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.
The Mandalorian Debuts Strong for Disney+
The Disney+ streaming service has not released any viewership numbers yet (and the streamers tend to be stingy with that info), but the Parrot Analytics research group has tracked the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian and determined that it is in high demand. In its first week of release, the series reached 39.9 million “demand expressions”. That metric is based on streams, downloads, comments, and more online activity related to the show. According to the service, it is the best new series launch of the year among the streaming services and enters their Digital Demand charts at Number 3. Not surprisingly, The Mandalorian has already been renewed for a second season.
War of the Worlds Heads to Epix
The cable channel Epix has picked up the War of the Worlds TV adaptation starring Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern. That eight-episode series offers a modern-day updating of the H.G. Wells sci fi classic. It debuted in France in October of this year and will have its U.S. premiere on Epix February 16, 2020 (that may be tentative at this point). The BBC just debuted their own adaptation of the book which follows more closely to the original story. That version has not secured distribution in the States yet.
Stargirl Will Timeshare with DCU and The CW
The live-action Stargirl series, based on the DC Comics character, is scheduled to debut on the DC Universe in 2020, but it looks like that one will be getting extended exposure. Episodes of the show will also air the day after their streaming debut on The CW (and will subsequently be available for streaming on the network’s website and app). And Stargirl herself, played by Brec Bassinger, will get her introduction in the Arrow-verse Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event which begins in December. The fate of the DC Universe streaming service is uncertain with HBO Max set to debut next year (both are from the same corporate owners). This could be a way to set up Stargirl as a potential CW show if DCU shutters its doors and also establish her as part of the Arrow-verse.
Sci Fi TV Development: Amazon Picks Up The Peripheral, The CW Winds Up The Midnighters
The creators of HBO’s Westworld Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan began working on an adaptation of William Gibson’s The Peripheral back in 2018 and Amazon has now picked that up straight to series. Hollywood Reporter gives the following description of the story:
[The Peripheral] revolves around Flynne Fisher, a woman trying to hold together the pieces of her broken family in a forgotten corner of tomorrow’s America. Flynne is smart, ambitious and doomed. She has no future.
Joy and Nolan signed an exclusive development deal with Amazon earlier this year and this will be their first project with the streamer. Also in development is The Midnighters, based on the Alloy books by Scott Westerfeld. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description of the series:
On their 29th birthday, an estranged brother and sister discover they’re Midnighters, a chosen few born at the stroke of midnight, with access to a magical 25th hour each day that their kind can use to dramatic, comedic and poignant advantage. Ultimately, they learn their destiny is to protect the world from an ancient evil that has been trapped inside the 25th hour for centuries and is about to break free.
This one comes from Blindspot’s Chris Pozzebon and Martin Gero, and the network will be considering it for their 2020-21 schedule.
Cancellation Watch: Runaways Will Come to and End, Black Summer and Undone Get Renewed
Hulu has announced that its Marvel superhero series Runaways will end with its upcoming third season which debuts in December. Marvel TV has been going through a shake-up with the cancellation of Cloak & Dagger and the Agents of SHIELD heading to its final season. Runaways coming to an end will close the door on all of the Marvel shows that aired prior to Kevin Fiege taking over as chief creative officer. Over at Netflix, the zombie-pocalypse series Black Summer has been renewed for a second season. And Amazon’s adult-animated series Undone has also received a second year nod. Be sure to keep up with the ratings numbers and status updates for all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows each week with our Cancellation Watch Weekly Roundup post.
THE SCHED: Premieres for Servant and Harley Quinn
We are heading into Thanksgiving week which is usually a slow time for television, but the streaming services are bringing us two premieres during the week. On Thanksgiving Day, M. Night Shyamalan’s creepy new series Servant has its debut on Apple TV+, an interesting choice for that family-friendly day. The first three episodes will be available that day with subsequent episodes released weekly. And on Black Friday, the animated Harley Quinn series will try to keep people at home watching television instead of hitting all the sales. That show will release one episode per week. You can see the full schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link and you can keep up with the weekly listings at this link.
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.
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.
