10 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The 2020s (So Far), Ranked

Despite the fact that the world is still very much experiencing the 2020s, many creative teams have already made extraordinary artistic achievements in the world of television. Not only are TV shows getting bigger budgets and higher-caliber talent than ever before, but there's also never been so many options. Where once there were a handful of networks dominating every conversation around television, there are now many networks, channels, and, of course, streaming services that are producing their own content. Genres like fantasy and sci-fi have blown up on television alongside those expanding budgets and talent pools, and there's never been a better decade to be a fan of imaginative and/or speculative fiction.

The 10 shows explored here are essential sci-fi viewing, with many of them on their way to etching a place in television history as a masterwork of the genre (some of them have yet to wrap, so it's a bit premature to hand over the label right now). In choosing these 10 series, we considered audience and critical reception as well as the overall quality of various elements (i.e. set design, writing, acting etc.). We also made a point to prioritize how well each show encompasses the spirit of the sci-fi genre; the discomfort of the unknown in a palatable form. Sci-fi is a genre always in flux because technology and society in the real world are always advancing. The genre is defined by humanity's current relationship with the unknown: whether that's through an exploration of technology, potential futures, or space and its many mysteries.

• Cast: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn
• Creators: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet
• Seasons: 3
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
• Where to Watch: Paramount+

Any list of notable sci-fi TV would likely be incomplete without at least one entry from the "Star Trek" franchise. Ever since the original series aired in 1966, a dedicated base of fans have operated as a crucial part of the franchise. Despite the fact that "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" suffered some setbacks in production, it was received positively by many longtime trekkies who appreciated its departure from the more gritty, explicit preceding series, "Star Trek: Discovery." It's not a perfect show, and that's why it's not at the top of this list, but it has brought many good things to dedicated fans and casual watchers alike. 

There are a few things that "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" does better than any past installment in the franchise. It's clear that a lot of influence was taken from the original series in designing the visuals for "Strange New Worlds," except now they're working with more tools. "Strange New Worlds" is able to increase the surreal quality of space and alien planets and offer a colorful, sleek take on the futuristic world of "Star Trek." The series has made a point to feature one-off episodes like the original, self-contained, episode-long stories that combine the comfort of a procedural with the spookiness of a sci-fi anthology series like "The Outer Limits." All in all, it's a really fun watch and it includes a cast of many familiar characters.

• Cast: Betty Gilpin, Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen
• Creators: Tara Hernandez, Damon Lindelof
• Seasons: 1
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
• Where to Watch: Peacock

Most people who aren't very familiar with the sci-fi genre would probably be surprised by the many banalities of "Mrs. Davis." The show, which takes place in a very near future, follows a woman named Simone who lives and works as a nun in the desert landscapes of Nevada. Simone is an active nun who spends her off-time debunking magicians (there's a reason) and visiting a mysterious man named Jay in a strange diner that seems to exist outside of space and time. Simone is recruited shortly into the first episode by her ex-boyfriend, Preston Wiley (Jake McDorman), to help shut down a ubiquitous artificial intelligence known as Mrs. Davis. The plot only gets more complicated from there, but the series does a great job of balancing short-term excitement with long-term, narrative payoffs. 

The series is about, among many things, the intersection of technology and spirituality, and how those two giant pillars of human existence operate with and against each other. Only a creator like Damon Lindelof (who co-created "Lost") could pull off such a bold probe into the foundations of Christianity and do so with respect. Viewers looking for a less philosophical viewing experience will still enjoy the many wild moments and twists in "Mrs. Davis," and everyone can enjoy the best part of the series: Betty Gilpin. The entire show hinges on the audience's investment in Simone, and Gilpin makes her impossible not to love. McDorman's Wiley is also a great character, and the two of them easily slide into the kind of adaptable chemistry that can only exist between two people who have known each other for a long time. 

• Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Wunmi Mosaku
• Creator: Michael Waldron
• Seasons: 2
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
• Where to Watch: Disney+

Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV series that Disney has aired on its streaming platform, "Loki" is one of its most popular and definitely the one that most qualifies as sci-fi. It's still a bit low on this list because it will always be a superhero show first and foremost, but many of its most enjoyable elements are rooted in sci-fi. "Loki" follows the titular character (Tom Hiddleston), or at least, one version of him, who gets nabbed by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) when he manages to escape Avengers' custody after his failed siege on New York City. An investigator named Mobius (Owen Wilson) quickly recruits Loki's help seeking another rogue version of the Asgardian trickster. Soon after, all hell breaks loose — as is frequently the case when Loki is involved.

The sets that make up the TVA headquarters are distinct; spacious and futuristic but still clearly retro-inspired and playful. From the TVA's guiding artificial intelligence, Miss Minutes, to the automat cafeteria that seems to only serve pie, every element of the series shows an attention to detail that doesn't often come through in MCU content. Tom Hiddleston gives a consistently charming and complex performance throughout the series, buffeted by as strong an ensemble as he is. "Loki" plays with the concept of multiple timelines, and the combination of such a classic sci-fi premise with characters and lore from the MCU makes it a truly unique series.

• Cast: Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins
• Creator: Graham Yost
• Seasons: 2
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
• Where to Watch: Apple TV+

 "Silo" is set on Earth in a dystopian future where the human race (now made up of only about 10,000 people) is contained within an enormous, industrial silo that protects everyone inside. Ostensibly, the silos are protecting people from an outside world that is no longer livable for humanity, but not everyone believes it. "Silo" is based on a trilogy book series by Hugh Howey and follows multiple characters, but the main protagonist is an engineer named Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) who maintains the generators on the lowest levels of the silo. Juliette suddenly finds herself as the structure's new sheriff shortly into Season 1, with a private mandate to figure out what the higher-ups are hiding.

 "Silo" is very much an exploration of physical space and structure and how they are intrinsically tied to societal space and structure. In a tiny, dark (seriously, it's not well-lit) world where the people making decisions for everyone are at the top and others, like Juliette, are about 143 floors down, what kind of influence can people really wield? The show is more exciting than it might look at first and does a good job of providing well-paced answers while simultaneously prompting new questions. "Silo" grants nuanced revelations, explanations that aren't as simple as they first appear, and has the foundation to become an epic story.

• Cast: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins
• Creators: Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
• Seasons: 2
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime

 "Fallout" takes place in an alternate timeline where humanity pursued nuclear fusion technology to the detriment of other paths for advancement, resulting in nuclear-powered tech and a culturally stagnant America. Worldwide nuclear proliferation and unchecked corporate R&D soon resulted in nuclear armageddon; only a select number of people survived thanks to corporate-sponsored, underground vaults. The series picks up many decades later with a young vault-dweller named Lucy (Ella Purnell), who is forced to brave the surface in pursuit of her abducted father. Along the way, Lucy encounters many people who've eked out a living in the wasteland, including Maximus (Aaron Moten), a squire for the Brotherhood of Steel, and a ghoul (Walton Goggins) who survived the bombs due to radiation-induced mutations.

For viewers that started watching the "Fallout" show without playing any of the video games that the series is based on, it is jarring. The show establishes an irreverent tone from the jump that pervades everything, even the most openly cruel and violent parts of life post-fallout. While many things about the surface are ugly and painful, it is still preferable to most of the vaults, which were utilized by corporations to run horrific, unethical experiments on their inhabitants. Despite a grim setting, "Fallout" still manages to be funny, vibrant, and rich in video game Easter eggs. The series does an impeccable job of capturing the spirit of the games, and in return, the games provide a rich, layered world that allows the show to elaborate on its unique and engaging character arcs.

• Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian
• Creators: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
• Seasons: 1
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
• Where to Watch: Apple TV+

Only 10 short episodes of "Murderbot" dropped on Apple TV+ as a part of its first season, but the show manages to make a big impression in a short amount of time. It's pretty rare to see a live-action series operate as both a sci-fi epic and a comedy, but "Murderbot" pulls it off by zooming in on such a distinct story. The series' main character— who renamed himself Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård) on a whim— is an android designed to provide planet-side protection to prospectors contracted with a private corporation. He is different from any other of his kind because he managed to break the code on his restraining module. This is a nightmare scenario for the company that owns him, but for him it's a chance to watch thousands of hours of premium media content.

Murderbot is assigned to protect a group of brainiacs from the Preservation Alliance, a society of humans built on shared values of transparency, compassion, and diplomacy. Their group dynamic will be familiar to anyone who's ever worked in an overtly progressive space, and the show does a good job of showing how their way of life is both corny and effective. They struggle with the corporate amorality of most of humanity, but they also seem genuinely happy. Murderbot doesn't understand them, but he does come to admire and cherish them, and their openness with him is what allows him to evolve beyond an existence of shooting guns and binging media content. The series is one of several underrated sci-fi shows to be found on Apple TV+ right now, and well-worth the watch.

• Cast: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower
• Creator: Dan Erickson
• Seasons: 2
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
• Where to Watch: Apple TV+

It's rare for any show to have a largely novel premise — after all, people have been telling stories for a long, long time. But "Severance" brought something genuinely fresh to television when Season 1 came out in 2022. The show, set in humanity's near future, is about the offices of Lumon Industries and their use of a procedure known as severance. Publicly, the procedure is used to separate people's real life from their work life by creating an entirely new work-exclusive personality for the employees in Lumon's Macrodata Refinement (MDR) department. These workplace personas, referred to as "innies" (with their corresponding real-life personas referred to as "outies") have no memory of the outside world and exist only to work. Naturally, this is an existential nightmare for the innies, and on top of that, it's clear that there's a lot their bosses aren't telling them about MDR and Lumon.

"Severance" balances its high-concept premise with sets and lighting designed to evoke a sterile, futuristic office environment. Not only does the lack of visual clutter allow for viewers to more quickly process exposition and plot developments, but it also provides a clean canvas to starkly emphasize color and shape. Helly's (Britt Lower) bright red hair and elegant wardrobe are especially striking — it makes sense that Mark (Adam Scott) falls for her quickly and deeply. The innies' goofy and poignant moments of bonding on "Severance" provide splashes of metaphorical color in a corporate environment where resilience can only be built through community. The series is far from over, but its first two seasons are a testament to the power of visual storytelling.

• Cast: Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona
• Creator: Tony Gilroy
• Seasons: 2
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
• Where to Watch: Disney+

Since 2020, Disney has released many TV shows set in the "Star Wars" universe, but only one of them is worthy of a spot on this list. "Andor" takes place in the "Star Wars" timeline right before the events of "Star Wars: Rogue One." The series finds Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) trying to make a living under the oppressive thumb of the Empire on his adopted home planet of Ferrix. Every part of Cassian's life is tainted by the Empire, including his relationships with friend Bix (Adria Arjona) and adoptive mother, Maarva (Fiona Shaw). After leaving Ferrix, Cassian becomes acquainted with the rebellion via Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), and eventually starts working with him.

Tony Gilroy, writer and creator of "Andor," is a master in depicting the everyday atrocities and absurd banalities of a fascist authority and how it seeps into every part of life. Cassian realizes, along with the audience, that it's impossible to evade the Empire forever because there are thousands of different ways that people are victimized in a society where any sign of individuality or spark of extraordinary spirit is a threat to forces in power. Every point-of-view character, including several Empire loyalists, is in a constant state of fear, and every main performer on the series uniquely conveys that fear. "Andor" is the rare kind of story that can both entertain and illuminate its audience in equal parts — all the while leaning on "Star Wars" Easter eggs when things get a little too grim.

• Cast: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos-Manuel Vesga
• Creator: Vince Gilligan
• Seasons: 1
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
• Where to Watch: Apple TV+

Vince Gilligan had a lot to live up to with his first original series following the end of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," and fans were not disappointed. Apple TV's "Pluribus" is another sci-fi series that takes place in the not-so-distant future, where an extraterrestrial signal's discovery leads to the creation of a virus that merges the consciousness of nearly every living thing on the planet. Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) is one of only 13 people who are immune to the virus, and she has some qualms about the hive mind that's taken over the planet. For one thing, many people (though still a relatively small percentage of the human population) didn't survive the virus's transmission. For another, Carol's own emotional outbursts now come with a deadly, psychic side-effect.

Rhea Seehorn is fantastic as Carol and only a performer with her talent could succeed in such a massive role. A more surprising element of the show comes in the form of Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) a stubborn, reclusive man whose suspicion of the hive mind surpasses even Carol's. Vesga does a great job of portraying Manousos three-dimensionally, with viewers likely to be irritated by him one minute and desperately rooting for him the next. For some, "Pluribus" might not pace fast enough — but when there are three main characters in a show and one of them is nearly everyone on the planet behind one friendly face, plot is bound to work a little differently. Gilligan delivered a perfect first season of "Pluribus," and it's the series' infinite potential that makes it such an ideal choice to top our list of the best 2020s sci-fi so far.