Apple’s push into original programming continues to take shape, as on Friday the company unveiled a third scripted series. According to Deadline, Battlestar Galactica and Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore will write a new space drama for the platform, with Fargo co-executive producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi also on board. The still-untitled project will imagine a world in which the global space race is ongoing.
With respect to Outlander—a show that I recently learned involves time travel—Moore returning to space for a series is the real draw here. Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica is one of my favorite shows of all time, and one of the best science-fiction series ever made, featuring weighty political themes that would feel particularly resonant right now. Moore’s dialogue can lean a bit on the preachy side—and with an extension of the Cold War at play, he’ll undoubtedly add commentary about our current political climate—but here’s hoping he doesn’t go overboard.
Friday’s announcement continues sci-fi’s minor TV renaissance. After years of toiling with mediocre shows and network makeovers, Syfy is finally creating sci-fi dramas (The Expanse, The Magicians) that come close to matching Battlestar; CBS All Access’s Star Trek: Discovery is off to a good start; and HBO’s promising Westworld could improve in Season 2 if it eases up on the puzzle-box narrative threads.
For Apple, Moore’s new series diversifies what is looking like an impressive early slate of shows. In addition to Moore’s space drama, Apple has a forthcoming reboot of the Amazing Stories anthology series from Bryan Fuller and Steven Spielberg, and a morning news drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.
