The best sci-fi TV shows 2026 – ranked by the community. Science fiction series ask one central question: what if? What if AI develops consciousness, time travel has real consequences or humanity inhabits other planets? The highest-rated series in this ranking use those premises as a lens for social and ethical questions – not just as a backdrop for special effects.
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Rankings are based on real user ratings. The more votes a show receives, the more stable its chart position. When you rate shows yourself, your personal recommendations improve too.
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Sydney Bristow, an agent who has been tricked to believe she is working for the U.S. government is actually working for a criminal organization named the Alliance of Twelve. Upon learning this, Sydney becomes a double agent for the real CIA. more about Alias
Avatar Korra, a headstrong, rebellious, feisty young woman who continually challenges and breaks with tradition, is on her quest to become a fully realized Avatar. In this story, the Avatar struggles to find balance within herself. more about The Legend of Korra
The six-person crew of a derelict spaceship awakens from stasis in the farthest reaches of space. Their memories wiped clean, they have no recollection of who they are or how they got on board. The only clue to their identities is a cargo bay full of weaponry and a destination: a remote mining colon... more about Dark Matter
1946, and peace has dealt Agent Carter a blow as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from abroad. Working for the covert SSR, Peggy finds herself doing administrative work when she would rather be out in the field taking down the bad guys. She is also trying the navigate life as ... more about Marvels Agent Carter
Our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working? Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrust back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern techno... more about Revolution
Twin brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines are in for an unexpected adventure when they spend the summer helping their Great Uncle Stan run a tourist trap in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. more about Gravity Falls
Babylon 5 is a five-mile long space station located in neutral space. Built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, its goal is to maintain peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. A council made up... more about Babylon 5
David was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, and has been a patient in various psychiatric hospitals since. After Haller has an encounter with a fellow psychiatric patient, he is confronted with the possibility that there may be more to him than mental illness. more about Legion
Edward and Alphonse Elric's reckless disregard for alchemy's fundamental laws ripped half of Ed's limbs from his body and left Al's soul clinging to a cold suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers scour a war-torn land for the Philosopher's Stone, a fabled relic which grants the abili... more about FullMetal Alchemist - Brotherhood
When shrewd and confident FBI Special Agent Audrey Parker arrives in the small town of Haven she soon finds herself caught up with the return of The Troubles, a plague of supernatural afflictions that occurred in the town at least once before. If that was not enough to draw her in, she also finds a ... more about Haven
A team of scientists from the Centre for Disease Control travel to a high tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that holds the key to mankind's salvation...or total annihilation. more about Helix
Seven years after vanishing from her home, a young woman returns with mysterious new abilities and recruits five strangers for a secret mission. more about The OA
The story follows a small group of people who find themselves in possession of the manuscript sequel of a cult graphic novel called The Utopia Experiments, which is rumoured to have predicted the worst disasters of the last century. This leads them to be targeted by an organisation known as The Netw... more about Utopia
In the near future, planet Earth is permanently altered following the sudden—and tumultuous—arrival of seven unique alien races. In the boomtown of Defiance, the newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. more about Defiance
Saitama is a superhero who has trained so hard that his hair has fallen out, and who can overcome any enemy with one punch. However, because he is so strong, he has become bored and frustrated that he wins all of his battles too easily. more about One-Punch Man
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game crea... more about Sword Art Online
Two young brothers are raised as alchemists, but when they are severely injured trying to perform a forbidden act, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them; the fabled philosopher's stone. more about Fullmetal Alchemist
Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to fi... more about Steins;Gate
The year is 2022, and after an unlikely event, only one man is left on earth: Phil Miller, who used to be just an average guy who loved his family and hated his job at the bank. Now, in his RV, Phil searches the country for other survivors. He has traveled to every city, every town and every outpost... more about The Last Man on Earth
Adventure Time follows two best friends: Finn (a 12-year old boy) and Jake (a wise 28-year-old dog with magical powers), and the surreal adventures undertaken by the duo as they traverse the mystical Land of Ooo. A world built for adventure, Ooo is filled to the brim with various landscapes for the ... more about Adventure Time
Sci-Fi TV shows are the genre most driven by a single core question: what if? What if AI becomes conscious? What if we colonise other planets? What if time travel is possible but comes with unexpected costs? The best science fiction uses these premises not as an end in themselves, but as a lens through which current social, ethical or technological questions can be examined differently.
This ranking covers sci-fi series across a broad spectrum: hard science fiction with high technical ambition, space opera with epic interstellar scenarios, dystopian series, time travel stories and near-future concepts that are only a small step removed from the present. Series that deliver on both dimensions – compelling story and substantive ideas – consistently rank at the top of the community charts. Use the streaming filter to see immediately where each series is currently available.
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If sci-fi TV shows are your thing, you might also enjoy fantasy or thriller series for similarly imaginative or tense storytelling.