The Most Realistic Sci-Fi Show Ever Just Took Over iTunes
Three years after it ended, The Expanse just rocketed to the top of the iTunes charts.
According to FlixPatrol, the acclaimed series is now the most-watched show on iTunes VOD as of June 29, beating out major hits like Battlestar Galactica and Rick and Morty, which sit at numbers two and three.
Not bad for a show that was cancelled halfway through its run.
Originally airing on Syfy in 2015, The Expanse built a reputation as one of the smartest, most grounded sci-fi series ever made. It's based on the bestselling books by James S.A. Corey, a pseudonym for writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The show takes place in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system—and political tension between Earth, Mars, and the asteroid-dwelling "Belters" threatens to explode into full-scale war.
Despite critical praise, the show was dropped by Syfy after three seasons and 36 episodes. Amazon Prime Video picked it up in 2018, where it continued for three more seasons and 26 more episodes, giving the story a proper sendoff in 2021.
Here's what's fueled The Expanse's ongoing popularity:
- Total of 62 episodes across six seasons
- Based on nine novels and nine novellas, collected in Memory's Legion
Spin-offs include:
- The Expanse: A Telltale Series (6-episode video game)
- Tie-in comic books from BOOM! Studios
All episodes available on iTunes and streaming via Prime Video
The show's resurgence may also be tied to the announcement of a new video game set in the same universe. Titled The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, the upcoming RPG from OwlCat Games will tell a new story set after the events of Season 6. Creative Director Alexander Mishulin teased the game's connection to the series:
"You will be seeing with your own eyes the repercussions of Holden's actions, all the situations like The Canterbury, and how it affects people in the belt, people in the inner planets... You will be having your own adventure with your own goals, choices, consequences in the same universe [with] all the major events unfolding in this universe alongside your story."
The game won't feature original characters like Holden or Naomi, but it will let players explore the fallout of their choices through a new cast. Expect a narrative style similar to Mass Effect, with choice-driven storytelling and multiple branching outcomes.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is in development for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC. No release date has been confirmed yet.
In the meantime, The Expanse is available in full on Prime Video and is currently topping the iTunes charts—proof that hard sci-fi with sharp writing and zero nonsense still has serious staying power.