AND TV'S APOCALYPSE ERA

STATION ELEVEN

By Matthew Byrd

Station Eleven isn't just HBO's next big sci-fi series; it's a reminder that we're living in a strange golden age for post-apocalyptic TV shows.

Station Eleven follows a nomadic theater troupe as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world caused by the spread of a deadly disease known simply as the Georgia Flu.

Station Eleven presents a terrifying vision of the apocalypse that is balanced by some truly wonderful characters and a lingering sense of hope that there is a way to recover.

Station Eleven's slightly more hopeful vision of the end of everything stands in stark contrast to HBO's other upcoming post-apocalyptic show, The Last of Us.

The Last of Us offers a vision of the apocalypse where the only thing worse than the infected creatures that roam the world are the humans who remain and will do anything to survive.

HBO isn't the only network with the end of the world on their minds. From FX's Y: The Last Man and Netflix’s Sweet Tooth to CBS' The Stand, it feels like we're in the age of the fictional apocalypse.

Of course, the sudden influx of prestigious shows about what happens after the end of it all begs the question, "Why is everyone suddenly so interested in the apocalypse?"

Well, you can't overlook the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on that renewed interest. Experiencing a pandemic will certainly put the end of the world on anyone's mind.

In fact, you could argue that the popularity of a series like Squid Game is rooted in our collective interest in whatever dark future lies ahead.

However, the popularity of this genre can't entirely be attributed to doom and gloom. The incredible success of The Walking Dead almost certainly started the search for the next apocalyptic hit.

Regardless of how we got here, the one thing we know for sure is that the end of the world will be televised.