There was a time when Max (formerly HBO Max) looked like a very promising streaming service for sci fi and fantasy television. It picked up several of the shows from the short-lived DCU platform (Titans, Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, and Young Justice), and had more DC entries in the works. It gave the greenlight to the sci fi series Raised by Wolves, and it offered some interesting genre mini-series like Station Eleven and DMZ. But then the streamer started cancelling shows and backing away from planned development, and now sci fi fans have to wonder if there is much that they can look forward to from this venue, especially with the Peak TV bubble on the verge of bursting.
What Went Wrong?
When HBO Max got its start, it was planned as the streaming arm of the premium cable channel HBO. It would stream the shows that aired on that network while also offering some exclusive originals. It started off by bringing over the DCEU shows mentioned above and it also picked up the surreal adult-animated comedy Close Enough which was originally scheduled to air on TBS. In addition, the streamer gave the greenlight to Raised by Wolves which looked quite promising and had Ridley Scott’s name attached to it. And while the show did draw mixed reactions, it was notable as a rather unique sci fi series and it developed a very loyal fanbase. The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker later joined the lineup and more DCEU entries were planned as it started to look like HBO Max could become a go-to destination for genre television.
But then the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery happened and things started to derail for the streamer along with other venues owned by the WB like HBO, TBS, and TNT. Among the casualties through all of that were Raised by Wolves (cancelled by HBO Max after two seasons), Westworld (cancelled by HBO after 4 seasons), The Nevers (cancelled by HBO after one season), Snowpiercer (cancelled by TNT after three seasons though getting shopped around), and Final Space (cancelled from existence). Not long after that, James Gunn and Peter Safran were brought in to reboot the DCEU and that led to the demise of Titans, Doom Patrol, and some of the DC shows that were in the early stages of development like Justice League Dark (though that one may still happen in another form). In addition, the cost-cutting that has been going on across all of the Warner Bros Discovery venues casts doubt on whether that mega-entertain corp will have much to offer in the way of sci fi TV going forward.
Where Does Max Go From Here?
While a lot of Max’s genre entries have been cancelled or have ended, there is still some development in the works that looks promising. DC fans may be disappointed by the cancellations of both Titans and Doom Patrol, but both of those had four seasons and over forty episodes which counts as good runs for streaming originals these days. And looking ahead, there are several promising new DC entries in the works like The Penguin, Booster Gold, Lanterns, and Creature Commandos. Also, a second season of Peacemaker should arrive at some point. In addition, Dune: Sisterhood is still on the production schedule and October brings the debut of the sci fi Anime Scavengers Reign.
The writers’ strike (which was just resolved) and the actors’ strike (still in progress) will have an impact on development, and it may be the second half of 2024 or later before many of these newer projects start to arrive. And it is possible that more cancellations could occur as the rush to ramp production back up could lead to an overloaded schedule. But the streamer has not given up on genre programming and looks to lean heavily on DC-based projects in the near future. Whether more genre entries will hit the slate remains to be seen, but it does appear that Max has a chance of recovering from the bumpy road it travelled through its first few years and may once again become a decent landing spot for sci fi TV. That, of course, will depend on whether Warner Bros Discovery will support the service as the Peak TV crunch takes its toll, or if they will continue with their cost-cutting hi-jinks.
A Look at the Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows on Max
Max currently has five active genre entries on its schedule (Clone High, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Theodosia, and Velma) with more shows in the works. And even though it seems like the streamer has been cancelling a lot of shows, its cancellation rate is only 17% after one season and 25% after two seasons which is not that bad. I know that Raised by Wolves fans are not happy with the streamer and Arrow-verse fans were hoping that franchise would make the jump to the digital platform (particularly Legends of Tomorrow). But in general, Max has supported its originals slightly better than other streaming services up to this point even if that has not resulted in any lengthy runs for its originals.
Following is the list of shows that have debuted on the service since it debuted in 2019. Continuations like Titans, Harley Quinn, and Pennyworth reflect only the seasons that streamed exclusively on HBO Max/Max.
| Series | Start | Seasons | Cancelled/Ended |
| Close Enough | 2019-20 | 3 | Y |
| Doom Patrol | 2021-22 | 3 | Y |
| Titans | 2021-22 | 3 | Y |
| Clone High | 2022-23 | 2 | N |
| Harley Quinn | 2021-22 | 2 | N |
| Peacemaker | 2021-22 | 2 | N |
| Raised by Wolves | 2020-21 | 2 | Y |
| Theodosia | 2021-22 | 2 | N |
| Velma | 2022-23 | 2 | N |
| DMZ (Mini-Series) | 2021-22 | 1 | Y |
| Fired on Mars | 2022-23 | 1 | N |
| Pennyworth | 2022-23 | 1 | Y |
| Station Eleven (Mini-Series) | 2021-22 | 1 | Y |
| Young Justice | 2021-22 | 1 | Y |
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
