Aiming to be a comprehensive database of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and superhero live action television shows featuring female, person of color, LGBQA+ , trans/nonbinary, and disabled lead characters.
Summary: Washington D.C. has been invaded by aliens that have come to Earth and are dining on the the brains of a growing number of Congressmen and staffers, bringing operations to a standstill, and it's up to Laurel to figure out what exactly is going on and stop it. (Google)
Female Leads: Laurel Healy, Rochelle Daudier, Ella Pollack
POC Leads: Luke Healy, Rochelle Daudier, Gustav Triplett
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy
Years Active: 2016 - present
Find It: CBS
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Danny Pino, who plays Luke Healy, is of Cuban descent. Nikki M. James, who plays Rochelle Daudier, is of Haitian and Vincentian descent. Johnny Ray Gill, who plays Gustav Triplett, is black.
Summary: A futuristic drama with roots in Aboriginal mythology. Creatures known as Hairypeople, endowed with incredible strength, speed and longevity, seek refuge among humans who want to silence, exploit and ultimately destroy them. As unexplained murders terrify the populace, one chosen savior - the Cleverman - can ensure peace, but two estranged Indigenous brothers must put their differences aside before fear, hate and greed destroy civilization. (Google)
Female Leads: Charlotte Cleary, Ash Kerry, Latani, Araluen, Aunty Linda
Content Warnings: Violence, some gore, forced prostitution/trafficking/sexual slavery, prison torture, police brutality, racism, medical experimentation on unwilling victims, and drug use. (ryttu3k)
Other Notes: Hunter Page-Lochard, who plays Koen West, is of Aboriginal Australian (Mununjali and Nunukal) and Haitian/American descent. Deborah Mailman, who plays Aunty Linda, has Indigenous Australian (Bidjara) and Māori (Ngati Porou and Te Arawa) heritage. Rob Collins, who plays Waruu West; Tysan Towney, who plays Djukara; Rarriwuy Hick, who plays Latani; Tasma Walton, who lays Araluen; and Tony Briggs, who plays Boondee; have Indigenous Australian heritage, though more specifics are unknown to us.
Summary: Victorian era supernatural drama series about a farmer who yearns to prove the existence of the afterlife. A young psychologist and his wife inherit a farm and are determined to start a new life together. But their presence in this isolated corner of England starts to unleash strange, unsettling, and dangerous supernatural phenomena that will threaten their marriage. (BBC/IMDB)
Female Lead: Charlotte Appleby
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Years Active: 2016
Find It: BBC America, BBC One, BBC iPlayer
Content Warnings: Child death, threatened pregnancy, brief animal cruelty. To be updated.
Summary: Anticipated summer of fun becomes a summer of terror in this drama series set in the late '80s. When a new owner reopens the previously closed Camp Stillwater, its ancient mythologies awaken, and evil pops up at every turn in the seemingly idyllic setting. With the evil happenings, the young people at Camp Stillwater can add first kills to their list of firsts for the summer. (Google)
Other Notes: First genre tv show featuring a main character who is a trans man. Zelda Williams, the actress who plays, however, is not trans. Mark Indelicato, who plays Blair Ramos, has Puerto Rican and Italian heritage. Paulina Singer, who plays Jessie Tyler, has African American, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Caucasian heritage. Eli Goree, who plays Joel Goodson, is Black, though his more specific racial or ethnic background is unknown to us. Amber Coney, who plays Carolina Diaz, is Puerto Rican American.
Summary: Follows Kyle Barnes, a man who has been possessed by demons since he was young. His search for answers - and redemption - leads him into a relationship with Reverend Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is fighting in a holy war against Earth's evil forces. (Google)
Female Lead: Megan Holter
POC Lead: Chief Giles
Genre: Horror
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: Cinemax
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Based on the comic series of the same name by show creator and co-executive producer Robert Kirkman. Reg E. Cathe, who plays Chief Giles, is Black, though his more specific ethnic or racial background is unknown to us.
Summary: FBI agent Flynn Carroll is a former soldier who suffers from PTSD following a tour in Afghanistan and depends on wife Abby to help save him from himself. When Abby goes missing, Flynn's search for her leads him to the discovery of a classified government organization, the Exo-Terrorism Unit, which fights alien terrorists known as Hunters. Recruited by the ETU, Flynn works with Allison Regan, the agency's most valuable operative, who harbors a secret that may hold the key to why she is so good at tracking down Hunters. (Google)
Other Notes: Inspired by the novel Alien Hunter by Whitley Strieber. Britne Oldford, who plays Allison Regan, has Black, Native American, and European heritage. Mark Coles Smith, who plays Dylan Briggs, is Indigenous Australian.
Summary: Fulfilling a promise to his deceased father, one-time outlaw Jesse Custer returns home to West Texas to take over his dad's church. Jesse's mission, however, becomes twisted when his body is overcome by a cryptic force that unleashes within him a highly unconventional power. Together with hell-raising ex-girlfriend Tulip and Irish vagabond Cassidy, the preacher-in-training embarks on a journey to find God in a world inhabited by holy, hellish, and everything-in-between characters. (Google)
Female Leads: Tulip O’Hare, Emily
POC Lead: Tulip O’Hare
Genres: Horror, Dark Comedy
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: AMC
Content Warnings: Unusually violent, others tbd.
Other Notes: Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Ruth Negga, who plays Tulip, was born in Ethiopia to an Ethiopian father and Irish mother. The character was originally white in the comic book.
Summary: Wynonna Earp has been away from her hometown, Purgatory, for years but returns to reluctantly take on the role that Wyatt Earp's heir is destined for demon protector. Her task is to take out Revenants, the resurrected souls of the criminals who were taken down at one time by her great-grandfather. Wynonna teams up with sister Waverly, agent Xavier Dolls and Doc Holliday, the cursed-with-immortality best friend of Wyatt Earp, as they work to stop the Revenants from taking over Purgatory and escaping into the world. (Google)
Female Leads: Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp
POC Lead: Xavier Dolls
LGBQA+ Lead: Waverly Earp (bisexual)
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Western
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: SyFy
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Based on the comic series by Beau Smith. Shamier Anderson, who plays Xavier Dolls, is black, though his more specific ethnic or racial background is unknown to us.
Showrunner Emily Andras has spoken at length about the need for diversity and positive representation in tv. She has vowed to avoid the Bury Your Gays trope, and has stated that Waverly Earp and lesbian love interest Nicole Haught will be alive at the end of season 1 and their relationship further explored in season 2 if the show is renewed. [x]
Summary: Focuses on time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter, who has to recruit a rag-tag team of heroes and villains to help prevent an apocalypse that could impact not only Earth, but all of time. (IMDB)
Female Leads: Sara Lance, Kendra Saunders, Gideon
POC Leads: Jefferson “Jax” Jackson, Kendra Saunders, Captain Cold
LGBQA+ Leads: Sara Lance
Genre: Superhero
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: CW
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Spinoff of Arrow and The Flash. Based on DC comics characters. Franz Drameh, who plays Jax Jackson, is Gambian-British. Ciara Renée, who plays Kendra Saunders, is of black, white, Indian, and Native American descent. Wentworth Miller, who plays Captain Cold, is of African-American, Jamaican, Cherokee, European, Syrian, and Lebanese descent. The character Sara Lance is bisexual.
Summary: On her birthday, Clary Fray discovers a surprise concerning her life. The teenager is not who she thinks she is -- she comes from a long line of human-angel hybrids, called Shadowhunters, who hunt demons. (Google)
Female Leads: Clary Fray, Isabelle Lightwood
POC Leads: Luke Garroway, Simon Lewis, Magnus Bane, Isabelle Lightwood
LGBQA+ Leads: Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Years Active: 2016 - present
Find It: Freeform
Content Warnings: Implied incest (that turns out not to be); others tbd.
Other Notes: Based on The Mortal Instruments book series by Cassandra Clare. Isaiah Mustafa, who plays Luke Garroway, is black, though his more specific racial or ethnic background is unknown to us. Alberto Rosende, who plays Simon Lewis, is of Columbian and Cuban descent. Harry Shum Jr., who plays Magnus Bane, is a Costa Rican actor of Chinese descent. Emeraude Taubia, who plays Isabelle Lightwood, is of Mexican and Lebanese descent. Alec Lightwood is gay and Magnus Bane is bisexual. Their relationship is canon in the tv show.
Summary: Set thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization, the story follows an Elven Princess, Amberle, a half-human half-elf, Wil, and a human, Eretria, as they embark on a quest to stop a Demon army from destroying the Four Lands. (MTV)
Female Leads: Amberle Elessedil, Eretria
POC Lead: Allanon
LGBQA+ Lead: Eretria
Genre: High Fantasy
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: MTV
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Based on the books of the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Allanon is played by Manu Bennett, who is of Maori and Israeli descent.
Summary: Follows the adult life of Damien Thorn, the mysterious child from the 1976 motion picture, who has grown up seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him.
Female Leads: Simone Baptiste, Ann Rutledge
POC Leads: Simone Baptiste, Golkar Amani
Genre: Horror
Years Active: 2016
Find It: A&E
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Continues the story of the 1976 horror film The Omen. Megalyn Echikunwoke, who plays Simone Baptiste, is of Nigerian descent on her father’s side. Omid Abtahi, who plays Amani Golkar, is an Iranian-born American actor. Cancelled after 1 season.
Summary: Centers around Brakebills University, a secret institution specializing in magic. There, amidst an unorthdox education of spellcasting, a group of twenty-something friends soon discover that a magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real— and poses grave danger to humanity. (SyFy)
Female Leads: Alice Quinn, Julia Wicker, Margo Hanson
POC Leads: William "Penny" Adiyodi, Margo Hanson
LGBQA+ Lead: Eliot Waugh
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Years Active: 2016-present
Find It: SyFy
Content Warnings: Unknown
Other Notes: Based on the books by Lev Grossman. Arjun Gupta, who plays Penny Adiyodi, is Indian American. Summer Bishil, who plays Margo Hanson, is of Mexican and Indian descent.
With 2015 coming to a close, genretvforall admins Emma and Jessi take a look back at the highlights and lowlights for diversity in genre television. Read on for recommendations, opinions, and a look forward to 2016!
What were your favorite new shows of 2015?
Emma: There were 38 new sci fi, fantasy, horror, and superhero shows in 2015 – and I checked out nearly all of them! Out of this abundance, my favorite was definitely Sense8, a Netflix original sci fi/fantasy series from Andy and Lana Wachowski (Matrix, Cloud Atlas) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5). It totally drew me in with its diverse characters, progressive themes, and gorgeous, on-location filming. The central idea is that eight strangers become telepathically connected and are pursued by a secret organization. But more so than the plot, it’s the exceptionally diverse and empathetic characters that make this show a standout for me. Netflix also produced my second favorite new show of the year, Jessica Jones. I’m developing superhero fatigue at this point, so it was really refreshing to find such a grounded, relatable heroine and storyline within the genre. Newbie honorable mentions: 12 Monkeys, Agent Carter, Daredevil, Dark Matter, The Expanse, Humans, Into the Badlands, iZombie, Killjoys, Other Space, Powers, and Supergirl.
Jessi: 2015 was a rough year for me, so I spent most of it rewatching Buffy and Gilmore Girls over and over like the TV version of security blankets, which means I missed out on a lot of shows, and a lot are still on my to-watch list, including Emma’s pick Sense8. That said, I fell in love this year, with a little gem on Syfy called Killjoys. If you listened to our podcast you would know I was excited and wary anticipating this new sci fi series about bounty hunters in space coming from Lost Girl creator Michelle Lovretta and Orphan Black production company Temple Street. Excited because the team behind it, and because the multiracial black lead Dutch, played by Hannah John-Kamen, looked absolutely badass. Wary because the last time I had been so excited about a new show with a female lead was iZombie which ended up disappointing me by keeping Liv the exceptional girl in a world frequently only populated by men. The teaser for Killjoys Syfy put out did nothing to dissuade my fears. I ended up pleasantly surprised, Dutch’s world is filled with dynamic compelling men and women played by a relatively diverse cast, at least in relation to what we normally get on TV. Dutch herself manages to always remain three dimensional, and even when sexualized escapes falling victim to the male gaze by forever being active and the owner of her own agency. Even the premise, bounty hunters in space, fun enough on its own, quickly expands to show our protagonists caught between sides as a class war brews on their planetary system, The Quad. Throw in a mysterious figure from Dutch’s past and secretive and questionable political machinations and you get one of the best new shows in years.
What shows were you saddest to lose?
Jessi: My losses this year were both bittersweet. Unlike 2014 when Witches of East End was cancelled in its prime on a cliffhanger, both Lost Girl and Defiance had opportunity to wrap their storylines. In addition, after multiple showrunner changes, and more and more muddled plots, I was sadly ready for Lost Girl to end, as the final season left me often frustrated and not infrequently straight up angry (Lost Girl’s final season has ended in Canada. The back half of the season will air in February on Syfy in the US). Defiance too went from a series I adored to one that frequently frustrated and angered me, as they managed to commit almost every diversity failure we loathe, queer fridging, killing off almost all their characters of color, using black actors to portray cannibalistic incestuous aliens, at the rate they were going if they had gotten a S4 it likely would have been 13 episodes of Nolan and Amanda kicking puppies while Stahma rubbed Datak’s feet. So while both shows will live on in my heart and in my DVD collection, I think I was probably better off seeing them off when I dd.
Emma: NBC’s cancellation of Hannibal due to low ratings, while expected, was no less heartbreaking. Believe me, I’m as surprised as you are that I’m gushing over a tv show with the tired format of ostensibly straight, white male stars with homoerotic tension. But the final season for the most part did justice by its female, queer, and POC characters too, and walked the thinnest line I’ve ever seen regarding the canonicity of its leading duo’s romantic status. I was satisfied with the series finale, but I’m still going to miss the experience of tuning in every week for an hour of television nearly unparalleled in its mastery of writing, acting, and artistry. (The live tweets and interviews with showrunner Bryan Fuller were fantastic too!) Beyond Hannibal, I was also sorry to get the news early in the year that there’d be no renewal of In the Flesh. Some other former favorites that I felt had lost their way somewhat also got the boot, including Continuum, Defiance, Dominion, Extant, and Lost Girl .
What were some hidden gems others may have missed?
Emma: Did you know that Playstation has a tv show? Neither did anyone else, and that’s why so few watched Powers, an adaptation of the comic book series by Brian Michael Bendis (Jessica Jones, Ultimate Marvel). Playstation offers the show through their gaming console, but you can also stream episodes online. I enjoyed the clever take on how the world would really react to the existence of superpowers. Another off-the-beaten-track show that almost no one saw was Other Space, Yahoo’s low-budget space comedy from Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters). Or if you’re looking for more serious sci fi, AMC’s Humans was the most thoughtful take on artificial intelligence I’d seen in some time. Finally, if you haven’t watched The 100 yet, where have you been?? Don’t let the CW’s promotions fool you into thinking it’s another mediocre show about pretty teenagers. Catch up on Netflix in time for the third season!
Jessi: Killjoys. Watch Killjoys. It got renewed for a second season but the numbers are very much not great, and I do think it would be a favorite for a lot of people if they checked it out. Plus the cast are friendly and accessible on twitter, which is awesome.
What steps for progress are you celebrating?
Jessi: More queer characters, more female characters, including leads, more characters of color, including as Emma mentions, recasting traditionally white characters with actors of color like James Olsen on Supergirl, trans characters being played by trans actors. While progress unfortunately seems to always move at a slog, we’re moving forward, our voices are being heard, and studios are seeing that they can have viewers and money and hit shows venturing outside their stale old boundaries. And I have to give love to Michelle Lovretta for casting an out gay man as her handsome masculine hetero romantic lead. The more something like that happens the more actors and actresses will feel comfortable, safe, and employable coming out.
Emma: This year brought some important advances in tv representation! Whereas a year ago we had zero genre shows with a recurring transgender character, we now have three! Most notably is Sense8’s Nomi Marks, a lead character who is acted, written, and directed by transwomen. Importantly, she doesn’t die, her storyline is not all about being trans, and she’s shown in a happy relationship, complete with steamy sex scenes. The other two recurring transgender characters, Penny Dreadful’s Angelique and American Horror Story’s Liz Taylor, are played and written by cismen, and get more mixed treatment. More than one returning show took the step of revealing that its lead character is bisexual, including The 100′s Clarke Griffin; genre-adjacent, pirate show Black Sails’s Captain Flint; and, debatably, Hannibal. (Notably absent from the list yet again: Supernatural’s Dean Winchester.) American Horror Story’s Hotel iteration featured multiple bisexual main characters. Plus, fan favorite female ships were canonized on Person of Interest and Hannibal. It was a good year for sex positivity and the female gaze especially on Outlander, Jessica Jones, and Sense8. We got a still-too-rare new genre show headlined by a person of color in AMC’s martial arts fantasy show, Into the Badlands, starring and produced by Daniel Wu. Some comic book adaptations chose to cast a person of color in a role previously depicted as white, including Supergirl’s James Olson and Powers’s Deena Pilgrim. We got the first modern superhero show starring a disabled character, Daredevil. And finally, Supergirl, Agent Carter, and Jessica Jones proved the obvious: female-lead superhero shows can be successful.
What were your biggest disappointments?
Emma: [SPOILERS] My biggest gripe this year was probably when Penny Dreadful killed off its recurring transgender character, Angelique. It ruined for me what had been a fantastic season, and I still haven’t gone back to finish watching yet. Sleepy Hollow continues to make baffling story choices, sidelining its POC characters for much of last season, and now doing all it can to push its co-lead into another romance instead of capitalizing on the obvious chemistry with Abbie Mills. I’m not sure who to blame for Hannibal ending with the clearest – and yet still not textual – queer love declaration I’ve ever seen. Arrow has earned some poor marks from me for its treatment of Nyssa/Sara, and its super heterosexual Constantine guest appearance. But most of all, I continue to be disappointed that Supernatural has not been cancelled! ;)
Jessi: Though we are making slow progress toward a more diverse TV landscape, it still seems like for every show with a more diverse lead or ensemble we get ten featuring yet another bland brooding cis het white dude protagonist. As I mentioned above, I was upset with choices both Lost Girl and Defiance made, the things they put Tamsin through, the loss of Hale, the loss of Tommy and the McCawley family. So many characters of color, especially black male characters, killed off and treated as disposable across genre TV. And just on an enjoyability front, I was excited for both Dark Matter and Stitchers only to be completely bored by both, and I really really hate that CBS felt the need to take a show I liked a lot, Extant, and revamped it into a sexy soapy summer romp I couldn’t even force myself to watch. Poor Mickey Fisher.
Who were your favorite protagonists?
Jessi: Dutch (Killjoys), obviously. She’s the hero we deserve. In S1 of The Librarians I fell head over heels for Ezekiel Jones, and he was great in S2 as well, but Cassandra Cillian really won me over this year. Peggy Carter and Angie Martinelli (Agent Carter), for sure. Every episode of Supergirl I fall more in love with Alex Danvers as she holds her own in fights alongside her superpowered sister and boss, and acts as her sister’s emotional support and sounding board. Tamsin (Lost Girl) broke my heart over and over this year and Rachel Skarsten played her brilliantly. Irisa’s PTSD storyline on Defiance was one of the best I’ve seen, and I was sad it ended so soon. And if you didn’t know, Johnny Jaqobis (Killjoys) is an adorable puppy.
Emma: I’m drawn to strong-willed, imperfect female characters, so near the top of my list has to be Kristen Ritter’s hard-drinking superheroine, Jessica Jones. Another fantastic performance this year came from Eva Green as Vanessa Ives in Starz’s gothic horror show, Penny Dreadful. Like everyone else on the planet, I have a huge crush on Hayley Atwell, and love her portrayal of Peggy Carter in ABC’s Agent Carter. Other characters I enjoyed immensely include Claire Fraser (Outlander), Abbie Mills (Sleepy Hollow), Nomi Marks (Sense8), Dutch (Killjoys ), Clarke Griffin (The 100), Bo Dennis (Lost Girl), and Bedelia Du Maurier (Hannibal). If I have to pick some dudes, it’s a more hodgepodge list, including, as always, Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones), plus Jarvis (Agent Carter), Lito Rodriguez (Sense8), Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Sunny (Into the Badlands), Ravi Chakrabarti (iZombie), Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow), and Will Graham (Hannibal).
Who were your favorite villains?
Emma: [TW] I’ve never had actual nightmares about a tv villain until Jessica Jones’s Kilgrave. David Tennant has been a favorite actor of mine for over a decade, and this is one of his best and creepiest roles. To me, this is an exemplary utilization of the possibilities of genre fiction – exploring a real issue with the benefit of altered perspective and metaphor, in this case by giving the character mind control abilities. I fully acknowledge that I’ve never been in a domestic abuse situation, but for what it’s worth, I thought the show portrayed an empathetic and non-exploitative story about Jessica’s struggle with PTSD and facing her abuser. It was a lot more interesting to me than a telepathic giant gorilla (sorry, The Flash)!
Jessi: Dottie Underwood (Agent Carter) was a complete joy to watch as she switched from aw-shucks charm to ruthless assassin and back. Delle Seyah Kendry (Killjoys) is just how I like my villains, snarky, manipulative, amoral, sexy, and queer as can be. And I think the entire world ending story for S2 of The Librarians was just completely brilliant, so Moriarty and Prospero absolutely deserve a spot on this list.
What were your favorite ships?
Jessi: This was the year of the brOTP for me, far more than any romantic shipping. While I got a little schmoopy over a few pairs, and my heart is still breaking over Valkubus (Lost Girl) I’ve been loving TV’s BFFs in 2015 even more. Kenzi and Bo (Lost Girl), Liv and Peyton as well as Liv and Ravi (iZombie), Kara and Alex (Supergirl), Dutch and Johnny (Killjoys), and both Eve and Cassandra as well as my brOT3 of Ezekiel, Cassandra, and Jake (The Librarians). As far as low-key shipping, I get heart eyed when Kara and James get all heart eyed too, and I adore Cartinelli, though I’m not holding my breath expecting canon. And I want to give Supergirl a special shout out for how they’ve handled their love triangle. Though I think love triangles are boring and overdone, making Kara befriend Lucy Lane rather than making them sniping bitter rivals was a stroke of brilliance. 2015: year of the TV friendships.
Emma: I’m not much of a shipper generally, and from all my years in tv geekdom, I can count my starry-eyed, heart-bursting, fic-reading OTPs on one hand. That said, I did love the pairing of Nomi and Amanita in Sense8. (Don’t you want to tag along on their Nancy Drew adventures? And how hot were Sense8’s sex scenes??) Speaking of hot queer lady lovin’, Alana and Margot’s kaleidoscopic sex scene in Hannibal blew me away. By the end of that series, I’d even been sold on Will/Hannibal. For hetero pairings, I’m digging Jessica Jones /Luke Cage; and I’d like to see Abbie Mills/Ichabod Crane get together before Sleepy Hollow ends.
What were some notable moments for you in fandom?
Emma: With the long hours I’ve been putting in for my job, I haven’t been as active in fandom as I’d have liked. But I did get to participate in plenty of live tweets. (I especially recommend watching anything with @BlackGirlNerds.) There were plenty of fandom uprisings in 2015, but the most memorable ones to me were regarding the treatment of Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, and Charlie Bradbury in Supernatural. According to recent reports, the showrunners for Game of Thrones listened to that outcry and have determined to be more conscientious in the future. Fans can make a difference! (Though when it comes to Supernatural… good luck with that.) The biggest deal for me though was the reawakening of The X-Files fandom! Fans have been rewatching one episode a day since the summer to get ready for the revival series in January. My parents didn’t let me get on the message boards when the show originally aired in the 90s, so I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of the online fandom this time around!
Jessi: The brave, brilliant, badass ladies of the Supernatural fandom have been on a roll, pushing back and taking no crap from anyone, confronting showrunners in person over the fridging of Charlie Bradbury, and rallying behind their own creation, the Jody Mills and Donna Hascum starring female-centric Wayward Daughters, taking the concept from a dream spinoff premise to a way to fundraise for good causes. Speaking of Jody Mills, her actress, the fantastic Kim Rhodes, will be a part of a new women focused sci fi convention, WiSHcon, and it’s been a joy to watch support for the con grow. Female superhero fans have been pushing back, confronting and tearing apart arguments that Supergirl and Jessica Jones can’t both exist at the same time because the TV universe is apparently only big enough for one lady superhero at a time, arguments that manage to leave Peggy Carter and Liv Moore out of the picture entirely. Even Supergirl and Jessica Jones titular stars Melissa Benoist and Krysten Ritter did their own bit of push back, sending love to each other on instagram and twitter in support of the other’s show. Hayley Atwell’s twitter presence was a gift to fandom, and she’s dearly missed. And for me personally, finding Killjoys, the fandom, and the cast, has been a social media highlight, everyone is friendly and fun and it’s just the best fandom I’ve been able to be a part of.
What are your biggest takeaways from 2015 genre tv?
Jessi: You’ll have to forgive me as I get both sentimental and nostalgic. Emma and I started this project the same week we both left the Supernatural fandom. I can distinctly remember going through emotions not dissimilar to what you experience during grieving or a bad breakup, and it hurt a lot to walk away from something I still liked parts of. But for me the bad outweighed the good and it was time to move on. But it was scary. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find another show to squee over so intensely, I thought maybe I was giving up that spark too. Then this year I found it, my big spark, my source of squee, and other smaller sources too. We’re living at a really great convergence for fans of sci fi, fantasy, horror, and superhero TV. On one hand you have what critics are calling “peak TV”, a time where there are just so many shows, including so many fantastic shows, that it’s impossible to even watch them all. On the other hand, as recently best illustrated by the massive box office success of The Force Awakens, geeky interests have become solidly part of the mainstream. Which means a not insignificant chunk of all those shows are genre. So if you broke up with a former fave show because it let you down too many times, or your fave show got cancelled and you’re in mourning, keep your chin up. You’ll find that spark again, and fall in love with a new show, likely sooner than you’d even expect.
Emma: There were sooooo many comic book shows. Surely 2015 reached peak superhero? (Don’t count on it.) But at least we’re finally getting some diversity in the lead characters. Secondly, I think we’ll look back and see this as the year that streaming really came into its own. So many offerings is a bit of a mixed blessing; there’s a show for nearly every niche, but with audiences so divided, many will not achieve the ratings necessary to survive beyond a season. Some of the best shows slip away undiscovered while garbage continues to fester on broadcast tv.
What are you looking forward to in 2016?
Emma: The X-Files!!! X-FILES REVIVAL!!! X-FILES REOPENED!!! X-FILES X-FILES X-FILES X-FILES X-FILES!!!! THEY’RE BACK!!! MULDER AND SCULLY! AND THE X-FILES!!! NEW EPISODES!!! MORE X-FILES! FILES OF X!! MY FAVORITE SHOW EVER!! IT’S THE MOTHERFOXIN X-FIIIIIIIIIIIIIILES!!!! (Can you tell I’m excited?) JANUARY 24TH NEW X-FILES!!!!!
Jessi: I’m pleased as punch that both Killjoys and The Librarians were renewed, so I’m looking forward to more of both. The teasers coming out this week about S4 of Orphan Black have me bouncing in my chair waiting for April to come, and headed to the comic shop this week to pick up the Helsinki mini-series in the mean time. Peggy Carter will be back on my screen very very soon and that has me grinning. New series I’m looking forward to are Shadowhunters and Wynonna Earp, the former because it looks like it could easily hit me right in the Buffy spot, and the latter because it comes from showrunner Emily Andras who was a part of Michelle Lovretta’s team on both Lost Girl and Killjoys. I have a good feeling about genre TV in 2016.
Summary: The peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture. (Wikipedia)
Other Notes: Based on the classic novel by Arthur C. Clarke. Three part miniseries. Osy Ikhile, who plays Milo Rodericks, is a black British actor, though his more specific racial or ethnic background is unknown to us.
Summary: Hundreds of years in the future, humans have colonized the solar system and Mars has become an independent military power. Rising tensions between Earth and Mars have put them on the brink of war. Against this backdrop, a hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain come together to investigate the case of a missing young woman. The investigation leads them on a race across the solar system that could expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. (Google)
Female Leads: Naomi Nagata, Julie Mao
POC Leads: Alex Kamal, Naomi Nagata, Julie Mao
LGBQA+ Lead: Julie Mao (pansexual)
Genre: Science Fiction
Years Active: 2015-present
Find It: SyFy
Content Warnings: Graphic beheading, Bury Your Lesbians trope, others tbd.
Other Notes: Based on the series of novels by James S. A. Corey. Cas Anvar, who plays Alex Kamal, is Canadian of Iranian heritage. Dominique Tipper, who plays Naomi Nagata, is of Dominican and British heritage. Florence Faivre, who plays Julie Mao, is of Thai and French heritage. Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays Chrisjen Avasarala, is Iranian. Several major recurring characters are played by people of color, including Chad L. Coleman, Athena Karkanis, Brian George, and Jay Hernandez. The character Julie Mao has a dating profile that list her as pan. [SPOILER] Julie is killed off in season 1.
