Please don’t take that as another Bwana save the negro trope. They were difficult times and people got creative with their solutions. I never said it was perfect. Still, after 1950, science fiction embraced marginalized authors who were otherwise shunned, and the world was introduced to some amazing talents. Samuel R. Delany, Octavia E. Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, Minister Faust, Nnedi Okorafor, N. K. Jemisin, Tananarive Due, Andrea Hairston, Geoffrey Thorne, Nisi Shawl, and Carl Hancock Rux are some of the talents who rose to prominence then.
Side note of irony; many would go on to have their scifi efforts turned into comic books.
Go figure.
Anyway, now, comics and their stories are once again in the mainstream and telling tales that captivate audiences of all ages. It is true that sales of actual comic books is down, but the number of properties based on them has grown by an order of magnitude.
So, let’s take a gander at what the television universe has to offer now.
Click on the show title for the latest news and/or trailer
Currently Airing:
DuckTales, season two (Disney XD)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, season one (Nickelodeon)
The Walking Dead, season nine (AMC)
Avengers Assemble: Black Panther’s Quest, season five (Disney XD)
The Flash, season five (The CW)
Black Lightning, season two (The CW)
Riverdale, season three (The CW)
Supergirl, season four (The CW)
Arrow, season seven (The CW)
Marvel Super Hero Adventures, season two (Disney Junior)
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, season four (The CW)
DC Super Hero Girls, season one (Cartoon Network)
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, season one (Travel Channel)
Cloak & Dagger, season two (Freeform)
One-Punch Man, season two (Hulu)
Big Hero 6, season two (Disney Channel)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., season six (ABC)
Swamp Thing, season one (DC Universe)
Krypton, season two (Syfy)
Legion, season three (FX)
Young Justice Outsiders, season 1B (DC Universe)
Pennyworth, season one (Epix)
2019:
September 25: Stumptown, season one (ABC)
August 4: Preacher, season four (AMC)
August 12: Cannon Busters, season one (Netflix)
September 6: Titans, season two (DC Universe)
October 6: Batwoman, season one (The CW)
October 6: Supergirl, season 5 (The CW)
October 7: Black Lightning, season 3 (The CW)
October 8: The Flash, season 6 (The CW)
October 9: Riverdale, season 4 (The CW)
October 15: Arrow, season 8 (The CW)
December 13: Runaways, season 3 (Hulu)
Spider-Man, season two part two (Disney XD)
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, season 5 (The CW)
Watchmen, season one (HBO)
Fear the Walking Dead, season five (AMC)
Harley Quinn, season one (DC Universe)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, season two (Nickelodeon)
Kengan Ashura, season one (Netflix)
The Rocketeer, season one (Disney Junior)
Unspecified 2020:
Wynonna Earp, season four (Syfy)
Doom Patrol, season two (DC Universe and HBO Max)
Spider-Man: Maximum Venom, season three (Disney XD)
Snowpiercer, season one (TBS)
Falcon/Winter Soldier, season one (Disney+)
Ghost Rider, season one (Hulu)
Helstrom, season one (Hulu)
Stargirl, season one (DC Universe)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (Netflix)
Hilda, season two (Netflix)
The Walking Dead, season 10 (AMC)
Y, season one (FX)
Untitled Third Walking Dead spin-off, season 1 (AMC)
Katy Keene , season one (The CW)
In Production:
The Boys, season two (Amazon)
Young Justice, season four (DC Universe)
Big Hero 6, season three (Disney Channel)
Resident Alien, season one (Syfy)
Raising Dion, season one (Netflix)
Woke, pilot (Hulu)
End of the F***ing World, season two (Netflix/Channel 4)
In Development:
Untitled Akira sequel, season one (Sunrise)
Lucifer, season five (Netflix)
Vagrant Queen, season one (SYFY)
Snowpiercer, season two (TBS)
Hawkeye, season one (Disney+)
Marvel’s Hero Project, season one (Disney+)
Marvel’s 616, season one (Disney+)
Umbrella Academy, season two (Netflix)
Port of Earth, season one (Amazon)
Hit-Monkey, season one (Hulu)
Tigra & Dazzler Show, season one (Hulu)
Howard the Duck, season one (Hulu)
M.O.D.O.K., season one (Hulu)
El Vecino, season one (Netflix)
Blacksmith, season one (NBC)
#4Hero (Machinima)
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, season three (Netflix)
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, season four (Netflix)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., season seven (ABC)
Secret Six, season one (CBS)
Goldfisch, TOKYOPOP
The Nameless City, season one (Frederator/Recursion Media)
American Flagg!, EuropaCorp
Amped (USA Network)
Astro City, Freemantle Media
Astronaut Academy, with Vivek J. Tiwary
Bad Medicine (NBC)
American Jesus, season one (Netflix)
Jupiter’s Legacy, season one (Netflix)
Black Magick, with Groundswell Productions
Briggs Land (AMC)
Brooklyn Animal Control (USA Network)
Concrete, Universal Cable Productions
Crosswind (Piazza Entertainment/Entertainment One)
Darkness Visible, IDW Entertainment
Daybreak, season one (Netflix)
Untitled Deadpool Animated Series, (Marvel Animation)
DC’s Hero Project (Machinima)
The Disciples, Universal Cable Productions
Doctor Mirage (The CW)
Dreadstar, Universal Cable Productions & Benderspink
Eclipse, Skybound Entertainment
Empire of the Dead, Demarest
Essex County (CBC)
Five Ghosts (Syfy)
Flutter, Universal Cable Productions
Gideon Falls, Hivemind
Grandville, Euston Films
Harrow County, Universal Cable Productions
Hawaiian Dick (NBC)
Heartthrob (Studio 8/Felix Culpa)
Hiding In Time (MGM Television)
Injection (Universal Cable Productions)
Invincible, animated series (Amazon)
Lazarus (Amazon)
Letter 44 (Syfy)
Locke & Key, season one (Netflix)
Loki (Disney+)
Lost City Explorers, Universal Television
Garfield (Nickelodeon)
Metropolis, season one (DC Universe)
Mind MGMT, Universal Cable Productions
Minnie the Minx, Lime Pictures
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, Marvel Animation
One Piece, Tomorrow Studios
Project 13 (The CW)
Rasl, Parks+MacDonald
Roche Limit (Syfy)
Quantum & Woody, pilot (TBS)
Red, (NBC)
Sam & Twitch, (BBC America)
Scalped, with Warner Bros.
Scarlet (Cinemax)
Scarlet Witch (Disney+)
Happy!, season three with Universal Cable Productions
Sex Criminals, with Universal TV
Sin City, with The Weinstein Company/Dimension Films
Sinatoro, Universal Cable Productions & Depth of Field
The Smurfs, IMPS/Dupuis Audiovisuel
Old City Blues, season one (Hulu)
The Normals, Fox 21 TV Studios
Snow Blind (Fox)
Southern Bastards (FX)
Static Shock, Warner Bros.
Transhuman (Amazon Studios)
Untitled Sam Hill: Private Eye live-action series, Archie Comics
Untitled Josie horror animated series, Archie Comics
Usagi Yojimbo, Gaumont Film Company
The Wicked + The Divine, with Universal Cable Productions
The Woods (SyFy)
Trees, with NBCUniversal International Studios
Velvet (The Paramount Network)
Wayward, Manga Entertainment
Witchblade (NBC)
Skin&Earth, with Entertainment One
Warrior Nun, season one (Netflix)
October Faction, season one (Netflix)
Dylan Dog, season one (Bonelli Entertainment)
Nathan Never (Bonelli Entertainment)
Mister No (Bonelli Entertainment)
Dampyr (Bonelli Entertainment)
Dragonero (Bonelli Entertainment)
Il Confine (Bonelli Entertainment)
The Mall, Montecito Pictures
Long Lost
Thief of Thieves (Sony Pictures Television/Skybound Galactic)
Nailbiter (Sony Pictures Television/Skybound Galactic)
The Darkness (Sony Pictures Television/Skybound Galactic)
Think Tank (Sony Pictures Television/Skybound Galactic)
Martin Mystere (Bonelli Entertainment)
Sweet Tooth, pilot (Hulu)
Ice Cream Man (Universal Cable Productions)
Black Hammer (Legendary Entertainment)
Survivor’s Club (The CW)
Motor Girl (Hulu)
Judge Dredd: Mega City One, season one (IM Global/Rebellion)
Talent, season one (Fox)
Super Clean (The CW)
Fetch (Sid Gentle)
Woman World (Freeform)
Super Crooks, season one (Netflix)
SPRIGGAN, season one (Netflix)
Rachel Rising (AMC)
Boondocks, Sony Pictures Animation
Lobo (Syfy)
Hungry Ghosts, Sony Pictures Animation
Weird Fantasy (Hivemind)
I Am Not Okay With This, season one (Netflix)
Thirteen, season one (Amazon)
Asunda (HBO)
Paper Girls, season one (Amazon)
United States of Murder, Inc.
Tomie, season one (Quibi)
She Could Fly (AMC)
Sandman (Netflix)
Farmhand (AMC)
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, season one (WTG Enterprises)
Yeah, that’s quite a bit. I could, if I had no life, add in fan trailers, previous seasons teasers, and so on. But there’s enough there to keep you entertained for a few days, so I hope it will suffice.
And these are just what’s coming to TV. There’s a whole nother list of films that are in various stages of development.
What you’ll note, if you pay attention, is how diverse these offerings are. There is representation for everyone.
Sure, some of it is throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks, but that’s been the American entertainment industry ever since Buffalo Gals was sung in saloons.
I know my home is anxiously awaiting many of these titles and will probably check out the rest. So, grab your popcorn, plop your butt in a comfy chair, and plan on having your doctor tell you that you need to exercise more.
Don’t worry, it’ll be worth it.
Listen to Bill McCormick on WBIG (FOX! Sports) every Friday around 9:10 AM.
contact Bill McCormick