Season Roundup: A Look at How the 2019-20 Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows Did on the Linear Networks and Streaming Channels

The regular season for 2019-20 has wrapped up (though there are some Summer shows on the way), so as part of my yearly season roundup I will take a look at where the sci fi and fantasy shows stand at this point. We know the status of all the broadcast network shows from this past season with the exception of NBC’s Manifest, but I am assuming that one will return for a third season. Among the shows across the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services, I count a total of 86 that premiered from September 2019 to the end of May 2020 (did anybody manage to watch all of those?). Of those, nine were cancelled with two more likely to be cancelled, eleven were in their final season, and four counted as limited/mini series. Forty-two have been renewed with several more that we are waiting to hear word on.

2018-19 Season Tally of Sci Fi / Fantasy Shows:

For the broadcast networks that do not have a C and a W in their call letters, the pickings were slim this year. FOX had no genre entries airing during the regular season (The Orville jumped over to Hulu). ABC had only two shows to offer with Emergence getting cancelled and Agents of SHIELD in its final season. NBC had two with The Good Place airing its final season and Manifest looking likely to return for a third season (the network still has not announced its 2020-21 schedule). CBS had the best track record with two genre entries (though only marginally so), both of which were renewed. The upcoming season looks grimmer for the broadcast networks with none ordering new shows for the coming year (NeXt has its premiere on FOX in Fall, but it is a holdover from this season).

Big Four Broadcast Net Shows (Sorted by Network and Status):

If you are looking for sci fi and fantasy on one of the broadcast networks, The CW is the place to go. The fifth-place net had thirteen genre entries, all of which were renewed apart from the three that were in their final seasons (Arrow, Supernatural, and The 100). There have been no final season announcements for the coming year yet, but I consider it a high likelihood that Supergirl or Legends of Tomorrow (or possibly both) could wrap up in the 2020-21 season.

The CW Shows:

The cable networks had slightly less to offer than the prior year with twenty-four genre shows debuting at some point during the regular season. Only nine of those have been renewed as of this writing (though several more appear headed for renewal). Things look pretty grim for Syfy with only three scripted originals airing during the season (down from seven last year). Of those, one has been cancelled (The Magicians), one is likely to be cancelled (Vagrant Queen), and one was renewed for a final season (Van Helsing). HBO had the most genre entries among the cable nets at four with two renewed (Westworld and Avenue 5), one up in the air (Watchmen), and one which counted as a mini-series (The Plot Against America).

Cable Shows (Sorted by Network and Status):

The streaming services continue to be the leaders for sci fi and fantasy originals with forty-one offerings, and Netflix is the leader among the streamers with nineteen shows. Eleven of the streaming shows were cancelled or in their final season which is similar to the ratio we saw last year (though Netflix was a bit quicker to cancel new shows this year). Disney+ and Apple TV+ joined the fray this year with several entries each. The latter streamer has renewed most of its shows so far and Disney+ gave a second season order to The Mandalorian (with a third likely as well). YouTube cancelled its last genre entry (Impulse) as that streamer has backed away from scripted originals.

Streaming Shows (Sorted by Network and Status):

In general, we continue to see a shift of sci fi and fantasy shows to the streaming channels and I believe that is what the future holds for television in general. The good news is that the streamers are not usually as quick to cancel shows. The bad news is that they don’t seem to be interested in keeping them around for more than a few years. As for the broadcast and cable nets, with the exception of The CW, it certainly seems like they are less interested in sci fi TV these days. Expect that to continue in the coming years as the tide turns and the streaming services become the major players for the television audience.

Be sure to stay tuned to CancelledSciFi.com and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site to keep up with the status of the sci fi and fantasy shows airing across the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services and for more season-end announcements.

More from CancelledSciFi.com:

Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And join the #CancelledSciFiArmy on Twitter to bolster our ranks and help us fight for the struggling and cancelled sci fi and fantasy shows.

Follow our Sci Fi TV Top 5 column for the top sci fi TV stories each week.

Check out our Sci Fi TV Schedule for debut and season finale dates and follow our Weekly Listings for a rundown of the shows airing in the current week.

Check back each Saturday for Sci Fi TV Retrospectives: A look back at cancelled, classic, forgotten, and more genre shows from the past.