There are quite a number of streaming services out there trying to convince us to shell out the money for a subscription, and I tend to cycle through those depending on what sci fi/fantasy shows they currently have available. In this column, I will focus on a different service each with each post and let you know what I am finding that might convince sci fi TV fans it is worth the money.
Apple TV+ is fairly new among the streaming services, and it does not have a ton of genre content at the moment, but what it does offer is certainly worth checking out. Leading off its sci fi entries shortly after the service launched was the post-apocalyptic series See which stars Jason Momoa along with Ronald D. Moore’s alternate-history space-race show For All Mankind. Both have received high marks through their first two seasons, and both are returning later this year for a third season. M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural drama Servent was another early offering, and that one has developed some good buzz as well.
Fall of 2021 brought a major sci fi entry with the adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, and that one is set to return for a second season later this year. And early this year the corporate dystopia Severance premiered to critical acclaim and it has been renewed for a second season. Other genre entries of note include the alien-invasion series Invasion, the time-bending entry Shining Girls, and the mini-series The Essex Spirit. New shows heading to the streamer include the adaptation of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, as well as a Time Bandits series and a live-action Godzilla series. Encore runs of prior series are not part of the Apple TV+’s programming at the moment, but that could change if the streamer makes a deal with one of the major studios.
And so far, this streamer has not cancelled any of its shows. Almost none have been around long enough to make it past the third season mark (where many streaming services cap off their originals), but since Apple TV+ has been supportive of its originals, I am guessing they will announce final seasons in advance rather that outright cancel shows (like it did for the fourth year of Servant). The one show that did end after one season was the anthology reboot Amazing Stories, but that may have been a licensing issue.
This streamer will keep you busy with new episodes for at least two to three months out of the year. I let my subscription lapse last Summer because it had a gap in new episodes being released, and I had several other shows I wanted to turn my attention to. I am re-upping now and have quite a lot to look forward to including the first seasons of Foundation and Severance as well as the upcoming third season of For All Mankind. At $4.99 per month, it is one of the least expensive streaming services out there, and as this one continues to add content it might be worth keeping on the permanent list if it remains at that price.
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SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Quality over quantity, that seems to be the goal. Reminds me a bit of HBO. Not all of these productions are stellar shows, but Severance and Shining Girls are fantastic, especially Severance. For All Mankind is fun. (No wonder: Ron Moore.) Foundation has a lot of promise, but hasn’t really gotten off the ground yet in season 1. Personally, I also liked Invasion a lot… I know not many people did, but the slow pace, coupled with a lot of versatility, made it a great viewing for me.