The 20 best sci-fi TV series

If there’s one sci-fi series that looms above all others, it would have to be Star Trek. Whether it’s the original series or its various successors, such as The Next Generation, the series has always pushed the boundaries of what could be shown on television, particularly racial representation. What’s more, the series has always tried to envision a more positive and benevolent future, which is in marked contrast to the pessimism so often on offer in the sci-fi genre. In the world of Star Trek, there is always hope, and this helps to explain why it remains so beloved.

Frank Herbert’s sprawling novel Dune has proved notoriously difficult to faithfully adapt to the screen, but one of the most notable efforts was made by Syfy, transforming it into a miniseries. Though it might lack the operatic grandeur of some other versions of the tale, there is still much to enjoy about this offering. It’s a remarkably faithful rendition of the tale, and several members of the cast deliver outstanding performances as their characters, with Ian McNeice turning Baron Harkonnen into a figure of camp menace and villainy, while Alec Newman brings a remarkable maturity to Paul Atreides. 

Andor is like almost nothing else from the Star Wars universe. Though, in essence, a prequel to Rogue One — focusing, as its title implies, on Cassian Andor — it is also so much more than that. Its deliberately paced story focuses on several key characters, including Mon Mothma, as they lay the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance that will ultimately bring about the downfall of the Galactic Empire. There’s a richness and depth to the storytelling in this series, which goes beyond almost anything else Star Wars has ever attempted, and it is, in its own way, as devastating as the film, which succeeds it in the chronology.  

Few franchises are as venerable or as popular as Star Wars, and The Mandalorian demonstrated that it was more than capable of leaping television. Focusing on the title character — played by Pedro Pascal — it follows his efforts to keep the tiny being known as Grogu safe from those who would use him for their own evil schemes. Part western, part space opera, and part buddy movie, there’s something for everyone in The Mandalorian. While its second and third seasons moved away from the popular episodic nature of the first season, there’s always a unique pleasure in seeing these two beloved characters share their adventures.  

If there’s one show that embodies the 1990s fascination with aliens and the supernatural, it would be The X-Files.  In part, the series’ enduring appeal stems from the chemistry between Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully and David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, who make one of the most dynamic duos in TV history. However, it was also a show that excelled at exploring the darker corners of the human psyche and the ever-present fear of the unknown and the unexplained. Ultimately, the series poses the uncomfortable idea that there might really be things out there that defy rational explanation, making it so pleasurable and unsettling.

Some science fiction series really excels at plunging into the deepest, darkest parts of the present to make compelling and darkly disturbing futures, and Black Mirror is one of the best. As an anthology series, every episode tells a self-contained story, and many of them are focused on the dangers posed by technology, whether streaming or artificial intelligence. Though the episodes can sometimes vary in quality, at best, the series shows the audience the perils of the future and how the things one takes for granted in the present can become a dangerous and terrifying threat in the future. 

The latter half of the 2010s was certainly a period of turbulence and turmoil, so it makes sense that TV would reflect the concerns and anxieties percolating in society’s subconscious. In this alternative history, the Axis Powers actually won World War II, and the series follows several characters in the 1960s as they navigate this fraught and dangerous reality. The series cuts very close to the bone, given the resurgence of fascism in many parts of the West (including the US). For this reason, it remains gripping and often deeply disturbing science fiction television. 

Few monsters are as well-known as Godzilla, but the downside is that he tends to obliterate the human characters who appear in his films (often quite literally). In the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, however, the focus is very much on a set of human characters as they try to unravel the history and mysteries of the central organization of the title, even as they also have to contend with various monsters (including Godzilla). The series exemplifies how a franchise can expand its cinematic universe using the serialized nature of TV storytelling.

Though the TV series Planet of the Apes might not be quite as famous as the 1968 film, it is still a remarkable piece of television history. Like the film, it focuses on a pair of human astronauts who crash-land on a planet ruled by apes. Given its serial nature, the series is a bit more expansive in scope, and it follows the two astronauts, Colonel Alan Virdon and Major Peter J. Burke, who join up with the renegade chimpanzee doctor, Galen. Though it only lasted one season, it nevertheless gives more depth and complexity to the world hinted at in the film, and it’s a pleasure to see Roddy McDowall return to the franchise where he's so beloved.

The second iteration of Battlestar Galactica has come to be regarded as a true masterpiece of science fiction television. It’s easy to see why, engaging with the sorts of heavy philosophical and political questions that are the bread and butter of the best of sci-fi. Helmed by Ronald D. Moore, the series focuses on a group of humans who attempt to find Earth while also fending off the attacks of the android Cylons. There’s a rich darkness to the series that makes for particularly compelling viewing, and its narrative and philosophical complexity is precisely what makes it such a compelling piece of sci-fi television. 

Futurama is arguably the series that just won’t quit, having been canceled and revived several times. Despite its reversals of fortune, it has never lost its unique and quirky sense of humor, nor its ability to spoof some of the most common tropes in science fiction. However, the characters allow this show to continue year after year, whether it’s the lovable doofus Fry, the competent and no-nonsense Leela, or the irascible Bender. No matter how many years go by, rejoining these characters and seeing what adventure they will get into next is always a pleasure.

Few television series have had quite as much of a cultural impact as The Twilight Zone. Created and hosted by Rod Serling, each episode was designed to be thought-provoking and terrifying. The series’ brilliance lay in its ability to draw on the contemporary anxieties of Cold War America, forcing the viewer to confront many of their assumptions and beliefs about the world and how it works. Like the best of science fiction, it managed to keep the viewer riveted throughout the episode, and the sting that often came at the end was like a bolt of lightning, shocking the audience out of its complacency. It’s easy to see why the show continues to have such a lasting legacy.

Few sci-fi series have had as much longevity as Doctor Who, which is still going strong after several decades. The series succeeds for several reasons, but it certainly helps that it can cast different actors in the central role of the Doctor (with Ncuti Gatwa poised to take over the role). The series thrives on both change and continuity, and it’s one of those series that combines thought-provoking drama with genuine human warmth, pathos, and narrative stakes. More than that, it’s the kind of series that genuinely loves its characters and invites the viewer to lose themselves in its sprawling fictional universe.

Tatiana Maslany is nothing short of brilliant in Orphan Black, in which she plays several clones, including the main character, Sarah Manning. The series asks some tough questions about the nature of identity and the ethical questions of cloning, but the real highlight is Maslany’s varied and textured performances. It would be remarkable enough if she could create just one character with Manning's emotional depth. Still, she plays several individuals, teasing out their personalities and foibles. It’s the kind of science fiction series that forces the viewer to sit with some uncomfortable questions.

Even though TV networks tend to be more risk-averse than their cable cousins, every so often, they are willing to take a gamble and produce something extraordinary. One notable example of this phenomenon is Fringe, which lasted for five seasons on Fox. After a bit of a rocky start, it soon grew into its own, and there was something remarkably addictive about its story focusing on a group of FBI agents studying a parallel universe. It certainly helps that it was anchored by a terrific cast, and John Noble is particularly extraordinary as the mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop.

The Expanse is arguably one of the best series to have appeared on the network Syfy. Based on James S.A. Corey’s series of novels, the show is very much invested in examining technology, politics, and personal agency. It’s a sprawling story, but it remains anchored by the characters at the story’s heart. Unlike some adaptations, it remains largely faithful to its source material, even as it also embarks on its own path, with cinematography almost unlike anything else seen either on Syfy or television more generally. It’s a testament to what science fiction can look like when it takes big and bold risks. 

Apple TV has proved quite willing to be adventurous in its choices for series, leading to a flowering of thoughtful science fiction on the streamer. For All Mankind is a fascinating alternative history series where the space race never ended, leading to numerous changes in American society and culture that did not happen in the real world. While the series is obviously very invested in building up this fascinating and wonderful new world, it also pays meticulous attention to its characters, allowing the viewer to become invested in this brave new world. 

Isaac Asimov’s sprawling and ambitious Foundation series is the basis for the Apple TV series of the same name, arguably one of the most epic productions currently on American television. Focusing on the efforts of a brave group of researchers to protect the knowledge of civilization before an inevitable collapse, it is a fascinating rumination on the nature of history itself. It also features a truly dynamic and eclectic performance from Lee Pace, who plays a succession of cloned emperors who have to decide what actions to take when faced with the end of an entire way of life. Foundation is the perfect blend of majestic visuals and thought-provoking social commentary. 

This is something of a golden age for thought-provoking animated series, and though Scavengers Reign has somewhat flown under the radar, it is nevertheless worth a watch. It focuses on a group of survivors from a spaceship who struggle to escape the planet on which they have been stranded. The series is filled with exquisite visuals that illustrate how beautiful and deadly the planet is, and it excels at capturing the absolute strangeness of the environment in which humans find themselves. At once thought-provoking and disturbing — there’s more than a little body horror on offer — Scavengers Reign manages to tell a self-contained story while leaving room for future seasons and stories. 

Raised by Wolves is one of the most compelling and innovative series to have emerged on HBO Max. Focusing on a pair of androids tasked with raising a group of human children on a distant planet, the series asks some fascinating and troubling questions about the nature of human consciousness, the role of science and religion in human societies, and artificial intelligence. The series can sometimes be a bit challenging, particularly once its story takes some unexpected turns in the second season. However, its ambitious scope makes it one of the more exemplary examples of what science fiction TV can accomplish.