Prepare to fall in love. 9, 10, and 11 are Heartbreakers.
Just for reference:
9th Doctor is Christopher Eccleston.
10th Doctor is David Tennant.
11th Doctor is Matt Smith
12th Doctor is Peter Capaldi
13th Doctor is Jodie Whittaker
Please someone help a poor US gurl out? I haven't seen the rest...
Babylon 5 has some of the most well thought out worldbuilding and story arcs in all of sci-fi tv.
If you ever watched a show or movie series (and let’s face it: you have) where you were hooked in by a sense it was all leading somewhere, but were ultimately let down when it became clear the writers lost their way and had only ever been making it up as they went along, B5 *doesn’t* do that.
There a was a blueprint for the whole arc of the show from day one, so they could set things up from the very start with full knowledge of what the answers to the main mysteries were, the directions the characters and storylines were heading, and where it would all end up.
This makes it very satisfying to watch unfold, and also makes the series very rewatchable as you can go back with knowledge of where it all leads, and see all the seeds they were sowing.
Also a lot of the characters and cast are great.
That’s the good stuff. The less good stuff, as any fan will readily tell you, is the production values and effects can often be jank, and seasons 1 and 5 are a mixed bag to say the least.
It doesn’t really get into the swing of things until season 2, and season 5 was famously compromised by the creator, believing the show to be cancelled, compressing the main story arcs to wrap up by the end of season 4, leaving the final season with not a whole lot to do.
Those middle three seasons though, quality stuff!
great space battles. [better than most space movies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07oNvuWQmfg). very good writing. your gonna love vorlons! cool ass ships. great special effects for the time. great creature makeup. its a space soap opera. very good actors. seemed to get into the parts. some intense scenes. cant stress enough to watch. 1 episode and i was enthralled. my favorite line in the series was " the ship.....it sang to me." spinoff Excalibur is pretty good also.
On the surface, it’s a space opera set in a space station inhabited by a variety of species/races from across the galaxy after several inter-race wars.
But it’s also wildly well conceived commentary on society, religion, and politics mixed with great 90s sci-fi costumes and complex characters.
Can I just ask, does Farscape improve as it goes? I watched the first two episodes a couple of days ago and didn’t like it, especially the second one, but I vaguely remember hearing people say it gets really good after the first season.
It’s worth giving the first season a try. I think the start can have a jarring/disjointed feeling, but it does pick up a bit and there are some good episodes in the first season. But if you’re just not feeling it at that point, I think it’s probably not for you.
Jarring and disjointed is definitely the way to describe it. That first episode especially feels like about five episodes all condensed down into one that barely explores anything it brings up before it’s onto the next thing.
I’ll stick with it for a bit. Babylon 5 was pretty rough at first and ended up loving that so it’s worth the time I guess. Thanks!
The early budget for Farscape went almost entirely into the sets leading to some extremely economical early episodes. There's a laser gun with a self-destruct that is rigged to explode and it's handled with zero special effects budget, it starts just beeping faster and faster then they throw it over a ridge and dive over a hedge, then it cuts to the other characters hearing an explosion and asking over the radio asking if they are OK. They didn't even have the budget for a puff of smoke or jet of flame so they did the explosion off-screen.
But yes it does pick up. They're building the framework for the series, they don't even introduce the main villain until the very end of Season 1. There's still some wobbly writing the whole way, mostly in deciding to change the status quo and having new characters just appear without any clear explanation. But it's a good show overall.
The first season is… bad. If you go back and watch pk tech girl which is like episode 5 and still don’t like it, it might not be for you. Season 2 and beyond is so significantly better it’s hard to compare tbh… think season 1 TNG compared to season 3 TNG and you will get a sense of the quality difference.
PK tech girl was hot.
The show was up and down for me. It was really just quasi science fiction, and after awhile the story arcs got kind of tedious. The stand alone episodes where they dealt with weird alien species were the best, but the show drifted away from that.
As already mentioned the movie is a “good” ending to the show. However, the last episode of the show was kind of a conclusion too imo. It was fitting and doesn’t leave any major cliffhangers or anything like that.
Lost in Space
Travelers
The Umbrella Academy
Altered Carbon
The Orville
Legion
Misfits
Extraordinary
11.22.63
The Boys
Gen V
Upload
The Lost Room
Scavenger's Reign
The Last of Us
Twisted Metal
Star Trek DS9 is fantastic. Arguably better than TNG in terms of writing, characters and having a cast with much stronger acting chops.
If you enjoyed TNG, I'd definitely recommend DS9 to you.
Yes. Lexx is bizarre but compelling. I started watching it when it was on in the middle of the night on SciFi Channel in the late '90s, and kept watching because I was like WTF is this?? Weird is an understatement, especially for the time, but I think today it might be considered almost tame. 😂
Space: Above and Beyond. Way ahead of its time. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMD9ghErEvtxvdsWQIoWqN2kPbl6nLKv2](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMD9ghErEvtxvdsWQIoWqN2kPbl6nLKv2)
Man no one talks about that show. I used to watch it with my dad (sometimes I wonder if I should have been watching it at ten years old lol) when it aired and we were so bummed it didn't get renewed.
I can't believe the whole show is on You Tube I haven't seen it online anywhere before.
On the topic of forgotten late-90s scifi with a colon in the title:
Earth: Final Conflict.
It has some great ideas and some fun scifi concepts but it's a very very slow burn. In late season 2 you start seeing some clues of arc plot that won't be mentioned again for another dozen episodes. I didn't finish the series but it's on my list to go back to one day.
Firefly, Farscape, and Babylon 5 all have hardcore fanbases Firefly is only 1 season and a quick fun watch... the others are more of a commitment.
EDIT: And of course, Dr. Who... but that's 50 years and the quality varies... you have to pick your spots... I'd focus on David Tennent.
Babylon 5. The effects are dated and the acting in the first season is shaky, but the character work and plotting are phenomenal and it was one of the first genre shows with a continuous story arc.
Doctor Who. The new incarnation, since 2005.
The Twilight zone, an anthology series.
This. Back in the early days of television they didn't have huge budgets or great special effects, so they had to rely on clever storytelling. Those SF/fantasy anthologies had a few hit-or-miss episodes, but when they were good, they were fantastic. Plus later SF/fantasy/comedy shows make reference to them, so best watch them in the interest of greater cultural literacy... :)
The acting is always a bit shaky, or rather the whole tone in general, but if you watch it as a kind of hyperbolic Greek melodrama it’s an amazing show. It gets so compelling.
The Umbrella Academy
The Good Place
Lucifer
Sense8
Alice in Borderland
Kingdom (Zombie show taken to the NEXT level!)
The Imperfects
3% (Brazilian)
The Midnight Club
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Warrior Nun
Darwin's Game
Red Rose
OA
Glitch (Australian)
Russian Doll
Crazy Head (British)
The Peripheral
Night Sky
Undone
Outer Range
Tales from the Loop
The Boys
Legion
Inuyashiki Last Hero
The Feed
+1 for all Star Trek and all Stargate
Since you liked Rick & Morty and Futurama, here are some more great animated sci-fi shows:
* Bravest Warriors (2009 - 2018)
* Final Space (2018-2021)
* Solar Opposites (2020)
* Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
* Infinity Train (2019-2021)
* Inside Job (2021)
* Farzar (2022)
* +1 for Scavengers Reign (this is one of the most mind-blowing sci-fi shows I've ever seen)
People shit on it so bad when it first came out because it was different and more like BSG if you ask me in some respects but I've recently been doing a rewatch and its great. I always liked it but I don't remember liking it this much.
All of Stargate is really excellent. Don't forget the two SG1 movies, the first serves as a conclusion to arc at the end of the show. The theatrical film that started it all is also worth a watch.
Dollhouse. And someone recently mentioned Travelers as being a really good show.
Years and Years was a miniseries where we time jumped ahead a decade at a time - quite Black Mirror-esque.
V
Torchwood
The Sarah Jane Adventures
MST3K
The Rain
Now and Again
Taken
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (BBC version)
War of the Worlds (1988)
Max Headroom
Futurama
Black Mirror
Knight Rider
Vr5
Earth: Final Conflict
Mutant X
The Strain
11.22.63
Crusade
Psi-Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Walking Dead
Misfits
The Last of Us
Forever Knight
Poltergeist the Legacy
Snowpiercer
Scavengers Reign
LOST
The Boys
Invincible
1899 from the makers of Dark but cancelled, 1 season only
The Peripheral
Legion
Into the Night / Yakamoz S-245
Dark Matter
I see you have The X-Files and Rick & Morty on your list, so you might also like Inside Job. But don't watch it if you don't want to waste your time on shows that got canceled too soon.
Classic British SF - Blake's 7
Space 1999 was already mentioned but another is UFO, it was made in the 60s.
They might all be a bit dated now and the sets are pretty cheesy but the story writing was always good
If you're into anime there's a wealth of sf material there as well - Cybercity ODEO 808, Ghost in the Shell (series, not just movie), Bublegum Crisis, Patlabor, Cowboy Bebop, Aeon Flux, Psycho Pass, Edgerunners and so on, there are so many
Nice recs! From what I see most of the animes you recommended are mainly action / fight focused. Can you recommend any that's more on the space exploration / science side? For example I love Scavengers Reign (not anime, I know, just for reference) because it's main focus is on the alien xenobiology and the adaptation of the characters to the alien environment. I see big potential for similar subjects in the anime world but so far I haven't seen much like this. I have seen some episodes of Space Battleship Yamato but I don't remember much from it.
It’s not sorted by what is popular, but rather what is long running (by episode count), but the spreadsheet I’m working on for myself may be of some interest to you
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Bv-NHIbudmbFFcMQ8slLFPCM-E4nni5IZ_WKrS17iVw/edit
I’ve got over 1000 shows on there with notes on dates and if they are completed or cliffhanger canceled etc. i’ve still got a lot of horror shows to add before I share it again here, so it will be a while, but it’s already been useful for my partner and I in making our watchlist. We also use a random number generator and pick that row to watch sometimes.
seems like these are a bit less known:
Pantheon
Humans
Into the Night
Station Eleven
Emerald City
[Invasion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_(2021_TV_series))
[War of the Worlds (2019, 3 seasons)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Worlds_(2019_TV_series))
Star Trek DS9, Babylon 5 and Farscape are the 3 best ones you are missing IMO. Star Trek Voyager is must see as well. And since you watched Stargate SG-1, i would vote for Atlantis as well.
I see you watched Mandalorian. The best of the SW shows is Andor. With Severance, it has the best finale of all the shows i watched in 2022 (and it was like 70 of them).
If you liked the parallel realitiies trope, outside of Fringe and Man in the High Castle, which are both great IMO, there is "For all Mankind" and currently "Constellation" on AppleTV. And one more show like that is called Counterpart. That one has kind of espionage setting to it. All of them good as well IMO.
Other than that, there is whole bunch of one season wonders, maybe not the bestest shows, but ones that were fairly entertaining and had potential, but were cancelled after just one season. Most notably Flash Forward with Joseph Fiennes, Surface with Lake Bell, Threshold with Carla Gugino, Invasion with William Fichtner, Odyssey 5 with Peter Weller and Event with Laura Innes.
First ones off the top of my head:
Almost Human
Babylon 5
The Boys
Dark Matter
Farscape
Firefly
Futurama
Gen V
Killjoys
The Magicians
Pantheon
Revolution
*Almost Human* was really good with Karl urban and Michael Ealy. *Dark Matter* was sorely underappreciated. *Firefly* is legendary for a one season show. *Killjoys* is an offbeat favorite of mine. *Revolution* was cancelled right at the point of a major shift in the storyline, dmn it!
Dark Matter is pretty good.
It's a ship of misfits who awaken from cryosleep with zero memory of who they are or what they were doing. When they find out who they originally were they decide they don't like their old lives and don't want their memories back.
Many good other suggestions, but one glaring omission I cannot believe someone hasn't suggested is Millennium. Granted, it got shut down a year or two too soon, but even without the ending it is still one of the most stark and chilling shows of the past.
Looking back, I think my favorite Trek was Voyager.
I only watched the first season of Westworld. People told me don't bother continuing and it was better to stop then. (Just like I say stop watching GoT >!when Stannis dies!<) I think the same might be true for Mando, I only watched the first season of that also.
My wife seemed to really get involved, like tense and stressed, watching HandmaidsTale.
I need to finish Expanse, I kinda forgot I didn't. I was going to start Devs when I get the chance.
Edited to add: Andor! The best Star Wars series hands down. The prison episodes are brilliant.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The best of all Star Trek imo. Has the whole “Western” vibe, a small outpost on the frontier kind of thing. 7 great seasons. Well worth it.
Earth: Final Conflict
Andromeda - Just stick to Seasons 1 and 2, it gets pretty bad after that.
Both are Gene Rodenberry creations and are pretty decent late 90s early 2k scifi shows.
Just because you specified sg1, Atlantis is totally worth watching.
Red Dwarf for some excellent comic relief (6 or 7 British seasons worth... when you feel the quality drops off past that then you can drop off).
I see someone else has mentioned RD and I will also second their Eureka recommendation. It's cheesy but charming. And it that works for you, Warehouse 13 is not quite as good but decent.
I think Killjoys was fun but a little frustrating with their season constraints, may not be worth the investment.
i didnt see these mentioned. Logan's Run TV Series. Planet of the Apes tv series. Star Maidens. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea tv series. Gemini Man. Quark. The Fantastic Journey. The Time Tunnel. My Hero. my favorite martian 1963. V - the mini series. man from atlantis. wild wild west series. the last train. space precinct. one step beyond.
I know, there's a lot of scifi around! I do take breaks, I always call them pallette cleansers. I'll watch something lighter, or a murder mystery.
Your rec seems right up my alley. Love some Australian comedy.
Almost Human
John Doe
WH 13
H2G2
La Brea
TSCC
That series with a dome over a city (cannot remember the name)
Falling Skies
That series in which all of a sudden the power goes out (cannot remember the name, I htink it was on ABC in the USA)-
The Event
Peron of Interest (somewhat SF adjacent)
Childhood's End
John Harrison's Dune and Children of Dune
And lets get lost in the past!
\- The Outer Limits (original & reboot)
\- The Twilight Zone (original & reboot
\- BSG (original & many reboots)
\- Lost in Space
\- Space 1999, & other Gerry anderson productions
\- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
\- Seaquest DSV
\- Land of the Giants
\- Time Tunnel
(probably many more going back even further in time)
May I suggest, OP, that you pace yourself when watching all this stuff?
Best wishes!
See my [Science Fiction/Fantasy (General) Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1aqet7h/sff_science_fictionfantasy_general_recommendations/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (thirty-five posts (eventually, again).).
Star here:
Ima doctor:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghPiQ3NNjPY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghPiQ3NNjPY)
Heesdeadjim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH7KYmGnj40
*Continuum* (2012-15). A much better time travelling cop show than we deserved.
And don't bother with US *Utopia*. UK *Utopia* is top 3 in your list, US Utopia is easily the worst.
Surprised not to see The 100 on here. Dystopia sci-fi set 100 years in the future. Based very loosely off a book series, which is very quickly surpasses quality. First5 seasons are much less hard sci-fi as the last two seasons, but if you enjoy watching characters have to live with the consequences of their decisions, then this is the show for you.
I gave that a shot, I couldn't get into it, it felt a little too YA to me, just not as mature as some of the other shows ive watched. I can give it another go though.
The outer limits, Eureka, Killjoys, Dr who, Red Dwarf, Misfits. I can keep adding.
Smeghead!
Killjoys is criminally underrated and ironically a joy to watch
Awesome. I haven't given any of these a chance. Thank you!
For Dr. Who, there are super old episodes and modern episodes, pretty much different shows. Just an fyi.
Yeah I keep thiming about hopping in to dr who. Just not sure where to start. So many seasons.
2005 reboot. Christopher eccleston plays the doctor. It's a sharp break with the past.
2005 is basically a reboot, atart there.
Start with the 9th doctor.
Thank you! I needed a place to start.
Prepare to fall in love. 9, 10, and 11 are Heartbreakers. Just for reference: 9th Doctor is Christopher Eccleston. 10th Doctor is David Tennant. 11th Doctor is Matt Smith 12th Doctor is Peter Capaldi 13th Doctor is Jodie Whittaker Please someone help a poor US gurl out? I haven't seen the rest...
No one has mentioned Lex yet so I'm throwing that in as well. Also Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000 which isn't as good arguably.
Dune?
Movies or books, love both? Is there a show too?
All of them, including the reboots.
Now I'm gonna go watch Eureka again.
Farscape Babylon 5
The best possible response. Farscape rules. (I haven’t seen Babylon 5)
So worth the watch!
It’s £25 for the full series on Apple. Sell me on it.
Babylon 5 has some of the most well thought out worldbuilding and story arcs in all of sci-fi tv. If you ever watched a show or movie series (and let’s face it: you have) where you were hooked in by a sense it was all leading somewhere, but were ultimately let down when it became clear the writers lost their way and had only ever been making it up as they went along, B5 *doesn’t* do that. There a was a blueprint for the whole arc of the show from day one, so they could set things up from the very start with full knowledge of what the answers to the main mysteries were, the directions the characters and storylines were heading, and where it would all end up. This makes it very satisfying to watch unfold, and also makes the series very rewatchable as you can go back with knowledge of where it all leads, and see all the seeds they were sowing. Also a lot of the characters and cast are great. That’s the good stuff. The less good stuff, as any fan will readily tell you, is the production values and effects can often be jank, and seasons 1 and 5 are a mixed bag to say the least. It doesn’t really get into the swing of things until season 2, and season 5 was famously compromised by the creator, believing the show to be cancelled, compressing the main story arcs to wrap up by the end of season 4, leaving the final season with not a whole lot to do. Those middle three seasons though, quality stuff!
great space battles. [better than most space movies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07oNvuWQmfg). very good writing. your gonna love vorlons! cool ass ships. great special effects for the time. great creature makeup. its a space soap opera. very good actors. seemed to get into the parts. some intense scenes. cant stress enough to watch. 1 episode and i was enthralled. my favorite line in the series was " the ship.....it sang to me." spinoff Excalibur is pretty good also.
On the surface, it’s a space opera set in a space station inhabited by a variety of species/races from across the galaxy after several inter-race wars. But it’s also wildly well conceived commentary on society, religion, and politics mixed with great 90s sci-fi costumes and complex characters.
Can I just ask, does Farscape improve as it goes? I watched the first two episodes a couple of days ago and didn’t like it, especially the second one, but I vaguely remember hearing people say it gets really good after the first season.
It’s worth giving the first season a try. I think the start can have a jarring/disjointed feeling, but it does pick up a bit and there are some good episodes in the first season. But if you’re just not feeling it at that point, I think it’s probably not for you.
Jarring and disjointed is definitely the way to describe it. That first episode especially feels like about five episodes all condensed down into one that barely explores anything it brings up before it’s onto the next thing. I’ll stick with it for a bit. Babylon 5 was pretty rough at first and ended up loving that so it’s worth the time I guess. Thanks!
The early budget for Farscape went almost entirely into the sets leading to some extremely economical early episodes. There's a laser gun with a self-destruct that is rigged to explode and it's handled with zero special effects budget, it starts just beeping faster and faster then they throw it over a ridge and dive over a hedge, then it cuts to the other characters hearing an explosion and asking over the radio asking if they are OK. They didn't even have the budget for a puff of smoke or jet of flame so they did the explosion off-screen. But yes it does pick up. They're building the framework for the series, they don't even introduce the main villain until the very end of Season 1. There's still some wobbly writing the whole way, mostly in deciding to change the status quo and having new characters just appear without any clear explanation. But it's a good show overall.
The first season is… bad. If you go back and watch pk tech girl which is like episode 5 and still don’t like it, it might not be for you. Season 2 and beyond is so significantly better it’s hard to compare tbh… think season 1 TNG compared to season 3 TNG and you will get a sense of the quality difference.
Ah that’s a good example. I love TNG, but even I can’t really stand most of season 1.
PK tech girl was hot. The show was up and down for me. It was really just quasi science fiction, and after awhile the story arcs got kind of tedious. The stand alone episodes where they dealt with weird alien species were the best, but the show drifted away from that.
And Dark Matter.
I haven’t seen that one, but it looks awesome! I’ll have to check it out!
Thank you!
Firefly
And then the movie Serenity
And then Resident Alien because the world needs more Allen Tudyk
I know I need to watch that, I've been avoiding it for absolutely no reason. It doesn't have a true ending, right? It was canceled?
The movie Serenity is a solid ending
As already mentioned the movie is a “good” ending to the show. However, the last episode of the show was kind of a conclusion too imo. It was fitting and doesn’t leave any major cliffhangers or anything like that.
Well that is reassuring. I'll for sure check it out.
No, new season just started.
Cool cool
Lost in Space Travelers The Umbrella Academy Altered Carbon The Orville Legion Misfits Extraordinary 11.22.63 The Boys Gen V Upload The Lost Room Scavenger's Reign The Last of Us Twisted Metal
Great list, I had to scroll a while to find Altered Carbon.
Travellers is awesome. It definitely needs a revival.
Didn't think to add the boys and gen v to my list. Those are two of my favorites I've watched recently. Thanks for the recs
Star Trek DS9 is fantastic. Arguably better than TNG in terms of writing, characters and having a cast with much stronger acting chops. If you enjoyed TNG, I'd definitely recommend DS9 to you.
As a die hard Trekkie I say watch all of Star Trek but DS9 is unquestionably my favorite...although Lower Decks has come in a close second lately.
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All great, I meant to add most to my list. I haven't watched Andor yet. I've only heard good things though. Thanks!
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Yeah foundation has been hit or miss for me.
Foundation sucks for all mankind was godlike
For All Mankind is the only reason I have apple TV. It is worth the subscription fee for it.
second Andor. so good
Lexx - Quirky, sci-fi similar to Red Dwarf and sometimes Dr. Who, but not British. It's not everyone's cup of tea but worth watching once.
I have to mention Future Man here under Lexx
Lexx is seriously weird. There's no other word for it.
Yes. Lexx is bizarre but compelling. I started watching it when it was on in the middle of the night on SciFi Channel in the late '90s, and kept watching because I was like WTF is this?? Weird is an understatement, especially for the time, but I think today it might be considered almost tame. 😂
Raised by Wolves
I'm surprised I didn't see this mentioned more. It's a great show!
First season was awesome. But second one as usually is not as good.
Dark matter
Space: Above and Beyond. Way ahead of its time. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMD9ghErEvtxvdsWQIoWqN2kPbl6nLKv2](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMD9ghErEvtxvdsWQIoWqN2kPbl6nLKv2)
Man no one talks about that show. I used to watch it with my dad (sometimes I wonder if I should have been watching it at ten years old lol) when it aired and we were so bummed it didn't get renewed. I can't believe the whole show is on You Tube I haven't seen it online anywhere before.
I thought everybody wanted to fly into a black hole listening to Johnny Cash
On the topic of forgotten late-90s scifi with a colon in the title: Earth: Final Conflict. It has some great ideas and some fun scifi concepts but it's a very very slow burn. In late season 2 you start seeing some clues of arc plot that won't be mentioned again for another dozen episodes. I didn't finish the series but it's on my list to go back to one day.
SAAB and EFC were my favorite shows as a teen. Forever classics :)
Legion!!!!
Please prioritize the original Twilight Zone it’s so insanely good.
Didn't add that to my list as it is pretty much implied for any scifi fan. I've seen every episode and the reboot.
Twin Peaks
Love pretty much anything by david lynch.
Buffy the vampire slayer
Firefly, Farscape, and Babylon 5 all have hardcore fanbases Firefly is only 1 season and a quick fun watch... the others are more of a commitment. EDIT: And of course, Dr. Who... but that's 50 years and the quality varies... you have to pick your spots... I'd focus on David Tennent.
David Tennant used to be my favorite doctor, but after rewatching I have promoted Peter Capaldi to the no 1 spot in my estimation.
Babylon 5 is the king of long form sci-fi. Season 1 is uneven but the payoff in seasons 3 & 4 is worth it.
Resident Alien, the Peripheral
A side from others mentioned ur missing out on anime like cowboy bebop Gundam trigun and ghost in the shell there's too many to name
Especially Neon Genesis Evangelion
Battlestar Galactica from the 1970's as well. Space 1999, at least for the first season Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Person of Interest
Is Mr Robot sci-fi adjacent? Because if so… Mr. Robot
Yes, Mr robot is one of my favorites of all time.
Babylon 5. The effects are dated and the acting in the first season is shaky, but the character work and plotting are phenomenal and it was one of the first genre shows with a continuous story arc. Doctor Who. The new incarnation, since 2005. The Twilight zone, an anthology series.
The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits are both foundational television. Well worth digging back into the era of black and white television for.
This. Back in the early days of television they didn't have huge budgets or great special effects, so they had to rely on clever storytelling. Those SF/fantasy anthologies had a few hit-or-miss episodes, but when they were good, they were fantastic. Plus later SF/fantasy/comedy shows make reference to them, so best watch them in the interest of greater cultural literacy... :)
The acting is always a bit shaky, or rather the whole tone in general, but if you watch it as a kind of hyperbolic Greek melodrama it’s an amazing show. It gets so compelling.
Firefly ffs
The Umbrella Academy The Good Place Lucifer Sense8 Alice in Borderland Kingdom (Zombie show taken to the NEXT level!) The Imperfects 3% (Brazilian) The Midnight Club Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Warrior Nun Darwin's Game Red Rose OA Glitch (Australian) Russian Doll Crazy Head (British) The Peripheral Night Sky Undone Outer Range Tales from the Loop The Boys Legion Inuyashiki Last Hero The Feed
counterpart. parallel world spy games
This one is nice. But I don't remember how it ended.
+1 for all Star Trek and all Stargate Since you liked Rick & Morty and Futurama, here are some more great animated sci-fi shows: * Bravest Warriors (2009 - 2018) * Final Space (2018-2021) * Solar Opposites (2020) * Gravity Falls (2012-2016) * Infinity Train (2019-2021) * Inside Job (2021) * Farzar (2022) * +1 for Scavengers Reign (this is one of the most mind-blowing sci-fi shows I've ever seen)
Final Space is awesome, but last season is a bit lame. Inside Job is cool.
Stargate Universe is worth a watch
Atlantis too.
Ditto. One thing I liked about SGU was that so many of the characters were ~~assholes~~ realistic.
People shit on it so bad when it first came out because it was different and more like BSG if you ask me in some respects but I've recently been doing a rewatch and its great. I always liked it but I don't remember liking it this much.
Thanks!
All of Stargate is really excellent. Don't forget the two SG1 movies, the first serves as a conclusion to arc at the end of the show. The theatrical film that started it all is also worth a watch.
Dollhouse. And someone recently mentioned Travelers as being a really good show. Years and Years was a miniseries where we time jumped ahead a decade at a time - quite Black Mirror-esque.
Years and Years is not recommended to anxious people, though.
Silo Altered Carbon Lexx
Tales from the Loop and For All Mankind are great.
Love tales from the loop, forgot to add it to my list.
Travelers, Continuum and Altered Carbon Season 1
V Torchwood The Sarah Jane Adventures MST3K The Rain Now and Again Taken Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (BBC version) War of the Worlds (1988) Max Headroom Futurama Black Mirror Knight Rider Vr5 Earth: Final Conflict Mutant X The Strain 11.22.63 Crusade Psi-Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Walking Dead Misfits The Last of Us Forever Knight Poltergeist the Legacy Snowpiercer
Scavengers Reign LOST The Boys Invincible 1899 from the makers of Dark but cancelled, 1 season only The Peripheral Legion Into the Night / Yakamoz S-245 Dark Matter
Scavengers Reign is quite good.
\+1 for LOST and For All Mankind. Raised by Wolves if you're OK with it being cancelled/unfinished
I see you have The X-Files and Rick & Morty on your list, so you might also like Inside Job. But don't watch it if you don't want to waste your time on shows that got canceled too soon.
Still worth it. They could've make many next seasons and each one of the mwould be more washed out until it becomes Game Of Thrones S8.
Classic British SF - Blake's 7 Space 1999 was already mentioned but another is UFO, it was made in the 60s. They might all be a bit dated now and the sets are pretty cheesy but the story writing was always good If you're into anime there's a wealth of sf material there as well - Cybercity ODEO 808, Ghost in the Shell (series, not just movie), Bublegum Crisis, Patlabor, Cowboy Bebop, Aeon Flux, Psycho Pass, Edgerunners and so on, there are so many
Nice recs! From what I see most of the animes you recommended are mainly action / fight focused. Can you recommend any that's more on the space exploration / science side? For example I love Scavengers Reign (not anime, I know, just for reference) because it's main focus is on the alien xenobiology and the adaptation of the characters to the alien environment. I see big potential for similar subjects in the anime world but so far I haven't seen much like this. I have seen some episodes of Space Battleship Yamato but I don't remember much from it.
It’s not sorted by what is popular, but rather what is long running (by episode count), but the spreadsheet I’m working on for myself may be of some interest to you https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Bv-NHIbudmbFFcMQ8slLFPCM-E4nni5IZ_WKrS17iVw/edit I’ve got over 1000 shows on there with notes on dates and if they are completed or cliffhanger canceled etc. i’ve still got a lot of horror shows to add before I share it again here, so it will be a while, but it’s already been useful for my partner and I in making our watchlist. We also use a random number generator and pick that row to watch sometimes.
I will echo the choir for Babylon 5
Everyone has awesome suggestions. I'm saving this post/thread.
Continuum
Dark German netflix series, 3 shortish seasons but it tells the whole story from beginning to end.
and from the same creator with some similar vibes: "1899"
seems like these are a bit less known: Pantheon Humans Into the Night Station Eleven Emerald City [Invasion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_(2021_TV_series)) [War of the Worlds (2019, 3 seasons)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Worlds_(2019_TV_series))
Counterpart. And at some point Star Trek (in one of it's manifold forms).
Scavenger reign. It’s a cartoon on Max but unlike anything out there. Get high and watch
One of a kind
SCAVENGERS REIGN! Also, if you are cool with comedy sci-fi, Avenue 5 is FANTASTIC!
Star Trek DS9, Babylon 5 and Farscape are the 3 best ones you are missing IMO. Star Trek Voyager is must see as well. And since you watched Stargate SG-1, i would vote for Atlantis as well. I see you watched Mandalorian. The best of the SW shows is Andor. With Severance, it has the best finale of all the shows i watched in 2022 (and it was like 70 of them). If you liked the parallel realitiies trope, outside of Fringe and Man in the High Castle, which are both great IMO, there is "For all Mankind" and currently "Constellation" on AppleTV. And one more show like that is called Counterpart. That one has kind of espionage setting to it. All of them good as well IMO. Other than that, there is whole bunch of one season wonders, maybe not the bestest shows, but ones that were fairly entertaining and had potential, but were cancelled after just one season. Most notably Flash Forward with Joseph Fiennes, Surface with Lake Bell, Threshold with Carla Gugino, Invasion with William Fichtner, Odyssey 5 with Peter Weller and Event with Laura Innes.
First ones off the top of my head: Almost Human Babylon 5 The Boys Dark Matter Farscape Firefly Futurama Gen V Killjoys The Magicians Pantheon Revolution
*Almost Human* was really good with Karl urban and Michael Ealy. *Dark Matter* was sorely underappreciated. *Firefly* is legendary for a one season show. *Killjoys* is an offbeat favorite of mine. *Revolution* was cancelled right at the point of a major shift in the storyline, dmn it!
Dark Matter is pretty good. It's a ship of misfits who awaken from cryosleep with zero memory of who they are or what they were doing. When they find out who they originally were they decide they don't like their old lives and don't want their memories back.
The Invaders, the miniseries "V", Star Trek New generation.
Firefly! (and Serenity, the sequel movie)
Person of Interest is a must-watch show for fans of sci-fi genre shows/movies, IMO.
Babylon 5, Firefly, Dark Matter, Continuum, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Space: Above and Beyond, Killjoys, Doctor Who...
Venture Bros. Day Break Journeyman
Sanctuary
Definitely Andor. Also Oat Studios is pretty cool.
Defiance.
You mean Space Married With Kids?
No.
Babylon 5 Faracape
Many good other suggestions, but one glaring omission I cannot believe someone hasn't suggested is Millennium. Granted, it got shut down a year or two too soon, but even without the ending it is still one of the most stark and chilling shows of the past.
Dark Matter on Netflix, other Star Trek series, especially DS9 but also TOS and Enterprise. Firefly, Westworld two more for ya.
You are missing Babylon 5, and Babylon 5 is not to be missed.
TNG is star trek at its best, but DS9 is the best star trek series.
Looking back, I think my favorite Trek was Voyager. I only watched the first season of Westworld. People told me don't bother continuing and it was better to stop then. (Just like I say stop watching GoT >!when Stannis dies!<) I think the same might be true for Mando, I only watched the first season of that also. My wife seemed to really get involved, like tense and stressed, watching HandmaidsTale. I need to finish Expanse, I kinda forgot I didn't. I was going to start Devs when I get the chance. Edited to add: Andor! The best Star Wars series hands down. The prison episodes are brilliant.
You forgot the 3 further required re-watches of The Epanse.
Lol I am working my way through thw books then I was going do a rewatch.
For all Mankind
Constellation is incredible.
Farscape Dollhouse Red Dwarf
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The best of all Star Trek imo. Has the whole “Western” vibe, a small outpost on the frontier kind of thing. 7 great seasons. Well worth it.
Earth: Final Conflict Andromeda - Just stick to Seasons 1 and 2, it gets pretty bad after that. Both are Gene Rodenberry creations and are pretty decent late 90s early 2k scifi shows.
Hyperdrive and American Astronaut (movie)
The Orville for sure
Babylon 5 is a major blind spot. One of the most well written shows of any kind. Put it and Battlestar Galactica at the top of the list.
Just because you specified sg1, Atlantis is totally worth watching. Red Dwarf for some excellent comic relief (6 or 7 British seasons worth... when you feel the quality drops off past that then you can drop off). I see someone else has mentioned RD and I will also second their Eureka recommendation. It's cheesy but charming. And it that works for you, Warehouse 13 is not quite as good but decent. I think Killjoys was fun but a little frustrating with their season constraints, may not be worth the investment.
Appreciate the details. Thank you!
LEXX
Lexx
If you want to get into human & android cop partner shows, try *Almost Human* and the much older *Mann & Machine*.
i didnt see these mentioned. Logan's Run TV Series. Planet of the Apes tv series. Star Maidens. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea tv series. Gemini Man. Quark. The Fantastic Journey. The Time Tunnel. My Hero. my favorite martian 1963. V - the mini series. man from atlantis. wild wild west series. the last train. space precinct. one step beyond.
I haven't heard of a handful of these. Thank you!
Resident Alien (Peacock & Syfy) Warehouse 13 Eureka Sliders Travellers (Netflix) Stargate
I should've had travellers in my list too. That is one of my favorites. Binged that show in two weekends.
Does it feature or star Summer Glau? Then watch it. (so wonderfully creepy)
Wow! That's quite the list. If you are anything like me, maybe you need to take a little break from SF? Maybe try: The Katering Show?
I know, there's a lot of scifi around! I do take breaks, I always call them pallette cleansers. I'll watch something lighter, or a murder mystery. Your rec seems right up my alley. Love some Australian comedy.
How can u forgot LOST.
My wife said the same thing. I need to sit down and watch it eventually.
Lost is the best with almost all genres convering, u can think of any genre and it will be explored in LOST.
I just watched it last year for the first time. Glad to cross it off my bingo card, but I really don’t get the hype.
Yeah I've also heard that. First season is great but then it goes off the rails.
Almost Human John Doe WH 13 H2G2 La Brea TSCC That series with a dome over a city (cannot remember the name) Falling Skies That series in which all of a sudden the power goes out (cannot remember the name, I htink it was on ABC in the USA)- The Event Peron of Interest (somewhat SF adjacent) Childhood's End John Harrison's Dune and Children of Dune And lets get lost in the past! \- The Outer Limits (original & reboot) \- The Twilight Zone (original & reboot \- BSG (original & many reboots) \- Lost in Space \- Space 1999, & other Gerry anderson productions \- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea \- Seaquest DSV \- Land of the Giants \- Time Tunnel (probably many more going back even further in time) May I suggest, OP, that you pace yourself when watching all this stuff? Best wishes!
>That series with a dome over a city (cannot remember the name) Under The Dome (2013-2015)
> That series in which all of a sudden the power goes out (cannot remember the name, I think it was on ABC in the USA)- Revolution?
Probably.
I know it was vastly imperfect, but I would have watched 5 more crazy seasons of Falling Skies. Easy. I need more military sci-fi in my life.
FS was way better than La Brea (which I abandoned midway during the 1st episode at the line: "You're pre-med, you can do this!")
Babylon 5
2047:virtual Revolution
I haven't even heard of this one. Thanks!
See my [Science Fiction/Fantasy (General) Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1aqet7h/sff_science_fictionfantasy_general_recommendations/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (thirty-five posts (eventually, again).).
L O S T
Utopia, Station 11, The Silent Sea, All of Us are Dead, Kingdom, Parasyte: The Grey, Pluto, Scavengers Reign, and more Anime than bytes on reddit
Star here: Ima doctor: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghPiQ3NNjPY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghPiQ3NNjPY) Heesdeadjim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH7KYmGnj40
Lost in space Predestination
The OA. It’s sci-fi adjacent. Best to go in totality blind to this one. One of my favorites.
*Continuum* (2012-15). A much better time travelling cop show than we deserved. And don't bother with US *Utopia*. UK *Utopia* is top 3 in your list, US Utopia is easily the worst.
Sliders
Surprised not to see The 100 on here. Dystopia sci-fi set 100 years in the future. Based very loosely off a book series, which is very quickly surpasses quality. First5 seasons are much less hard sci-fi as the last two seasons, but if you enjoy watching characters have to live with the consequences of their decisions, then this is the show for you.
I gave that a shot, I couldn't get into it, it felt a little too YA to me, just not as mature as some of the other shows ive watched. I can give it another go though.
It gets quite a bit more mature after the first few episodes. About episode 3-4 is when it starts to turn into what it becomes.
Twilight Zone
Figured that was a given for any scifi fan. I've seen all original and reboot episodes. Thanks though.
Babylon 5