After the gripping conclusion of Severance's second season, fans have been scouring for a new obsession to quench their thirst for compelling television. Netflix steps up to the plate with a gem from its archives.

Released in 2018, this series is an adaptation of a bestselling novel that made waves on the small screen with its stunning visual effects and a plot full of twists and turns.

Adding to the allure, the show features a familiar face from Severance, who joined the cast before their stint on the acclaimed Apple TV+ series.

Set in a distant future, the sci-fi drama explores a world where human consciousness can be digitised and stored on a disc-like "cortical stack", allowing people to transfer their minds into new bodies, or "sleeves", effectively granting them eternal life.

The first season of Altered Carbon draws inspiration from Richard K. Morgan's 2002 book of the same title, reports the Mirror US.

Morgan has spoken about penning Altered Carbon as a response to the scarcity of cyberpunk narratives following Blade Runner, which clearly influenced his work.

Devotees of Sir Ridley Scott's classic featuring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer will find the visual style of Altered Carbon particularly resonant.

Set in the year 2384 in Bay City, Altered Carbon follows Takeshi Kovacs (portrayed by Joel Kinnaman), a police detective and mercenary reincarnated into a new sleeve to solve the murder of Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), one of the richest individuals across the colonised planets.

Season one of the series also featured Dichen Lachman, known for her roles in Severance and Dollhouse, as Takeshi's sister Reileen Kawahara. Lachman's compelling portrayal of the enigmatic Reileen likely set the stage for her subsequent role as Gemma Scout and her various Innies in Severance.

Her experience in Dollhouse would have undoubtedly aided her performance as Gemma.

Netflix greenlit a second season of Altered Carbon, with Marvel star Anthony Mackie stepping into the role of Takeshi. However, some viewers felt the show lost its momentum in its second run, leading to its eventual cancellation.

The first season still holds a 70 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with one viewer awarding it five stars and commenting: "Entertaining, visually stunning, and with talented actors - I really enjoyed immersing myself in the world of Altered Carbon and the way the story was beautifully presented."

Another fan expressed their admiration for the show, saying: "I loved this show, beautiful and well written. The plot was like a drug I was addicted. When it cancelled I was sent into remission. I was vastly disappointed my wife and I thought it would never end."

A third viewer shared their frustration over the cancellation, stating: "This is one of the greatest TV shows of all time. I usually try and come back and watch this every year. It doesn't fail to move or impress me. I can definitely see how so much money was spent on this and in my opinion it was worth every penny."

Altered Carbon is streaming on Netflix now and Severance is available on Apple TV +