Apple’s upcoming sci-fi show, Silo, is not alone in telling a bunker-ridden, post-apocalyptic story, but it could be sabotaging the upcoming Fallout series. It is a common refrain that no tale is truly original anymore, and the fact that two premises or settings may be similar due to shared influences is inevitable. While this is a natural part of storytelling, sometimes the crossover can go too far, and if one does not differentiate from the other, one show’s success can mean the other's failure. Apple's Silo and the developing Fallout TV show could have this impact on each other.
Silo tells the story of a world ravaged by an unknown apocalypse where people live in "silos" deep below the earth. Apple’s upcoming 2023 sci-fi series follows an engineer, Rebecca Ferguson's Juliette, as she tries to dig up the truth of the silo and the apocalypse above. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime is developing a TV show based on the Fallout video games, which depict an alternate history where great technical achievement in the 1940s and 1950s led to nuclear war. This conflict also landed people in giant fallout shelters, and after years underground, players emerge into a wasteland and uncover secrets about both the shelters and the new world.
Apple's Silo Plot Is Very Close To Fallout's Shelters
Despite developing independently, Silo’s plot has far too many similarities to Fallout for the former to not impact the latter. The two post-apocalypses are eerily similar, and draw upon the same sources of sci-fi mystery and subterranean isolation. If Silo is successful, or manages to break into mainstream pop culture, it could very well absorb much of the interest that would have otherwise gone to the Amazon Fallout TV show, simply by virtue of releasing sooner.
While this would be disappointing given the success of the Fallout video game releases, it may still be possible that Silo and the Fallout show differentiate themselves with their scopes. If one of these shows focuses on adventures beyond the shelters while the other stays largely contained within, both could coexist. That would, however, be a very tenuous balance.
Apple's Silo Show Could Help The Fallout Show, Not Hinder It
However, Silo’s earlier release and shared plot elements do not have to be a death knell for the Fallout series. Apple’s show could even assist Amazon Prime’s by introducing viewers who are not familiar with the Fallout games to many of the tropes and concepts shared by both stories, making it easier for the later series to maintain combined interest once Silo concludes. Furthermore, if viewers develop an appetite for apocalyptic conspiracies before Fallout is released, Silo could also help overcome any hesitancies viewers may have surrounding movie and TV video game adaptations.
Similarly, Fallout and Silo‘s potential shared plot elements could drum up interest by sheer comparison. Since both series explore the idea of conspiracy theories that result in apocalyptic endings, comparing the directions each show takes could engage audiences further. As both shows develop the deceit and subterfuge inherent in their storylines, inviting viewers who enjoy mysteries and revelations to watch Silo could build engagement and suspense for the Fallout series at the same time. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how these two similar series pan out.