The apocalypse will indeed be televised
The TV adaptation of the video game franchise “Fallout” has been a smash hit for Amazon, garnering over 2.9 billion minutes viewed in its first five days, enough to set a one-week best record for the platform.
The series has officially been renewed for a second season, with production already underway. No release date has been shared just yet, but considering the massive success of season 1, we’d guess that Amazon is looking to fast-track the production of new episodes, making a 2025 release possible.
Though next year seems far away, if you’re looking to recapture some of ‘Fallout’s’ futuristic, post-apocalyptic, or sci-fi vibes, we’ve got a few picks that will hopefully hold you over until next year. Here are five shows like “Fallout” to watch while you wait.
‘Silo’
Based on the acclaimed “Wool” trilogy of novels, “Silo” dives into a dystopian future where humanity survives in a colossal underground structure ruled by an iron fist. Those who question the established order are punished by being forced to leave the Silo and face an agonizing, slow death in the wasteland above, which is broadcast for all to see.
The story follows the new Silo Sheriff Juliette, who was appointed to the position to investigate several mysterious deaths. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a vast conspiracy hidden by Silo’s ruling class, which threatens the very foundation of the society she thought she knew.
Featuring an incredible performance from “Dune” star Rebecca Ferguson and a twisty story that will keep viewers guessing this drama is definitely one that will appeal to those who enjoy exploring the social implications of a closed-off post-apocalyptic society.
‘The Last of Us’
Widely hailed as one of the best video game adaptations ever made, HBO’s “The Last of Us” takes place in the wake of a devastating cordyceps fungal outbreak that infects and transforms most of humanity into zombie-like monsters overnight. With no cure in sight, the last of humanity fights to survive in the wake of this existential threat.
The first season follows Joel, a smuggler who has lost all faith in humanity in the wake of the Cordyceps outbreak. However, a glimmer of hope arrives in the form of teenager Ellie, who is seemingly immune to the fungal infection. Joel is tasked with bringing her to a medical facility to hopefully find a cure, but with threats on all sides from both humans and Cordyceps, the duo must face a brutal and unforgiving world on their quest to give humanity one last shot at survival.
‘Station Eleven’
Another post-apocalyptic drama, “Station Eleven” is unique as it uses a non-linear structure to explore the cultural ramifications that follow a population utterly decimated by a flu pandemic. Viewers experience this through the eyes of Kristen, who was only a child when the pandemic hit.
Kristen grows up surrounded by unspeakable loss and horror as society collapses around her, but finds a strange comfort in the story of “Station Eleven,” an in-universe graphic novel that tethers her to the world before the pandemic and fuels her desire to re-form society through art and performance as she fights to truly live in a world that needs more than just the tools for survival.
‘Chernobyl’
The real-life nuclear Incident widely known by the same name is the inspiration for “Chernobyl,” a historical drama that recounts the 1986 disaster. This gripping series shows both the events leading up to the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, as well as the sacrifices made by rescue teams and plant workers to contain the disaster and prevent a worse catastrophe.
Though it is exceptionally dark in tone and unforgiving in showing the human toll of the disaster, “Fallout” fans may appreciate the series’ unflinching look at the real-world costs of nuclear power.
‘Fringe’
Full of “hard” sci-fi concepts like parallel worlds, bio-engineering and time travel “Fringe” follows Olivia Dunham, an FBI agent assigned to a mysterious division called the Fringe Division that investigates bizarre and seemingly unexplainable phenomena that defy conventional science. To understand these inexplicable occurrences, Olivia works alongside brilliant but eccentric scientist, Walter Bishop, and his son Peter, who both hold a mysterious connection to an alternate universe that could threaten the very existence of our world.
While it starts out as a paranormal procedural similar to “The X Files,” sci-fi drama “Fringe” grows into a more serialized drama in its later seasons, exploring the power of familial bonds and the devastating effect one seemingly well-intentioned lie can have across multiple worlds.