Every global event reshapes what we imagine the future might hold. The legacy of coronavirus on science fiction television is bound to manifest in shifting themes, and fresh focal points.
Boundaries of what we imagine the future could look like, are stretching. Who knows what paths humanity will take? Below are possible elements you could see driving sci-fi TV in the near future.
Immunity Passports
Science fiction has flirted with the idea of genetic discrimination. Futures where increased risk of disease or mutated genes restricts opportunities. In the present day, COVID19 has seen the emergence of possible immunity passports.
So far, the general consensus is nebulous antibody time frames are too problematic for passport allocation. But already there have been reports of people trying to catch COVID19 so they can build immunity and qualify for a potential immunity passport.
In a sense, everyday passports are a form of privilege, with rights attached. This takes the concept further. Being allowed to earn money would create an elite working class, and sci-fi lends itself to exploring new forms of prejudice.
The Connect vs The Disconnect
Traditionally sci-fi has always given a nod to the impact of isolation on mental health. Often in space, or a sparsely populated future. Nuclear shelters and closed communities, unknown planetscapes and isolated wilderness.
Two contrasting experiences of living through the pandemic: maintaining social interaction through the internet, and discarding an online presence and embracing the present environment, whether urban or rural.
COVID19 has taken the pressure of isolation from an abstract idea, to a relatable memory. Modern audiences will identify with extreme emotional transitions. The genre’s relationship with existential dread just got real.
Universal Healthcare
Mortality makes humanity vulnerable. By denying access to healthcare, governments control citizens more effectively. That has long been a concern in science fiction entertainment.
In the present, sick people are a massive consumer market. Big Pharma has shown billions can be made treating the unwell. Countries like America tie access to healthcare into work performance. Medical care is packaged as a privilege, not a right.
This feeds the imagination. Add in COVID19 placing overwhelming pressure on already under-equipped, over-priced systems, and fears over inaccessible healthcare will continue to be at the heart of many future sci-fi stories.
Disruption of Copyright and Disinformation
“Baddies” hoarding or protecting information is a sci-fi trope. One thing that has been clear during COVID19 is how easily the rules of who owns what information are swept aside in the face of need (i.e. 3D printers used to create copyrighted hospital supplies).
Likewise, the Disinformation Era has continued to rise during COVID19. What is true, what is not, what is presented as truth, and what is accepted as truth have become a complex part of the internet, and social media.
Propaganda sells differently online, and it would seem 1984 was only the first volume in an ongoing series. Dissemination of disinformation will be explored for years to come. Get set for science fiction that uses lies as much as truth to tell a story.
A Little Laughter
A hallmark of dystopia is often a humorless narrative. Things are grim, characters are dour. Survival is the overarching theme. Expecting the best of anyone becomes a borderline character flaw.
But after horrific events on a global scale, people are often open to more cheerful television. When the going gets tough, people like to laugh. With sci-fi it’s more a well-crafted blend of humorous interjections through darker threads.
Audiences still ponder the big stuff. Complex ideas are mulled over around the wise cracks. Here’s to science fiction TV that takes the audience through the emotional spectrum, from tears to laughter while still exploring big ideas.
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