Peak TV continues to tighten its grip on the television landscape as more and more new shows arrive each year making survival difficult in the current glut of programming. While some really good sci fi shows have managed to rise above the pack and have survived for multiple seasons despite the viewership crunch over the past ten years (Person of Interest, Agents of SHIELD, The Expanse, to name a few), quite a number more have succumbed to the pressure and disappeared after a season or two. Several of these showed great promise but failed to find enough viewers, or their networks lost faith in them, and they ended up getting sent to the Network Executioner. Here is a list of ten sci fi shows that were cut short but deserved better, and that are still worth checking out.
Origin (YouTube, 2018, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes)
An off-world colony offers a new life and a second chance to those who have nothing left to live for on Earth. But after the colony ship Origin runs into difficulties in transit, a group of travelers awake from cryo-sleep to find that they have not reached their destination and that the other passengers and the crew have abandoned them. Now they must figure out how to get a damaged ship back on course while dealing with the fact that one among them might not be who they seem.
This YouTube original is Lost meets Lost in Space meets Alien with some bits of Blade Runner and Dark Matter thrown in for good measure. It has excellent production values as well as a pretty darn good cast, even though it consists mostly of unknowns and B-listers. Each episode focuses on one of the travelers as we learn more about the past secrets that led them to leave Earth behind. These stories tie in with the over-arching mystery of the new planet they are heading to, and the series delivers some answers while also raising further questions. This is definitely an ensemble piece and the cast is up to the task of carrying the show and keeping the audience engaged. That, along with the well-written scripts and excellent special effects make Origin a first-rate science fiction entry.
Sadly, the show ended after one season and did not resolve all of its storylines. YouTube committed a fair amount of money to this series in an attempt to compete with the big-dollar productions coming from Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. But the Google-owned service shifted its original content strategy shortly after the show’s debut and decided to no longer chase the mega-budget shows like its high-profile competition. That left Origin as odd man out after one season that sadly did not generate much buzz among the sci fi community. The ending for this series is definitely not satisfying, but the journey is still worth it and there is a slight chance that another venue could pick it up at some point for a second season. This show is still available for streaming on YouTube, but you have to pony up the money for their premium service if you want to watch beyond the second episode.
Counterpart (Starz, 2017-19, 2 Seasons Totaling 20 Episodes)
Howard Silk has been working as an Interface employee for the Office of Interchange, a United Nations agency stationed in Berlin, taking cryptic messages for thirty years. He does not fully understand the function of this agency or the messages until he comes face to face with his own counterpart, a Howard Silk from an alternate Earth that works as an espionage agent. The Howard from our world learns that a parallel universe was created / discovered decades past and that the timelines for both sides have diverged significantly since then. He then finds himself drawn into a conspiracy that could lead to a war between both sides.
This series appeared on the Starz schedule with very little promotion, but it quietly became a critical darling. It is definitely a slow burn of a series that at first glance appears to be just a spy story with the twist of parallel worlds thrown in. But for those who stick with it, the show starts to deliver more than just spy adventure as it explores the implications of people encountering their own counterparts and struggling to decide who will prove to be the better person. Counterpart verges into some heady territory, and its excellent cast—lead by J.K. Simmons in a career-defining dual-role—definitely succeed in bringing to life a dense and intricate story.
This show barely registered in the ratings in its first season, and only survived to a second year because the network ordered two seasons in advance. Its viewership dropped even lower when it returned for its second set of ten episodes despite the fact that critics heaped plenty of praise on it. Starz execs claimed that the shows did not appeal to its “core premium female audience”, but their lack of promotion did nothing to help viewership. The second season does wrap up the main storyline, but then ends on a cliffhanger that suggests a whole new chapter. That will likely never be explored, but the two seasons this show did produce are worth checking out. It still available for viewing on the Starz streaming app.
Extinct (BYUtv, 2017, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes)
Three people awaken in an unknown part of Earth with no idea how they arrived there. They come to find out that 400 years have passed since they died in an alien invasion of the planet and that several mysterious drones have brought them back and plan to help them to revive the Earth. They also learn that they are not the first to be brought back to life and that the prior group died out from a virus. There is also another group of humans called “skin-riders” that are possessed by alien symbionts and that have other plans for the planet.
This show went mostly unnoticed as it aired on, of all places, the Mormon-centric BYUtv network. Not because it was designed to spread the LDS message, but because the first Mormon of sci fi Orson Scott Card was co-creator of the series. He and frequent collaborator Aaron Johnston originally planned this as a feature film screenplay, but one of the BYUtv execs convinced Card to turn it into a series for that network. It definitely has a throwback feel reminiscent of 70’s post-apocalyptic sci fi, and it can be rather cheesy at times. The acting and production values also leave something to be desired, but the show still manages to overcome its limitations and deliver a fun, family-friendly genre entry that had the potential to turn into a sleeper series. The pedigree of creators Card and Johnston certainly help it stand out as more than just run-of-the-mill cable TV fodder.
BYUtv decided not to bring it back for a second season, claiming that it was not an issue of the viewership numbers but that they felt like the show did not register well enough with its audience. The first season did wrap up its main storyline so that it will not leave you hanging, but there was plenty of potential for this one to carry on for several more years. Johnston has claimed that he and Card have plans to continue the story with a series of novels, but nothing has come out on that front yet. Still, this one is worth checking out for its retro-appeal and as a fun sci fi series that gives an interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic theme. It is still available for viewing on the BTUtv website at this link.
Dimension 404 (Hulu, 2017, 1 Season Totaling 6 Episodes)
This anthology sci fi series takes place in “a lost dimension, home to wonders unseen, terrors unspeakable, and stories unlike any ever told”. Its short first season offered cautionary tales dealing with a dating app that is much more than it seemed, a 3D movie that summons up a brain-sucking interdimensional monster, an energy drink that allows people to fast-forward through their lives, a video game that proves deadly, and more.
This series arrived as part of the recent anthology boom and was very much a throwback to classics such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, sharing notable similarities to that latter series. Its title is inspired by the “404 Not Found” error encountered on the internet when a site is down or does not exist, and Mark Hamill definitely channels the Outer Limits announcer while voicing the show’s intro. The series certainly has tongue planted firmly in cheek, but its stories are more than just throwaway anthology entries and several pack quite a punch.
Sadly, it appears that the six episodes produced is all that we will be getting from this one. It never had an official cancellation announcement, but it has been over two years since it premiered on Hulu and there has been no word on a second season. That’s a shame because this one did a good job of reviving the spirit of the classic sci fi anthology shows while delivering the expected modern-day twist. Its six episodes are definitely worth checking out, though, especially for fans of the anthology format, and it is still streaming at Hulu.
Almost Human (FOX, 2013-14, One Season Totaling 13 Episodes)
In the near future, the crime rate has risen to the point that drastic measures are needed. Human cops are paired with high-tech battle-ready androids designed to act logically and without the hinderance of human emotion. Detective John Kennex has refused to work with an android since the logical thinking of one synthetic left him in a coma and led to the death of his partner. But he is forced to team up with an older model android that has the capacity for human emotion, and he must learn to live with this new partner if he wants to remain on the force.
Almost Human arrived at a time when the broadcast networks had become much more amenable to sci fi shows and had quite a number of genre offerings on their slates. The show started out kind of shaky quality-wise, and it didn’t help that FOX aired its episodes out of order (shades of Firefly). But as it progressed, it started to prove itself to be much more than a just another cop show with a twist. And presence of the always enjoyable Karl Urban in the lead role helped to elevate the cast, with co-lead Michael Ealy playing the perfect counterpoint to the more gruff detective. Sadly, though, just as this show was hitting its stride, FOX decided to cancel it.
The series actually had a promising debut ratings-wise, airing right after NFL Football on Sunday night. But then it shifted to its regular Monday timeslot, and the ratings dropped. It didn’t help that the premiere had been delayed to late November, a time when viewership typically starts to drop off. When it returned from its Winter hiatus in January, the show seemed to be building some momentum in the ratings before FOX started preempting it (again, shades of Firefly) and then they kept new episodes on the schedule against the Olympics, a time when the networks typically run repeats. The ratings suffered, and sadly the show was axed just as it was starting to realize its potential. It is not currently streaming anywhere that I am aware of, but it did get a DVD release and it is worth checking out.
>Buy Almost Human on DVD from Amazon.com
Between (Netflix, 2015-16, Two Seasons Totaling 12 Episodes)
The small town of Pretty Lake is overtaken by a viral outbreak with no warning, killing off all of the adults. Apparently a change in the body chemistry around the age of 22 causes susceptibility to the virus which results swiftly in death. The younger population of the town suddenly find themselves on their own and also cut off from the rest of the world as the government has cordoned off the area. They must figure out how to survive and decide who will call the shots as they wait for help from outside.
This collaboration between Netflix and the Canadian television network Citytv quietly debuted in the Summer of 2015 as the streaming service was ramping up its original content. Possibly dismissed by some as iCarly meets the post-apocalypse because Jennette McCurdy led the cast, this series actually delivered a decent viral outbreak drama with interesting characters and its fair share of moral dilemmas. The show started off kind of shaky, but after a couple of episodes it hit its stride with its conspiracy angle and Lord of the Flies vibe. The second season provided some answers to some of the story’s mysteries and actually wrapped up the initial arc quite nicely. But then it left the audience on a cliffhanger that suggested a whole new chapter to the story was opening up.
There was never an official cancellation announcement for the show, but its page on the Citytv site was taken down and its Facebook page went completely quiet after teasing a possible third season. No news has come out since then, and it seems unlikely that a third season will happen, especially with Netflix now preferring to have majority ownership of its shows. But for those who like the viral outbreak sub-genre, this one delivers and at least provides some resolution for its initial story arc. It is still streaming on Netflix.
>Keep up with all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Listings
The Passage (FOX, 2019, One Season Totaling 10 Episodes)
A deadly viral outbreak threatens the planet and scientists seek a remedy that could cure this and possibly all diseases. They find the solution in part through a virus that makes the body immune to other sicknesses but ultimately turns the person into a living vampire. The scientists researching this new strain decide that a young enough subject might be able to resist the dangerous side effects and possibly lead to their original goal. But the other infected subjects have plans of their own, and the child test subject plays an important role.
This is one of the most recent cancellations (axed after it aired this past season), which is sad because the show had plenty of potential. The scientific explanation for vampires (much more palatable than what FX gave us in The Strain) is a good premise to work the show around, but it went much further than that. The characters have depth and the writers avoid many of the genre-trope pitfalls as this show proved itself to be a sleeper sci fi entry in its short run. It even steers clear of the cute-kid clichés as Saniyya Sidney stands out in the central role while developing a touching father-daughter bond with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, the agent trying to protect her.
Sadly, this show may have been a casualty of the Disney buyout of the FOX Entertainment properties. It had been in development at FOX for years, first as a movie, but then it was shifted to the television division. It debuted on the small screen in January 2019 after several years in the network pipeline and initially delivered decent ratings. Those slipped through its ten-episode run, though, and Disney execs likely did not have the same passion for the project as its former company, leading to its cancellation. The show ended without resolving its storylines, but its short run delivered a good genre drama that is worth seeking out. It is currently available for viewing on Hulu.
Siberia (NBC, 2013, One Season Totaling 11 Episodes)
Fourteen contestants are brought to the wilderness of Tunguska Siberia to see if they can survive on their own in a reality series competition. But not long after they arrive, they witness some strange events and tragedy strikes the group. They are then abandoned by the main production team (with only a skeleton crew of camera operators remaining behind), and what started as a televised competition becomes a struggle for life and death.
This series appeared on NBC in the Summer of 2013 with little fanfare, but slowly started to draw some attention as a sleeper sci fi / horror entry. Taking the guise of a mock-reality show, it should have become clear to the audience after an episode or two that there was more going on with this show. It did take a while to develop its story, but by the time it hit its stride, the viewers that had stuck with it were hooked. It had a very creepy vibe to it and a deepening mystery as well as interesting characters that carried the story along.
Unfortunately, NBC seemed to have little interest in promoting this show even though the production deal made it profitable to the network upfront. It appeared on the schedule with almost no notice and received very little in the way of promotion. Not surprisingly, viewership was low and the network cancelled the show after eleven episodes (with the eleventh and twelfth merged together due to scheduling interruptions because of the Royal Baby Special). That left the show on a major cliffhanger and its slowly growing audience looking for answers. Siberia’s production company Sierra-Engine Television aired the show internationally which increased its popularity worldwide. For a couple of years after NBC cut bait on the show, the cast indicated that a second season could happen, but sadly that was never forthcoming leaving a potentially great series with an unsatisfying ending. It has been released on DVD, but it is not currently on any of the streaming services that I am aware of.
>Buy Siberia on DVD from Amazon.com
The Inhumans (ABC, 2017, 1 Season Totaling 8 Episodes)
Based on the Marvel Comics characters, this series follows the royal family of the super race known as the Inhumans which consists of Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Crystal, and more. These are beings that have developed on a separate evolutionary path from humans and who possess great superpowers. When Black Bolt’s brother Maximus tries to steal the throne for himself and rule over all the Inhumans—who live in a hidden city on the moon—the royal family must flee and plan how they will take their city back.
Originally intended as one of the Marvel Universe movies, plans changed and Marvel execs decided to develop The Inhumans as a television series. Sadly, that show received a ton of negative buzz early on even though it did a pretty good job with the characters. The first two episodes received an early release in IMAX theaters and that was probably a bad idea. A show produced on a television budget did not transfer well to the super high-def big screen and that’s when people started throwing shade at the series. But it was better than people give it credit for and should have crossed over with Agents of SHIELD (also airing on ABC at the time) because that show had brought Inhuman characters into its storylines as well.
But the early negative buzz took its toll and it certainly did not help when ABC scheduled the show on low-viewership Fridays. The ratings were abysmal and the network never ordered more than the initial eight episodes produced. It did wrap up its original story at least (consider it an extended Marvel movie), so it ends with some degree of resolution. But there was plenty more story to tell and a ton of potential for these characters to interact with the SHIELD agents creating synergies with both shows. Its first and only season is available for purchase VOD (and I expect it to show up on Disney+ at some point) and is worth checking out as another decent Marvel Universe entry (and don’t believe the naysayers on this one).
>Buy The Inhumans on VOD from Amazon.com
Intelligence (CBS, 2014, 1 Season Totaling 13 Episodes)
Gabriel Vaughn is an intelligence operative with a bit of an advantage: he has microchip in his brain which allows him unprecedented access to the information networks across the globe. He works for the United States Cyber Command as a special agent identifying high level threats to the country and to the world. He also uses his abilities to try and track down his wife—a former CIA agent—who disappeared after being sent on an undercover mission.
Not to be confused with the 2006 Canadian crime drama of the same name, this fun little spy fi show appeared on the CBS schedule at mid-season in 2014 and brought with it quite a number of faces familiar to sci fi fans. Josh Holloway had been co-lead on Lost for its six-year run and now he was given the challenge of leading his own show. Other actors of interest included John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise), Lance Reddick (Fringe), and Meghan Ory (Once Upon A Time), and the cast helped elevate Intelligence to more than just another procedural with a twist. The show had a serious tone to it, but it also knew how to inject some fun into the episodes, and this one could have turned into a decent sci fi entry if given the chance.
Unfortunately, it aired on genre-averse CBS and disappeared after a short, thirteen-episode run. It debuted with decent ratings but then received little support and minimal promotion from the network after that point. Its ratings dropped off, and CBS execs had little interest in giving the show the chance to prove if it could build up an audience with a second season. Two seasons later, the network would bring the similarly themed (and more high-profile) Limitless to its schedule, but it disappeared after one season as well. Intelligence is definitely worth seeking out, especially for Josh Holloway fans, and might have turned into a sleeper hit on a network more receptive to sci fi. It has not been released on DVD, nor is it streaming on any of them major services. But it is available for purchase VOD.
>Buy Intelligence on VOD from Amazon.com
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DARK MATTER
I was focusing on shows that are not as well known and that lasted two seasons or less. Otherwise Dark Matter would have been included in the list.
Yeah, Dark Matter should be there. And a mention that even though the Sci Fi channel was dumb enough to cancel the Expanse, Amazon was smart to pick it up, and allow it to continue.
I binged The Expanse season 4 yesterday, some 7 hours of watching 🙂 I just loved it. No better hard core sci fi show in history… Longing for the 5th season, already.
There were only 2 shows worth keeping alive – Dark Matter, and Counterpart.
Alas, we simply must agree to disagree, I suppose
My congrats to you. . .Had I been asked to compose such a list, it would have contained; Firefly, Almost Human, & Counterpart. The only program that I feel that you missed was Century City. A similar problem here was the episodes not being aired in the right order.
But you’ve written an insightful and needed piece. Thanx.
This was only looking back over the past ten years, otherwise Firefly would have been on it and perhaps Century City.
Yeah, I realized that I had screwed up on the time one long after posting. I so wish that Century City had been given at least half a chance to grow legs.