There’s nothing quite like a truly addictive science fiction TV show, a story so imaginative and so full of compelling characters, plot lines, and mysteries that it’s impossible to stop watching. These are the sort of immensely binge-worthy series which prove why sci-fi has remained one of television’s most popular and prolific genres for as long as it has.
It can be a mystery box gem like Lost showing just how well sci-fi gets along with the mystery genre, or a classic like Farscape which successfully blends episodic elements with more serialized storylines. Regardless, the most addictive sci-fi series in history are the sort of show capable of getting any fan of the genre to sit down for hours on end and fully immerse themselves in these fascinating worlds.
10
‘Travelers’ (2016–2018)
Time travel sci-fi is hard to get right, with the subgenre often being prone to all sorts of contrivances and plot holes that tend to make it difficult to follow, or altogether impossible to binge-watch. Not Travelers. This Canadian-American co-production is the sort of sci-fi show that gets better on rewatch, purely because it’s one of the best-written time travel series the small screen has ever seen.
With its well-earned 100% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Travelers is a must-see even for those who don’t typically love time travel sci-fi. It combines those cleverly constructed sci-fi elements with surprisingly deep and heartfelt character drama, delivering a televisual experience whose fast pace and unpredictable narrative make it a little too tempting to click on “next episode” every time.
9
‘Silo’ (2023–Present)
Apple TV joined the streaming game relatively late, but they’ve already proven to be some of the best creatives in the sci-fi television space. Perfect proof of that is Silo, based on the trilogy of novels of the same name by Hugh Howey. It’s one of the best Apple TV shows with no weak episodes, as well as one of the greatest dystopian series the world has seen in several years.
Much like the novels themselves, the show develops at a satisfyingly slow-burning pace that makes its myriad mysteries all the more addictive to follow. That sort of mystery box narrative style already worked perfectly well back in the days of cable television, but Silo proves that it works every bit as well, if not perhaps even better, in the age of streaming.
8
‘Babylon 5’ (1994–1998)
In the history of science fiction television, there’s a “before Babylon 5” era and an “after Babylon 5” era. Unusually for American broadcast television at the time, the show was designed as a sort of novel for television, whose every season would serve as a new chapter in that story. The show’s clever serialization would end up completely revolutionizing the way networks made sci-fi shows going forward.
Almost three decades after its conclusion, Babylon 5 still feels just as fresh as it did back in its day, with even its cheesier and more “dated” elements adding an awful lot of retro charm to its aesthetics. It’s the sort of classic sci-fi show better than most new series, making it incredibly addictive for anyone who tends to enjoy old-school sci-fi with more modern twists.
7
‘Dark Matter’ (2015–2017)
Based on a concept created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie while they were working on the Stargate franchise (itself also the source of some of the most addictive sci-fi shows ever), Dark Matter was originally published as a comic book series in 2012. Three years later came the show, and it ended up becoming one of the best space operas the small screen ever saw throughout the 2010s.
Indeed, this is one of the most near-perfect space opera shows that nobody remembers anymore, one in desperate need of more love and recognition. Shows about people recovering from amnesia always have the potential to be hugely addictive, and the way Dark Matter blends that premise with fun space opera elements makes the story all the more impossible to stop watching.
6
‘Lost’ (2004–2010)
It’s generally agreed upon that Lost didn’t invent the mystery box formula, but it sure did popularize it to the point that it has become a sci-fi subgenre all of its own throughout the 21st century. Back during its run, it felt like everyone and their grandmother was watching Lost, talking about it, and coming up with theories to explain its many looming mysteries. It is, without a doubt, one of the most culturally impactful sci-fi series of the past 26 years.
It’s also one of the most ambitious TV shows of all time, and even though die-hard fans tend to agree that it jumped the shark a bit toward its final season, even Lost‘s most ludicrous plot elements add an awful lot to how addictive it is. For every question that it decides to answer, it brings up at least two more to keep thinking and theorizing about, and that’s what makes it so impossible to stop watching.
5
‘The Expanse’ (2015–2022)
The Expanse series of novels (written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name of James S. A. Corey) is one of the best since 2010. Fittingly, so too is the television adaptation one of the best sci-fi shows of the last two decades. The show was canceled by Syfy after only three seasons, only to be picked back up by Prime Video for another three, resulting in one of the best six-season TV shows the world has ever seen.
What’s not to love about The Expanse and everything that makes it incredibly binge-worthy? After a somewhat slow first season, things kick into high gear and never let up again. It’s one of the sci-fi shows with the best world-building, the best writing and directing, the best character development, and the best re-watchability value. It simply doesn’t get old at all.
4
‘Severance’ (2022–Present)
As if any more proof were needed that Apple TV has become masters of sci-fi television, there’s also Severance, one of those Apple TV shows perfect for a weekend binge. Part workplace satire, part character drama, part surrealist comedy, it’s one of the most tonally and narratively complex TV shows of the 2020s so far.
Much like the mystery box predecessors whose influences it proudly wears on its sleeve, such as The Prisoner or Lost, Severance loves to create several new mysteries for every one that it clears up. The way that mystery blends perfectly with the series’ biting sense of humor and deeply character-driven drama is nothing short of perfect, resulting in a binge-worthy masterpiece whose third season can’t come soon enough.
3
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
It’s always delightful to binge-watch a hugely addictive sci-fi show that’s pure fun and games, but now and then, every true fan of the genre craves a sci-fi gem that will put their mind to work. In that category, there is perhaps no show more noteworthy than Dark, Netflix’s first-ever German-language original series. It’s immensely entertaining, but it’s also one of the most intellectually challenging sci-fi shows streaming has ever been treated to.
One of the most perfect sci-fi shows shorter than five seasons, Dark is proof of just how perfectly a time travel and parallel universe story can turn out when planned and written with enough patience, intelligence, and passion. This is the television version of an intricate puzzle that you simply can’t put down until it’s been solved, a mystery box masterpiece that may very well be the single most addictive example of the genre.
2
‘Farscape’ (1999–2003)
Farscape is one of the most essential sci-fi classics of the ’90s and 2000s, created by Rockne S. O’Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company, which contributed to the prosthetic makeup and animatronic puppets that make the show still look impressive 23 years after it ended. Farscape is about as timeless as science fiction shows come, and a must-see for anyone who loves the genre.
One of those classic sci-fi shows worth binge-watching today, Farscape flawlessly blends perfect production values with subversive twists and tropes, compelling character development, and a phenomenal mixture of serialization and more episodic elements. It feels like the sort of show so addictive that it seems like it was designed for the age of streaming well before it came into the picture.
1
‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004–2009)
More often than not, science fiction fans are opposed to remakes of classic series, but 1978’s outdated version of Battlestar Galactica was practically begging for one. After the incredible 2003 miniseries of the same name came 2004’s Battlestar Galactica. Today, it’s widely remembered not just as the definitive version of the story, but as one of the greatest sci-fi TV masterpieces of the 21st century, if not even of all time.
The series perfectly captured the politics and general mood of the United States’ post-9/11 days, offering an immensely powerful sci-fi story about survival, faith, and the heavy consequences of war. The result is arguably the most addictive sci-fi TV show in history, a technically impressive and incredibly written masterpiece whose paranoid atmosphere, tight plotting, and gritty realism make it impossible to stop watching.
Battlestar Galactica
- Release Date
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2004 – 2009-00-00
- Directors
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Wayne Rose, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Jeff Woolnough, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Jonas Pate, Allan Kroeker, Anthony Hemingway, Jean de Segonzac, Marita Grabiak, James Head, Paul A. Edwards, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Brad Turner, Ronald D. Moore, Bill Eagles