Sci Fi TV Network Scorecards: Ranking the Networks 2022

I have been updating the Network Scorecards over the Summer, and now I am compiling those together into an overall ranking to show which networks have been the best for sci fi and fantasy TV and which have been the worst.  These Scorecards cover the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services and provide an analysis of how well these venues have supported genre television shows over the past ten years.  For each of the networks I have given a score of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.  The general assumption is that genre shows are cancelled more often than other scripted shows, but as I proved last year, that is not necessarily true.  The fact is that cancelling shows is just part of the television business and a lot of shows get cancelled.  Sci fi entries tend to make up a smaller part of the overall population, so it just seems like they are cancelled more than other shows.  That is not always the case, though it does vary by network.  The ranking below is based in part on the numbers, but also on the quality of the shows the network produces, and their general disposition towards sci fi TV.  This year’s ranking includes HBO Max, though I have still not included Peacock because that streamer has not put out too much in the way of sci fi originals so far.

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The numbers below that track the cancellations by network are based on new scripted shows that debuted over the past ten years (starting in the 2012-13 season).  I look at the percentage cancelled after one, two, and three seasons and I compare sci fi and fantasy shows to all scripted programming on the network.  The final column shows the percentage that have made it to four seasons or more.  Among the scripted shows that I am considering are those directed at an adult and/or family audience and that would be count “Prime Time” fare. In other words, kids shows are mostly thrown out (unless they also attract a notable adult audience like Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defender), and I am also not considering reality and other non-scripted shows (far too many of those to keep track of).  Active shows are included in the New Show Count column but not in the percentages unless they have made it to the fourth season mark or more.  For example, Syfy’s Resident is included in the show count but not the percentages yet because it has been renewed through its third season, but TNT’s Snowpiercer is in the show count and also counted as one that will be making it to the fourth season mark. Mini-series are excluded from these tallies  Click on the links below to see the full scorecard for each network.

Be sure to follow this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Page as we head into the new season for status updates and breaking news on the shows currently airing as well as my predictions on which shows will be renewed or cancelled.

>View all the Network Scorecards Here

Apple TV+

Score: 4 out 5

This streamer kicked off with some notable sci fi entries and has done a good job of supporting its shows so far.  It is also continuing to produce genre entries, but without the churn philosophy that Netflix follows, constantly rolling out new shows trying to grab subscribers while quickly pulling the plug on prior releases.  As for the quality of the Apple TV+ originals, For All Mankind is on track to be considered a sci fi classic and it could be joined by Severance and maybe even Foundation if that show can overcome its uneven first season.  The streamer’s other genre entries are definitely notable and worth checking out as well.  If Apple TV+ can continue on the same path in the coming years (a big if as several of the streamers are experiencing growing pains lately), it will establish itself as a go-to platform for science fiction and fantasy.

Amazon

Score: 3 ½ out 5

One of the older streamer services out there, Amazon’s Prime Video has been willing to pick up sci fi and fantasy originals and has been patient with them for the most part.  It has cancelled some shows after one season like Night Sky and Truth Seekers and it bowed out of the fantasy entry Britannia after one year (that show has since produced two more seasons in Britain).  But for the most part it has typically allowed its genre entries to go for at least two years and has quite a number of active shows currently on its slate including major franchises like Lord of the Rings (now streaming) and Fallout (in production). Up to this point, Prime Video appears to be a decent landing spot for sci fi and fantasy shows, and they have a better-than-average chance of surviving beyond their first season. Amazon does not add too many new titles each year, but it also does not churn through shows like Netflix. Three or four seasons may be the max that most of its shows go, but that has been the trend across most of the streaming services.

Disney+

Score: 3 out 5

Disney+ has quite a number of genre shows to choose from (over half of its originals are sci fi/fantasy), though those are heavy on MCU and Star Wars entries at this point.  But it is branching out to other properties (Percy Jackson, Willow) and should continue to lean heavily on genre shows for its scripted output.  It does tend to put out a lot of mini-series as try-outs, but that is understandable considering the amount of money the streamer is sinking into these shows.  At this point, the streamer has not cancelled any of its sci fi/fantasy shows (Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended after one season on the service as expected), but it does have a few waiting for work on their fate (The Book of Boba Fett, Ms. Marvel).  If Disney+ continues to lean heavily on genre shows and starts to move beyond the mini-series runs, this score will likely go up.

FX

Score: 3 out 5

This basic cable service does not put out very many sci fi/fantasy shows, but of the four that have aired on the network over the past ten years, none have faced a quick cancellation. Legion wrapped up after three seasons, but that one was not built for a long run anyway and was at least given the chance to wrap up its storylines. The Strain went for four seasons with a conclusion, and both American Horror Story and What We Do in the Shadows are still active and have been renewed for future seasons.  Plus it currently has an Alien TV series in the works which is tentatively set to premiere at some point in 2023 (though that may end up as an FX on Hulu entry) and it is not shying away from scripted output like many of the other basic cable channels are these days.

HBO

Score: 3 out 5

While this premium cable service does not put out many sci fi/fantasy shows, it has some high-profile entries (Westworld, Game of Thrones) and it is typically patient with its shows.  I dinged the network a bit for the cancellation of Lovecraft Country after one season, a move that certainly seems odd considering it had decent viewership and brought plenty of awards attention to the network.  But apart from that one, HBO has given its shows a chance and has rarely cancelled them without a proper conclusion over the past ten years (Lovecraft Country did finish the story of the book even though a second season was planned, and the same is true of the recently cancelled The Time Traveler’s Wife).  It is unclear at this point how the Warner Bros. merge with Discovery will impact the premium cable channel, though most of the shakeups have been at HBO Max so far, and it appears that production of scripted originals will continue as normal at HBO.

Paramount+

Score: 3 out 5

This streamer was originally called CBS All Access, and my analysis does include its output going back to those days. Star Trek fans may want to see a higher score for Paramount+, but the emphasis on “New Trek” has not resonated as well with all viewers.  Plus, the streamer does seem to be stretching the franchise a bit thin.  Still, Paramount+ gives its shows time to prove themselves and it has branched out beyond Trek with shows like Evil and Halo: The Series.  If the streamer continues to add other genre properties to its lineup and continues to give them time to find an audience, this score will go up.

AMC

Score: 2 ½ out 5

AMC has been willing to add sci fi and fantasy shows to its schedule, and it has been patient with them early on. But if they don’t have TWD in the title, their survival rate after that first year is not great with several shows over the past ten years getting cancelled after two or three seasons without the chance to fully resolve their storylines.  If you are a fan of TWD, then this is the network for you because they will be leaning heavily on that franchise for the next few years (and possibly longer).  But if zombies are not your thing, or you just grew tired of that franchise, AMC does not have much to offer at this point.  The Vampire Chronicles could prove an interesting addition to the schedule, though it would be nice if they delivered a show with more science fiction elements (and the upcoming Max Headroom reboot may do just that).

The CW

Score: 2 ½ out 5

This was the highest-ranked network when I did the Scorecards last year, but it has dropped notably due to the purge of its shows (particularly its genre entries) prior to the change of ownership (and Nextar Media has been confirmed as the new majority owner).  The new, conservative-leaning owners plan a “wholesome” approach for their programming that will lean heavily on procedurals, sitcoms, and unscripted programming and likely will allow little room for sci fi.  And while the quality of The CW’s genre shows under the prior regime was not always the greatest, with a heavy focus on sophomoric tales that appeal to the young adult demo and plenty of copy-and-paste dialogue, at least the network was willing to take chances and it supported its shows.  I don’t expect the same going forward, and the score for this network will likely continue to slip in the coming years.

Freeform

Score: 2 ½ out 5

This cable channel has put out its share of genre entries, though mostly YA-focused supernatural dramas, and several of those have stuck around for multiple season runs. But then they all tend to cap off by the third season mark, and some were cancelled without much of a resolution (Stitchers, Siren). If you liked the offerings from The CW in years past, especially the non-Arrow-verse shows, you will probably enjoy the genre entries from Freeform and the network does have more on the way. Just don’t expect them to stick around nearly as long as those on The CW prior to the new ownership at that network.

HBO Max

Score: 2 ½ out 5

Prior to the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery+, the score for this streamer may have been as much as a point higher because it has a notable amount of genre entries and it has been supportive of them. But with the quick cancellation of Raised by Wolves and the fate of several more shows (as well as scripted originals in general) in doubt on the service, I am going with the lower rating. It will probably take at least a year for things to settle down, and maybe more since Discovery+ will get brought into the fold in 2023. For now, consider this streaming service a less-than-ideal landing spot for sci fi and fantasy shows.

Starz

Score: 2 ½ out 5

This network does not put out many sci fi/fantasy shows (only five over the past ten years), but it has at least been willing to consider adding genre entries to its slate of originals and it does show some patience with them early on. Don’t expect them to stick around for an extended period, though, and Starz will cancel shows without allowing them to wrap up their storylines as it did with American Gods and Ash vs. Evil Dead.

Hulu

Score: 2 out 5

Hulu has been willing to add sci fi and fantasy shows to its lineup, and it was patient with them early on, but in the last couple of seasons the cancellation rate has jumped up.  I thought that the Netflix MCU shows would eventually find their way to Hulu because of their more mature content, but those went to Disney+ instead.  And other Marvel-related shows like Helstrom and MODOK have not fared well on Hulu.  The streamer has done less in the way of science fiction with more of a focus on supernatural and horror, and that is likely due to budgetary concerns.  Unlike Netflix and Amazon, Hulu has not spent big on its originals with the exception of high-profile shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Orville.  Its budgets appear closer to those of basic cable shows, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Lower production costs can help keep a show going longer, though Hulu originals rarely last longer than three to four seasons.  And if the streamer ends up cancelling The Orville, that will definitely hurt it from a PR standpoint.

NBC

Score: 2 out 5

This network has been receptive to adding sci fi and fantasy shows and has even taken some chances in the past (The Good Place, Dracula, You, Me, and the Apocalypse). It is no more likely to cancel genre entries over their first two seasons than it is with other scripted programming. Though they rarely last for four seasons or more and its sci fi shows tend to be watered down for the mass audience (La Brea is a perfect example of that). In general, NBC acts much like the other Big Four broadcast nets and focuses primarily on the same-day ratings when making renewal/cancellation decisions. Shows that do not perform well based on those numbers are more likely to get cancelled, even if other factors like delayed viewing or fan support suggest that standing by the show may ultimately prove profitable for the network. With La Brea finding some success last season and the new Quantum Leap in a position to do well this year, it is possible that NBC could be more receptive to the genre in coming seasons. If that proves to be true, then its score could go up.  On the other hand, if the network stops programming the 10 PM EST hour like it is considering, scripted shows in general will probably take a hit.

Netflix

Score: 2 out 5

The score for this streamer would have been at least a point higher a few years back when the cancellation rate was lower, but Netflix has been much quicker to cancel the last few years. And that includes highly-watched shows like Jupiter’s Legacy, The Irregulars, and Away. In addition, Netflix’s churn strategy and three-to-four season wall impose a limit on the chances that a show will have a lengthy run and fails to reward loyal viewership. Short runs for a show are not necessarily a bad thing, and plenty of sci fi and fantasy entries could have benefited from less padding. But the Netflix strategy is not necessarily in sync with the creative side of the shows. For example, The OA creators planned a five-season run for the show, but that tenure is unlikely for almost any show on the streamer. The big budgets it has been shelling out could also limit the run for a series because those are not sustainable across many seasons.  So while Netflix offers plenty of choices for genre fans, don’t get attached to any one show because it could get yanked quite quickly, and at best it will stick around for four seasons and a max of forty episodes unless it is a breakout hit along the lines of Stranger Things.

TNT

Score: 2 out 5

This cable net has exited the scripted programming business so I am docking it half a star for that.  TNT never did put out a lot in the way of sci fi TV, but three of the four genre entries released since the 2010-11 season went at least four seasons, so it was supportive of its shows.  But with the network no longer adding scripted originals to its lineup, there is now one less linear channel available for sci fi shows to find a home.

FOX

Score: 1 ½ out 5

This network has been willing to add sci fi and fantasy entries to its schedule over the past ten years, even if it does not support them for too long.  It is unclear what direction it will take going forward, and if it comes heavily under the influence of the FOX News division (which seems likely), that could be bad for genre television.  But the fact is that the broadcast networks in general are facing major changes ahead and may shy away from any scripted programming that veers too much from Prime Time-friendly formula.  The network did take a chance with the Fantasy Island reboot and it did renew that one.  But the fact that the second season premiere has been shifted from Summer to Fall to Mid-Season is not a good sign.

Showtime

Score: 1 ½ out 5

This premium cable channel has not put out much in the way of sci fi and fantasy originals (only five across the past ten years including mini-series), they do not last too long, and it only has one show active at the moment (The Man Who Fell to Earth but it is On the Bubble). It does not have anything currently in development, and it does not appear that Showtime is the best landing place for genre shows.

ABC

Score: 1 out 5

There was a time within the last ten years when this network was willing to greenlight sci fi and fantasy shows, but it has been shying away from genre entries of late and it has cancelled every new one that has premiered since the 2016-17 season.  It has not had any sci fi/fantasy entries on the schedule since the 2019-20 season, and there is currently nothing in the way of genre entries on the 2022-23 slate. I expect few sci fi TV shows from this network going forward as MCU or other Disney-related projects will likely get pushed to the Disney+ and/or Hulu streaming platforms. And based on recent history, any new genre show that does land on ABC does not have a good chance of surviving.

CBS

Score: 1 out 5

This network is very much old school in its programming strategy, leaning heavily on procedurals, sitcoms, and unscripted shows. It did greenlight one genre entry this past year which made it to a second season (Ghosts), but that sticks closely to the sitcom formula.  The only genre show it considered for the upcoming 2022-23 season was a reboot of the ’90s series Early Edition–which barely counts as sci fi–and CBS passed on the series.  It is true that the network has tried to get some sci fi entries on its schedule in the Summer months, but the quality of those was specious at best and all were eventually cancelled or moved to other venues (the long-delayed second season of Blood & Treasure was moved to Paramount+).  Network decision-making is still driven heavily on the same-day ratings, and genre entries usually end up on the wrong side of that.  Even when a show like fan-favorite Limitless followed the procedural formula and produced decent numbers for its timeslot (along with strong delayed viewing gains), the network was unwilling to support it.  CBS does not greenlight many sci fi/fantasy shows (with fewer and fewer in the Summer of late), and those that do hit the schedule have a low chance of surviving if they veer too far from the network’s formula.

Syfy

Score: 1 out 5

Syfy’s track record with genre shows has not been great over the past ten years or so, but it appears to be rebuilding its scripted line-up of late and it did uncancel the fan-favorite series SurrealEstate. That said, it is hard to overlook the fact that this network has failed to do much to promote science fiction and fantasy over the past ten years.  The shows that have engaged fans like Dark Matter, The Expanse, and Wynonna Earp have been cancelled.  And many of the other shows it has put out have been mediocre genre entries at best.  It also does little to promote its own programming, especially after a show has aired its first season.  For the first half of the past ten years, it was more patient with its shows and at least gave most of them a second season.  But over the last five years or so it has been quick to cancel as it focuses primarily on same-day ratings results and its scripted programming choices have diminished to just a few selections per year.   Syfy is not even the Sharknado network anymore (whether that is a good thing or bad), so it does not have much of an identity these days at all other than a second-tier (at best) cable network throwing out random scripted entries to make itself appear viable in an over-crowded television market.

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