Apple TV+ greenlights 'Foundation' season two

AppleInsider

Apple TV+ original series "Foundation" is getting a second season, the company announced on Thursday ahead of the premiere of the show's fourth episode.

While Apple has not revealed streaming numbers for "Foundation," or any of its Apple TV+ properties for that matter, the company apparently feels viewer interest in the series is strong enough to warrant a sophomore season.

With a talented cast, sumptuous set pieces and copious special effects, "Foundation" is thought to be one of the most expensive productions in the streaming service's slate. A renewal shows Apple has faith in showrunner David S. Goyer, who previously estimated that more than 70 episodes would be needed to adequately represent Isaac Asimov's saga.

"[W]ith season two, our audience will get to visit more of Asimov's indelible characters and worlds, including Hober Mallow, General Bel Riose, and all the Outer Suns," Goyer said in a press release. "I'm thrilled that a whole new generation of fans are reading Asimov's brilliant masterwork. We're playing the long game with Foundation' and I'm grateful to my partners at Apple and Skydance for entrusting me with this epic. Buckle up. We're about to fold some serious space."

Both the written work and television series tell the story of Foundation, an institute created by "psychohistorian" Hari Seldon (Jarred Harris) during the decline of the 12,000-year-old Galactic Empire. Seldon, who predicted the fall of civilization by analyzing complex calculus, places hope in the Foundation to ameliorate a pending dark age by collecting and preserving human knowledge.

Not a strict adaptation of Asimov's classic, "Foundation" on Apple TV+ retains major plot points but places special emphasis on the work's main characters. Due to its timeline and long list of players, a healthy dose of artistic license is needed to bring "Foundation" the book series to the screen.

Apple last month launched a podcast in which Goyer and other production crew members explain changes and deviations from the manuscript. The podcast also provides a weekly deep dive into newly aired episodes.

The renewal arrives after initial reviews praised the show's visuals, but were critical of Goyer's translation of Asimov's narrative.

Read on AppleInsider

lkrupp

Asimov’s novels were rather intellectual and strait forward. I understand a screen play has to provide action, sex, flashbacks, etc. to get people to watch. I am reserving judgement so far as to its adherence to the original novels. Let’s give it a few more episodes. Definitely big eye candy production though.

spliceguys

I love sci fi and this show is SO boring. 

lkrupp

spliceguys said:

I love sci fi and this show is SO boring. 

Most cerebral sci-fi is. The standard offerings of snarling alien monsters hell bent on destroying humankind, or aliens who take over human bodies (costs less  for FX don't you know) is not science fiction. I offer The Tomorrow War as an example with a-lister Chris Pratt blowing aliens away directly copied from Kong: Skull Island. Not boring but not sci-fi either.

quidnunc

I like what I've watched so far

jamster1960

Sorry for those who expected the love child of Game of Thrones and Star Wars. This is more akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey. So far I’m loving the combination of lush visuals and slow burning intrigue. Sorry to those who think it’s not science fiction unless there are multiple scenes involving ‘pew pew’ sound effects fights. 

blastdoor

quidnunc said:

I like what I've watched so far

Me too — very happy so far

george kaplan

jamster1960 said:

Sorry for those who expected the love child of Game of Thrones and Star Wars. This is more akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey. So far I’m loving the combination of lush visuals and slow burning intrigue. Sorry to those who think it’s not science fiction unless there are multiple scenes involving ‘pew pew’ sound effects fights. 

Yep. 

After being drawn into years of the show, I think many folks forget GoT Season 1 was very slow going, with tons of exposition to lay out. The key difference is GoT would show naked women to paper over the bone-dry narrative for the first many episodes. Once the characters were established, then the storyline took off. And still there were plenty of naked women. 

clemynx

I am quite surprised that anyone could find the series boring but to each their own as they say. 

I find this series really great for the moment and can only imagine it becoming better and better with more seasons. 

Every scene in the imperial palace is amazing. 

ericthehalfbee

I never read the original books so looking at this without any bias or pre-conceptions.

I like what I’ve seen so far and to hell with criticism from purists who aren’t happy with the adaptation. Same as Star Trek or Star Wars “fans” who think their vision of each universe is concrete and any deviation somehow isn’t “true” to the original.

Nothing worse than snobby elitist “fans” trying to force their view on others.

spock1234

Having read the books, I was eagerly anticipating this TV series. What a let down! 🤮 Everybody who watches the series should go read the books and see how good the original characters and story are. What a wasted opportunity. The whole show is very melodramatic, like a Spanish Telenovella. Dramatic vistas are used just for show, not to show the significance of an event or understand the character's motivations. Gall rising from the water, the dramatic expressions in every scene (a la Soap Opera), all come to nothing. All drama and no payoff. 

The story has already veered far away from the book, and none of the characters, except Hari Seldon, behave like they should. They are completely different people in the TV show. It is impossible for the audience to identify with, or understand, them. And why the gender-swaps? Making Gall and Salvor 'diverse' females added nothing to the story or the characters. Neither actresses is anything special. The actress playing Salvor Hardin is especially bad, with her flat voice and wooden acting. Gall being a girl separated from her family could have been used to develop a strong bond between her and Hari (father-daughter, mentor-student relationship). They could have used Salvor's gender to highlight her devotion to Terminus, and her desire to protect the people of Terminus from harm. But, NO. All we got was an ugly woman who looks like a man (brave, independent, and all that nonsense) to please the woke crowd.

My main issue with the third episode was the depiction of Salvor Hardin. Instead of portraying Salvor as a determined, savvy person, they went with the 'Rey/Mulan' approach of making her 'special' so she could approach the vault. What nonsense! It cheapens all of Salvor’s achievements, just like the live action movie ruined Mulan - instead of being a brave girl who risked her life for her father, and passed the rigorous training as well as the men, she was turned into a 'special' girl who was powerful 'just because'.  

The worst part of the show was the romance between Raych and Gall. She is portrayed as a young girl (14 - 16 yo), and the actress looks the part. Seeing her kiss a grown man with a beard was absolutely disgusting. What were they thinking?!! Couldn't they have made her a little older? Not an auspicious start to the series. I fear for the future of this show. I just hope they don't desecrate Asimov's story and memory any further!

22july2013

I’m not sure when this show will get to Foundation’s “sequel books,” which were books 6 & 7 but they were ABSOLUTELY the best books. They were also the first books of Asimov to hit the NY Times best seller lists. 

yojimbo007

jamster1960 said:

Sorry for those who expected the love child of Game of Thrones and Star Wars. This is more akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey. So far I’m loving the combination of lush visuals and slow burning intrigue. Sorry to those who think it’s not science fiction unless there are multiple scenes involving ‘pew pew’ sound effects fights. 

its not about the pew pew… rather the story telling and pace and engagement… i find it very slow and and un-engaging from a storytelling perspective. 

fastasleep

spock1234 said:

But, NO. All we got was an ugly woman who looks like a man (brave, independent, and all that nonsense) to please the woke crowd.

Woke being not racist and mysogynist?

gerard

I like what I see so far as well. Only critique I have is the classical style music overwhelming the sound effects. When the tower/elevator thing was blown up as an example. I would have liked the destruction sound effects to take precedence in situations like that. 

sbwolves

I find the show absolutely engrossing. I have read and re-read the novels many times and absolutely love how Goyer and his team have used the original material more as inspiration than slavish recreation. The changes are a blast to watch. I also appreciate how it already incorporates the Robot novels...despite the fact that revelation/addition was something Asimov added almost 40 years after writing the original stories. It makes it a much larger world to explore--which is saying something. It is indeed one of the most gorgeously shot shows...and I am really happy to know another season is coming.

22july2013

gerard said:

I like what I see so far as well. Only critique I have is the classical style music overwhelming the sound effects. When the tower/elevator thing was blown up as an example. I would have liked the destruction sound effects to take precedence in situations like that. 

Perhaps the "sound" of things exploding in outer space would add "realism."

Japhey

Goyer wants to tell the whole story in 80 episodes. We’ve had 3 so far. So, unless you’re the sort of person that dismisses an entire book after only a few pages, chill out. Maybe give the story a minute to develop. And if that is the sort of person you are, seek your entertainment elsewhere. This isn’t for you. 

22july2013

If Asimov was alive today this show would definitely be cancelled because of his attitude towards, and treatment of, women. He was a serial harasser. Asimov treated women so badly he almost makes Bill Cosby look like Billy Graham. Asimov was a pig. It won't be long before Apple realizes this and cancels the show. They will say "bad ratings" was the cause. If you want evidence, search online for the article entitled, "What to Make of Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi Giant and Dirty Old Man?"

I'm not particularly into cancel culture but I do avoid shows and books by authors who have committed crimes or committed serial heinous acts. Perhaps Asimov is a candidate for the latter. I'm proud to have thrown away his signature and personal letter to me.

auxio

Japhey said:

Goyer wants to tell the whole story in 80 episodes. We’ve had 3 so far. So, unless you’re the sort of person that dismisses an entire book after only a few pages, chill out. Maybe give the story a minute to develop. And if that is the sort of person you are, seek your entertainment elsewhere. This isn’t for you. 

Agreed.  I've been enjoying what I've seen so far, but I'm not completely sold on it yet.  However, it's far too early to make a conclusive decision.  I usually give a show a full season unless it's truly awful (it isn't at all).

wood1208

THE BORING! Story slow and disconnected in places.. Please make some shows worth spending time to watch.