Ask the average person to name an Apple TV+ show that they love, or even just to name a single Apple TV+ show at all, and there’s an above average chance that the responses you’ll get back will include Ted Lasso — along with, maybe, a newer critically acclaimed hit like Slow Horses. The iPhone maker’s streaming service, however, is so much more than that, a fact that this year has made abundantly clear. Thanks to shows like Silo, Severance, and especially Foundation, for example, 2023 was the year that Apple TV+ evolved into a powerhouse of mind-bending science fiction TV.
Adapted from Isaac Asimov’s award-winning stories, Foundation still holds a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for its second season — and the show, which continues to be hailed as the “gold standard” of sci-fi TV, is officially coming back for a third season.
Apple announced that news on Wednesday, with Apple TV+ head of programming Matt Cherniss praising Foundation in a statement thus: “We have all been incredibly impressed with the ambitious, action-packed and imaginative adaptation that (showrunner David Goyer) and the rest of this gifted creative team and cast have brought to life with this premium sci-fi series from day one.
“To watch Foundation become such a global hit has been beyond exciting with audiences around the world continuing to be captivated week after week by this dramatic and compelling journey to save humanity. We can’t wait for everyone to experience what is in store for characters old and new in season three.”
Foundation, which boasts some heavy-hitting acting talent in the form of stars like Lee Pace and Jared Harris, took viewers more than a century into the future in Season 2. Among the season’s highlights: The Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy the Empire, and the Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach — as well as inciting the Second Crisis, war with Empire.
“I’m thrilled Apple has given us the opportunity to continue chronicling Asimov’s pioneering galactic saga,” Goyer said in response to the Season 3 announcement. “This time, the stakes for Foundation and Empire are even higher as the Mule takes center stage, along with fan-favorites Bayta, Toran, Ebling and Magnifico Giganticus.”
Meanwhile, while we wait for the third season of Foundation to arrive, check out our coverage of some of Apple TV+’s other sci-fi standouts:
- Our review of Silo, which debuted in May: “Silo on Apple TV+ offers a master class in world-building and sci-fi storytelling.”
- Our coverage of Severance, which debuted in February 2022: “Severance, one of the best shows on Apple TV+, has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.”
