New Scientist Writers Rank the Best 17 Sci-Fi TV Shows in History

Television hasn’t always been kind to science fiction, with smaller budgets devoted to special effects and epic space stories being canceled before they even air. But despite all the obstacles, countless series have shown that telling long-form stories on the small screen is the perfect way to explore the complex ideas and philosophies that make the genre so fascinating. I’ve proven something.

You can choose from a wide variety of gold, new scientist The team found that choosing a favorite sci-fi series was a difficult task. Not everyone can choose just one. While this is far from a definitive list (and presented in no particular order), our selection has something for everyone, no matter what type of sci-fi fan you are. I hope it’s included.

A reboot of the ill-fated 1978 series, battlestar galactica It begins with a nuclear holocaust and the remnants of humanity huddled in a battered spaceship to escape sentient machines. But its most compelling moments involve survivors struggling to balance social and ethical norms against a ruthless calculation of survival. Jeremy Hsu

leftovers Not only is this the best sci-fi series I’ve ever seen, it’s probably the best TV show ever made. Big claim, I know. The premise is strange. What happens if one day, suddenly, 2 percent of the population disappears? Don’t expect answers as to why this happened. This series offers nothing. Instead, it explores the devastating aftermath of inexplicable grief and loss. chelsea white

my family wasn’t interested doctor whoso I guess this show was my introduction to science fiction (if you count time travel as science fiction, which I definitely am). Physicist Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) invents a method of time travel, but it’s not what he expected. Although Sam has disappeared from his own reality, his consciousness has jumped into the bodies of other people and must sort out their lives before moving forward – and hopefully returning home. The series was revived in 2022. I’ll definitely watch it when I have some time to myself without kids, books, or sleep needs. Alison Flood

Two parts science fiction, one part noir, a richly detailed world spread It drew me in like nothing else. Set in a future where humans have colonized the solar system, the story follows a hard-boiled detective who investigates the disappearance of the crew of a deep space ice transport ship and a wealthy heiress. Eventually, they become embroiled in a conspiracy and rebellion by the Belters, who live on an exploited asteroid. Long live the Outer Planets Alliance! Bethan Ackerley

black mirror It takes place in the bizarre Twilight Zone of science fiction, not fantastical enough to feel truly invented, but a little too futuristic to feel like real-world drama. Each episode jumps genres from romantic comedy to slasher horror and delves deep into how technology is distorting the human experience. The early series are the most memorable – the first episode featuring the British Prime Minister and a pig is seared into your brain – but throughout black mirror Thought-provoking, disturbing, and often darkly funny. madeleine cuff

The joy of how many stories begin with someone opening a door and stepping into the unknown? doctor whoand one of the two reasons for its longevity is that the titular Doctor’s spaceship is a gateway to all corners of time and space. You can set your story in Victorian London or a billion years into the future. Another reason the show has been around for over 60 years is that the Doctor can regenerate into a new body, which comes in handy when you want to cast a new lead role. Rowan Hooper

I started watching X files She’s about 9 years old, which is way too young! I wanted to believe in Mulder because I thought he was the epitome of cool, and I was fascinated and horrified by the monsters he and Scully encountered each week. Revisiting the series as an adult, I identified more with the skeptical Scully and was drawn to the long-running story of an alien conspiracy. This structure, which interweaves independent plots with ongoing storylines, X files Very good. Let’s say the 2010s revival never happened. jacob aaron

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At first glance, fringe may seem like a successor to X files: Introducing a somewhat antagonistic pair of eccentric investigators who quickly plunge into both the supernatural and the personal. But it’s more than that. where X files There was a conspiracy between aliens and the government. fringe There are parallel universes, family secrets, psychedelics, sensory deprivation, and an incredibly powerful supporting cast. Expect Leonard Nimoy to play multi-world villains, doppelgangers, and humans turned giant porcupines. carmela padavich callahan

I hate to admit that science fiction isn’t my type of entertainment, but stories about robots and aliens just aren’t my thing. but outlander It offers a different take on the genre, with plenty of romance and a brave heroine. This is the story of Claire Beauchamp who accidentally travels back in time from 1945 to 1743. After she accepts her fate (and meets the love of her life, Jamie), Claire, a nurse, embarrasses her contemporaries with her 20-year-old self.^th– centuries of knowledge about anatomy and pathogens – not to mention her feminist attitude. alexandra thompson

of star wars The series started out as a simple space opera. Empires are evil because their agents appear to be fascists. That’s a good thing because the rebels aren’t like that. But recent works have done much to complicate that story. Andor We explore what a “well-ordered” space empire looks like, colonial, mundane and inhuman, and why such conditions create heroes out of thieves. Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

There’s something modified carbon It’s horribly depressing, but also incredibly fascinating. Who wouldn’t want to try out a smorgasbord of different bodies, or what the show calls “sleeves”? Epic cities, brutal inequality, friendly AI, and questionable storylines – this cyberpunk series has it all. Finn Grant

I don’t like watching TV at night after a day of work, kids, and other life commitments, and I usually just fall asleep. However, that’s not the case when it comes to the adventures of Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and their ragtag team. watched all episodes of the walking dead from Rick waking up in a hospital to discover a world ravaged by a virus that has turned everyone into “walkers,” to the various terrifying communities they continue to encounter. It’s shocking, well-acted, and full of surprises, especially in the early series. Alison Flood

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