Guides, TV Shows

Post-Apocalyptic TV Shows 2016: Where & When to Watch

post-apocalyptic TV guide 2016

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Wondering about post-apocalyptic TV shows 2016? What post-apocalyptic shows are airing in 2016 and on what day and time? Which post-apocalyptic TV shows are renewed and which ones are brand new? 2016 is a pretty exciting year for the apocalypse. If you’re interested in watching a lot of scifi TV with some doomsday, end-of-the-world grittiness, then this is the television year for you. Here at Post Apocalyptic Media, we have a complete guide of what’s airing now in 2016, what TV channel, and what time. We’ve also got a great list of what’s still to come in 2016 that you should keep an eye out for. Are you ready?


Winter/Spring 2016 Shows:

Here are the post-apocalyptic shows airing right now or that are about to start, in alphabetical order.

Check out this AMAZING list of post-apocalyptic TV shows airing this season! Click To Tweet

The 100

Thursday nights, 9 pm Eastern/8 pm Central, CW

the 100
For some reason, this is everyone’s favorite picture of Clarke. (The 100/CW)

Don’t be fooled by the CW logo — this show is very dark and very gritty. It’s now in Season 3, but you can catch the first two seasons on Netflix or Amazon if you want. This should be at the top of your post-apocalyptic must-watch list. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

12 Monkeys

Begins Monday, April 18 / Monday nights, 9 pm Eastern/8 pm Central, Syfy

12 Monkeys is captivating. (Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
12 Monkeys is captivating. (Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)

12 Monkeys season 2 is beginning a little later than most post-apoc shows. Its season will start on Monday, April 18 on Syfy. No, the show isn’t as crazy and confusing as the 12 Monkeys movie. But it’s still a captivating watch in all its time travel glory. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

Adventure Time

Thursday nights, 6:30 pm Central, The Cartoon Network

adventure time broadcast
Adventure Time is amazing time. (The Cartoon Network)

It’s hard to keep track of when the Adventure Time seasons are on and when they’re off, since so many episodes of the cartoon air every season. In addition, The Cartoon Network sometimes airs new episodes every day of the week, so you might want to consult your DVR or TVGuide.com for the latest information. If you’ve never watched this show, you must give it a try. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and even though it’s a cartoon, it is a very adult cartoon with some pretty serious themes and plotlines. Think multiple timelines, alternate universes, and tales of heroism gone very wrong. Good stuff. Want to see episodes on Amazon? Check it out here.

Colony

Thursday nights, 10 pm Eastern/9 pm Central, USA

colony air time
Colony will keep you guessing. (Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network)

Colony is one of our favorite shows so far. It airs on Thursday nights, which are pretty much the best night for post-apocalyptic TV right now. You may not have known about Colony since it’s a USA channel TV show, but it is AMAZING. It stars Josh Holloway from Lost, one of our favorite shows of all time. It also stars Sarah Wayne Callies, playing Josh Holloway (Will’s) wife. You may remember her from The Walking Dead, where she played Rick’s wife, Lori.

The premise of Colony is that there’s been an alien invasion and now sections of the country are walled off from one another. Will (Josh Holloway) works for the aliens’ police force, while his wife secretly works for the resistance. What could possibly go wrong? The writing is great and you can never go wrong with Josh’s acting. This could truly be a story about the fight for survival. It reminds me a little of V, only done much, much better. Oh, and it’s already been renewed for Season 2! Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

Thursday nights: #Colony and #The100. Does it get better? Click To Tweet

Game of Thrones

Begins Sunday, April 24 / Sunday nights, 9 pm Eastern/ 8 pm Central, HBO

game of thrones starts
Ready for Game of Thrones to come back? Here’s when. (Twitter/HBOPR)

Game of Thrones will begin on Sunday, April 24 with one of its most anticipated seasons yet. The show is indeed post-apocalyptic, although thousands of years removes from the last apocalypse. But it also features the scariest invading zombie force I have ever seen on television, and the show is nearing another apocalypse. This show has some of the most intricate and amazing writing that you’re going to find. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here. You can also stream it on HBO Go.

The Last Man on Earth

Begins Sunday, March 6 / Sunday nights, 9:30 pm Eastern/8:30 pm Central, Fox

last man on earth time, last man on earth channel
When does The Last Man on Earth come back? (Adam Taylor/FOX)

If you thought the show wasn’t coming back, you’re not the only one. But it is! The post-apocalyptic comedy will return for more fun and crazy end-of-the-world antics. The name no longer fits the show’s premise, but it’s still a lot of fun. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

The Shannara Chronicles

Tuesday nights, 10 pm Eastern/9 pm Central, MTV

The Shannara Chronicles is based on the book series by Terry Brooks. It’s definitely post-apocalyptic, as you can see from the title sequence that MTV shared on YouTube. The show is absolutely beautiful to watch and has an intriguing storyline. It’s on MTV, so there will also be some teenage angst, a few cheesy moments here and there, and some love triangles. But the plot makes it worthwhile. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

The Walking Dead (and Fear the Walking Dead)

Sunday nights, 9 pm Eastern/8 pm Central, AMC

walking dead start date
The Walking Dead wouldn’t be the same without Daryl and Carol. When does it come back? (Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC)

We are beside ourselves with excitement about the rest of the season of The Walking Dead. We’ve heard the season finale is going to be crazy and maybe very depressing. The first episode that aired on February 14 was one of the best Walking Dead episodes yet, so we’re on the edge of our seats waiting for the rest. Meanwhile, Fear the Walking Dead will begin on Sunday, April 10, after Walking Dead concludes its season. It will air every Sunday night on AMC at 8 pm Central/9 pm Eastern. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here. 

You, Me, And the Apocalypse

Thursday nights, 8 pm Eastern/7 pm Central, NBC

you me and the apocalypse time and channel
(Guy Levy/WTTV Productions Limited)

You, Me, And the Apocalypse is yet another post-apocalyptic show that airs on Thursday nights! You can catch it every Thursday night on NBC. We’ve heard it’s much better than the other post-apocalyptic comedy, The Last Man on Earth.  Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

By the way, in case you need a recap, the post-apocalyptic shows that air on Thursday nights are: Adventure Time; You, Me, and the Apocalypse; The 100; and Colony. Remember when sci-fi Fridays was a thing? Now it’s Post-Apoc Thursdays.


Post-Apocalyptic Shows Coming Soon in 2016 or 2017

And here are the post-apocalyptic shows for 2016 (or even possibly 2017) that are still slated to begin.  We’ve thrown 2017 into the list because some shows are on a “to be decided” basis in terms of air dates, so they might get pushed back to next year.

Cleverman

Bring on 2016! "ABC’s Director of Television Richard Finlayson said that Cleverman is perhaps the broadcaster’s most ambitious drama so far."

Posted by Cleverman on Thursday, December 10, 2015

Cleverman may not be strictly post-apocalyptic, but it’s very dystopian. It’s an Australian sci-fi series that’s going to air on Sundance TV, if you’re lucky enough to get that channel. The series is only six episodes long and centers around a group of non-humans struggling for survival in a dystopian world.  As of February 1, the series hadn’t announced a release date yet but it’s expected to be sometime in 2016.

Containment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE983cTD4Mg

Containment is more pre-apocalyptic. Residents in Atlanta are quarantined after a mysterious disease proves it has the ability to wipe out humanity. It’s going to star Claudia Black of Farscape (an amazing TV show!) The show is going to air on CW, but it keeps getting pushed back. Now, potential fans are worried that it might get dropped altogether. It’s very possible that the trailer CW released all the way back in 2015 (see above) is the only thing we’ll see of the show.

The Last Ship

The Last Ship
(TNT/The Last Ship)

Some were worried that this series would be cancelled, but the unique post-apocalyptic show is coming back for a third season. The show airs on TNT and ended in a cliffhanger in September. It will return sometime in the summer of 2016. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

The Refugees

We have no idea if The Refugees is being renewed or if season 1 was the end of this BBC post-apocalyptic series. The series didn’t air in the U.S., but it did air on Atresmedia in Spain. The last episode aired on June 15, 2015. The show had a unique premise: 3 billion people from the future go back in time to escape an apocalypse.

The Strain

The Strain
(FX/The Strain)

This series is one of the most disturbing we’ve seen recently, and we’re not usually that squeamish! This series was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, based on their novel trilogy, and the showrunner is the amazing Carlton Cuse. The Strain will return to FX sometime in 2016. In 2015 it started in July, so we’re betting on a summer return again. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines
(Fox/Wayward Pines)

Wayward Pines is a Fox series with a unique, psychological twist. The show will come back in mid-2016, probably in the summer. We haven’t seen it yet ourselves, but have heard some pretty amazing things about the series, so Season 1 is on the short list to watch as soon as possible. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.

Z Nation

z nation
(Oliver Irwin/Go2 Z Ice/Syfy)

Z Nation just recently wrapped up Season 2 on Syfy. It’s been renewed for Season 3, but there’s no word yet on when the season will start, only that it will be in 2016. This is a fun zombie series where the zombies are faster and stronger than in The Walking Dead, but not nearly as crazy strong as in The Strain. This show is a cross between Walking Dead and Sharknado. It’s not afraid to take itself lightly at times and throw in some cheesy jokes and scenes. Want to see it on Amazon? Check it out here.


Recently Canceled Shows That You May Be Wondering About

So, maybe your favorite show isn’t on this list and you’re wondering why. Well, the answer is probably that it was canceled. 🙁 Not everyone is up to the latest news about cancelations, so here are some of our favorite shows that sadly got the ax in 2015. We’re providing Amazon (affiliate) links with their names in case you want to catch up on old episodes and see what you missed. (By the way, we use affiliate links because that’s partially how we support the website. But we’ll always be honest about our reviews!)


 

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    Stephanie Dwilson started Post Apocalyptic Media with her husband Derek. She's a licensed attorney and has a master's in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].

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