Saturday, May 31, 2014

Post-apocalyptic television shows after ‘Revolution’: Lots more to come

NBC’s “Revolution” may be gone, but there are a bunch of post-apocalyptic TV shows waiting in the wings.
Four post-apocalyptic TV dramas are currently airing. They are: AMC’s zombie apocalypse series “The Walking Dead,” the CW’s post-nuclear war drama “The 100,” TNT’s alien combat show “Falling Skies” and Syfy’s alien invasion series “Defiance.”
I’ve written previously about how I think the proliferation of post-apocalyptic shows mirrors our nation’s psyche following 9-11, the Great Recession and Washington’s increased corruption. (See Nov. 30, 2013, article.)


I count at least 12 more post-apocalyptic TV shows in production.
Next month will see the premieres of three such shows.
On June 19, Syfy will premiere “Dominion,” a series based on the 2010 movie “Legion.” The show is described as a supernatural action drama set 25 years after an army of angels waged war on mankind.
On June 22, TNT will premiere “The Last Ship,” which takes place after a global pandemic wipes out 80% of the world’s population.
On June 29, HBO will premiere “The Leftovers,” which concerns a small town dealing with the aftermath of a global Rapture-like event where 2% of the world’s population abruptly disappears without explanation.
But wait, there’s more.
“The X-Files” creator Chris Carter is developing a post-apocalyptic drama series for Amazon.com called “The After.”
Syfy is making a TV series based on the movie “12 Monkeys.” The story follows a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race. It is set to premiere in January 2015, EW and Deadline report.
Syfy also is hoping to do a TV series based on the movie “Waterworld,” which takes place after the polar ice caps melt and flood the Earth.
“The Walking Dead” could be joined by three more zombie apocalypse shows.
AMC is working on an unnamed “Walking Dead” spin-off series. It will feature a new cast of characters dealing with the zombie apocalypse. AMC hopes to premiere the show in 2015, GeekTyrant says.
Syfy is working on its own zombie apocalypse show called “Z Nation.” The 13-episode first season is slated to premiere this fall, EW reports.
Microsoft is starting to produce original TV shows based on its video game franchises. First up is the sci-fi combat drama “Halo.” It could be followed by a TV show based on its zombie survival-horror game “State of Decay,” according to AP.
AMC also is making a series called “Galyntine,” a post-apocalyptic tale about a society that eschews all forms of technology following a global disaster. Sounds a bit like the dearly departed “Revolution.”
USA Network is developing a show called “Colony,” which is a drama set in Los Angeles after an alien invasion and occupation, according to SciFi Mafia.
And finally, on a lighter note, Fox will premiere a high-concept comedy in 2015 starring Will Forte called “Last Man on Earth,” according to EW and the Huffington Post.

See also: List of post-apocalyptic TV dramas.


Photos: Posters for “Dominion” and “The 100”; still photo from “Last Man on Earth.” 

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