Despite love from fans and critics alike, plenty of recentSci-fishows were canceled long before their time. It seems as though more series are being dropped by companies such as Netflix and HBO despite their high view numbers and fan support. Recent shows such asDead Boy DetectivesandOur Flag Means Deathare some of the most egregious examples,withDead Boy Detectivesbeing canceled before receiving a second season.
Still, science fiction remains a prevalent genre with countless fascinating stories.Science fiction series have made up some of the best shows of 2024, showing that there is still a massive market for this sort of fiction. Despite this, some of the best sci-fi series in recent years have still been met with cancelations.
10Debris (2021)
The Debris Of An Alien Spaceship Leads To A Reality-Bending Adventure
When the debris of an alien spaceship begins to fall to Earth, a pair of agents must work together to recover the pieces. Even though the premise might initially seem simple, the crashing ship is only the beginning.Clones, terrorist organizations, and alien technology all come together in this show, taking many different science fiction concepts and weaving them throughout the story.
But despite this promising setup,Debriswas canceled in 2021 after only one season. The mystery at the show’s center was left unanswered, and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. This is incredibly unsatisfying for fans who wanted to see where the series would eventually lead, but in the years since, there has been no word of any networks picking the series back up.
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Kindred
Kindred is a 2022 television series based on Octavia E. Butler’s novel. The show follows Dana James, played by Mallori Johnson, an aspiring writer who finds herself mysteriously transported between past and present. Struggling to understand her family’s history, Dana grapples with unsettling revelations that connect her to the antebellum South. Micah Stock co-stars as her supportive but bewildered partner, Kevin. The series explores themes of identity, history, and resilience.
Based on the novel of the same name,Kindreddetails the story of a black woman who is pulled back in time from her home in 2016 and placed on a plantation in the 19th century South.The series is tense and emotional, unafraid of tackling difficult topics like racism.Kindredalso stood out on its own compared to the original novel, making certain changes to adapt the narrative.
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Though compelling and well-written,Kindredwas canceled and left on a cliffhanger. This came after only one season, leaving the novel as the only example of what might have happened next. Even so, because the series did stray from the novel, the writers might have made more changes, adapting the story into something unique over time.
Counterpart
Cast
Counterpart is a science fiction thriller series that stars J.K. Simmons as Howard Silk, a low-level bureaucrat who discovers his organization is hiding a parallel universe. As Howard navigates this revelation, he confronts his doppelgänger from the other side, uncovering intense espionage and political intrigue.
Originally an office worker at a company he knows nothing about, Howard Silk’s world is thrown into chaos when he meets his counterpart from another world. The series bounces between two parallel Earths, with spies and conspiracy at the center of one massive operation. JK Simmons gives another of his iconic performances in this role, both as Howard Silk and Howard Silk Prime, one gentle and loving and the other a ruthless agent.
Star power and an engaging plot could not save this series from cancelation.Counterpartmade it for two seasons on Starz, yet it was canceled in 2019, throwing any intrigue the series may still have to the wayside. With the popularity that JK Simmons has garnered from projects such as theSpider-Manseries,Invincible,and evenBaldur’s Gate III,a revival ofCounterpartwould be met with plenty of interest.
The Peripheral
Chloë Grace Moretz stars as Flynne Fisher in The Peripheral, an Amazon Prime TV adaptation of the novel by William Gibson. Flynne, seeking an escape from the mundane, submerges herself into immersive video games. A company takes notice of her gaming prowess and extends an invitation to test and experience their latest virtual reality project. This experience brings her hopes and dreams to life, allowing her to digitally realize the life experiences she wants in the real world. However, when things get a little too real, Flynne realizes the peripheral can do more than recreate wishes digitally, and now she and those she loves are in danger due to the nature of the device.
Another science fiction series based on a novel,The Peripheralis set in a world roughly 50 years in the future. The series broaches topics of gaming and life in a computer-generated alternate reality, a possibility that is growing closer to fact than fiction with each passing year. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher, the series follows Flynne as she attempts to use Virtual Realty to make enough money to afford her mother’s medication.
Initially, Amazon gave fans of the series hope when it renewed the show for a second season. However, shortly after its renewal,The Peripheralwas quickly canceled despite the promise of a second season. This was a disappointing shock, and only further illustrated the disappointing trend of early cancelations.
The OA
The OA is a mystery drama series that follows Prairie Johnson, who returns to her hometown after being missing for seven years with her sight mysteriously restored. As her baffling reappearance raises questions, she refrains from discussing her ordeal with authorities or family, sparking intrigue and speculation.
One of the more experimental science fiction series created by Netflix,The OA’s Praire Johnson appears out of nowhere years after disappearing. Not only can she now see, having been blind when she disappeared, but she also keeps insisting that her name is “the Original Angel,” shortened to the OA.What follows inThe OAis a series filled with twists, near-death experiences, and new dimensions.
The OAwas canceled in 2019, making it another casualty of what seems to be a flurry of science fiction cancelations. Like many canceled science fiction shows,The OAwas left on a cliffhanger. This is becauseThe OAwas originally planned for five seasons, but only received two to tell its harrowing story.
1899
1899 is a period piece drama that centers around a ship full of immigrants headed to the new land and entering the new century. Riding on the steamship Kerebos, the multilingual passengers contemplate how their lives will differ in this new era. However, when the ship comes across a missing vessel known as the Prometheus, the passengers will be taken through several mysterious experiences and drag them through their worst nightmares.
Supposedly set in the year 1899, the television series1899is more than the period piece that many expected.The show takes place inside a steamship that only becomes more tense throughout the series' single season, with1899’s mystery revolving around a strange black tetrahedron. By twisting the perceived reality within the show,1899becomes one of the more intriguing science fiction seasons to release in recent years.
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Because of the series' generally slow pace, a single season is not enough to explore the themes introduced by1899’s premise. Without spoiling anything, technology plays a key role in unraveling the season’s mystery, ending on a hopeful note and leaving plenty of ways for1899to continue.1899was only canceled in 2023, so the potential for it to be picked up by another streaming service is still there.
Raised by Wolves
Raised by Wolves centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet known as Keppler 22-b. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, a mysterious force within the planet itself seems to have its own goals. The androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task.
Raised by Wolvesis a series that depicts a human colony in a brand-new world, with two androids tasked with raising a group of human children. The show depicts the battle between religion and atheism, set against the backdrop of a stunning alien planet.Raised by Wolvesis a bit uncomfortable and uncanny at times, though the show is meant to be, and it pulls off its ambitious premise with aplomb.
HBO canceled this series after two seasons, the first of which was released in 2020 and the second in 2022. The reviews were favorable as well. Thoughfans have fought to seeRaised by Wolvesrenewed, with a lack of information on whether there is interest from HBO to continue, it seems the series will have to stay on ice for now.
Night Sky
Created by Holden Miller for Prime Video, Night Sky is a 2022 Drama and Sci-Fi television series starring Sissy Spacek and J. K. Simmons. The premise sees a senior couple that finds a strange device that can transport them to a special location that lets them see the sky of another world.
Following the story of an older couple,Night Skyis a science fiction drama that unfolds as the couple discovers a massive metal structure located just beneath their property. This device allows the user to teleport, forcing the couple to ask themselves some important questions.Where did the device come from, and who built it?
There are many different mysteries posed throughoutNight Sky’s short, eight-episode season, but because it was canceled in 2022, most of these mysteries are left up in the air. Unfortunately, the series ended right before some of these more important mysteries began to unfold. There was no resolution for Franklin and Irene, and even less explanation for where the cult that the series introduced would have played into things.
Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer is a Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic Drama developed by Josh Friedman and Graeme Manson. The series stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, and Mickey Sumner. In Snowpiercer, an apocalyptic event has happened and caused the Earth to become a frozen icescape. In this new world, a large train known as Snowpiercer houses survivors and perpetually rolls along its track. The series follows a man named Layton as he begins to investigate a mysterious murder in the First Class section of the train.
Following in the footsteps of 2013’sSnowpiercerstarring Chris Evans, this 2020 TNT reboot follows a similar story, with what little remains of humanity living on a train as it barrels through the frozen wilderness. Set in a fictionalized version of the year 2026,humanity has all but been entirely wiped out.This is because of humanity’s constant mistreatment of Earth, leading to its demise.
After being dropped by TNT following season 3, causing many to fear that the show would be canceled entirely,Snowpiercer’s final season was released by AMC earlier this year. Though the ending is satisfying enough on its own, there are plenty of stories left to tell in this bleak universe. Another season ofSnowpiercerwould always be welcome, even if it did come with another reboot years down the line.
Altered Carbon
Altered Carbon is set in the far future, at a time when a human’s consciousness can be stored in a device called a Stack and transferred into different bodies, allowing people who have the means to become functionally immortal. Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman and Anthony Mackie), the former member of a rebellion against Stack technology, is awakened and released from prison so that he can be employed by a wealthy man to solve the man’s own murder. The Netflix original series is based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan.
Altered Carbonis possibly the best science fiction series on Netflix. In a world where death has become meaningless, one man is hired by the wealthy victim of a murder to solve the crime. With an incredible first season and a second season that doesn’t always hold up,Altered Carbonstill stands out as a series with amazing writing and even better performances by its cast members.
Possibly because ofAltered Carbon’s troubled second season, the show was eventually canceled. Still, fans hold out hope thatAltered Carbonmight receive a third season, with theSci-fishow receiving constant rumors of a revival. It seems that time will only tell, and if the series is revived, with any luck, it will learn from the mistakes it has made in the past.
