Sci Fi TV Top 5: Covering the top sci fi and fantasy TV stories of interest from the past week. You can keep up with the sci fi and fantasy TV news headlines throughout the week at r/SciFiTV on Twitter and on Reddit.
2019 brought plenty of news related to sci fi and fantasy television as Peak TV continues full steam ahead. Here are ten of the more notable stories from the past year.
1. Marvel TV Closes Down
The handwriting was already on the wall with the cancellations of Cloak and Dagger, Runaways, and the planned Ghost Rider series, and it has become official that Marvel is closing the Marvel TV division–which delivered Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Daredevil, and more–and merging that with Marvel Studios. The announcement came after the news that Jeff Loeb was stepping down and Kevin Fiege was taking over, with the additional news that most of the staff will be moved or let go. The planned live-action Helstrom series is supposed to still be going forward under the Marvel Studios banner along with the adult-animated shows which include Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K., and Hit Monkey. Part of that group was Trigra & Dazzler, but that one has run into troubles and could get put on the back-burner (more on those shows below).
2. Netflix Cancels The OA
Netflix shows tend to have a high renewal rate after their first season, but after that their chances of survival start to diminish. Fans of the paranormal series The OA found that out when Netflix cancelled that one after two seasons. At first there were rumors that it was a publicity stunt (and part of the developing conspiracy storyline in the series), but the cancellation proved to be real. Fans staged a raucous campaign to save the show, using the #SaveTheOA hashtag, setting up an online petition, and even raising the money to put up a digital billboard in Times Square. But despite the outcry, Netflix could not be swayed to bring the show back and it remains cancelled. Fans continue to lobby for its return, though.
3. The Streaming Wars Heat Up
In 2019, two major streaming services had their launches while several more were announced for 2020 starts. Apple TV+ debuted on November 1st, kicking off its line-up of originals with the genre entries See and For All Mankind (with Servant joining the schedule later in November). Early viewership was lower than expected, but all three of the genre shows received second season renewals. Disney+ debuted on November 12th with the launch of the live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian which has proven quite popular. That service has several Marvel Universe series and mini-series in the works as well. Warner Bros. decided to join the party and announced the upcoming HBO Max which will include movies and shows from that company’s extensive vaults. In addition, the live-action series Dune: Sisterhood will debut on that service. NBC also announced its free Peacock streaming service that will draw from that network’s many series and movies and also offer scripted originals which will include Brave New World and (another) reboot of Battlestar: Galactica.
4. DC Universe Cancels Swamp Thing After One Season
Before this highly-anticipated show featuring the classic DC murk-monster debuted, word broke that its episode order had been cut from thirteen to ten. That’s never a good sign and things only went downhill from there. After its premiere was released for streaming, DC Universe announced that the show had been cancelled. Apparently Warner Bros. execs were not thrilled with the darker direction of the show, and there were apparently budgetary issues as well. In addition, the future of the DCU streaming service is in doubt with Warner’s HBO Max launching in 2020, so more cancellations could follow, though I would expect shows like Titans and Doom Patrol to switch to the new platform.
5. Syfy Is Fading
This story has been somewhat of a slowburn, but I have been tracking it throughout the year. Syfy had a disastrous Spring and Summer season with all of its shows pulling low ratings and all that aired during that time except The Magicians getting cancelled. That included the high-profile series Krypton, and plans for a Lobo spin-off were scrapped as well. (Wynonna Earp got postponed due to productions issues, more on that below). Then in the Fall, the network had only one scripted original on its schedule with Van Helsing, which dropped to four-year ratings lows (though it did get renewed for a fifth and final season). Currently the network only has The Magicians on the schedule for Mid-Season, and the status of other shows it has in development is uncertain. It’s possible that Syfy could move away from scripted programming like other cable channels have (basic cable is finding it hard to compete in the Peak TV crunch), or perhaps shut down altogether like Chiller in 2017, which was also owned by NBCUniversal.
6. Fans #FightForWynonna
Fan-favorite supenatural western Wynonna Earp was scheduled to return for a fourth season this past Summer, but word broke in Spring that the show had run into production issues. Apparently IDW Entertainment ran into some financial difficulties which halted production. Fans immediately took to the social networks with the #FightForWynonna trying to convince Syfy and/or other partners to step up and help with financing the show. Syfy did agree to lend support as did the Canadian Space Channel. Production of the fourth season resumed and it should debut in Spring or Summer of 2020.
7. Two Notable Star Trek Veterans Pass Away
Famed Star Trek writer and story editor D.C. Fontana passed away at the age of 80 in 2019. Fontana first worked with Gene Roddenberry on the series The Lieutenant and then joined Star Trek: The Original Series as story editor during its first season. Among the scripts that she contributed to were “Charlie X”, “Tomorrow is Yesterday”, “This Side of Paradise”, “Journey to Babel”, “The Enterprise Incident”, and “This Way to Eden”. Most of the episodes she worked on are considered essential viewing for the series. Rene Auberjonois, who played the shape-shifting alien Odo throughout the seven-season run of Star Trek: DS9 died at the age of 79 from lung cancer. Auberjonois is also known for having played Father Mulcahy in the 1970 M*A*S*H movie, for his long stint on the sitcom Benson, and for teaming with fellow Trek alum William Shatner in the legal drama Boston Legal.
8. HBO Heads to the House of Dragon
HBO continued to move forward with the development of a Game of Thrones prequel, giving a a straight-to-series order for House of Dragon. The show is based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood and follows the rise and fall of House Targaryen. But with that series moving forward, the premium cable channel has passed on the prequel pilot helmed by Jane Goldman and which starred Naomi Watts. That series would have focused on the “Age of Heroes” and the first conflict between men and the White Walkers. There are still several more Game of Thrones in the works that could join House of Dragon in the coming years at some point down the line.
9. Howard the Duck and More Adult-Animated Marvel Shows Head to Hulu
Howard the Duck had a revival of sorts with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and now he will headline one of several adult-animated series that Hulu announced as in development in 2019. Other shows in the works include, M.O.D.O.K., Hit Monkey, and The Tigra and Dazzler Show, with plans for all the characters to team up in a series to be called The Offenders. Tigra and Dazzler did run into some trouble after the showrunners were dismissed, but the plans for all of the animated shows continue to move forward despite the shake-ups at Marvel TV (see above).
10. Peak TV Is Bringing Plenty More Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows
Peak TV did not slow down in 2019, with development announcements for quite a number of notable sci fi and fantasy shows hitting throughout the year in addition to the ones mentioned above. Among the more notable announcements: An Obi-Wan Kenobi series is being developed at Disney+ with Ewan McGregor planning to return to the role. An animated series is in the works at Netflix based on Jeff Smith’s Bone comic book series. That streaming service is also working on a series based on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics with Gaiman onboard as executive produer. A female-led Arrow spin-off will get a backdoor pilot as Arrow wraps up this year. The CW is also working on a Dark Shadows series that will act as a sequel to the original. An adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books is in development, though no network is currently attached. Hulu is adapating the Douglas Adams classic Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with Carlton Cuse attached as executive produer.
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