The fall television season is here, and that means dozens of new and returning shows will be flooding your screen over the next month. However, this fall season stands out more than most, particularly because there is a lot here for sci-fi fans to love.
Sci-fi has had a few rough years on TV, with anticipated shows not living up to their billing and beloved shows getting the ax all too soon. Well, thanks to networks like Syfy, who recently committed to returning to its sci-fi roots, and other networks picking up on the trend, science fiction is all over TV now, both with old and new shows alike.
So what can sci-fi fans look forward to this fall TV season? Here's a guide to every sci-fi show airing this fall.
Continuum
Network: Syfy
Premiere Date: Sept. 4
It took Syfy a long time to get the fourth season of this Canadian show available in the U.S., but Continuum's first episode of its final season aired just last week on the network. Continuum follows the exploits of Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols), a police officer from the future stuck in the past. Is this the season where Kiera finally finds her way home? Does home even exist for Kiera anymore?
This show has a lot of time travel wibbly-wobbly for sci-fi fans, but also serves as a police procedural. And this season has an alternate even worse future to deal with, so it's going to prove interesting to see if Kiera can not only make things better, but return to the future from which she came, even though she's already certain she's changed it.
Doctor Who
Network: BBC America
Premiere Date: Sept. 19
Doctor Who is hardly a new series and has a history that goes back over 50 years, but it's still one of the most highly anticipated series premieres this fall for sci-fan fans. Maybe it's because Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor is still fairly new and finding himself, meaning that we have no idea what to expect this season beyond the few teasers the BBC offered us. We know we'll see more Zygons this season, as well as the return of Missy, but beyond that, who knows?
We also have the names of all 12 episodes of the new season, but as to what those names mean is anyone's guess. But who cares when you're traveling with the Doctor, right?
If you still haven't managed to catch up on Doctor Who, you only have a few days left to watch some key episodes that explain the series.
And if you're still a little lost on the concept of the Doctor often changing faces, here's a guide on why that happens.
Minority Report
Network: Fox
Premiere Date: Sept. 21
Let's face it: Fox's track record with science fiction isn't all that great: just ask any Firefly fan what they think about sci-fi on Fox and you'll probably get someone who's sworn to never watch anything on that network again. And those perceptions about the network are often true: even its most recent sci-fi offering, Almost Human, got the ax after just one season, much to the chagrin of its fans.
However, Fox keeps trying, and this time it's with Minority Report, based on the movie of the same name, but focused instead on the precogs of that film: those people who have the ability to see crime before it happens. It's definitely worth a watch, but don't get too attached, just in case.
Limitless
Network: CBS
Premiere Date: Sept. 22
Limitless was once a movie with Bradley Cooper, but now it's a TV show about a man who takes a drug called NZT-48 that increases his IQ, making him the most intelligent human to ever live. This means that he has perfect recall of everything he's experienced, read, heard or seen, resulting in a TV series that follows his adventures.
CBS isn't exactly known for its sci-fi programming, but the network seems to want to change its perception by offering more genre television this fall with shows like this and Supergirl.
The Leftovers
Network: HBO
Premiere Date: Oct. 4
The Leftovers, a drama that takes place three years after the inexplicable disappearance of 140 million people on Earth, comes back for its second season this fall. Showrunner Damen Lindelof (Lost) promises changes for the newest episodes, and teasers of the new season show that there are some places on Earth that escaped the "sudden departure." Some questions will probably get answered, but it's likely that more will get asked, which is Lindelof's trademark.
Haven
Network: Syfy
Premiere Date: Oct. 8
If you've watched Syfy's Haven from the beginning, you'll know the show's story covers a lot of genres, including both horror and sci-fi. This season marks its last and we'll, hopefully, finally know what happens to Audrey after she discovered her true identity last season, as well as how that affects her relationships with Nathan and Duke.
Also, will the town of Haven finally get cured of its Troubles? Or will the town forever deal with people cursed with a "gift" they did not want or ask for, powers that often result in others' deaths.
William Shatner joins the cast of Haven this season as a "pivotal character."
Photo: Syfy
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