7 Sci-fi TV Shows Plagued by Behind-the-Scenes Drama

by

Exceptional science fiction TV series can become cultural phenomenons unlike anything else. The rich and intricate stories set within their unique universes captivate audiences throughout numerous seasons. Moreover, the imaginative visuals of sci-fi enable profound human experiences to be portrayed in ways that would be unattainable in any other genre. However, when these shows falter, they often result in costly and disappointing failures.

Certain science fiction TV series, notably, are notable instances of how backstage turmoil can derail promising television shows, even those set in distant galaxies. Despite their focus on unexplored cosmic realms, these science fiction productions didn’t escape the familiar challenges.

1) The Orville

In simple terms, Seth MacFarlane’s attempt to create a TV series inspired by Star Trek had a strong start in autumn 2017, but issues started arising during its third season, which transitioned from airing on Fox to Hulu. Following this move, the COVID-19 pandemic halted production of the third season for several months. Consequently, when the third season finally began streaming, it was nearly three years after The Orville’s second season finale had aired. Continuous difficulties in filming and finding an appropriate platform for The Orville made it challenging to build and maintain a loyal fanbase.

2) Heroes

The phrase ‘Save the cheerleader, save the world’ symbolized the popular series ‘Heroes’, which significantly boosted NBC’s ratings during its run in 2006. However, as the third season unfolded, viewers began to express dissatisfaction with the show’s quality. This led to a succession of writers and creative personnel, with figures like Bryan Fuller and director Greg Beeman joining and departing from the production team. The continuous changes in the creative staff ultimately worsened the artistic issues that ‘Heroes’ faced. In the end, the series ended quietly after four seasons, followed by a poorly received miniseries revival in 2015.

3) The Peripheral

Despite COVID-19 causing delays in filming, the science fiction series The Peripheral, produced by the team behind Westworld and starring Chloe Grace Moretz, premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2022 with relatively little production turmoil. However, trouble arose for the show a few months following its release when Hollywood experienced labor strikes in 2023. These events ultimately led to Amazon canceling a series that was well on its way to a second season. Even shows with seemingly seamless productions can encounter unexpected obstacles down the line.

4) Foundation

Transforming Isaac Asimov’s cherished novel “Foundation” into a sprawling multi-season TV series was bound to be difficult. However, Apple TV+’s “Foundation” encountered a major issue during its third season. This hurdle materialized when the show’s main architect, David S. Goyer, relinquished his role as showrunner. This unexpected event took place right in the midst of filming the third season, meaning this expensive production was forced to undergo a substantial creative overhaul at a particularly vulnerable time. To make matters worse, it seems that this production faced additional challenges behind the scenes as its budget came under intense scrutiny, further complicating the tumultuous journey of this show.

5) Bionic Woman

In the late 70s television, “The Bionic Woman” ran for 58 episodes. However, its 2007 remake, also titled “Bionic Woman,” didn’t fare as well. This NBC series faced numerous delays in development before it was given the go-ahead, a potential red flag indicating difficulties in creating an engaging twist on the theme of a crime-fighting female cyborg. Unfortunately, the 2007-2008 Writers’ Guild of America strike significantly impacted “Bionic Woman.” By the time eight episodes could be produced before the strike began, NBC decided to cancel the show following the end of this prolonged event. Despite years of preparation, “Bionic Woman” was short-lived.

6) Secret Invasion

Among the challenging Marvel Studios productions, “Secret Invasion” stands out as the one that faced the most setbacks during its development. The upcoming June 2023 miniseries featuring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury has gone through numerous reshoots and lacked a clear creative direction throughout its production. To make matters worse, one of the show’s original directors, Thomas Bezucha, left the project, with Ali Selim taking over as director for all six episodes. “Secret Invasion” encountered numerous difficulties during filming, earning it a reputation as one of the least popular MCU projects, comparable to “Iron Fist.” If you are interested in watching it, you can find it streaming on Disney+.

7) Y: The Last Man

One TV series that has experienced an exceptionally tumultuous journey from concept to airtime is Y: The Last Man. For years, this project was in development at FX, only to eventually gain traction towards the end of the 2010s. However, mere months after it seemed the adaptation of the widely-acclaimed graphic novel was running smoothly, showrunners Michael Green and Aida Mashaka Croal departed from the production. In the blink of an eye, just a few weeks before filming for the first season was scheduled to commence, Barry Keoghan stepped down from the lead role. To add to the series’ misfortune, the start date of Y: The Last Man was pushed back by several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eventually, following numerous events, the series Y: The Last Man debuted in September 2021, but unfortunately, it was abruptly cancelled just weeks before its conclusion. In every possible aspect, the off-screen struggles of Y: The Last Man were a horrifying ordeal even more harrowing than any dystopian apocalypse depicted in the series.

https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/marvel-shows-mistakes-suggestions-improvement-disney-plus-ironheart-mcu/embed/#

Read More

2025-07-19 03:40