While many streaming shows are attempting to slim down yawning gaps between seasons, some simply are not doing that, which includes one of Apple TV’s flagships: Severance.
Despite previously saying the show wanted to reduce the almost three-year gap between seasons, a new update from Severence says that it is, once again, barely going to be under three years, if timelines hold.
Apple has just announced that production has begun on Severance season 3, here, just a few days before the end of July. There was previously some hope that filming would begin earlier, as back in March, star Adam Scott said that filming would start “very soon.” You would imagine “very soon” might have been, say, April in that situation, but instead we’re almost in August.
The late July date actually lines up with what actor John Turturro said before Scott’s interview, something that was later backed up by Deadline reporting. Both said July, and here we are.
As for the release date? The math is awful. From the last time I had to calculate this:
- Severance season 1 and Severance season 2 had a 35-month gap between them, nearly three years, between February 18 2022 and January 17, 2025.
- If Severance season 3 is starting to film in July 2026, that is 18 months after season 2 ended, an enormous span of time.
- Severance season 2 was filmed over about six months, ending in April 2024 (there was a large gap of time carved out due to strikes), then there were eight months of post-production.
- So, July 2026 + 6 months of filming + 8 months of post-production = September 2027 for a likely release date. That is two years and eight months after season 2 aired, just under three years yet again.
It is extremely frustrating that shows like Severance keep doing this. We’re also in the same boat with Pluribus, another high-concept Apple TV sci-fi series whose creator, Vince Gilligan, essentially laughed off the idea it was starting production any time soon after it aired. A 2.5-3 year wait is also likely there, and this time, there are no promises they are trying to make that shorter.
Netflix, of all places, is starting to do a better job of this. After an interminable break for Wednesday, which helped season 2 viewership drop dramatically, it spooled up production on season 3 right after the second season aired. They’re shooting shows like One Piece rapid fire. Apple TV may have great series, but it needs to get with the program here or its biggest series are going to flirt with irrelevance.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.