Blake’s 7, Stargate, The Outer Limits, Dark Matter, and more sci fi properties that would be good options for the entertainment industry as it moves into a more cost-conscious era.
According to FX president John Landgraf, the Peak TV Era has ended as 2023 saw a notable drop in the number of scripted shows that hit the airwaves and streaming services. And the head of BBC Drama Lindsay Salt has said that the industry is heading into a time of “peak caution” and that “the big bets of the boom era are a thing of the past”. The latter statement certainly rings true as we have seen the streaming services going through major cutbacks over the last couple of years (killing off beloved shows like Raised by Wolves, Lockwood & Co., Final Space, and more) and as the linear networks have continued to shy away from scripted programming. Mega-dollar productions like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime Video), Sandman (Netflix), and House of the Dragon (HBO) will likely become less common among scripted output as the industry shifts to less in the way of blockbuster programming and more options like Netflix’s crime drama Griselda which has proven hugely popular.
With that in mind, I have come up with five sci fi TV properties that would be a good fit in the current landscape where costs will need to be contained but name recognition is still important. Genre fans may need to adjust expectations on production values, but sci fi TV has proven that it can produce quality shows without spending a lot of money.
Blake’s 7
This late-70s/early-80s British entry followed a group of rebels fighting against the Terran Federation that had an iron grip on the known galaxy (read more about the show at Cult-SciFi.com). It delivered full-on space opera with a dystopian twist, and some might think that a reboot/revival would be expensive to produce because of the special effects required. But I believe that it could be a more economical property, maybe along the lines of pre-Disney+ Doctor Who. The fact is that the original series got by on a shoestring budget and still went on to attract a notable following along with strong name recognition in the sci fi community. If the series were to focus on the stories and characters (just like the original did) and avoid the CGI-overload that we have seen from shows like the recent Trek spin-offs, it could keep costs reasonable. Current technology allows for decent sfx without breaking the bank, and good sci fi TV knows how to tell an engaging tale without relying too heavily on the effects. The original Blake’s 7 succeeded at that when at its best and could do so again. This could either be a complete reboot of the property or it could follow the Next Generation path that Paul Darrow had envisioned with Avon passing the torch to a new group of rebels. B7 may not have had a lot of exposure in the United States, but it is still a known property and would certainly draw an audience.
Stargate
This one is a no-brainer, and it should have already happened once Amazon bought up MGM. Stargate is a beloved property within the sci fi community and there are plenty of opportunities to continue it with a new series. Plus, if they follow a format similar to SG-1, it does not have to be super-expensive. That was the brilliance of that show in that it delivered a planet-hopping exploration of the galaxy, but it did it on a budget because the Stargate sfx were much cheaper than spaceships. Fans have already made it clear that they want a revival of this one and not a reboot (are you listening, Amazon?), and an SG-1: The Next Generation approach would probably be the best way forward. That could bring in some characters from the original series, check in on the Atlantis crew, possibly resolve the cliffhanger from Stargate Universe, while also carrying on the franchise by exploring its own path. Word is that something is currently in the works, and hopefully they acknowledge and respect the large following that Stargate has developed over its multiple incarnations. This property is definitely ripe for a continuation and it doesn’t need a Rings of Power size budget.
Genesis II
Whenever I do an exercise like this, I always bring up at least one of the failed Gene Roddenberry pilots, and I am doing it again with Genesis II. That was an early-70s film that took place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where a group known as PAX is trying to rebuild the planet through science and peaceful principles (you can read more about it at this link). It initiated a mini-genre I refer to as “Land Trek” which follows a similar template to Star Trek‘s exploring new societies each week, but grounded instead of traveling through space (more on that at this link). Genesis II offered a solid premise and could have turned into a great sci fi TV show if given a chance (CBS instead went for name recognition and gave the greenlight to the Planet of the Apes TV series). The property still has plenty of potential and it could be done on a reasonable budget. Plus, it carries Gene Roddenberry’s name which will certainly draw an audience. I have been championing a reboot of this one for a long time, and now certainly looks like the perfect time. The Questor Tapes and Assignment: Earth are also good options and you can read about those at this link.
The Outer Limits
Both this show and The Twilight Zone are perennially ripe for a reboot/revival due to their anthology format. CBS brought back TZ a few years back on its streaming service (then called CBS All Access) and sadly cancelled that after two pretty good seasons. So next up should be The Outer Limits. The original is certainly a rather cheesy affair with its monster-of-the-week format, but it still stands out as a classic due to the strength of its writing. If a revival were to focus on story over special effects, it could deliver a strong sci fi TV series on a reasonable budget (and the ’90s revival did just that for seven seasons). This one certainly brings plenty of name recognition, and I am guessing there are a lot of talented writers and directors (along with actors/actresses) who would be interested in jumping onboard. Word is that a revival has been in the works, so now is the time to get some momentum on that.
Dark Matter
Not to be confused with the upcoming Apple TV+ series based on the book by Blake Crouch, this sci fi series about a group of people who wake up on a starship with no memory of why they are there developed a notable following over its three-season run on Syfy. But sadly it was cancelled by the network and did not get the chance to wrap up its storylines. Co-creator Joseph Mallozzi has put together a game plan for a six-episodes mini-series wrap up, and it could prove to be a subscription booster if one of the streamers picked up that and the first three seasons. Or perhaps they could let it go for a couple of years or more as Mallozzi had at least five seasons planned for the show. This was originally done on a basic cable budget, so it could prove to be a very economical scripted entry. And fans lobbied hard for this one after the cancellation, so it brings a built-in audience. The clock is certainly ticking on this property, and now would be a great time to bring it back.
Bonus Entry:
The Orville
This Seth McFarlane-driven space adventure series is technically not cancelled at this point, but I am still throwing it out there as an obvious low-hanging fruit in the current television landscape. This show was considered more faithful to the spirit of Star Trek than the streaming spin-offs when it first arrived and it has developed a notable following. The third season–which shifted to Hulu after Disney bought 20th Century Television–turned into a big budget affair, but they could scale that back to keep costs down. The first two seasons did not have as much money behind them but still produced some excellent episodes, and fans are certainly looking for more from this one. We know that The Orville can produce some good sci fi stories and it has a great cast of characters, so give it the greenlight for a fourth season already and scale back the CGI-overload to make it more affordable.
What other sci fi properties would be a good fit in a cost-conscious landscape? Chime in with your thoughts below.
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