We've made it to the end of another major year for TV shows and movies. Not only were we glued to our TVs month after month, but we also got the historic writers' and actors' strikes. In 2023, the creatives behind many of our favorite titles stood up for their rights and demanded better terms for their contracts with the studios. Fortunately, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unions were successful after months of picketing and negotiating, and we're so relieved productions can go forward again.
2023 was a big one for the entertainment industry, and now that some of the biggest shows on TV can go back to writing and filming, we're expecting 2024 and 2025 to be filled to the brim with exciting stuff for us to watch. The only unfortunate part of this equation is that many of the shows we love are coming to a close. As we look ahead to the next couple of years, let's break down the biggest sci-fi and fantasy shows nearing their ends. They've had a great run!
1. What We Do in the Shadows
After the success of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's hilarious vampire mockumentary film of the same name in 2014, What We Do in the Shadows premiered on FX in 2019. The series follows a group of vampires living as roommates in Staten Island, New York, navigating the ever-changing modern world together. Each of the vampires has their own unique, quirky personality which makes for funny and endearing moments as they deal with conflicts and encounter other supernatural beings.
The cast of What We Do in the Shadows, including Matt Berry, Kavyan Novak, Harvey Guillén, Natasia Demetriou, and Mark Proksch, has such great chemistry together that it's impossible not to feel connected to their characters. The show does a great job of mixing satirical comedy with light horror, and it's given us so many quotable moments since its premiere. It's no surprise the series has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards and other accolades.
The fifth season aired this summer, and it unsurprisingly brought more laughs and memorable moments. Unfortunately, while a sixth season has been confirmed, it will be the show's last. The final season does not have a premiere date yet, but considering the show has released new seasons like clockwork since it began in 2019, we're expecting season 6 sometime in 2024.
2. Star Wars: The Bad Batch
The Star Wars universe might feel a bit stale these days, but at least their animated offerings have continued to deliver. A sequel spinoff to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiered on Disney+ in 2021 and has been a welcome exploration of interesting characters and lore. The show starts off at the end of The Clone Wars and follows a group of clone troopers called Clone Force 99, otherwise known as the Bad Batch. The Bad Batch is able to resist Order 66, which turned all of their fellow troopers into drone soldiers for the Empire. The show follows the group as they try to carve out new lives for themselves.
Dee Bradley Baker, who voiced Captain Rex and other clone troopers in The Clone Wars and Rebels, returned for The Bad Batch to play each member of the mutated group. The series also stars Michelle Ang as Omega, another defective clone the Bad Batch meets in season 1. Similar to the Star Wars animated series before it, The Bad Batch is action-packed, wholesome, and thought-provoking. It might not be as good as its predecessors, but it's still an entertaining watch.
After three seasons, Star Wars: The Bad Batch will come to an end sometime in 2024.
There are several more shows ending next year. Click the button below to read on: