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science fiction TV watch list

out of pure selfish need i asked my network for recommendations of the best sci-fi television shows. i got tons of great responses! below i am sharing the list.

for each show i am including:
a link for more info
where it originally aired if i noticed it
where you can watch it
and (to help discern what’s exciting right now) i noted how many people recommended it.
i also said a few words about the shows i love (and bolded those i vouch for)…
as well as adding some of the key quotes from the recommendations!

(basically i geeked completely out in a true virgo nerd explosion)

i’ll keep adding to it as new recommendations come in. i am especially looking for shows with people of color, women, queer, disabled and different-from-mainstream protagonists.

The List

12 monkeys [SyFy; Yidio or Amazon]

The 100 [netflix]
“kind of terrible, but high production value and interesting colonial themes, but the 2nd season is super violent.”

Agents of SHIELD [Marvel!, netflix] x2

Agent Carter [Marvel, hulu] x3

Alias [netflix] x2

Alien Nation [netflix]

Almost Human [amazon]

Alphas [SyFy; netflix]

Battle of the Planets (animated) [netflix]

Battlestar Galactica x14 [BBCAmerica]
“exceptional b/c of the exploration of religion and faith from an AI’s perspective”
special credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njr3aFpTMyQ One More Episode of BSG

Beauty and the Beast [netflix]
“at least the first two seasons, the Hapa main character kicks ass. Yes, she does way too much for the white boy super soldier with PTSD, aka “the beast,” but she still kicks ass.”

Being Human [UK and US on netflix] x2

Black Mirror x11 [netflix]
“It’s science fiction that’s only about 2-5 years ahead of us, if that. And terrifying.”

Cleopatra 2525 [discs orderable from Netflix]
“but only because Gina Torres is so fine”

Continuum [netflix]
“includes a great corporate-controlled dystopian future”

Cosmos x2 [netflix]

Cowboy Bebop [hulu] (anime) x3

Dark Angel x2

Defiance [hulu]

Defying Gravity x2
(full season on youtube?)

i LOVED the first several episodes of this show and then it got cancelled – rumor has it the rest is online, i am looking for it!

Doctor Who [netflix] x4

Dollhouse [netflix] (from joss whedon!) x4

Earth 2
“great sci fi camp”

Extant [discs for order on netflix] x3
“Halle Berry plays the lead, has a creepy robot child, use a night light after watching it, lol”

Face Off [youtube]

The Fades [BBC; discs for order on netflix]

Farscape [netflix]

Firefly! [netflix] x10

this really is one of the best, most coherent and exciting shows that’s ever existed.
“one of the best ever” “the best!”

The Flash [hulu] x2
“dorky/like eating a lot of Nerds candy and getting a sugar high”

Fringe [netflix] x11
marvelous and weird and intense and love story and awesome.

Futurama (animated adult) [netflix]

FutureStatesTV [http://futurestates.tv/]

“check out Pia, has an all desi cast and almost all desi crew
also check out the Silver Sling episode”

“a platform of independent films. They are stand alone short films (15-30min) but all with a common theme of imagining the US in the future

Ghost in the Shell series (anime, including Arise) [netfix] x2

stunning storytelling

Gotham [hulu]

Harsh Realm [youtube]

Helix [netflix]

Hemlock Grove [Netflix]

Heroes [netflix] x4

Highlander [netflix]

Jeremiah [hulu] x3
“some interesting episodes”

Jericho [netflix]

Legend of the Seeker [hulu]

Les Revenants/The Returned [netflix] x3
“french zombie show”

Lost [netflix]

this show made me realize there’s not enough sci-fi happening on gorgeous deserted islands. the mystery was relaxing in all that sand and sea.

Lost Girl [netflix] x3

“was super into it, till I noticed they killed off literally every POC character and/or showed
them as animalistic, got sad, had to stop watching”

The Misfits [hulu] x5
“british version”

Mork and Mindy [can order discs on netflix]
“ha”

Orphan Black [amazon] x9

yeah this show is great – everything i could say about it would be a spoiler, but i can’t stop watching.
“best acting ever”

The Outer Limits [netflix] x2
original and new

Quantum Leap [netflix] x2

Red Dwarf [hulu]

Rick and Morty [netflix]
hilarious adult swim sci fi cartoon

Roswell [netflix]
“season 1”

Sanctuary [Sy-Fy; kind of on hulu?]

Sleepy Hollow [hulu] x2
“my fav myth growing up and they’ve added magic, American history and an interestingly cheeky reading of several founding fathers”

Stargate (Original, Universe, Atlantis) [hulu] x6

Stargate the movie was one of the first sci-fi things I ever loved, and the shows were satisfying, if a little corny and hyper-militarized.

Star Trek x3 (Original, Voyager, Enterprise!, Deep Space Nine) [hulu]

raised by a trekkie 🙂
“you can never go wrong”

Star Wars Clone Wars [netflix]

The Strain [FX; can order discs from netflix] x2
“Viva Guillermo del Toro!”

Strange Luck [youtube]

Supernatural [netflix]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles x3 [discs for order on netflix]
“Second season especially is some of the best scifi I’ve ever watched. Great exploration of AI, consciousness, and morality.”

Torchwood [netflix] x2
“super high cheese factor” “spinoff from dr who”

Tomorrow People [netflix]

Twin Peaks [netflix] x2

V (old and new) [discs for order on netflix]

i preferred the original, though i liked the sexy creepy lead in the reboot.

Warehouse 13 [hulu] x2

X-files [netflix] x2

(and i was passed along this additional reference of Popular Mechanic’s top 50 Sci-Fi shows if you’re still looking for more)