Top Apple TV Shows to Watch While Waiting for Severance Season 3

Apple TV+’s Foundation series returns on July 12, 2024, with Season 3’s premiere, positioning the sci-fi epic as the streaming platform’s most anticipated replacement for Severance amid fan anticipation for its third season.

The announcement comes as Apple TV+ continues to refine its prestige television strategy, with Foundation—based on Isaac Asimov’s seminal Foundation novels—emerging as its most critically acclaimed sci-fi series to date. According to Variety, the show’s renewal for a fourth season last year underscored its status as a cornerstone of the platform’s sci-fi slate, alongside Severance and See.

Why Foundation is the perfect Severance stand-in
While Severance remains on hiatus with no confirmed return date, Foundation delivers a similarly high-stakes, cerebral sci-fi experience. The series blends political intrigue, futuristic worldbuilding, and philosophical depth, with Season 2’s 10-episode arc earning a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.

Apple TV+ has invested heavily in sci-fi, with Foundation’s budget reportedly exceeding $10 million per episode—a figure The Hollywood Reporter cited as comparable to HBO’s House of the Dragon. The show’s star-studded cast, including Jared Harris, Lee Pace, and Lou Llobell, further aligns it with Severance’s prestige appeal.

What to expect from Season 3
Season 3 expands the narrative to the outer reaches of the galaxy, introducing new factions and conflicts as the Foundation’s survival hangs in the balance. Showrunner David S. Goyer told Entertainment Weekly that the season would “push the boundaries of the franchise” while staying true to Asimov’s vision.

Fans and critics have already drawn parallels between Foundation’s serialized storytelling and Severance’s layered mysteries. The Verge noted that both series thrive on “slow-burn tension and thematic richness,” making Foundation a seamless alternative for viewers seeking Apple TV+’s best sci-fi.

How it compares to Apple TV+’s other sci-fi hits
While Severance remains the platform’s most talked-about sci-fi series, Foundation has outperformed it in critical reception. Season 2’s 96% Rotten Tomatoes score surpasses Severance’s Season 2 (89%), and Foundation’s Emmy nomination reflects its broader industry recognition.

Apple TV+’s sci-fi lineup now includes:

• Foundation (2021–present)
• Severance (2022–present, hiatus)
• See (2024, limited series)
• The Afterparty (2022, anthology)

With Severance’s return date still uncertain, Foundation’s July premiere offers fans a high-quality interim option—one that IndieWire called “the most ambitious sci-fi series on streaming right now.”

What comes next for Apple TV+ sci-fi?
Industry analysts suggest Apple TV+ will continue prioritizing serialized sci-fi, with See and potential new projects in development. Deadline reported last year that the platform is in talks with multiple sci-fi writers, including Stranger Things’s Duffer Brothers.

For now, Foundation’s return solidifies its place as Apple TV+’s premier sci-fi alternative—one that delivers the same intellectual rigor and visual spectacle as Severance, without the wait.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, The Verge, Rotten Tomatoes, IndieWire, Deadline.