We’ve all been there before. You’ve just binged an entire season of a TV show that you really like, and now you feel empty. That’s how we all feel after binging Prime Video’s Fallout. While waiting for the next season, here are 10 shows like Fallout if you’re looking for something to keep you occupied.
The Last of Us
Okay! Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Before Fallout came along, it’s probably safe to say that HBO’s The Last of Us was the best video game to TV series adaptation we’d seen, and for good reason too.
While the tone of both shows couldn’t be more different, The Last of Us follows a similar narrative structure whereby its protagonists need to travel across a dangerous, post-apocalyptic land to reach their goal. In Fallout, the goal was to deliver the artifact to Moldaver. And in The Last of Us, the goal is to deliver Ellie to the Fireflies.
The Last of Us is a lot more grim, but it’s often punctuated with moments of light humor and genuinely heartwarming segments. It’s a masterclass in character development, and will certainly scratch that post-apocalyptic itch that Fallout left you.
Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal is weirdly underrated, but absolutely worth checking out if you’re looking for another post-apocalyptic show with a similar sense of humor and snark to Fallout. The premise is simple: protagonist John Doe is tasked with traveling across the USA to deliver a mysterious package, but is forced to contend with marauders and other deadly foes along the way.
It’s worth mentioning that this show has a pretty stacked cast as well, including Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Will Arnett. While it’s not quite as tightly written as Fallout, it’s still a really fun time overall.
Silo
Who said Apple TV doesn’t have good exclusive shows? The network has put out gems like Mythic Quest, Ted Lasso, Severance, and now you can add Silo to the list as well.
Starring Rebecca Ferguson — who’s quickly become best known for her role in the Dune movies — as an engineer in a dystopian future, Silo is set in an underground silo with 144 levels, filled with people who have never seen the outside world. This certainly isn’t a comedy in the way that Fallout is, but the concept of the silo itself is very similar to that of Vault-Tec’s Vaults.
The silo’s denizens are bound by very restrictive rules and regulations that they believe are meant to protect them, but as you can probably guess, there’s a much more sinister purpose behind the whole structure.
The Expanse
The Expanse is easily Syfy’s biggest show and is based on the novel series of the same name. It’s set in the far-flung future where humanity has basically colonized outer space, and the story revolves around the political machinations of the major powers on Earth, Mars, and other planets.
What’s so fascinating about The Expanse is that the show is very interested in exploring corporatist culture, while also diving into themes like capitalism and authoritarian rules. Sound familiar yet? If you’re looking for a show that features a truly evil corporation like Vault-Tec that’s willing to commodify literally anything in the world for better profit margins, The Expanse is a pretty good one to check out.
Preacher
On the flip side, if you’d like to watch another show that’s good at comedy and sarcasm and you’ve already seen Twisted Metal, you might want to consider Preacher as well.
The show is based on the comic book series from DC and Vertigo, and centers around a preacher named Jesse Custer who, well, does anything but preach, really. He drinks, smokes, questions his faith, but his entire world changes when he’s gifted with a power that could help him refocus and rediscover his faith with God. Jesse then embarks on an adventure across the country with his ex-girlfriend and his new vampire friend to find out what this power means for him.
The 100
If you can stomach a little bit of CW teen angst, The 100 is another great series to check out. The series creators and showrunners have cited Fallout as a major source of inspiration for the show, and the similarities are quite obvious.
The 100 is set in a post-apocalyptic world where Earth was basically wiped out by a nuclear blast. Instead of getting cooped up in Vaults, Earth’s citizens are now living in a space station that orbits the planet. The show kicks off when 100 juvenile detainees are sent back to Earth in a last-ditch attempt to determine whether it’s still habitable. And if that fails, they’d at least be able to gather resources for the folks in space.
The return to Earth feels a lot like Lucy’s first foray into the Wasteland after living in Vault 33 her whole life. There are plenty of new factions to discover, along with so many complications like, well, cannibals and people who just live in mountains now.
Jericho
Bit of an oldie, but still very much a goodie. Jericho is another post-apocalyptic series that’s set in Jericho, Kansas. After a devastating nuclear attack, the show revolves around the citizens of Jericho who quickly learn that at least 20 other major cities in the country were hit as well.
The first half of the season centers around Jericho struggling to survive in the aftermath of the attack, but over time, they eventually start making contact with other cities and piece together exactly what happened in the first place. The show is very focused on the idea of community and public order, and while it’s certainly a lot more serious than Fallout, it’s a great cult classic that really nails that post-apocalyptic vibe.
Snowpiercer
Not to be confused with the Bong Joon-Ho movie (which is also excellent by the way), Netflix’s Snowpiercer series is the perfect microcosm of what humanity could look like if the entire population was forced into a tiny space together with nowhere to run, forever. The show is set on a train that never stops because it can’t afford to, with the entire world turning into a frozen wasteland.
Snowpiercer feels like a Vault experiment gone seriously wrong, as the train’s citizens are eventually segregated according to social standing and class, and the results are devastating, as you can imagine. With a cast featuring big names like Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean, and even Steven Ogg, this is an excellent post-apocalyptic show and Fallout fans will find a lot to love here.
Westworld
To be clear, Westworld‘s premise is completely different to Fallout‘s, but if you want an idea of what showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are capable of, you owe it to yourself to check out the first season at the very least. Westworld’s debut season is full of rich character moments and juicy story arcs, mysteries, and hooks that will certainly keep you invested from start to finish.
It’s a visual treat for the eyes, and if you were a fan of how the character backstories were told and fleshed out in Fallout, you’ll be pleased to see that Westworld handles its characters with that same amount of care as well.
That being said, I’d argue that only the first season is worth watching. That’s fine, though; Westworld Season 1 tells a complete story and you could walk away from that finale feeling thoroughly satisfied with where the story and characters ended up. Season 2 is still pretty decent but never comes close to the highs of Season 1, while Seasons 3 and 4 are just complete dumpster fires.
Yellowjackets
Finally, if you really enjoyed Ella Purnell’s performance as Lucy in Fallout, you need to check out Yellowjackets. In my view, this is the breakout role for Purnell and while her character Jackie is nowhere near as charming or sweet as Lucy, it’s a powerful role that’s only elevated by Purnell’s performance.
The show follows a high school girls’ football team that flies over the country for a game, only for their plane to crash over the Canadian Rockies. It’s all very Lord of the Flies, as the girls are then forced to rebuild their own little society in the Rockies when it becomes clear that no one’s coming for them anytime soon. To make things worse, there’s major drama between some of the girls, there are supernatural elements, and there’s cannibalism. Recipe for success.
Published: Apr 21, 2024 02:00 pm