Sci Fi and Fantasy Remains Strong in the 2018-17 Season
Mid-Season kicks off next week with three premieres and seven shows returning from hiatus (more on that below), and then there is plenty more coming in the weeks and months that will follow. At this point, there are only four new shows scheduled to debut on the broadcast and cable channels between January and March: Black Lightning (CW), Counterpoint (Starz), Krypton (Syfy), Sirens (Freeform). But the streaming services continue to push forward at a rapid pace with new development and we are currently tracking six new ones from those outlets: Altered Carbon (Netflix), Britannia (Amazon), Devilman Crybaby (Netflix), Hard Sun (Hulu), Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (Amazon), Stargate: Origins (SGC). When you combine that with shows returning for new seasons and resuming new episodes after their Winter break, it totals up to 40 (!) sci fi and fantasy shows on the Mid-Season schedule. And I expect more to show up because some networks have not firmed up their schedules yet. That is the equivalent of a full time job if you want to watch all of those every week. And if you know somebody paying decent money for that task, please send their contact info my way! Peak TV continues full steam ahead and we are getting some really good shows out of all of this, even if it is next to impossible to keep up with all of them. You can see the full Mid-Season schedule at this link, and be sure to stay tuned to The Sci Fi TV Site for schedule updates as well as the latest news on genre television.
Television Heads to the Microverse
Hasbro has announced plans for an animated Micronauts television series that will hit the small screen at some point in 2019. Here is the official synopsis released for the show:
When fate brings an unlikely team of alien space explorers to earth in pursuit of the evil Baron Karza, they make a shocking discovery—on our world they are the size of action figures!. The Micronauts are small heroes in a big world but the stakes are higher than ever as their miniaturized size presents dangerous obstacles at every turn. Fortunately, they forge an alliance with teenager Cameron Ruck, who will join them in their pursuit of justice. Although the Micronauts are small in stature, their bravery and adventurous spirits remain larger than life.
The live-action Micronauts movie is scheduled for a 2020 release, and this series will likely tie into that film. The marketing kit that announced this series also includes information on other upcoming animated shows such as Transformers, Stretch Armstrong, and G.I. Joe.
Sci Fi TV Schedule: Premieres for The X-Files, Devilman Crybaby, and Falling Water, Returns for Star Trek: Discovery and More
The Winter break did not last long this year because the first week of January brings three premieres and a whole bunch of shows returning from hiatus. Premiering this week is the eleventh season of The X-Files on FOX on Wednesday, the first season of Netflix’s Anime Devilman Crybaby on Friday, and the second season of Falling Water on USA on Saturday. Back from hiatus is Star Trek: Discovery which will resume releasing episodes for streaming on Sundays at 8:30 PM EST. That show has six more episodes in its current season. Also returning this week are Ghosted, The Gifted, The Good Place, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, The Last Man on Earth, and Lucifer. And that is just getting the month kicked off! Also this week, Syfy’s Van Helsing and Ghost Wars will have there season finales. You can keep up with the weekly listings of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link.
News Roundup from This Past Week
The Best of Fall Sci Fi TV Poll Closes on December 31st Cast Your Vote
Sci Fi TV Trends: Space Shows and Fantasy Epics are Trending Up, Zombies and the Post-Apocalypse are Trending Down Read
Cancellation Watch: Doctor Who Gets Some Christmas Cheer; Bright Debuts with 11 Million Viewers Read
Sci Fi TV Trailers: Black Lightning, The X-Files, Devilman Crybaby, and More Watch
A Look Back at Cancellations from 2017: Dark Matter, Sense8, Stitchers, and More Read
Keep up with the current schedule of sci fi and fantasy TV shows at this link and the weekly listings at this link. And be sure to follow The Sci Fi TV Site on Twitter for schedule reminders and breaking news. Also, be sure to follow CancelledSciFi.com for the renewal / cancellation status of your favorite shows.
