reason behind this strange event. The project has been under development for a long time, and for a while, it seemed stalled. Hopefully, it will get back on track as soon as possible because to not utilize the potential of this story would be a shame. With 36 issues, there is a lot of material that can easily be covered in a bunch of seasons. ‘The Woods’ novel became very popular and has earned many awards, including being named “Best Graphic Novel for Young Adults” in 2016.
8. Spin (TBA)
Another project that we need to hear more of, ‘Spin’ was announced as a miniseries event by Syfy. It would be based on a novel of the same name by Robert Charles Wilson. The winner of Hugo Award, it was followed by two more novels, ‘Axis’ and ‘Vortex’. This series is a treat for people who love reading stories of the sci-fi genre, and its interesting concepts of time and space, as well as that of religious fanaticism, make the series a huge anticipation amongst fans. It starts with three children enjoying the night sky when suddenly the whole sky goes dark. It’s like someone switched off the night sky as all the stars simply disappear. As they grow up, the three children go very different ways, their journeys showing us the different aspects of this new world.
7. Nightside (TBA)
While the future of ‘Tales of a Halloween Night’ seem bleak, there is another project that John Carpenter has been working on for Syfy. ‘Nightside’ is set in a world where the genres of fantasy, horror and science fiction come together. This world is located somewhere in London, and yet, in its own right, it belongs to a different universe. Perpetually dark, riddled with time slips, and full of everything fun with a cost as high as your own soul, the world of ‘Nightside’ was developed by Simon R. Green in a series of twelve novels. At the centre of the story is John Taylor, a man with a very controversial parentage, something that has made him many enemies. Apart from his legacy, he also has a supernatural ability to locate things.
6. Strangers in a Strange Land (TBA)
Based on the novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein, this series will be set in the post-Third World War era. The social and political structure of the world has altered drastically, with religious groups forwarding their own political agenda. America, like other countries, has been divided into a section of groups that are continually at struggle with each other. But Valentine Michael Smith knows nothing of this world. He was born aboard a spaceship headed for Mars, and while the rest of the crew perished, he survived and was raised by Martians. 25 years later, he is sent back to earth. As he becomes a lab rat for the scientists, his own motivations for coming back remain shrouded in mystery. His superhuman abilities further add to his status as a potential threat.
5. (Future) Cult Classic (TBA)
How many times have you felt that you were born in the wrong era? More importantly, has there been anything that has made you belong? For Bree, the protagonist of this upcoming show, a serial killer comes as a retreat in an anachronistic world. Set around two decades into the future, Bree is surrounded by people who are immersed in technology 24/7. Had she been born in the 90s, she’d have felt more at home. Her unsettlement with her era faces a dramatic turn when people start dying in her neighborhood, and from the way they are being killed, it seems the work of someone who belongs in the 90s as much as Bree does. A mix of slasher genre with a hint of comedy, ‘(Future) Cult Classic’ is something you wouldn’t want to miss.
4. Nightbreed (TBA)
In 1988, Clive Barker wrote a novella named ‘Cabal’ which followed the story of a man called Boone who discovers that there is another world called the Night Breed that is home to all the monsters in the world. A film based on this book called ‘Nightbreed’ was released in 1990. It starred Craig Sheffer and Anne Bobby in the lead roles. While the film didn’t perform so well at that time, over the years, it gained cult-status amongst the audience, and this popularity has led Syfy to consider it as a possibility for a new series. Morgan Creek, the production house that is responsible for films like ‘True Romance’ ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ and ‘The Last of the Mohicans’, reunited with Barker, both having worked on the movie earlier, to develop the series for Syfy.
Read More: Upcoming ABC Shows
3. Cipher (TBA)
This upcoming AI drama follows the story of a 13-year-old who finds himself in a very shady predicament with technology. Asa loves playing video games and his encounters with technology have never been an unpleasant experience, until now. His brain is implanted with artificial intelligence and this brings the boy under the scrutiny of the government’s secret agencies, while the clock ticks on his own life because his condition has landed him in the middle of a war. The only person he can truly trust is his father John, who has come to take care of him after Asa’s mother’s death. Development has been quick for the project and the cast for the pilot has already been finalized with Gabriel Bateman and Adrian Grenier set to play the son-father duo.
Read More: Upcoming HBO Series
2. Resident Alien (TBA)
This comic book series was developed by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse. The sixth series of the comics will soon be out, and if the project continues with its pace, fans could see the release of this instalment coincide with the release of a TV series. The story follows the misadventures of an alien who crash lands on Earth and decides to pursue a human career while awaiting rescue from his people. Alan Tudyk has been cast in the lead role of the alien, Captain Hah Re, who poses as a human and indulges himself in solving crime by using his emphatic abilities to sense human emotions. All the while, he is also trying to keep himself out of the clutches of the secret government organization, whose agents have been trying to locate him since the day of the crash.
1. Night Gallery Reboot (TBA)
Sci-fi anthology series has seen a wave revitalization after the massive success of ‘Black Mirror’. However, long before that, Rod Serling’s ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘Night Gallery’ had already captivated the audience in their sci-fi and horror tales that wouldn’t let you easily slip into sleep after watching their episodes. While ‘The Twilight Zone’ has already received a reboot that is set to debut on next week on CBS, Syfy has taken the responsibility of bringing back the magic of ‘Night Gallery’. Considered a sister series to ‘The Twilight Zone’, every episode starts with the host introducing you to a new painting. The mood of this painting sets the tone for the story of the episode. Primarily dealing with supernatural stories, the macabre tales of this show were inspired by the stories of authors like Lovecraft.
Read More: Upcoming CBS Shows
