The story of Foundation continues to expand as Apple TV+ has renewed the show for a fourth season just ahead of its third season finale. That one has not placed in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for its third year, but that is not uncommon for a scripted original on that service. It has performed well compared to the streamer’s other programming, and Apple TV+ has been generally good at supporting its originals. Foundation has also received mostly favorable marks from critics and viewers, currently averaging an 87% Fresh Rating and 73% Audience Score across its first three seasons on Rotten Tomatoes. Showrunners Ian Goldberg and David Kob made the following comment about the renewal:
There is no series quite like Foundation, and we feel lucky and honored to be carrying the torch forward as co-showrunners into season four. We look forward to continuing the epic, emotional, storytelling that defined the first three seasons of the show, and to be working alongside some of the most talented, passionate creative partners in the business.
Original showrunner David S. Goyer had an eight-year plan for Foundation, which is rather ambitious for a streaming original seeing as those shows tend to cap off around the third or fourth season mark. And the show is rather expensive to produce, but not on the same level as mega-dollar originals like Stranger Things, 3 Body Problem, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. There is a chance that Foundation could get as much as six seasons and maybe even more if the current showrunners are following the same plan. But don’t be surprised if this one ends up wrapping up with its fourth or fifth season.
This announcement brings the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the 2024-25 season to 32 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (50% of shows tracked) vs. 18 cancelled and ending (28%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons on our Cancellation Watch Page.
Foundation follows a group of exiles as they set up an interstellar Foundation designed to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. It also focuses on the actions of Brother Day (the middle-aged member of the Imperial Triumvirate) as he tries to hold onto power while the Empire crumbles. It stars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrence Mann, and Cassian Bilton and it is based on the celebrated book series by Isaac Asimov.
The 2024-25 season wrapped up in July, but there are still several shows awaiting word on their fates. Be sure to stay tuned to CancelledSciFi.com and our social media sites for updates and breaking news.
Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.
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