The Expanse, Gateway & More: Four Sci-Fi Series We Can’t Wait To See

Let's see what's out there on the horizon.

By David Wharton | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

LotusCaves

High Moon (Syfy)

What is it?
When you say the words “Space Western,” your mind generally goes in one of two directions. You could be talking about a Western with space or sci-fi elements, such as the mediocre Cowboys and Aliens. Or you could be talking about a science fiction series with Western elements, such as the much-missed Firefly. High Moon is very much in the latter camp. Based on the novel The Lotus Caves by Tripods author John Christopher, High Moon is set in a future where various nations have established Moon colonies. After the U.S. government sends an investigator to look into the circumstances of a mysterious explosion, he soon discovers something even more shocking: life.

Why should we care?
Bryan Fuller’s name has long been both a blessing and a curse. He’s been the mind behind some of the most unique and unforgettable television of the last two decades…but almost all of those shows died an early death. Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies. Hell, he even made a Munsters update (NBC’s ill-fated Mockingbird Lane pilot) that left me craving more. He’s one of those talents, alongside fellow Wonderfalls vet Tim Minear (X-Files, Firefly), whose involvement in a project guarantees my interest, even though I know there’s a good chance it’s going to be amazing and then break my heart with a premature cancellation.

Should we get our hopes up?
See above. The combination of Fuller’s bad luck and Syfy as the parent network would have had me assuming DOA status for High Moon only a few months ago, but as I said back at the beginning, Syfy seems to be trying hard to change its stripes. However, unlike a lot of Syfy’s recently greenlit projects, High Moon was ordered as a 90-minute TV movie/pilot, so that would certainly make it easier for Syfy to leave it as a one-off if it doesn’t go over well. Also, Fuller is a busy guy these days as creator and showrunner for NBC’s Hannibal, a series for which Fuller has said he has a years-long master plan, so it’s unclear how involved he could be in High Moon should it actually go to series. The teleplay itself was written by Jim Gray, who is also a co-producer on Hannibal and who worked with Fuller on Pushing Daisies. The High Moon pilot has already been shot and is in post-production, but Syfy hasn’t announced a premiere date as of yet. We’ll keep you posted when we know more.


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