Severance bucked a terrifying TV trend – now it could become the problem

When Severance was first released, it made me so much more hopeful for the future of TV. Now, that could be about to change.

As someone whose entire job is writing about sci-fi and fantasy TV, the amount of truly original TV shows I get to report on are actually pretty few and far between. By that, I mean any series that's not based on an existing IP, so not a reboot, remake, spin-off, sequel or prequel.

Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with these shows. I'm a big fan of a lot of them – from Marvel and Star Wars to Game of Thrones and Doctor Who.

But, in recent years, we've been absolutely inundated by spin-offs. In many cases, it seems studios are hesitant to take any risks at all, the culmination of which is a massive over-reliance on existing intellectual property (IP). If something already has a fanbase, it's a safe bet, right?

When done right, spin-offs can work beautifully. Just look at the brilliance of Andor, masterfully expands the Star Wars and still tell its own story. In countless other cases, it's not worked at all – and has even, in some cases, tainted the legacy of the original show.

In 2022, when Severance first aired on Apple TV, I thought it was going to prove the obsession with spin-offs wrong. It was a completely original idea, backed by a streamer that's clearly willing to take a punt on a weird little sci-fi and it absolutely took off, not because of any huge marketing campaigns, but because of word of mouth.

Sure, you could argue that it wasn't quite a massive risk for Apple – I suspect they've got the kind of money that makes risks like this not seem that risky. Plus, Ben Stiller was on board as an executive producer and director, which certainly can't have hurt. But, undeniably, it worked because it was a breath of fresh air.

Now, it's been reported that Apple has acquired full ownership of Severance, bringing development of future seasons in-house.

And (shocker), according to Deadline, showrunner Dan Erickson and director Stiller are said to be mulling over possible spin-offs, prequels or international versions to turn their attention to when this initial story wraps up.

But why? Why can't we just leave a good series alone? Why must we spin it off into a thousand different iterations until its legacy has been entirely ruined and it no longer resembles the series it once was?

Well, because money. But haven't we already proven that original ideas (like Severance itself) are very capable of bringing in the cash? Why isn't anyone taking the success of shows like Severance as a sign to make more original shows rather than beating the dead horse of spin-off after spin-off?

As much as I love Severance itself, I don't really want to see whatever spin-off is about to be dreamed up, whether it's a prequel based on the backstory of Kier Eagan's origin story, a sequel about Mark's life after Lumon, or a sitcom starring the goats from the Mammalians Nurturable division (actually, there might be something in that last one...).

Because if that happens, then Severance could be about to contribute to the very problem it seemed so poised to combat.

As much as it might sound like it, I'm not entirely against spin-offs. But only very few series have been improved by its spin-offs. It must be a fraction of the amount that have actually been made. So all I'm asking is that there's an ounce more consideration before deciding that every successful series needs to be a franchise.

Breaking Bad scribe Vince Gilligan, who not only has had a successful spin-off show in Better Call Saul, put it well when he chatted to Radio Times about his (original!) show Pluribus.

He addressed the swathes of reboots and remakes and admitted that there's "a lot of pressure in the business" to stick with familiar IP rather than try something new.

"I feel bad for young folks, watching the stories of their grandparents over and over again," he told us. "I think they deserve their own new stories."

Say it louder for those at the back, Vince!

Clearly the creativity is out there and there's an audience for it. Hopefully the powers that be will put that together – and soon.

Severance is available to stream on Apple TV. Start your seven day free Apple TV trial at Apple.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Add Severance to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.