Joss Whedon is finally returning to the small screen. HBO has officially ordered a new female-centric sci-fi series titled The Nevers from the creator of Buffy the Vampire SlayerAngel and Firefly. Although Whedon co-created Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series for ABC, The Nevers will be the first television series he’s created on his own in almost 10 years.

Per Deadline, HBO has ordered to series The Nevers, a new sci-fi series project from Whedon which follows a “gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.” Hopefully this is more like a female-centric Penny Dreadful than, say, a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen situation.

The series was reportedly at the center of a competitive bid, with Netflix also in the mix to snag Whedon’s return to the small screen. With Game of Thrones nearing an end and Westworld proving to be such a major it for the network, HBO has taken a shining to science fiction of late. In addition to The Nevers, the network picked up Demimonde, a new sci-fi series project from J.J. Abrams, and Lovecraft Country from producer Jordan Peele. HBO is also (clearly) sticking to developing shows with acclaimed creatives who have strong, singular visions; an approach that put them at the forefront of prestige television.

Peele, Abrams, Jonathan Nolan (Westworld), Jean-Marc Vallée (Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers and the forthcoming Watchmen) and Andrea Arnold (the upcoming second season of Big Little Lies) are just a handful of the names currently involved with HBO’s slate of original programming.

In recent years, Whedon has mostly worked in film, directing the first two Avengers movies (an experience that caused him great stress, by his own admission) and a black-and-white indie adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. He was also briefly signed on to direct a Batgirl solo movie for DC Films, and despite his longstanding investment in telling stories about women, many felt his exit was the right call — possibly giving a female filmmaker a chance to helm the project.

It’s unclear exactly when The Nevers will debut on the network, but given that Game of Thrones is ending in 2019, and Westworld may not return until 2020, it’s possible that we could see Whedon’s return to TV somewhere in between.

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