Top Ten Must-Watch Science Fiction TV Shows for Every Fan
- E. Thomas Canton
- Aug 8
- 17 min read
Updated: Sep 8
TOP TEN MUST WATCH SCIENCE FICTION TV SHOWS FOR EVERY FAN
This list is not comprehensive. It comprises only television series that I have personally watched all of. Much like my top ten book list, there are many great shows that I have yet to watch, so if your favorite show is not on this list, please let me know in the comments so I can put it on my must watch list. Thank you.
These shows are in no particular order. Narrowing it down to only ten was difficult enough on it's own. Enjoy.
(1993 - 1998)
Despite it's legion of flaws, dialogue that's at times clunky, sets that aren't the most practical, and CGI that was cutting edge at the time, but simply doesn't hold up today, this is still a major milestone in television science fiction. I couldn't wait each week for the next episode. The first season of Babylon 5 found it's footing through mostly episodic storytelling. If you watched closely, however, there are signs in the background pointing toward future revelations.
As the show progressed, the single episodes gave way to a single story line containing character arcs with their trajectories weaving in, out, supporting, and progressing the main story. The slew of mysteries that began the show, slowly, teasingly get answered only to have more mysteries already underway. That's Babylon 5's great strength; it's story telling. This was the first television series that I remember seeing that had actual character development, and a story that moved forward with every episode. One character, Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik), is introduced as a joke, a buffoon. Comic relief. As the plot unravels, he becomes the embodiment of evil, then as his conscience begins to wear on him, Mollari morphs into a tragic figure unable to escape his dark fate. His chief nemesis, Narn Ambassador, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas), begins life as a warmonger desperate for revenge against the Centauri, for their pre-show invasion of Narn, only to become a peaceful messiah figure for his people. This leads to two of the greatest conflicts in science fiction television. The first is Babylon 5's battle for independence against the Earth Alliance. It was a battle unlike any seen on television previously that benefited greatly from over two years of build up, and anticipation as Earth fell into darkness when their president was assassinated. The assassination was denied, then covered up by his successor. The second was a combination of the Shadow War, and the war to free Earth. Ancient civilizations fall into darkness, and new alliances are born in fire. Babylon 5 is great story telling.
stories waiting to be told.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
(1978-1979 / 2004-2009)
Nature: A walk in the park can spark ideas. The sights and sounds of nature often There There is, surprisingly, a lot to say about the original 70s series. It was the first dramatic series to have female characters do more than wait around for the heroes to come back from their adventures, or be the weekly damsel in distress. These characters, Sheba (Anne Lockhart), Cassiopeia (Laurette Spang), Serena (Jane Seymour), and Athena (Maren Jensen), moved the plot forward every bit as much as their male counterparts. Increasingly the series became less episodic, and began to rely more on connected story lines that tied episodes together into one continuing story.
Having said that, the BSG remake in the early 2000s took what its predecessor created, and turned it into one of the best dramas ever seen on television. I phrased it that way for a reason, BSG is a great human drama that just happens to take place in a sci-fi setting. Its that focus on the characters that makes the show as good as it is. Battlestar Galactica is not afraid of getting into the darkness of the human condition in times of extreme stress, and desperation. Desperation is an understatement; its a fight, not for freedom, but for the very survival of the human race when humanity is on the verge of extinction from the very machines it created.
Unlike the original series, the remake reflects the world of post 9/11 America that spawned it. The Cylons come out of nowhere, launching an apocalyptic attack against the twelve colonies of humankind. They are an enemy that the humans can't distinguish from themselves or even fully understand, thus making everyone a potential threat. Then from allusions to the scandal at the American prison, Abu Ghraib in Afghanistan with Sharon's (Grace Park) prison rape by colonial officers, to the waterboarding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay during Thrace's (Katee Sackhoff) interrogation of Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie), Battlestar Galactica mirrored the darkest anxieties of the United States after the terror attacks on the World Trade Centers. The cultural importance of BSG, and the symbolism of the Cylons aside, this is one great drama, and a must watch for all science fiction fans.
COUNTERPART
(2017- 2019)
J.K. Simmons has never been better. In Counterpart, he plays two separate and distinct versions of Howard Silk. One, a low level functionary who knows nothing of the great secret that he is participating in. The other, a merciless, no nonsense government agent. Usually this is the set up for a comedy, and it all may sound a little been there, done that, but Counterpart is a deeply compelling spy thriller with outstanding characterizations, and the best acting on television.
Its first hint at brilliance comes from the first of many unexpected twists the show throws at you. We are involved in a deadly and dangerous cold war, but this time its with an alternate earth. The two earths Prime, and Alpha were identical, but small changes caused a rift between the two worlds. Only a very small number of people are aware of the other earth's existence, but when a supposed terrorist group on Prime sends an assassin to kill important people on the Alpha side, low level functionary, Silk is inducted into a conflict he knew nothing about.
He soon discovers that one target is his own wife, Emily (Olivia Williams) who is in a coma. Silk doesn't realize that Emily is in counterintelligence, with strong connections to Prime. Both meek functionary Silk, and dangerous agent Silk are now forced to work together to save her, and to protect Alpha. The mysteries soon add up in this tightly plotted show where every moment adds to the suspense, characterizations, and story.
The performances of the entire cast are a study in how great acting can, with subtly and nuance, shape and define both the character, and his or her counterpart. Counterpart slips easily from breathless action scenes, to political intrigue, to character study to the psychological and philosophical implications of having, and interacting with their identical counterparts. It all intertwines and feeds off one another to thrilling dramatic effect.
Counterpart reminds me less of a science fiction TV series than a truly great cold war thriller like The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, or Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy. Unlike practically every other science fiction show, the sets, lighting, and costumes are so grounded in the ordinary and everyday that you cannot help but think of Counterpart as more political thriller than science fiction, and that's a good thing. Its an absolute must see. Don't miss it.
DOCTOR WHO (1963 - 1989 / 2005 - 2025)DCC This is the only science fiction show that has had the same longevity (actually its 3 years older), as Star Trek. And it is every bit as legendary, though it's cultural influence outside of the UK has not been as great. Like Trek, Doctor Who has a line of spinoffs, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, and K-9 and Company. Then there were the clip shows, Doctor Who Confidential, Torchwood Declassified, and Monster Files. Marvel Comics published Doctor Who comic books, and graphic novels. Over 423 Doctor Who novels have also been published over the years as well as the magazine, Doctor Who Weekly. Again, like Star Trek, Doctor Who has been parodied ad nauseam, including as Inspector Spacetime on the sitcom, Community.
That being said, although it was insanely popular in the United Kingdom from the pilot episode onward, the show never broke through in North America. This may be due to the increased competition from American shows, like Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, The Invaders, and of course, Star Trek. It could also be due to the cheesy monsters, low budget, and dated special effects... that is until the show was brought back in 2005 with a larger budget, and some phenomenal actors playing the Time Lord. Doctor Who has been played by fifteen different actors over the sixty plus years since it's inception. None of these actors, however, broke through in North America until David Tennant played the eccentric tenth doctor. The success continued with his successor, Matt Smith. Together they made Doctor Who one of the most popular TV shows on Earth.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies passed the torch to Stephen Moffat as Tennant exited the role, making room for Matt Smith to play the Doctor. Moffat was responsible for some of the best Doctor Who episodes, among these being the Doctor light episode, Blink and the great two parter, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. He also created one of the best villains in Doctor Who history, the Weeping Angels. On the other hand, Moffat also created one of the Doctor's best companions in River Song.
Moffat left the series allowing writer Chris Chibnall to take the reigns. Chibnall was the creator and writer of Broadchurch, which starred two Doctor Who alums, David Tennant, and Arthur Darvill. The first two series of the DW spinoff, Torchwood were helmed by Chibnall as well. His Doctor Who episodes include 42, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, and The Power of Three. His credentials were solid, but taking the lead on Doctor Who lead to lacklustre episodes with cliched characterizations (think Chris Noth's character in the episode, Arachnids in the UK; a one dimensional Trump-like businessman with plans to run for president.) Despite Jodie Whittaker's charming performance as the Doctor, the show began to lose the audience that it had gained under Moffat and Davies.
Davies once again took the reigns for the latest two series, but the show is currently struggling to maintain its viewership. Still, I love the show.
THE EXPANSE
(2015 - 2022)
The Expanse is Battlestar Galactica's successor in many ways. It is centered around a nuanced human drama set in the future where Mars, and the asteroid belt have been colonized, building tension, and compelling political intrigue among the three powers. The third being Earth. Also, much like BSG, The Expanse builds worlds, and characters with amazing detail, and intricacy, along with spellbinding, and incredibly tense space battles that have been praised for their scientific accuracy.
Julie Mao disappeared. Being the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the solar system, her disappearance sparks the first of three story prongs. Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane) is a detective working at Star Helix Security at Ceres station in the belt. It doesn't take long for Miller to realize that he is sinking in a conspiracy that spans the solar system.
The second prong of the story is that of Jim Holden (Steven Strait), and the survivors of the Canterbury, a ship that is attacked, and destroyed by an unknown aggressor. Earth thinks Mars is behind the attack with its growing aggression, and armed fleet, Mars thinks its Earth, and the belt doesn't trust either as they've been exploited by both. Unknown to either, both Miller, and Holden are investigating the same mystery, but from completely different points-of-view.
Chrisjen Avasarala (Shoreh Aghdashloo) is in the Earth government. She provides the third prong. Like Holden and Miller, Avasarala is fighting to discover the truth about what is happening, as it looks like both Mars and Earth are gearing up for war. It's a struggle for her to get the little information she can get out of people, and the more she pursues answers, the more she realizes that if she continues to pursue the truth, it could end her life. She doesn't give up.
The Expanse is a superbly detailed self-contained universe with richly realized characters, and an epic storyline. This is storytelling in the grand sense with all the suspense, action, and intrigue you could possibly ask for.
organize his thoughts and create a roadmap
FRINGE
(2008 - 2013) for his writing.
Originally dismissed as an X-Files clone, it began as a monster of the week driven
series, but upon rewatch you cannot help but see details that set up, and contribute to
future seasons. Slowly we begin to realize that there is much more going on, and that the
cases are all related in something called 'The Pattern'.
Fringe focuses on FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who leads a small team of
investigators, including Walter Bishop (John Noble), easily the best mad scientist in all of
TV and film. I say this because no matter what the horrible things we discover he did in his
younger days - and some were truly horrendous - we also discover his love for his son,
Peter (Joshua Jackson) which soon becomes his driving motivation. Walter is played
expertly as he slides between a driving madness, and deep emotional vulnerability, and
helplessness. During Walter's younger days, ten years and more before the show began,
he worked in the same lab that the Fringe team now calls their office – a large room in the
basement of Harvard University which includes an isolation tank, and a cow named Gene...
or possibly Jean. Walter, after being convicted of accidentally killing his lab assistant, had
been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in St. Clair's mental institution.
However, ten years into Walter's drug ridden, and dehumanizing incarceration,
Dunham needs his expertise to solve their first case, but only his next of kin can get him
out of the asylum. She tracks down his son, Peter, who is currently exercising his genius
level IQ
by running a con in Baghdad. She blackmails him into returning to the States to get his
father out. Peter wants nothing to do with him.
Olivia, Walter, and Peter form the core of the Fringe team. Over the course of the first
two seasons, they discover that many of Walter's old experiments are the subject of 'The
Pattern'. A technology based terrorist network, the ZFT, is using his old research for
diabolical purposes. However the team also suspects that Walter's old lab partner, William
Bell (Leonard Nimoy), who now owns the largest scientific research corporation on the
planet, is behind ZFT. Bell, however, has disappeared, and his No. 2, Nina Sharp (Blair
Brown), stonewalls Olivia's attempts to contact him.
The show also features one of my personal favorite villains of all time, David Robert
Jones, expertly played by Jared Harris.
Fringe soon dives into parallel earths, their own other world counterparts in order to
get to the bottom of the pattern. The series is good, very good, but when season two rolls
around the show becomes great. The episode, Peter changes the show for the rest of its
run. And for the better.
Main Plot Points: He ORPHAN BLACK
(2013 - 2017)that will drive the story forward. This includes the beginning, middle, and end.
A plot recap for a series like, Orphan Black can be difficult when it is so densely plotted over it's five seasons. Suffice to say that this show is why binge watching was invented. It is a highly addictive mix of mystery, suspense, drama, science fiction, thriller, and sometimes comedy.
Orphan Black is about identity, the abuse of science, and religion. Prior to the narrative, Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy), becomes the latest foster mother to Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany). She was just another foster home in a line stretching from Bristol to London, England. Sarah is brought to Mrs. S. “in the black”, meaning she had no papers, and no identity, but she is told to hide her. People are after her. Eventually, Mrs. S. is told to move Sarah away for her safety. Mrs. S., Sarah, and her foster brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), flee from London, England to Toronto, Canada to hide from the unknown people looking for Sarah.
As the show begins, Sarah witnesses the suicide of someone who looks exactly like her at a Toronto train station, beginning her realization that she is only one of many identical clones. None of them understand who created them or why, but in the fifth season we discover that the number of clones is 276 spanning the world, showing the depth and breadth of the conspiracy. And this is only the beginning of what is a remarkable show.
What makes Orphan Black stand out, as any and all viewers will tell you, are the breathtaking performances of Tatiana Maslany. She portrays the clones with such detail, subtly, and nuance that if all the clones dressed alike and attempted to imitate one another, you would still be able to identify which clone was which. From stressed soccer mom, Alison, to the horribly abused and completely mental, Helena, Maslany plays each of them as full, complete people with their own lives, lifestyles, opinions, desires, goals, jobs, education levels, relationships, and responsibilities. Overall Maslany portrays seventeen unique people during the show's five year run. Still, she is not Orphan Black's only strong point – just it's best.
What no one expected from a show like this was how strong it began, and how much the writing, and the series in general would improve within each season, and how each season became an improvement on the last. An added bonus is that the series wraps up with a satisfying conclusion.
Character Arcs: STAR TREK THE ORIGINAL SERIES
(1966 - 1969)will g
What can be said about Star Trek? There is practically no one who owns a television or subscribes to a streaming service that doesn't know at least something about Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Mr. Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koening), Sulu (George Takei), and their adventures aboard the legendary fictional starship, Enterprise. Their famous five year mission that, currently, has gone on for over sixty years is known to almost all. There is virtually no need to discuss any episode or character in particular, or it's well known letter writing campaign by the show's fans to save it from cancellation. Its all well worn pop culture history.
Star Trek has influenced, for better or worse, almost every science fiction television series that has come after it. It has a breathtaking number of successors, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, The Animated Series, Prodigy, Enterprise, Picard, Short Treks, and Discovery. There is also Star Trek Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, and the upcoming Starfleet Academy. That is a mind blowing twelve follow up series, each with it's own fan base, and that doesn't even include the six original series movies, the four Next Generation movies, the reboots Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond, and Section 31. That's fourteen movies. And then there's ten additional documentaries, Trekkies, Trekkies 2, The Captains, The Captains Close Up, The Center Seat; 55 Years of Trek, What We Left Behind; Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, For the Love of Spock, Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime, The Truth is in the Stars, and Star Wars vs Star Trek; the Rivalry Continues. The only other science fiction franchise with more successful spinoffs, and sequels is Star Wars, (I'm counting Marvel as a Superhero franchise, not science fiction).
As impressive as the above is, it doesn't even come close to addressing the show's massive cultural influence. From the many quotes you hear everyday both in public, and references in pop culture, to the many SNL parodies, Black Mirror tributes, Star Trek Conventions, Halloween costumes, toys, T-shirts, eleven role-playing games, seven card games, nine tabletop games, eighteen board games, five pinball games, seventy-nine video games, over 150 graphic novels, and over 850 books. What more needs to be said? Star Trek is a juggernaut that has transcended borders, languages and cultural barriers, providing a view of the future that many people from all over the world continue to embrace even after over six decades.
row throughout the story is vital. He maps out their journeys to ensure they are cg and le. TWILIGHT ZONE THE ORIGINAL SERIES
(1959 - 1964)
We're now “travelling though another dimension.” This is not only one of my personal favorite TV shows, its also one of the first truly classic science fiction series that has stood the test of time. Much like Star Trek and Doctor Who, the Twilight Zone has become an unavoidable part of our culture and lexicon. Even the title itself has become a catch-all phrase for modern alienation, and disassociation. The opening narration is legendary, and has been honored by parodies throughout modern pop culture. It was just too iconic not to be. Show creator, and main writer, Rod Serling spoke the words in a simple matter of fact manner that was compelling, and anticipated great adventure ahead.
Viewers were rarely disappointed. The Twilight Zone became famous for it's puzzle box storytelling and unexpected twist endings. Think of the pilot episode, Where is Everybody? A solitary amnesiac (Earl Holliman) walks a lonely, isolated dirt road leading him into a deserted town in the desert. As he explores the local sheriff office, a cigar burns in an ashtray, but no smoker is apparent. At dusk, the town lights illuminate by themselves. He rushes into a cinema where a projector plays a film for no one. The projection booth is empty. The film, Battle Hymn reminds him he is airforce, but what happened to all the people? Eventually, the man's loneliness drives him to an emotional breakdown, leaving him slumped on the ground at a pedestrian crossing, begging for help, and pressing the 'walk' button. The button is actually a panic button in an isolation tank. The tank opens. Two airforce officers extract the Man. He had been subjected to tests to determine his fitness for a solo space flight, (remember, this was 1959), The officers conclude that the loneliness and isolation of such a mission might be more than any person could bear. They could provide him with his basic needs, but not companionship. Thus, the narrative gets turned on it's head. Others have tried this formula (M. Night Shyamalan etc.), but have rarely succeeded, but when they do, they're universally seen as an elongated Twilight Zone episodes.
The Twilight Zone launched many actors' into stardom including Robert Redford, Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, Burt Reynolds, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, Ron Howard, Cliff Robertson, Martin Landau, Burgess Meredith, John Carradine, Peter Falk, Dean Stockwell, Jack Klugman, Bill Mumy, Cloris Leachman, Carol Burnett, Bill Bixby, and many more.
Come 1983, Directors Steven Spielberg, John Landis, George Miller, and Joe Dante created a theatrical motion picture anthology based on the Twilight Zone. Sadly, today it is mainly remembered for the tragic John Landis episode in which actors Vic Morrow, seven year old Myca Dinh Le, and six year old Renee Shin-Yi Chen were killed when a pyrotechnic explosion damaged a helicopter causing it to crash, immediately killing all three.
A reboot of the series ran from September 27, 1985 to April 15, 1989. A second reboot began on September 18, 2002 running until May 21, 2003, and a third reboot ran from April 1, 2019 ending on February 2021. IDW published a comic book series based on the Twilight Zone. Currently, another motion picture is being talked about.
Setting: The world in which the story takes place is just as important as the characters. Canton spends time develop THE X-FILES
(1993 - 2002) to make it feel real and immersive.
This show is out there. A modern phenomenon that inserted itself into our collective pop culture. The title music with the phrase, 'The Truth is Out There' appearing across the screen, is one of the most memorable opening sequences in television history. Created by Chris Carter, starring David Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson as FBI Special Agents, Fox Mulder, and Dana Scully. He is a believer in UFOs, and the supernatural. Scully is the skeptic, believing only in rational scientific explanations for the unknown. Scully is assigned by their superior to keep an eye on “spooky” Mulder, and report back on his activities. Mulder is in charge of the so-called, X-Files. Unsolved cases usually involving some supernatural component such as UFOs, or a monster of the week. Mulder's interest in these cases stems from watching his sister be abducted as a child. He never saw her again, but he believes that she had been taken by aliens.
The first season, I felt was a little disappointing as it seemed to be hour long episodes of movies or other shows that came before. One episode, Ice, took place in the Arctic and reminded me of a variation on The Thing. Another episode, Conduit, had an ending that reminded me very strongly of the ending of Carl Sagan's novel, Contact with computers printing out a binary code revealing a message of sorts. However, by the second season the show finds its footing, and immediately takes off running.
The X-Files creates a mythology that is intriguing, compelling, and mysterious, but, unlike Babylon 5, the X-Files never conclusively solves any of the mysteries that it brings up. They keep piling up until the show's mythology eventually collapses in on itself. And that is what eventually killed the show for me. For a show like this to succeed the characters need forward momentum in their investigation. They need to answer at least some questions, and I never got the feeling that this was happening. This is a common flaw in shows with similar formats. It's prime inspiration, Kolchak; The Night Stalker suffered from the same issue. No matter how many adventures Kolchak had, he never got anywhere. No one ever believed a word he said.
Having said all that, the X-Files has left a gigantic cultural footprint. As a final note, creator Chris Carter and Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski are real life friends, and as such, the best X-Files parody came from the Babylon 5 spinoff series, Crusade. In the episode, Visitors From Down the Street, the human crew of the starship, Excalibur are the aliens, and two alien government agents (based on Mulder and Scully) are trying to prove their world is being visited.
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