Eric Dane stars in “The Last Ship”

The end is nigh -- at least on television. Apocalyptic programs are having a moment. Whether it's a zombie apocalypse a la AMC's "The Walking Dead" or a mysterious viral outbreak as in CW's "Containment," the end of the world has viewers on the edge of their seats.

A topic usually reserved for the big screen, or -- at the very least -- TV movies, is now popping up just about everywhere and continuing on for season after season. TNT's answer to the trendy post-apocalyptic genre is one of television's current hits: a new episode of "The Last Ship" airs Sunday, July 10. Based on William Brinkley's 1988 novel of the same name, the drama follows the crew of the fictional destroyer USS Nathan James as they scramble to save humanity in the wake of a devastating outbreak that wiped out most of the world's population.

Michael Bay ("Transformers," 2007) -- known for his big-budget action movies -- serves as the executive producer, which explains the show's fast pace and big-screen feel. Eric Dane ("Grey's Anatomy") leads the cast as Tom Chandler, former commanding officer of the Nathan James who was promoted to chief of naval operations by President Michener (Mark Moses, "Desperate Housewives") at the end of season 2. In the beginning, he worked with Dr. Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra, "Boston Legal"), a paleomicrobiologist who created a cure for the pandemic, which they are now distributing throughout the world.

This season, Mike Slattery (Adam Baldwin, "Firefly") took the helm of the Nathan James as captain, having been promoted in the season 2 finale. Meanwhile, lieutenants Danny Green (Travis Van Winkle, "Transformers," 2007) and Kara Foster (Marissa Neitling, "San Andreas," 2015) were promoted to parents at the end of season 2 as they welcomed their baby into the world.

Van Winkle talked about how things have changed for his character at this year's WonderCon, speaking of his struggle with being away from his new family.

"As a father this year, it's been an interesting journey because, like a lot of military personnel, they have to go on missions and they're away from their families, and it's a very real story that a lot of people live," he explained.

Fans of the series will see a few new faces in season 3 as well. Bridget Regan ("Jane the Virgin") climbs aboard as Sasha Cooper, an undercover agent sent to China to help the U.S. with the rebuilding process. She'll often deal with China's new leader, Peng (Fernando Chien, "Red Dawn," 2012), who took over China in the wake of the outbreak. Dichen Lachman ("Aquamarine," 2006) joins the team as skilled helicopter pilot Jesse, and Elisabeth Röhm ("Law & Order") appears as Allison Shaw, a brilliant chief of staff to President Michener.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, season 2's finale was intentionally open-ended as showrunners Steven Kane and Hank Steinberg wanted to entice viewers to want a third season. Their strategy paid off, and TNT renewed "The Last Ship" for another season in August 2015.

Bridget Regan as seen in “The Last Ship”

However, fans had to wait a little longer than expected to see the season 3 premiere, and with good reason. Although the opener had originally been scheduled for June 12, producers were sensitive to the victims and families affected by the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting and postponed the season premiere until June 19 because it included a scene involving a shooting at a nightclub.

The two-hour premiere set things in motion for season 3, which promises to be a good one. In 2015, Entertainment Weekly touted the second season as more interesting than the first, which suggests the show has not yet reached its peak, despite waning ratings. Some may wonder where the show might go from here, now that there's a cure for the virus, but there's still plenty of potential for intrigue as Peng appears to be withholding the cure from some areas. There's also talk of a mutation of the virus, which may be resistant to Dr. Scott's cure.

Those kinds of twists may be enough to draw more viewers to "The Last Ship" this season. The show could use some help, as viewership dropped to just under three million average viewers for season 2, compared to around four million for season 1. Judging by the sheer number of apocalyptic dramas on the airwaves, there's a real market for the genre. After all, "The Last Ship" isn't the only such series reeling in viewers. The CW has a couple of them with "Containment" and the futuristic nuclear disaster series "The 100." NBC had a hit last summer with its alien-invasion series "Colony," and CBS currently boasts one of the summer's hottest series with "Zoo."

All of those series pose some serious competition, but in addition to a fabulous cast and fast-paced plot, "The Last Ship" also features some realistic sets. The show is filmed in and around San Diego aboard the USS Dewey, which stands in for the USS Nathan James, as well as the USS Halsey and the USS Iowa museum ship.

They're all compelling reasons to watch "The Last Ship" week after week. In this week's episode, President Michener faces pressure from regional leaders, and Chandler's mission becomes even more complicated. Tune in to TNT to find out what happens next in a new episode of "The Last Ship," airing Sunday, July 10.