Over the years, we’ve welcomed and then lost a bunch of sci-fi and fantasy shows. Some of them were canceled way too soon, leaving us with a lot of questions. A lot of these deserve to make a comeback in some sort of way.
Sometimes shows actually do come back. Series like Night Court and Dexter are getting revivals (and prequels) while shows like Matlock and Hawaii Five-O are getting or have had reboots happen. It’s rare that the sci-fi and fantasy genres get the same treatment, though, and this is the genre with some of the best storytelling.
Here are five such series that deserve to make a comeback, and one of them is from 2024.
Quantum Leap
Okay, Quantum Leap actually did get to come back. The two-season reboot of the 1980s sci-fi series was, in fact, a revival. It honored the OG series through the use of Ziggy and the addition of Al’s family, and there was some sort of hope that we would eventually find out what happened to Sam, the lead character from the first show. Original series star Scott Bakula wasn’t involved, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be answers.
The new series was canceled way too soon. I partly blame NBC’s questionable scheduling for the series. The series ended on a major cliffhanger that left some hope for Addison and Ben to find their way back to each other romantically.
One of the great things about time travel shows is that they can take us anywhere. The revival changed some of the rules set in the OG series, allowing Ben to go further into the past and future and opening the door from some amazing storylines. We also got to spend more time in the present day to see Ben’s team work on fixing the problem of him being unstuck in time, helping with the leaps, which is something the OG series couldn’t do.
Dark Matter
Not to be confused with the Apple TV+ series of the same name, Dark Matter aired on Syfy for three seasons. It was about a crew on a ship waking up with absolutely no memory of who they were, why they were put to sleep, and what they were supposed to be doing. They gave each other numbers based on the order that they woke up.
Over the course of the three seasons, we learned more about who they were and what they had done. We learned why their memories were wiped, and we saw them figure out who they could be with a fresh start.
The series was canceled abruptly, which is a common thing with Syfy shows, sadly. Dark Matter needs to make a comeback; it had an intriguing premise and brought up some great questions about morality and survival.
Firefly
This series has to be on the list, right? It’s one of the fantasy shows that almost everyone can agree was canceled way too soon. And the cancellation was unfair considering the network (FOX!) completely messed up with the way it aired. While there was the movie Serenity to help wrap up a few storylines, it wasn’t enough for fans.
This outer space western has gained a cult following despite only having one season, plus the movie. The film left us with a lot of questions about where the characters could go from here. On top of that, many of the stars from the series are still good friends and adored their time on it.
The downside to this one is who created the series. Yes, it was Joss Whedon, who has since been exiled from Hollywood after a public scandal involving his behavior on other TV shows and movies. There are some great storytellers out there who could do this series justice, though.
The OA
When it comes to sci-fi, we often want things that make us think. The OA, about a young woman who reappears after a seven-year absence with mysterious marks on her back, did that, but Netflix abruptly canceled the show after two seasons. It was the start of a terrible trend from streaming networks.
This series had a five-season arc planned out and we would love to see how it was supposed to play out. It also has a strong following years after the cancellation, with shorts showing up on TikTok and YouTube Shorts to bring in new followers.
If a series can still have a loyal following and find a new audience years after it gets cancelled, it deserves to make a comeback.
The Expanse
After initially being canceled by Syfy and then saved by Prime Video, The Expanse was canceled again. While Prime Video would like to say that the show was “final seasoned,” it is clear from the writing that that wasn’t the case. There were still a few more books from The Expanse novel series by James S. A. Corey to adapt, and we were left with an ending that was lackluster and confusing.
The Expanse was more than just a sci-fi series. Through its cast of working class space-farers, it explored politics, human rights, and planetary ecology. The show managed to weather backstage drama and scandal without letting it show onscreen, and we got to know some terrific characters; who didn’t adore Bobbie?
The Expanse had a loyal following from the beginning. It was another series cursed by networks and streamers, but it had the legs to go much further. Now all we need is a network with the guts to bring us more of the story.
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