It’s safe to say that we are still in the golden age of television right now, but this period of creative innovation started more than a decade ago. In the 2010s in particular, the quality of television shows went way up. That’s not to say that there aren’t amazing TV shows that were created before that, but early on in Hollywood, television was arguably less respected as a medium than movies. Because of this, all the budget and big-name talent generally pursued film projects.
But the tides have been turning recently. In fact, there are quite a few well-known film actors who only recently starred in their first television series, and that has a lot to do with the fantastic stories that have been produced in the last 10 years. Very quickly, TV has suddenly become the way to go to have more creative freedom and support.
While all genres of television have produced standout shows in the 2010s, the science fiction genre really got a boost, with both increasing interest in television and the advancement of technology like CGI and similar filmmaking tools helping to bring lush and challenging sci-fi stories to life. So if you are looking to dive deep into the best the 2010s has to offer in sci-fi television, here are the 26 top science fiction TV series to come out within the last decade.
To note, this list pertains to any science fiction television series that began in the 2010s, not ended. So no TV shows were disqualified if they continued into the 2020s.
Orphan Black
Orphan Black, which ran from 2013 to 2017, got quite a bit of attention in its later years on air, withlead actressTatiana Maslanywinning one well-deserved Emmy for her many performances. But the show is still vastly underrated. Things begin when a woman named Sarah Manning (Maslany) sees a woman who looks exactly like her die by suicide at a train station. Running from her own problems, Sarah takes this woman Beth’s identity, only to find more trouble — not to mention the revelation that she is one of many clones located around the world. After discovering this, Sarah decides to dig further to find out exactly where her and her “sisters” come from, a group that includes a ruthless soccer mom named Alison, a brilliant PhD student named Cosima, and more, all played to perfection by Maslany. Of course, the conspiracy goes a lot deeper than initially thought, and Sarah and her sisters encounter more and more problems along the way. Seriously, most of the time while I was watchingOrphan BlackI legitimately forgot that it was just Maslany playing all these characters, and my brain thought that it was a whole ensemble cast of different actors. Definitely a must-watch series for those who haven’t yet, and a monumental accomplishment in television, specifically for acting.
Black Mirror
Kind of a no-brainer for this list,Black Mirrorwas created byCharlie Brookerfor Channel 4, where the first two seasons aired before it moved to Netflix. The show is an anthology series, with each episode telling a different, complete story exploring possible futures and the disastrous things that can come out of the combination of advanced technology, a loss of empathy, and various other societal factors.Black Mirrorhas won quite a few Emmys and drawn in many major talents over the seasons, with folks likeDaniel Kaluuya,Gugu Mbatha-Raw,Jodie Whittaker,Jon Hamm,Andrew Scott, andBryce Dallas Howardjust a few of the actors involved with the series so far. Intense and very dark, the series always gives you something new to think about — while it’s truly a matter of opinion, some of the most frequently praised episodes include “The Entire History of You,” “Be Right Back,” “San Junipero,” “USS Callister,” and the interactive special, “Bandersnatch.”
This is about the original British 2013 seriesUtopia, andnot the US remake for Amazonthat came out in 2020. While the canceled remake has some bright spots, it’s nothing when compared to the original cult TV favorite. Like the obsession fans feel about the series,Utopiais about a group of people who are obsessed with a graphic novel calledThe Utopia Experimentsthat they believe foresaw major events in history like mad cow disease. At the start of the series, rumors spread about there being an unreleased sequel toThe Utopia Experimentsthat holds further secrets of future events. While a group of friends manage to get their hands on the manuscript, they soon find their lives in danger as an organization known as “The Network” desperately wants the book. The show starsFiona O’Shaughnessyas Jessica Hyde, a person who The Network is also chasing, whileNathan Stewart-Jarrett,Alexandra Roach,Adeel Akhtar, andOliver Wollfordplay the fans brought together to find the manuscript.Utopiasomehow manages to be visually beautiful, funny, very violent, and thought-provoking all at the same time. Still an underrated hit series so many years later, more people definitely need to check outUtopia.
Many people will recognize the star ofHumans,Gemma Chan, right now, but whenHumansfirst premiered in 2015, she was a relatively unknown British actress — though obviously still super talented. The show also starsKatherine Parkinson,Colin Morgan,Lucy Carless,Tom Goodman-Hill, and many more, set in a possible near-future in which the new fad is the use of anthropomorphic robots, also known as “synths.” Chan’s character, introduced as Anita, is a synth purchased by a family to be a maid and nanny of sorts. The show follows the journeys of Anita and other synths as they grow to have a consciousness and feelings and desire to have the same rights and freedom as the humans they are supposed to serve.Humanspresents a story that questions the development of artificial intelligence and whether or not humans might be able to construct consciousness and humanity. It then goes a step further, exploring what would happen if we reached the level of development in which robots or synths would need personal rights on the level of human rights. Overall,Humansis a brilliant, enjoyable series that had three seasons total, ending in 2018.
The 100is a show that began airing on The CW in 2014 andfinished its seven-season run in 2020. The series features a large cast of talented up-and-coming actors likeEliza Taylor,Bob Morley,Marie Avgeropoulos,Ricky Whittle,Alycia Debnam-Carey, andLindsey Morgan, as well as a few more familiar faces likePaige Turco,Isaiah Washington, andHenry Ian Cusick.The 100is set in a post-nuclear apocalypse world in which the survivors are forced to live in space until Earth was habitable again. 97 years after the catastrophic event, the space station is running out of resources, and so they decide to send 100 detained juveniles down to the ground to see if it would be possible to survive there. Well, as you might expect with 100 teenagers, it doesn’t go smoothly, but soon enough the survivors settle and form a new society while battling the many challenges the changed Earth throws at them.The 100was commonly praised for featuring layered characters with complicated morals, in the midst of a dense, politically complex story. While the show had some issues throughout, as most long-running shows do, overall it is a fantastic series that challenged what sci-fi television shows — and specifically, teen-centric stories — can accomplish.
The Expanse
LikeBlack Mirror,The Expanseis another series that changed networks midway through its run. The show, which is based on the book series byJames S. A. Corey, premiered on Syfy in 2015. Set in a future where Mars has been colonized and grown to rival Earth and the Moon, while other people have transitioned to live in the asteroid belt of the solar system,The Expanseis a politically charged, action-packed series that explores the rising tension between each major power as they vie for power and respect, while at the same time an ancient, extremely dangerous biohazard that comes to be known as the “protomolecule” threatens to destroy everything. To put it simply,The Expanseis kind of likeGame of Thronesin space. What’s not to like? The show also has a fantastic cast of characters, withSteven StraitandDominique Tipperleading the charge as Jim Holden and Naomi Nagata, two strangers who are thrown together with a few others as the only survivors of a destroyed ship, forced to work together to find out what happened.Shohreh Aghdashloois also particularly great as Chrisjen Avasarala, a cunning and powerful politician who can see through everyone’s schemes.
Star Wars Rebels
The animatedStar Warstelevision shows are a part of the ever-expanding universe thateven some longtime fans of the films don’t know about, which is a real shame.Star Wars Rebels, the second 3D-animated show set in this world, following closely behind the fan-favorite seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars, is set five years before the events ofStar Wars Episode 4: A New Hopemovie. The show premiered in 2014 and ran for four seasons before the story was concluded. As you might expect from the title,Star Wars Rebelsfollows a cast of new characters introduced just for the show — although familiar faces from the films do appear — as the rebellion starts to form against the Galactic Empire. The story is dense and emotional, despite many just assuming it’s a simple show for kids, and it’s a great example of the underappreciated power of the animated medium.
12 Monkeys
Another fantastic Syfy show,12 Monkeysis a series loosely based on the popular 1995 film of the same name. The show starsAaron Stanfordas James Cole, a scavenger with a troubled past who is sent from the year 2043 to 2015 to stop an organization known as the “Army of the 12 Monkeys” from releasing a virus that will kill billions of people, beginningthe end of the human race. After finding the virologist Dr. Cassandra “Cassie” Railly, played byAmanda Schull, the two work together to stop the people responsible before the disaster happens. Although the show begins as more of a straightforward mission to fix the past,12 Monkeysreally finds its footing as the seasons go on, exploring bigger questions like predestination versus free will, while also being jam-packed with action and satisfying twists. Ending in 2018 after four seasons,12 Monkeysdefinitely earned its status as one of the best sci-fi series of the decade.
The Netflix Original seriesSense8is created byLana and Lilly WachowskiandJ. Michael Straczynskiand premiered with Season 1 in 2015. (You probably know the Wachowskis as the writers and directors ofThe Matrixand its sequels, while Straczynski was behind the groundbreaking 90s sci-fi dramaBabylon 5.)Sense8is the result of the Wachowskis being given full creative freedom to do whatever they want, and it’s amazing. The series followseight individuals from around the world, all living very different lives, who are suddenly connected as “sensates,” or people who are mentally linked and can experience each other’s perspectives and emotions, among other things. Through this concept and the complex cast of characters,Sense8is able to thoroughly explore complex conversations about personal identity, sexuality, gender, and many other important aspects of everyone’s lives. At the same time, the show is extremely funny and thrilling, with the sensates being hunted by an organization that wants to use their connection for profit. After being surprisingly canceled after Season 2, the fans rallied and convinced Netflix to renew it for a final wrap-up film — one of the first instances of this fan effort happening and succeeding — and theSense8film perfectly completes the sci-fi show’s story and character arcs.
Technically also a superhero show (though it’s a stretch) as it focuses on the Marvel character David Haller (Dan Stevens),Legionis one of the most unique science-fiction series out there. Created byNoah Hawley, the story follows David, who is the powerful son of Professor X in the comics and has multiple personalities existing inside his head, as he tries to control his powers while also being chased by an organization that wants to use him. At the start of Season 1, David is in a mental hospital having been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and even he believes that assessment. But once he meets a woman named Sydney “Syd” Barrett (Rachel Keller), a fellow mutant, his whole world is turned upside down. Unfortunately, the brightness of this relationship also comes with a lot of trouble, with David battling an internal persona known as “Lenny,” played byAubrey Plaza.Legionis one of those shows that is so unique that you have trouble describing it to anyone who hasn’t seen it. The show received critical acclaim for its unique production design, music, and narrative style, and in particular, Plaza’s performance is astounding and Emmy-deserving. Definitely a must-see series for sci-fi and superhero fans alike.
