In a time when television shows are renewed and then suddenly canceled just a few short months later, it’s vital to get more eyes on the shows that we love sooner rather than later. Let’s give these networks a reason to stop the constant renewal reversals and make them a thing of the past. So let’s talk about a number of new speculative shows that have entered or will be premiering their sophomore seasons soon. If you love these shows, now is the time to talk about them with everyone you know and get them on board. Let’s dive in.
Severance
Severance (AppleTV+) is without question, the most successful sci-fi show on Apple TV+. When you watch the first season, you’ll know exactly why: The show takes place in a world where people can choose to have their memories of work and personal lives surgically divided. So what happens when one officer worker begins to investigate this division and who benefits from it? You’ll have to watch and see how this speculative mystery thriller unfolds. While the show is binge-worthy, it’s also a show that asks its viewers to be fully immersed in this viewing experience with no distractions. This show is so rich—top-notch storytelling, pitch perfect directing (seven of the nine episodes were directed by Ben Stiller), the music, lighting, sets—everything plays such a necessary part in bringing this story to life. In 2022, the series entered the Emmy Awards race for the first time with 14 nominations and took home two wins. Severance is a chilling examination of work-life balance and the sacrifices we make for it in a way you’ve never seen before. Season two is slated to premiere in 2024.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
There is a huge lack of diverse sci-fi and fantasy storytelling on the small screen and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney+) is a breath of fresh air amidst that lack. The animated action-adventure series, which is based on Marvel’s comic books, follows a 13-year-old prodigy who is the smartest character in the Marvel universe. But before she gives Iron Man and everyone else a run for their money, she’s a kid. She’s a kid who accidentally brings a dinosaur to present-day New York City. Together, the two fight crime on the Lower East Side as Lunella discovers her place and responsibility in the world as a super-genius. Did I mention she can switch consciousness with Devil Dinosaur? You’ll have to tune in to discover how this works. Season two premiered February 2, 2024.
Gen V
Gen V (Amazon Prime) is the breakout hit spin-off series to watch for fans who loved The Boys, which was adapted from the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Set at Godolkin University, the only college for superheroes in the nation, the series follows the first generation of superheroes who know they are superheroes because of Compound V. Only those who are ranked at the top have any shot of joining The Seven, Vought International’s elite superhero team that we came to know in The Boys. Just like The Boys, Gen V is not for children. This is a very mature series and it’s set in college, so if you appreciated the adult content in The Boys, Gen V is the spin off you’ve been waiting for. It’s raunchier, it’s got blood and guts, and it’s got a stellar story. Do you have to watch The Boys before you watch Gen V? No. You can watch either show first. With the actual return dates of both shows a mystery as of now, you have plenty of time to watch three seasons of The Boys and the first season of Gen V on Amazon Prime.
Echo
Marvel’s first TV-MA series, Echo debuted on Disney+ this winter. It’s a series that tackles family and legacy in a way that we haven’t seen Marvel do before on the small screen. The story is set in Tamaha, Oklahoma where we meet Maya Lopez shortly before the tragic death of her mother. This takes her to New York City, where things get worse as the person she trusts the most raises her to be an assassin. Secrets are discovered. Decisions are made. And Maya heads back home with even bigger choices to make, this time testing her loyalties and putting her family at risk.
Alaqua Cox is the first Deaf actress to lead a Marvel television series. She is also an amputee and her disability is written into her character’s story. Marvel also made sure to intertwine the richness of Native American culture throughout the show wouldn’t be complete without this care taken.
The character of Maya Lopez was introduced in the Hawkeye series. While it is not required to watch Hawkeye beforehand, it is recommended if you have the time. The first season of Echo is magnificent, so get the popcorn ready and make a night for this five-episode event.
The Ark
If you’re aching for a space drama with twists and turns like you’d never believe, The Ark (Syfy) is here to serve all of your greatest desires. Set 100 years in the future, when global warming has officially run us off the earth, spacecraft Ark One faces conflict after conflict in the race to keep the humanity alive. The stakes are raised immediately as the series begins when disaster strikes and the majority of the Ark’s senior officers are killed. How do you survive when most of the colonists on board aren’t qualified to get the ship to its final destination? When I tell you this show starts off with a bang and does not let up for any moment, I mean you will be at the edge of your seat with bated breath for all twelve episodes. Get ready for a ride.
Silo/Beacon 23
Let’s cheat with a two-for-one here. Book-to-television series are hit or miss, so when I tell you not just one Hugh Howey series was a hit, but two… it’s almost too good to be true. But if you’ve read either the Silo or Beacon 23 series, you will not be disappointed. If you haven’t read these works, that’s okay, too. Both shows do a phenomenal job making the adaptations fully comprehensible and enjoyable without a need to be familiar with the original works. So for anyone who has a taste for psychological thrillers set in either a dystopian world or in space, you’ve found your next two shows to watch. The character development, the secrets, the mysterious high-ups holding together a completely broken system for their own selfish desires… both shows are packed with all of this and then plenty more. Gather your friends who love sci-fi for a fun weekend full of mystery, tension, and more on AppleTV+ and MGM+. The second season of Beacon 23 premiers April 2024 on MGM+.
Fired on Mars
With thousands of layoffs over the past four years, this series might be triggering for some. Hear me out. I, too, was laid off at the beginning of the pandemic. So when I heard about Fired On Mars (Max), instinctively, I had no desire to watch an entire TV series about someone who experienced the same fate. But then I found out that the main character, whose job relocated him to literal outer space, is laid off with zero chance of returning home. Now that’s a satire if I ever heard of one. Could you imagine? Eight episodes is not nearly enough time to explore everything I wanted to see in this animated comedy, but what they’ve shown so far hits deeply. This show is so intelligent and deserves more recognition. I’m stunned that this series hasn’t garnered water cooler discussion because it will make people angry, and rightfully so.
Halo
For someone who has never played the Halo video game a day in their life, the television adaptation on Paramount+, to my surprise, became one of my favorite new series of 2023. If you’re a sucker for military science fiction, Halo will do it for you. If you want to see some of the best sci-fi action scenes you’ve seen in a long time on the small screen, Halo is the show you want to tune into. If you want to see aliens attempt to annihilate human beings, buckle up. This action-packed series will take you on a ride for nine episodes that will leave you hankering for more. Take it from me, you don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy. Season two premiered February 8, 2024.
The Last of Us
We can’t talk about Halo without talking about the video game adaptation that took over television this past year. The Last Of Us (HBO) recently announced that season two premieres in 2025, so you have plenty of time to watch the first season and play the game on Playstation before new episodes. Winner of eight Primetime Emmy Awards, Craig Mazin has masterfully brought this world to life, which is set when a global pandemic causes absolute chaos as those infected mutate. If you know people who don’t like zombies, watch this series with them. I guarantee this will bring them to our side. The Last Of Us is more than the zombies that wander the earth. It’s about the survivors—their pasts, their present, and their fight for the future. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer, you’ll shout. You will feel all of the emotions with this one. Prepare the tissues.
Interview With the Vampire
Based on the classic by Anne Rice, you might be thinking we didn’t need another adaptation of Interview With the Vampire (AMC). But this is one instance where you’ll be so happy to be wrong. It’s so culturally rich as it doesn’t shy away from the reality Louis faces as a Black man who is a vampire. By making this change, the series has a depth that most vampire stories don’t have by ignoring the aspects of racial tension over time. There is plenty more to love and appreciate about this series. Take my word for it. Watch it. Thank me later. Season two premieres May 12, 2024.
The Power, School Spirits, the list goes on. What speculative shows in their freshman year do you love or plan on watching soon? Let me know in the comments!
