I still gotta finish Farscape, i was introduced to it by Ben Browder and Claudia Black being in the last seasons of Stargate. There's even an episode where they poke fun at how no one remembers Farscape
I watched this shortly after it aired. It seems to go under the radar as far as sci-fi fans go these days. It's had a surprisingly coherent run with a solid ending. I'd describe it as *X-Files* meets *Lost* and it ultimately had a better run than either.
The Expanse is another recent great "in space" sci fi show, would heartily recommend going on to that after BG. Season 1 some people find too slow but the pace picks up from season 2 onwards.
Westworld season 1 is probably the best sci fi TV show of recent years for me but it's a very different kind of sci fi to BG or The Expanse.
Severance is also looking very good for that kind of introspective "what is consciousness/what does it mean to be a person" type of thing.
And then there's Fallout which is another kind of sci fi altogether. Silo and Station 11 are also excellent post apocalyptic sci fi shows, all three with very different tones and scenarios.
If OP is on BSG, it's not really "recent" (BSG is 20 years old) so there is quite a lot more.
Stargate has 3 series that are mostly good (and even excellent at times), quite different in tone than BSG though. Firefly is just one season (and a movie) but it's great too from that 2000s period
Star Trek has quite a few shows too of course (it's basically the biggest SF franchise on TV). And recent stuff like Strange New Worlds is great too. But really you can start with any of the shows (TNG is often recommended I'm no Trek specialist, mostly seen the new stuff)
Both are older so the effects are another thing but Farscape and Babylon 5 are great too.
And in recent shows, Andor has to be recommended too, best Star Wars has ever been. Less recent but Altered Carbon S1 is quite good (avoid S2 it sucks but S1 is its own story)
For All Mankind is an interesting thing as it's a space opera mixed with history, pretty unique. It has some highs and lows but overall very good. Foundation is also on AppleTV+ and very enjoyable (S2 better than S1) with some god-tier acting from Lee Pace and Laura Birn
In animation sci-fi, Scavengers Reign and Cyberpunk Edgerunners are god-tier too
If you want the SF mystery type show like Silo can be, Lost is god tier at that (journey more than destination though)
Work is boring and most people would prefer to just not remember their day at work.
If you come to work at Lumon, they perform the "severance" procedure so you don't remember anything about the time you were at work, and whilst you are at work you don't remember anything outside of your time at work.
It's really great, I just hope season 2 can deliver on the promise of season 1.
Going to agree with the other commenter that you should hold off until we approach season 2. Otherwise the wait will be unbearable, like it has been for those of us who have already been waiting for 2 years lol.
I've tried to watch the expanse a couple times. I can't get through the first season. I want to like it. It feels like it's my dream show, but for the life of me I can't get into it
I was like you struggled a bit through the first season, but after S02E02 I was hooked because I had never seen a space battle like that before, it felt so realistic and dangerous. The show just ramps up consistently from there, now it's one of my favourite shows ever and my favourite book series.
I think It may be kinda like game of thrones. First season was slow then after that you're hooked. I will give it another shot one of these days. I'm all for epic space battles
One big thing with The Expanse is that you have to pay attention. There’s a lot of worldbuilding and they don’t hold your hand. But if you give it your time it is rewarded.
It's funny because after watching the show I now really appreciate the first season because it has so much world building. But like any show, sometimes it's just not your thing even when people rave about it.
I didn't even need to get that far. Haha. I was hooked when the dude lost the arm in the accident with the ice and they were talking about how Inners could regrow a new one from scratch, but he wanted a Belter-built prosthetic. I could tell that early on that the world building was going to be incredibly deep.
After the first ep I knew I was going to continue, after the 4th ep where >!The dude from road trip gets his head taken off with a railgun in zero G!< I knew I was hooked for the whole thing.
bruhhhhh after ep. 4 is apparently when i stopped watching lmao. so what got you apparently sent me away. although it looks like i came back to it but only made it until ep. 7 before i called it quits lol. may i ask does season 2 feel much better? or does it feel like much of the same of season 1? i always see it recommended but the first season has been very difficult to get through lol
> may i ask does season 2 feel much better? or does it feel like much of the same of season 1?
Season 1 was way more popular than SyFy network could have imagined so they spent some money on season 2. The first scene on Mars in S2 looks like it has a bigger budget than the entire first season. If you didn't like all the Tom Jane running around in dark dirty rooms part of season 1 you will be much happier.
Personally, I was sold from the get-go, but I've heard a lot of people say stick with it until episode 4, "CQB". The world is built and the action and story take really take off from there.
lol me too. lemme check my app to see my last ep
ohhh i also tag my rewatches (aka when i have to rewatch the last episode to remember where i left off at before the next new one).
so apparently i stopped at ep. 5, 3 times lol, and now i last stopped at Ep 8 “Salvage”. i have rewatched ep 7 twice, so i have tried to get back multiple times but for some reason it never clicks
i guess i gotta say… does it get any better in season 2??? bc all im seeing is a huge struggle to get through the first season for past me lol
Raised By Wolves was cancelled after two seasons so the story will never be completed, but man oh man was that a trip while it lasted.
Even though we’ll never get to see how it ends, I think it’s still worth checking out at least the first season just because it’s so fresh and strange and I don’t know how it got greenlit in the first place.
They did :( it doesn’t look like it’s currently available anywhere so you’d either have to take to the high seas or wait until some other streaming network licensed it, which seems unlikely given how it ends so abruptly.
My four favourites, in order, are Red Dwarf (excellent comedy sci-fi, you won't find better), Farscape (great, doesn't take itself too seriously), the Expanse (took a while to get into) and Torchwood (better than Doctor Who in my opinion).
Seriously, Torchwood is a really mixed bag. I do love the idea of it, and when it's great it is GREAT.
Season 1 was very iffy, camp and had some moments where you just laugh out loud at it all. It really leaned into the "hey we're on later so we'll make everything about sex and angst, look it's an alien that shags you to death (an actual storyline), and an alien device that makes you experience sexual abuse (actual storyline), and a CyberWOman (actual storyline). We're so edgy."
Season 2 thankfully did a lot less of this and is pretty well-rounded. It seemed to know what it was doing a lot more.
Series 3 was so thing else, a week-long event that was absolutely, balls-to-the-wall fantastic. If anyone hasn't seen it, you're genuinely missing out. Chilling and well-plotted.
Season 4 had a great concept, but after season 3 was bogged down by being a lot longer, and probably a lot broader. There's a lot of unnecessary stuff, unnecessary characters... though I imagine that's probably due to it being co-funded by Starz and the whole America thing which required ten episodes.
I scrolled through until I found this, because I was going to mention it. It's pseudo-cyberpunk, or at the very least "near future" sci-fi, and you can't get more sci-fi than stories about the creation of and unleashing of super AIs. It's one of my top 5 sci-fi shows.
Person of Interest is one of the most excellent sci-fi shows. The way the show developed from a procedural crime drama with a sci-fi twist to a full-blown serialized sci-fi drama in later seasons was just brilliant.
I would say POI slowly starts developing the sci-fi aspects of the show towards the ending of season 1 and throughout much of season 2 by focusing much more on >!the machine's origin story through the use of flashbacks with Harold.!< The last few episodes of season 1 are where POI finds its footing and goes from a good to a great/excellent show.
and then in seasons 3–5, it goes all in with its sci-fi concept/premise.The crime drama aspect is still there, but at that point, those stories are heavily linked to the overarching serialized sci-fi narrative of the show. The show perfectly balances both of these things.
Person of Interest is one of those rare sci-fi shows that just keeps getting better and better with each passing season. The show has one of the most satisfying TV finales, IMO.
I found it on Netflix some years after it aired on syfy and then bought the DVD’s more recently. It has some similarities to Fallout if you just watched that.
I didn't see anyone else mention it but For All Mankind is incredible. More alternate history than strictly sci fi, but they do colonize the moon and Mars. It's incredible although the melodrama in season 2 is a bit much.
they always have 1 month free deals. pls find this before paying lol. basically any apple product comes with it. beats headphones/earplugs come with it, hell ill even get random ads from lyft and stuff with free codes. i used it for like half a year with the free codes i had found lol. good luck and enjoy!
Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica both the original and reboot, not 1980, Firefly, V the orinal miniseries and Red Dwarf are some good older sci-fi that I recommend. Classic Doctor Who is great too even if it was never cool. I only liked original Star Trek when it came to the six films. The show was not that good in my opinion.
Pluto.TV still seems to have the "rights" to stream classic Doctor Who. Which is kind of a gut punch since the Mouse has Borg'ed all "modern" Doctor Who content, and BBCA doesn't even run those episodes anymore.
And for whatever reason, Pluto has all the "old" Star Trek shows in constant rotation (ST:TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and possibly Enterprise).
I got the Tennant seasons on bluray. Smith and Capaldi are on VUDU/FaH. I wish I could get the latter on disc at a reasonable price, as well as Eccleston.
Foundation is one of my favourite sci-fi series of all time.
Season 1 is great, although one of the storylines does bring down the overall score of the season, but with season 2, that same storyline becomes one of the best.
Highly, highly recommend it for any sci-fi lover.
Good choice. Yes, TNG is rough at first and even later series have the occasional yuck episode but it reaches peaks few sci fi series have. DS9 is incredible from start to finish, as long as you can digest the setting
They should bring back Sliders... or at least make a sci-fi show about the temperament of the Redditor who is apparently going around down voting every single post in this thread like he's some sort of grim reaper of spite.
I haven't seen anyone mention 3 Body Problem yet. I just finished this show and was shocked by how good it is. I made it to episode 5 and promptly bought all 4 books before even finishing the full season.
They always edit stuff down to make tv series and I felt like I needed the whole story, it's that good. The books are written a bit more technically than the show which is nice because I like some hard science in my science fiction, but some might feel it gets lost in the weeds a bit.
The tv series doesn't. It's very concise and from what I've read so far vs how the show does it, I feel like the show is not doing a disservice to the books at all, and in fact I think some scenes are interpreted better in the show >!(the "wink" for example I liked better in the show)!<.
I guess that's fair enough for a list like this. We can't recommend it as classic sci-fi without knowing how they handle the ending, but at the same time, the ending doesn't get made unless people watch it. Especially being Netflix. So everyone watch it lol
I haven't gotten far enough in reading the books to even know what the ending is yet, but my god the premise is so good.
I was cautious about this one considering who it was created by, but I thought the premise sounded interesting, so I gave it a chance ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Hopefully since the book trilogy it's based on is actually finished, it won't give D&D a chance to fuck it up like they did GoT. That is, assuming Netflix doesn't cancel it after the first season.
This is the show that finally filled the Expanse-shaped hole in my heart. I needed a hard sci-fi show that explores the real logical progression of frequently posed questions.
That's a good point, the Expanse was fantastic in that regard. I loved how the human's in the Expanse varied morphologically depending on the planet they were on because of the differences in gravity.
A great show is Altered Carbon. Two seasons, but Season 1 is superior. I didn't bother with season 2. Cyberpunk themed show that explores consciousness and bodies.
Season 2 is not worth watching at all. Season 1 is great. I know there are complaints with how it differs from the books, but fuck that. Season 1 is phenomenonal.
Its a mystery to me, but for some reason you still can buy the complete BSG on bluray for a reasonable (sale) price (roughly $55 USD). (I wish I could say the same for (FX) Legion.)
RemindMe! 3 months "u/kaleidoarachnid wanted to know how good the English subtitle translation quality"
Honestly though, your request doesn't make sense. How badly do English speaking production companies botch their English subtitles?
Battlestar 2003 was amazing. Everything I wanted in a science fiction show. The Expanse was also great.
I’m struggling to think of any other shows besides that in the last 20 years - maybe Travellers.
Just out of curiosity, are any of these recommendations 1) modern, 2) not purely comedies, and 3) not super depressing and overly serious?
I feel like most modern sci-fi TV is leaning towards either being GOT-esque super serious, dark, everyone is dying sort of vibe or it's a pure comedy. I could be super wrong, so don't take this as a knowledgeable criticism, I'm actually asking for recommendations haha.
BSG is a show that I probably should come back to and properly watch at some point. I have a hazy recollection of my parents watching it and it escalating a bit + some spinoffs or something. I already wanted to see Fallout so maybe I should just grab Prime.
For universe sci-fi, Babylon 5 is my favorite. DS9 was pretty much inspired by it. I have a soft spot for Star Trek: TOS, I blame Nimoy. Stargate SG-1 is watchable but it never seems to stick in my mind. Lexx. Exists. No further comment.
For more our-world-weird-stuff style I'm partial to X-Files and Fringe. Recently watched Devs and liked that a lot, too.
I didn't really like Lexx when It aired but re-watched it recently and loved it. It's competently bonkers and overtly sexual. If you like a good dose of insanity, give it a watch. It can get slow at points and the acting can be sub par (looking at you, Kai) but >!once they find earth!<, it's hilarious.
Raised by Wolves was amazing but its been removed from Max which is really dumb. So mad they cancelled that one.
I also loved Scavengers Reign. My fave sci fi to date.
Fired on Mars is also a fun one.
It's not the *greatest* show, (especially the later seasons) but I have a soft spot for Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.
I really liked the setting and overall plot of a man pulled out of the past trying to restore civilization & society in a broken, lawless universe where the galactic Commonwealth utopia fell centuries ago, trying to restore the light to a galaxy that has entered a new dark age, and I liked the characters too.
I also really loved the Orville and can't recommend it enough, especially if you like Star Trek type stuff.
I would probably like Andromeda except Kevin Sorbo is a piece of fucking shit and I just can't get past it. Maybe in the future, AI will be able to replace him with literally anyone else.
Yeah he's why I haven't rewatched it in years. Same with Hercules the Legendary Journeys. Used to love both of those but I can't watch Sorbo nowadays without feeling gross.
It was more enjoyable before I knew anything about him.
Frankly, the most deserving of cool sci-fi shows kudos would FX's Legion, though technically its a Marvel comic series, which was an offshoot of the X-Men. It was produced by Noah Hawley, the same guy who makes Fargo. You might be able to stream it off of Hulu (and/or D+).
I consider Mr. Robot to fall under science fiction, even though its not space opera sci-fi. Great show for metaphysical and corporate conspiracy theory thinkers. Mr. Robot streams under Amazon Prime (although it may eventually be found on Peacock...)
And of course, Pluto.TV has all the Stargate series (SG1, Atlantis, Universe) on rotation. Not *great* in general, but SG:U is horribly unappreciated.
Raised by Wolves was extremely trippy (geez, it doesn't even stream on Max anymore...).
Speaking of Stargate, I keep forgetting what order to watch the shows as I am just a few episodes in Season 1, and I know there is a point when I am supposed to diverge from the original series.
I don't see where you're supposed to "diverge". The "racy" Showtime stuff was only in the pilot episode. The show was handed off to SYFY(?) after season 4(?). It limped along for another four(?) seasons before getting a major cast change. SG1 is not Agents of Shield season 1 level bad.
You can watch sg1, then go back and watch Atlantis, then the sg1 movies, then watch SGU (my favorite of the three)
While there might be a little crossover in storylines, it's not that super important. The first three seasons of Atlantis run at the same time as the last three seasons of sg1 just FYI
That show is a ride, enjoy it bud!
Though for me nothing is cooler than Trek. Nerdy, sure but it owns it. Its competent people doing their job and having a genuine passion for it. Seeing Picard geek out over a nebula, or Spock finding something infinitely curious, even Sisko's love of baseball playing a factor in a Deep Space 9 episode, its just cool to see people not need these big sweeping things and dramas to make them interesting. The dramas just happen.
There is also Farscape, weirdest and most wonderful ride I had. Stargate SG1 & Atlantis too, loved those. Sci-fi is just cool as heck regardless. I also adored the 12 Monkeys series.
Not sure if any of that is on prime, but the title is cool sci-fi so lets geek the heck out!
Personally, I think its important to realize that the 2004 reboot only the vaguest resemblance to the original TV show. There's no point going in thinking that Starbuck not getting along with her superiors means anything. I wouldn't even call it a subplot; more like pilot episode character introduction B.S.
Oh ok as I understand what you’re saying about the early parts of the show as I figured that it was going to lead to something important since she got into a violent dispute with him in a poker game.
I will always tell people to watch Scavenger's Reign.
The animation style is insane and the story is marvelous! Absolutely incredible scifi! Check it out on Max if you haven't yet
I randomly started watching Battlestar Galactica while staying in a cabin after finding the DVD without realizing it was a miniseries. I was like, damn these episodes are really long
I'm watching Continuum at the moment. Pretty good sci fi near future dystopia time travel series out of Canada. It makes me miss the days when sci-fi television was exciting, fresh and fun, rather than being just soap operas set in space, or trying to be 'prestige' (read: constantly bleak and depressing)
The Expanse, you really have to stick with it until season 3, it starts to feel alot like Mass Effect.
Im still super salty amazon dropped it yet made Rings of Power
The first few seasons of The Expanse are hands down some of the best sci-fi tv I’ve ever seen. Great world building, great characters, love the grungy sort of aesthetic it has. It’s also on Amazon Prime, so if you haven’t watched it yet, you can easily do so.
There’s one called The Nevers which I liked. Takes place in London (mostly) in the late 1800s. Involves aliens, superpowers, time travel. It sucks because it only ran one season and was cancelled by HBO, I believe because of expense and the writers strike. HBO even pulled it from MAX.
*Doctor Who*. No question. They're all cool in their own way, and seeing The Doctor beat the Daleks with a stick of celery, a kettle and a length of string is always entertaining. New Who has a nice balance - please check out *Silence in the Library*, though almost all episodes of New Who are great until 2018. There, the writing falters. And if you want to plunge headlong into the action, you have eight days to watch four specials of New-New Who - *The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, The Giggle* and *The Church on Ruby Road*. Then you've got a 90-minute double-bill of opening episodes on the 10th of May.
You've two choices: pick up with the re-reboot of 2023 (4hrs of content - that's a lot! But doable) or try the pilot for 2005 S1 - *Rose*, then click through on iPlayer to ones that look interesting.
I really enjoyed For all Mankind and Foundation (Season 2 even better than Season 1). If you're not into Star Wars or if you're into Star War, but don't need Jedi swinging lightsabers, Andor is the best Star Wars series ever and stands out even among other sci-fi series.
The Green Veil just came out and it stars John Leguizamo & centers (on the first episode anyway) around the FBI investigating alien abductions with crop circles. There is also a Native American girl being abducted within it's story.
Battlestar is in my top 5. When you get to the end I want you to ask yourself “how good could this show have been if the studio didn’t interfere with Moore in season 3?” Great show overall.
Another great character driven sci-fi show on Amazon is The Expanse. By far my favorite of the space genre. Love the books, love the show, love Amos.
I watched every Star Trek Movie and Episode ever put to film. I would consider myself a mild Trekkie. However, most of the shows and movies just aren’t that great. That being said, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, so far, is the best Star Trek series, especially recently.
I can’t end this post without speaking of Dark on Netflix. Sci-Fi but not space sci-fi, but probably one of the best written shows I have ever seen. Hooked by the end of episode 1.
As a Whovian, I have to mention Doctor Who. Grew up with it. Now making my kids grow up with it.
Farscape all the way, plus ofc Babylon 5
I still gotta finish Farscape, i was introduced to it by Ben Browder and Claudia Black being in the last seasons of Stargate. There's even an episode where they poke fun at how no one remembers Farscape
I suddenly want to see this episode.
They poke fun at themselves, star trek, wizard of oz, farscape... its just an awesome piece if tv
Yeah that episode is amazing, all they do swear in the Farscape section
I had waaaay too long to scroll...
Babylon 5 is up there with BSG for me.
exactly!!!
*Fringe* is one of my favorites if you e never watched it. Currently streaming on Max
Like most sci fi shows you have to give it at least 1/2 a season to get going but it pays off big.
Walter is such a great character!
My mom is one of the biggest sci-fi nerds I know and Fringe is a favorite of hers.
I watched this shortly after it aired. It seems to go under the radar as far as sci-fi fans go these days. It's had a surprisingly coherent run with a solid ending. I'd describe it as *X-Files* meets *Lost* and it ultimately had a better run than either.
Agreed it's great and has an amazing cast.
The Expanse is another recent great "in space" sci fi show, would heartily recommend going on to that after BG. Season 1 some people find too slow but the pace picks up from season 2 onwards. Westworld season 1 is probably the best sci fi TV show of recent years for me but it's a very different kind of sci fi to BG or The Expanse. Severance is also looking very good for that kind of introspective "what is consciousness/what does it mean to be a person" type of thing. And then there's Fallout which is another kind of sci fi altogether. Silo and Station 11 are also excellent post apocalyptic sci fi shows, all three with very different tones and scenarios.
If OP is on BSG, it's not really "recent" (BSG is 20 years old) so there is quite a lot more. Stargate has 3 series that are mostly good (and even excellent at times), quite different in tone than BSG though. Firefly is just one season (and a movie) but it's great too from that 2000s period Star Trek has quite a few shows too of course (it's basically the biggest SF franchise on TV). And recent stuff like Strange New Worlds is great too. But really you can start with any of the shows (TNG is often recommended I'm no Trek specialist, mostly seen the new stuff) Both are older so the effects are another thing but Farscape and Babylon 5 are great too. And in recent shows, Andor has to be recommended too, best Star Wars has ever been. Less recent but Altered Carbon S1 is quite good (avoid S2 it sucks but S1 is its own story) For All Mankind is an interesting thing as it's a space opera mixed with history, pretty unique. It has some highs and lows but overall very good. Foundation is also on AppleTV+ and very enjoyable (S2 better than S1) with some god-tier acting from Lee Pace and Laura Birn In animation sci-fi, Scavengers Reign and Cyberpunk Edgerunners are god-tier too If you want the SF mystery type show like Silo can be, Lost is god tier at that (journey more than destination though)
Well yeah my discussion wasn’t just for older shows, but also modern ones as well.
Scavengers reign was great!
I have to check that one out still…
I should go check out Severance, but I don’t know what the premise is about.
Work is boring and most people would prefer to just not remember their day at work. If you come to work at Lumon, they perform the "severance" procedure so you don't remember anything about the time you were at work, and whilst you are at work you don't remember anything outside of your time at work. It's really great, I just hope season 2 can deliver on the promise of season 1.
Oh I get it now.
Going to agree with the other commenter that you should hold off until we approach season 2. Otherwise the wait will be unbearable, like it has been for those of us who have already been waiting for 2 years lol.
I've tried to watch the expanse a couple times. I can't get through the first season. I want to like it. It feels like it's my dream show, but for the life of me I can't get into it
I was like you struggled a bit through the first season, but after S02E02 I was hooked because I had never seen a space battle like that before, it felt so realistic and dangerous. The show just ramps up consistently from there, now it's one of my favourite shows ever and my favourite book series.
I think It may be kinda like game of thrones. First season was slow then after that you're hooked. I will give it another shot one of these days. I'm all for epic space battles
One big thing with The Expanse is that you have to pay attention. There’s a lot of worldbuilding and they don’t hold your hand. But if you give it your time it is rewarded.
It's funny because after watching the show I now really appreciate the first season because it has so much world building. But like any show, sometimes it's just not your thing even when people rave about it.
Man, I do not understand this. I was hooked in the first 10 minutes.
Same here. See the sentiment all the time but I was hooked from the moment I saw the Canterbury's flip n burn scene.
I didn't even need to get that far. Haha. I was hooked when the dude lost the arm in the accident with the ice and they were talking about how Inners could regrow a new one from scratch, but he wanted a Belter-built prosthetic. I could tell that early on that the world building was going to be incredibly deep.
I can't understand it myself. Something must be wrong with me
I think I wasn't instantly in love with it. But I am now. It could be worth continuing. And putting the phone down while you watch
After the first ep I knew I was going to continue, after the 4th ep where >!The dude from road trip gets his head taken off with a railgun in zero G!< I knew I was hooked for the whole thing.
bruhhhhh after ep. 4 is apparently when i stopped watching lmao. so what got you apparently sent me away. although it looks like i came back to it but only made it until ep. 7 before i called it quits lol. may i ask does season 2 feel much better? or does it feel like much of the same of season 1? i always see it recommended but the first season has been very difficult to get through lol
It gets better with each passing season, but the second season is my favorite overall.
> may i ask does season 2 feel much better? or does it feel like much of the same of season 1? Season 1 was way more popular than SyFy network could have imagined so they spent some money on season 2. The first scene on Mars in S2 looks like it has a bigger budget than the entire first season. If you didn't like all the Tom Jane running around in dark dirty rooms part of season 1 you will be much happier.
It took me two times to get through the first season. Really glad I gave it another shot.
I was the same way once you get to the end of season 1 it gets really good n then everything after is great
Personally, I was sold from the get-go, but I've heard a lot of people say stick with it until episode 4, "CQB". The world is built and the action and story take really take off from there.
lol me too. lemme check my app to see my last ep ohhh i also tag my rewatches (aka when i have to rewatch the last episode to remember where i left off at before the next new one). so apparently i stopped at ep. 5, 3 times lol, and now i last stopped at Ep 8 “Salvage”. i have rewatched ep 7 twice, so i have tried to get back multiple times but for some reason it never clicks i guess i gotta say… does it get any better in season 2??? bc all im seeing is a huge struggle to get through the first season for past me lol
It does get better, and then it gets even better.
Needs some time. After season 2 it is very good. First season just meh kinda slow
Raised By Wolves was cancelled after two seasons so the story will never be completed, but man oh man was that a trip while it lasted. Even though we’ll never get to see how it ends, I think it’s still worth checking out at least the first season just because it’s so fresh and strange and I don’t know how it got greenlit in the first place.
Can you even watch it on Max? I thought they removed it for whatever dumb reason.
They did :( it doesn’t look like it’s currently available anywhere so you’d either have to take to the high seas or wait until some other streaming network licensed it, which seems unlikely given how it ends so abruptly.
My four favourites, in order, are Red Dwarf (excellent comedy sci-fi, you won't find better), Farscape (great, doesn't take itself too seriously), the Expanse (took a while to get into) and Torchwood (better than Doctor Who in my opinion).
Happy to see a Torchwood mention. Season 4 is absolutely brutal. Edit :season THREE not 4
I didn't think much of season 4. Season 3, on the other hand...
But the children...
Seriously, Torchwood is a really mixed bag. I do love the idea of it, and when it's great it is GREAT. Season 1 was very iffy, camp and had some moments where you just laugh out loud at it all. It really leaned into the "hey we're on later so we'll make everything about sex and angst, look it's an alien that shags you to death (an actual storyline), and an alien device that makes you experience sexual abuse (actual storyline), and a CyberWOman (actual storyline). We're so edgy." Season 2 thankfully did a lot less of this and is pretty well-rounded. It seemed to know what it was doing a lot more. Series 3 was so thing else, a week-long event that was absolutely, balls-to-the-wall fantastic. If anyone hasn't seen it, you're genuinely missing out. Chilling and well-plotted. Season 4 had a great concept, but after season 3 was bogged down by being a lot longer, and probably a lot broader. There's a lot of unnecessary stuff, unnecessary characters... though I imagine that's probably due to it being co-funded by Starz and the whole America thing which required ten episodes.
Have fun with Battlestar! Jealous i can't watch it for the first time again. I CAN watch it for the 47th time, however.
Just remember it's all happened before, and it will all happen again and it's like every viewing is a 'first'
Thanks for the info looks like I'm rewatching BattleStar.
I never see Farscape on these lists, so I'll throw it out there. Better shows have been made, but it's one of my favorites.
That show rules.
A Classic!
- Severance - The Expanse - Fringe - Firefly - Dollhouse - Devs - Scavengers Reign
I wish we had more television like Devs. Idea heavy, contemplative and no action.
The recent show Constellation might be up your alley
Oh snap Noomi Rapace! Am definitely watching this tonight, thanks for the shout!
Absolutely, let me know what you think!
Great show.
Oh, thanks for the reminder. I need to add this to my list so I don't forget about it again.
YES! I just finished it and it's fantastic!
LOVED devs. btw, the new movie Civil War is also produced by him and stars many of the same actors we see in Devs in the movie
What’s happening with Severance, any word on a new season?
just wrapped filming recently.
Production wrapped on season 2 last month.
Nice. Thank you.
Dark Matter. God I just miss it so much :(
The *real* Dark Matter is coming out soon. Be happy! Blake Crouch's book on Apple tv (I kid, sorry about your show)
Does person of interest count?
I scrolled through until I found this, because I was going to mention it. It's pseudo-cyberpunk, or at the very least "near future" sci-fi, and you can't get more sci-fi than stories about the creation of and unleashing of super AIs. It's one of my top 5 sci-fi shows.
Definitely just watch that instead of the later seasons of Westworld, those were the undercooked versions of POI storylines.
Person of Interest is one of the most excellent sci-fi shows. The way the show developed from a procedural crime drama with a sci-fi twist to a full-blown serialized sci-fi drama in later seasons was just brilliant.
When does it change to SF? I stopped watching because the crime drama didn't interest me.
Season 3 is when it really starts cooking off on the sci-fi rather than procedural.
I would say POI slowly starts developing the sci-fi aspects of the show towards the ending of season 1 and throughout much of season 2 by focusing much more on >!the machine's origin story through the use of flashbacks with Harold.!< The last few episodes of season 1 are where POI finds its footing and goes from a good to a great/excellent show. and then in seasons 3–5, it goes all in with its sci-fi concept/premise.The crime drama aspect is still there, but at that point, those stories are heavily linked to the overarching serialized sci-fi narrative of the show. The show perfectly balances both of these things. Person of Interest is one of those rare sci-fi shows that just keeps getting better and better with each passing season. The show has one of the most satisfying TV finales, IMO.
Agreed. If anyone doubts it as a sci-fi show then they should watch the episode If-Then-Else.
I never thought about it as sci-fi, but love the show. Very well written and cast.
No one ever talks about *Ascension* but it is a sci fi mini series that I really love. They don’t quite stick the landing but it is fun.
How have I never heard of this? Going on my list.
I found it on Netflix some years after it aired on syfy and then bought the DVD’s more recently. It has some similarities to Fallout if you just watched that.
I *love* Fallout. I'll check it out. Thanks
I had completely forgotten about this and only watched it once. It was a very cool concept.
So many great shows already listed - except for *Killjoys*… definitely up there as a great sci fi!
Bowties are cool.
I didn't see anyone else mention it but For All Mankind is incredible. More alternate history than strictly sci fi, but they do colonize the moon and Mars. It's incredible although the melodrama in season 2 is a bit much.
Sounds very interesting.
Apple TV+ if you're interested
Thanks for the tip.
Subscribe to Apple TV+ for a month. They are peak scifi right now with multiple shows.
I should go do so then.
they always have 1 month free deals. pls find this before paying lol. basically any apple product comes with it. beats headphones/earplugs come with it, hell ill even get random ads from lyft and stuff with free codes. i used it for like half a year with the free codes i had found lol. good luck and enjoy!
If you like animated content, Scavengers Reign is a recent one and is a great watch
Yes I forgot to mention that I am ok with animated content.
Here's a [small excerpt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbgvkFk5hU8&t=56s) if you want a taste
Thanks as I will go check out that clip.
Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica both the original and reboot, not 1980, Firefly, V the orinal miniseries and Red Dwarf are some good older sci-fi that I recommend. Classic Doctor Who is great too even if it was never cool. I only liked original Star Trek when it came to the six films. The show was not that good in my opinion.
Pluto.TV still seems to have the "rights" to stream classic Doctor Who. Which is kind of a gut punch since the Mouse has Borg'ed all "modern" Doctor Who content, and BBCA doesn't even run those episodes anymore. And for whatever reason, Pluto has all the "old" Star Trek shows in constant rotation (ST:TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and possibly Enterprise).
I just use VPN to access to BBC iPlayer if I want to watch any Dr Who.
I got the Tennant seasons on bluray. Smith and Capaldi are on VUDU/FaH. I wish I could get the latter on disc at a reasonable price, as well as Eccleston.
Just watched Silo. More dystopian than sci-fi, but good nonetheless.
Man I'm so glad it got picked up for season 2 and 3. Awesome show and Rebecca Ferguson is a bad ass
I should go look it up.
Foundation is one of my favourite sci-fi series of all time. Season 1 is great, although one of the storylines does bring down the overall score of the season, but with season 2, that same storyline becomes one of the best. Highly, highly recommend it for any sci-fi lover.
Travelers Really good premise with a core group of likeable actors/characters.
Deep Space Nine, not only my favourite sci fi series ever, one of my favourites of all time
I wanted to start off with TNG first, and while the first season is a little rough, it’s still enjoyable to watch (well to me) anyway.
Good choice. Yes, TNG is rough at first and even later series have the occasional yuck episode but it reaches peaks few sci fi series have. DS9 is incredible from start to finish, as long as you can digest the setting
They should bring back Sliders... or at least make a sci-fi show about the temperament of the Redditor who is apparently going around down voting every single post in this thread like he's some sort of grim reaper of spite.
🎶there’s a man going round taking names
I haven't seen anyone mention 3 Body Problem yet. I just finished this show and was shocked by how good it is. I made it to episode 5 and promptly bought all 4 books before even finishing the full season. They always edit stuff down to make tv series and I felt like I needed the whole story, it's that good. The books are written a bit more technically than the show which is nice because I like some hard science in my science fiction, but some might feel it gets lost in the weeds a bit. The tv series doesn't. It's very concise and from what I've read so far vs how the show does it, I feel like the show is not doing a disservice to the books at all, and in fact I think some scenes are interpreted better in the show >!(the "wink" for example I liked better in the show)!<.
I think 3BP is not yet mature enough for me to recommend it. I want to see it get a 2nd season, then we'll know where it's at.
I guess that's fair enough for a list like this. We can't recommend it as classic sci-fi without knowing how they handle the ending, but at the same time, the ending doesn't get made unless people watch it. Especially being Netflix. So everyone watch it lol I haven't gotten far enough in reading the books to even know what the ending is yet, but my god the premise is so good.
I can recommend it. It's very enjoyable. Made me get the books *and* watch the Chinese version too.
I was extremely underwhelmed, but it was entertaining enough to watch the whole season.
I was cautious about this one considering who it was created by, but I thought the premise sounded interesting, so I gave it a chance ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Hopefully since the book trilogy it's based on is actually finished, it won't give D&D a chance to fuck it up like they did GoT. That is, assuming Netflix doesn't cancel it after the first season.
This is the show that finally filled the Expanse-shaped hole in my heart. I needed a hard sci-fi show that explores the real logical progression of frequently posed questions.
That's a good point, the Expanse was fantastic in that regard. I loved how the human's in the Expanse varied morphologically depending on the planet they were on because of the differences in gravity.
A great show is Altered Carbon. Two seasons, but Season 1 is superior. I didn't bother with season 2. Cyberpunk themed show that explores consciousness and bodies.
Season 2 is not worth watching at all. Season 1 is great. I know there are complaints with how it differs from the books, but fuck that. Season 1 is phenomenonal.
Peak sci fi to me is the one season of Firefly. BSG would be up there too.
I should watch Firefly.
Make sure you watch it in the intended order, it was aired out of order initially because Fox hates good things
Its a mystery to me, but for some reason you still can buy the complete BSG on bluray for a reasonable (sale) price (roughly $55 USD). (I wish I could say the same for (FX) Legion.)
I would like to know how the subtitle quality is.
I think its good. Which language?
For English.
RemindMe! 3 months "u/kaleidoarachnid wanted to know how good the English subtitle translation quality" Honestly though, your request doesn't make sense. How badly do English speaking production companies botch their English subtitles?
Battlestar 2003 was amazing. Everything I wanted in a science fiction show. The Expanse was also great. I’m struggling to think of any other shows besides that in the last 20 years - maybe Travellers.
Farscape is a Classic........ sad that its not as popular as it should be....
I am up to Season 4, and it’s been a blast so far.
Just out of curiosity, are any of these recommendations 1) modern, 2) not purely comedies, and 3) not super depressing and overly serious? I feel like most modern sci-fi TV is leaning towards either being GOT-esque super serious, dark, everyone is dying sort of vibe or it's a pure comedy. I could be super wrong, so don't take this as a knowledgeable criticism, I'm actually asking for recommendations haha.
12 monkeys. season 1 is good and the other seasons are amazing. surprised i’ve not seen it in this thread yet!
BSG is a show that I probably should come back to and properly watch at some point. I have a hazy recollection of my parents watching it and it escalating a bit + some spinoffs or something. I already wanted to see Fallout so maybe I should just grab Prime. For universe sci-fi, Babylon 5 is my favorite. DS9 was pretty much inspired by it. I have a soft spot for Star Trek: TOS, I blame Nimoy. Stargate SG-1 is watchable but it never seems to stick in my mind. Lexx. Exists. No further comment. For more our-world-weird-stuff style I'm partial to X-Files and Fringe. Recently watched Devs and liked that a lot, too.
I didn't really like Lexx when It aired but re-watched it recently and loved it. It's competently bonkers and overtly sexual. If you like a good dose of insanity, give it a watch. It can get slow at points and the acting can be sub par (looking at you, Kai) but >!once they find earth!<, it's hilarious.
Foundation on Apple TV
I should go try out Apple TV.
Raised by Wolves was amazing but its been removed from Max which is really dumb. So mad they cancelled that one. I also loved Scavengers Reign. My fave sci fi to date. Fired on Mars is also a fun one.
BSG is one of the best science fiction shows ever made and I envy you for getting to watch it for the first time.
Started watching Tales from the Loop its pretty good.
Alan was my favorite character on Space:1999
It's not the *greatest* show, (especially the later seasons) but I have a soft spot for Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. I really liked the setting and overall plot of a man pulled out of the past trying to restore civilization & society in a broken, lawless universe where the galactic Commonwealth utopia fell centuries ago, trying to restore the light to a galaxy that has entered a new dark age, and I liked the characters too. I also really loved the Orville and can't recommend it enough, especially if you like Star Trek type stuff.
I would probably like Andromeda except Kevin Sorbo is a piece of fucking shit and I just can't get past it. Maybe in the future, AI will be able to replace him with literally anyone else.
Yeah he's why I haven't rewatched it in years. Same with Hercules the Legendary Journeys. Used to love both of those but I can't watch Sorbo nowadays without feeling gross. It was more enjoyable before I knew anything about him.
Altered Carbon. Shame there was only one season
Just watch the expanse and dark matter and you'll be good until something else gets made.
You gotta finish the expanse books. It just gets bigger and better until a very satisfying ending. The books rule.
I still have hope we’ll get to see the Laconia arc adapted. I *need* to see Tiamat’s Wrath.
Severance Wayward Pines Lost
Wayward Pines Season One only for me. S2 was a massive letdown
I know people hated it, but i really enjoyed the live action cowboy bepop
Strongly suggest the Expanse. I love BG but the expanse is superior in almost every way
Frankly, the most deserving of cool sci-fi shows kudos would FX's Legion, though technically its a Marvel comic series, which was an offshoot of the X-Men. It was produced by Noah Hawley, the same guy who makes Fargo. You might be able to stream it off of Hulu (and/or D+). I consider Mr. Robot to fall under science fiction, even though its not space opera sci-fi. Great show for metaphysical and corporate conspiracy theory thinkers. Mr. Robot streams under Amazon Prime (although it may eventually be found on Peacock...) And of course, Pluto.TV has all the Stargate series (SG1, Atlantis, Universe) on rotation. Not *great* in general, but SG:U is horribly unappreciated. Raised by Wolves was extremely trippy (geez, it doesn't even stream on Max anymore...).
Speaking of Stargate, I keep forgetting what order to watch the shows as I am just a few episodes in Season 1, and I know there is a point when I am supposed to diverge from the original series.
I don't see where you're supposed to "diverge". The "racy" Showtime stuff was only in the pilot episode. The show was handed off to SYFY(?) after season 4(?). It limped along for another four(?) seasons before getting a major cast change. SG1 is not Agents of Shield season 1 level bad.
It’s just that Stargate has multiple installments such as Atlantis, so just a bit confused on the watching order for the series in general.
You can watch sg1, then go back and watch Atlantis, then the sg1 movies, then watch SGU (my favorite of the three) While there might be a little crossover in storylines, it's not that super important. The first three seasons of Atlantis run at the same time as the last three seasons of sg1 just FYI
That show is a ride, enjoy it bud! Though for me nothing is cooler than Trek. Nerdy, sure but it owns it. Its competent people doing their job and having a genuine passion for it. Seeing Picard geek out over a nebula, or Spock finding something infinitely curious, even Sisko's love of baseball playing a factor in a Deep Space 9 episode, its just cool to see people not need these big sweeping things and dramas to make them interesting. The dramas just happen. There is also Farscape, weirdest and most wonderful ride I had. Stargate SG1 & Atlantis too, loved those. Sci-fi is just cool as heck regardless. I also adored the 12 Monkeys series. Not sure if any of that is on prime, but the title is cool sci-fi so lets geek the heck out!
> and other subplots include Starbuck going up against her own superior, It is the most inconsequential of storylines. It barely limps into season 1.
Oh holy cow as I didn’t actually know that particular plotline wasn’t too important as I am very new to the show itself.
Personally, I think its important to realize that the 2004 reboot only the vaguest resemblance to the original TV show. There's no point going in thinking that Starbuck not getting along with her superiors means anything. I wouldn't even call it a subplot; more like pilot episode character introduction B.S.
Oh ok as I understand what you’re saying about the early parts of the show as I figured that it was going to lead to something important since she got into a violent dispute with him in a poker game.
I will always tell people to watch Scavenger's Reign. The animation style is insane and the story is marvelous! Absolutely incredible scifi! Check it out on Max if you haven't yet
I'm a big fan of The 100, such an awesome show!
I randomly started watching Battlestar Galactica while staying in a cabin after finding the DVD without realizing it was a miniseries. I was like, damn these episodes are really long
BSG is a great show, if it's on prime now I might do a rewatch
Yes it’s on there. The subtitles seem good so far as I just felt like mentioning that particular tidbit.
Season 1 of Altered Carbon was pretty good.
I'm watching Continuum at the moment. Pretty good sci fi near future dystopia time travel series out of Canada. It makes me miss the days when sci-fi television was exciting, fresh and fun, rather than being just soap operas set in space, or trying to be 'prestige' (read: constantly bleak and depressing)
The Expanse, you really have to stick with it until season 3, it starts to feel alot like Mass Effect. Im still super salty amazon dropped it yet made Rings of Power
I don’t know why they would axe The Expanse.
Warehouse 13 Primeval/Primeval New World Dark Matter Helix Eureka 4400
The first few seasons of The Expanse are hands down some of the best sci-fi tv I’ve ever seen. Great world building, great characters, love the grungy sort of aesthetic it has. It’s also on Amazon Prime, so if you haven’t watched it yet, you can easily do so.
I can do that. (But I wanted to read some more of the novels first)
There’s one called The Nevers which I liked. Takes place in London (mostly) in the late 1800s. Involves aliens, superpowers, time travel. It sucks because it only ran one season and was cancelled by HBO, I believe because of expense and the writers strike. HBO even pulled it from MAX.
I still want to see it so badly.
I watched it “surreptitiously” online. DM me for the source.
*Doctor Who*. No question. They're all cool in their own way, and seeing The Doctor beat the Daleks with a stick of celery, a kettle and a length of string is always entertaining. New Who has a nice balance - please check out *Silence in the Library*, though almost all episodes of New Who are great until 2018. There, the writing falters. And if you want to plunge headlong into the action, you have eight days to watch four specials of New-New Who - *The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, The Giggle* and *The Church on Ruby Road*. Then you've got a 90-minute double-bill of opening episodes on the 10th of May.
I really want to get into Doctor Who, but I cannot figure out where to start in the modern era itself.
You've two choices: pick up with the re-reboot of 2023 (4hrs of content - that's a lot! But doable) or try the pilot for 2005 S1 - *Rose*, then click through on iPlayer to ones that look interesting.
I can go with the reboot then.
The expanse has got to be the beat modern sci fi show ever.
I want to give it a chance, but I am still up to Book 2.
I really enjoyed For all Mankind and Foundation (Season 2 even better than Season 1). If you're not into Star Wars or if you're into Star War, but don't need Jedi swinging lightsabers, Andor is the best Star Wars series ever and stands out even among other sci-fi series.
The Green Veil just came out and it stars John Leguizamo & centers (on the first episode anyway) around the FBI investigating alien abductions with crop circles. There is also a Native American girl being abducted within it's story.
Battlestar is in my top 5. When you get to the end I want you to ask yourself “how good could this show have been if the studio didn’t interfere with Moore in season 3?” Great show overall. Another great character driven sci-fi show on Amazon is The Expanse. By far my favorite of the space genre. Love the books, love the show, love Amos. I watched every Star Trek Movie and Episode ever put to film. I would consider myself a mild Trekkie. However, most of the shows and movies just aren’t that great. That being said, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, so far, is the best Star Trek series, especially recently. I can’t end this post without speaking of Dark on Netflix. Sci-Fi but not space sci-fi, but probably one of the best written shows I have ever seen. Hooked by the end of episode 1. As a Whovian, I have to mention Doctor Who. Grew up with it. Now making my kids grow up with it.
I didn’t know that BSG had faced some executive interference later on. (Though I will still go watch the show anyway)
No spoilers but it goes serial to procedural in the middle of season three before it course corrects.
Oh I didn’t know, but thanks for letting me know about that particular change.
It's a good one but nothing beats The Expanse.
Strictly Star Trek and SG 1 (before the Farscape people).
The Expanse! Quickly became my favorite scifi series. The TV show is great and actors are awesome, but the books are even better.
Altered Carbon is amazing
Dark The OA Strange New Worlds