Sci Fi TV Highlights: Weekly post looking at the upcoming schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows as well as recent news and/or trailers of note. The dates and times shown below can change with little to no notice.
Sci Fi TV News of Note:
You heard it on the Axiom’s Edge Sci Fi sites first, Manifest will be getting a spin-off at Netflix and that will be titled Arrivals: A New Manifest Mystery. An entry for Manifest: Arrivals appeared in the Production Weekly listings back on December 18th, and that was pointed out on CancelledSciFi.com at the time while the rest of the mainstream media ignored it. It has been officially confirmed now, and Deadline gives the following description:
In Arrivals, when a mysterious plane crash-lands in Denver, the passengers emerge with no memory of who they are, where they came from, or why they’re here. A young social worker and a novice Homeland Security agent team up with the new arrivals in an attempt to stop a humanity-ending catastrophe, discovering along the way that they are all part of the very puzzle they’re trying to solve.
Original series creator Jeff Rake will be helming the series, and there had been rumors of a spin-off for a while, with fans very supportive of the idea. Back in August 2024, Rake posted the following on social media:
MANIFEST UPDATE
Hey Manifesters! I know. It’s been a long time.
No green light yet, but fyi my partners and I are working nonstop to bring you the spinoff you deserve. Keep the faith.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 828!!!
The announcement confirming the spin-off came on “828 Day” at 8:28 AM PST, referencing the original Flight 828 from the main series. The writer’s room for the new show has been assembled, and this one will likely be looking at a mid to late 2027 premiere.
The future of Doctor Who remains uncertain after Disney+ bowed out and as the BBC is looking for other partners to help fund future seasons. Fortunately, their are some interested parties, with Amazon currently coming to the forefront. At the Edinburgh TV Festival, Amazon’s Senior Commissioner for UK Scripted Oliver Jones was asked whether his company would consider picking up the property and his comment was: “I love Doctor Who, and we welcome any conversations around IP”. And while that definitely does not represent any sort of commitment to moving forward with a partnership, the company has plans to significantly increase its spending on UK content. Stargate‘s Michael Shanks put up the following post on Twitter, commenting on the situation:
Really?? Do they? #SaveStargate https://t.co/hojij3oT44
— Michael Shanks (@MichaelShanks) August 29, 2026
Amazon cancelled plans for a Stargate revival despite widespread support among fans, and Shanks is one of many who has been pushing for them to reconsider the decision.
Back in 2023, a live-action reboot of the 1994 animated series Gargoyles was announced at Disney+, but there have been no updates since then. At Expo Canada, series creator Greg Weisman was asked about the status of the show and he claimed “that’s dead”. He did suggest that an animated reboot/revival could still go forward, but there are no current plan for the live-action version.
Apple TV has acquired the rights to the British supernatural comedy Small Prophets which streamed in that country earlier this year. Deadline gives the following description of the property:
Small Prophets follows Pearce Quigley as the eccentric Michael Sleep, an ordinary man who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has worked in a DIY store, while visiting his elderly dad Brian and hoping for Clea to return. One day, Brian shares an old recipe for a potion so a skeptical Michael can create homunculi – magical spirits that can predict the future – to learn if he will see Clea again.
The series comes from Mackenzie Crook (Detectorists) and it also stars Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan, Michael Palin, Jon Pointing, and Paul Kaye. It is set to premiere October 7th on Apple TV.
The BBC sci fi comedy Ann Droids, about self-help robots, has been renewed for a second season. That one stars Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston and proved to be one of the biggest hits of the year for the BBC in its first season. It has not aired or streamed in the U.S. yet, but will likely get imported at some point.
Production for Season 8 of Black Mirror has begun which could have that on target to premiere on Netflix late 2027 or early 2028. And quietly slipping on the schedule is Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 Season 2 which will have its premiere September 17th (see the trailer for that below).
Tim Curry passed away this last week at age 80 and he is known to sci fi TV fans for his appearance in 1994’s Earth 2 as well as his extensive voice work which includes shows like Voltron: The Third Dimension and Young Justice. He is best known for his role as Dr. Frank-n-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Also passing away was Peter Cullen at age 85, best known for voicing Optimus Prime in the 1980s Transformers series and also in Michael Bay’s big screen adaptation of the property from the 2000s.
Keep up with the latest sci fi TV news and discuss current and past shows at r/SciFiTV and stay up to date on the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts.
Schedule Notes:
This week brings no premieres for sci fi and fantasy TV shows, and it will be the same next week as well. But things will start to ramp up mid-September as Fall 2026 currently has close to thirty premieres on the schedule. Below are the full listings for the current week, and you can see the three-month view of the schedule at this link.
Prime Time Sci Fi TV Listings for the Week of Aug 31 – Sep 6
Links are to the show pages on this site with additional series info, trailers, updates and more. Broadcast/Cable Listings Source: TVGuide.com
| Monday August 31 |
| The Librarians: The Next Chapter (TNT) 9:00-10:00 |
| Futurama (Hulu) Streaming |
| Tuesday September 1 |
| No Genre Entries |
| Wednesday September 2 |
| The Ark (Syfy) 10:00-11:00 |
| Thursday September 3 |
| Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+) Streaming |
| Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (HBO MAX) Streaming |
| Friday September 4 |
| Silo (Apple TV) Streaming |
| Dark Matter (Apple TV) Streaming |
| Saturday September 5 |
| No Genre Entries |
| Sunday September 6 |
| The Librarians: The Next Chapter (TNT) 9:00-10:00 |
| Lanterns (HBO) 9:00-10:00 |
| The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) 9:00-10:00 |
| President Curtis (ADSW) 11:30-12:00 |
Sci Fi TV Trailers:
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (Netflix): With Valentine’s Day on the way, the gang must uncover the truth behind ghostly apparitions and a swarm of strange creatures causing chaos around town. Season 2 Premieres September 17th.
You can see more recent sci fi TV trailers at r/SciFiTV.
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