Image via Apple TV+
By
Billy Fellows
Published 40 minutes ago
Billy is a Senior Features Author for Collider. Having written over 300 articles in just over a year, Billy regularly covers the biggest TV shows and films releasing while also analysing some of the most underrated properties that may slip your attention.
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.
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The streaming wars have dominated the film and TV industry for several years now. As more have popped up, consumers have not only spent more but also been given a larger plethora of viewing options than ever. Each strategic move from streamers like Netflix, Disney+, or Prime Video has been both fascinating and frustrating to watch. One platform that initially seemed like a random maneuver was Apple TV, which suddenly started producing films like Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, and F1.
However, while their films have received lots of attention, both critically and via major awards, Apple TV's variety of sci-fi TV shows stands above all other streaming services thanks to its wide range of stories, incredible production value, and the freedom that it affords creatives to explore different worlds and narratives. While it was one of the last big services to join the streaming race, Apple TV's commitment to the sci-fi genre has put it in good standing for cornering the market in a unique way.
Apple TV Has a Huge Range of Sci-Fi Shows
Compared to other streaming websites, Apple TV has a massive variety of sci-fi shows in its catalogue. While Netflix has series like Stranger Things and 3-Body Problem, and Prime Video currently offers Fallout as its standout sci-fi option, Apple TV boasts several options to attract different types of sci-fi fans. From large IPs with built-in fan bases like Foundation to grounded auteur titles like Severance and Vince Gilligan's Pluribus, to smaller-scale narratives with expansive worlds like Murderbot, Apple TV's shows that will appeal to everyone from hardcore sci-fi fans to those who need to be drawn in by attached names like Ben Stiller.
One site that could compare is Disney+, with Ahsoka, Andor, and Star Wars: Visions all being unique and varied sci-fi entries. However, since these all exist under the Star Wars banner, it automatically discounts those viewers who do not care for the franchise, whether they like the genre or not. In contrast, Apple TV's sci-fi shows exist under their own banners, inviting new audiences without the need for big IP, which allows them to invest in unique creative ideas.
Typically, Apple TV's sci-fi shows are highly effective at combining character-driven plots with philosophical themes. Pluribus makes its viewers care about Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), while also exploring the idea of individuality and free will. Severance's core drive is the story of Mark Scout (Adam Scott) and his quest to save his wife, but it also explores ideas of identity and capitalist greed. These and other examples make Apple TV not just the go-to place for sci-fi TV, but the place to watch prestige sci-fi.
Apple TV Gives Its Sci-Fi Shows the Budgets to Build Expansive Worlds
Pasang posing for a photo at the top of Mount Everest, as featured in the movie Pasang: In the shadow of EverestImage via Follow Your Dream Foundation
Whether it's Murderbot or Pluribus, the production value of Apple TV's sci-fi shows has always been top-tier. One of the things that certainly helps this is that Apple is not as dependent on the profitability of its shows like Netflix is. With its technology branch of the company generating over $200 billion from iPhones alone in 2024, ignoring iPads and MacBooks. This allows the streamer to give each show it produces the proper care it deserves, with Silo, Severance, and Pluribus all being handed a minimum of $15 million per episode.
While Severance is full of fascinatingly brutalist architecture and winding sets that allow for stunning sequences, such as Mark running down corridor after corridor, Pluribus focuses on scale in the real world. In the opening episode, watching Carol navigate her way through different landscapes trying to save her wife, while hundreds of extras move fluidly, emphasizes the horrific scale of the assimilation occurring. What this proves is that Apple TV doesn't just trust its brand, but also the creatives behind each series. Because these vibrant worlds all feel unique and fascinating, it is clear that minds like Stiller and Gilligan are being given the freedom to pursue their own vision.
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Posts By Jessie Nguyen Jan 15, 2025Apple TV's Sci-Fi Strategy Separates It From Other Streamers
Murderbot diving into action in Episode 9Image via Apple TV+
One of the more likable aspects of Apple TV's strategy when it pertains to sci-fi is how it allows its shows to find an audience. In the past, Netflix has been guilty of canceling shows full of potential, leaving fans extremely disappointed and put off from the streamer. In comparison, Apple TV has shown a willingness to renew, rather than cancel. Shows like For All Mankind and Murderbot have not had the largest audiences, yet have still earned renewal, leaving the potential for the audience to grow with each season.
When it comes to the streaming wars, this puts Apple TV in a fantastic position. If it is the home of sci-fi, rather than an IP that fluctuates in popularity. Even if one Apple TV sci-fi show fails, which hasn't happened yet, that doesn't mean that viewers will automatically assume their next entry will also flop compared to cinematic universes like Star Wars, the MCU, and The Witcher, which have suffered from fans becoming disengaged with the property as a whole, making a bounce back that much harder. This allows Apple TV to set itself apart from other streamers, since it isn't where viewers go for a mixed bag of shows and films or for nostalgic properties. While it initially may have seemed silly for Apple to enter an industry it had no foothold in to begin with, its smart sci-fi strategy might just put it in an unbeatable position as the streaming wars rage on.
Severance
TV-MA
Drama
Mystery
Science Fiction
Release Date
February 17, 2022
Genres
Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
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