It seems like post-apocalyptic stories have been in vogue for at least a few decades now, and yet the genre keeps growing and putting out hits. It may be a disheartening sign for our collective state of mind, but it has also produced some of the best TV that has ever aired. The competition is fierce right now — two of the shows on this list are still airing, as are many others that I haven’t included below. On top of that, there are more on the way from streamers and cable outlets catering to our obsession with our own doom. Below are the five that best encapsulate the post-apocalyptic genre in our time.
“Post-apocalyptic” is a wide umbrella, but it has often been held back by a narrow scope. These kinds of setting are necessarily speculative, but they work for a wide range of sci-fi and fantasy stories, from the grounded near-future stories to the most far-flung and fantastical. Importantly, these stories don’t necessarily need to be grim and discouraging, either. One reason the genre is flourishing right now is because of the way it has been tweaked to convey hope and strength. Read on for some great examples.
The Walking Dead
It would feel wrong to even discuss great post-apocalyptic TV in our era without mentioning The Walking Dead. Whether you made it through the show’s brutal 12-year run or not, you can’t deny its enduring impact and its obvious high points. The show’s main premise was to extend the zombie apocalypse setup past the runtime of a typical movie, and it did that beautifully while playing on every genre trope along the way. At the same time, the story found some incredibly poignant moments that wouldn’t have been possible at a shorter runtime.
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Sweet Tooth
On the other end of the spectrum, Sweet Tooth just concluded after only three seasons and 24 episodes on Netflix. The series stands out for the intentionality of its premise and the themes that come from it, resulting in a more epic, heroic feel. The story has its dark points, but they’re balanced with real hope for the future. It also poses some really interesting questions about adaptation and survival, asking how much we’d be willing to change ourselves in order to continue living. It’s a great reversal from the usual fight against entropy in these shows.
The Last of Us
The Last of Us has breached containment, reaching beyond video game fans, sci-fi fans, and even prestige TV fans to become one of the most ubiquitous shows on the air today. It benefits a lot from stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, but its compelling setting clearly has a lot to do with its success as well. The show is familiar enough to draw fans of the zombie genre in, but it also does enough things differently to stand out as well.
The Last of Us Season 2 is airing now on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max. Season 1 is streaming on Max now, and a third season is already in development.
Silo
Silo cuts right to the heart of the post-apocalyptic drama by making humanity the main threat from the start. Its elaborate mysteries are addictive, and while the show is clearly teasing them out, it doesn’t feel excessive most of the time. While most of these shows portray a world that truly is hostile to its inhabitants, Silo continually asks the unsettling question: what if this is all in their heads? The show has been renewed for a third and fourth season, although according to Apple TV+, it will end with Season 4.
The Leftovers
Finally, The Leftovers captured the cognitive dissonance of post-apocalyptic fiction like no other show has during its three-season run on HBO from 2014 to 2017. It’s set in a near-future world where 2% of the earth’s human population has simply disappeared in an event known as the “Sudden Departure.” The rest are left to mourn, investigate, and fear that it could happen again at any moment. All three seasons are streaming now on Max for those interested in a quick and gut-wrenching binge-watch.
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