Summary
- Sci-fi TV is booming, delivering diverse stories set in grand fictional worlds.
- Silo, Pantheon, and Severance offer intriguing sci-fi premises and deep societal exploration.
- Apple TV's Severance stands out with complex narratives, challenging workplace drama themes, and mystery.
Throughout the constant changes to the entertainment industry brought about by the dawn of streaming, sci-fi has managed to maintain a foothold in movies and television, challenging societal boundaries through complex worlds and stories wrapped in the lens of science fiction. In particular, sci-fi through the medium of television has experienced significant growth since the start of the 2020s, generating a diverse array of shows that have resonated with audiences.
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From epic tales set in the outer reaches of space to dystopian futures set on Earth, sci-fi stories have comprised much of the best of television, delivering a sense of scale in fictional worlds that continue to shock and stun.
7 Silo
Society Survives Underground After Earth's Surface Becomes Toxic
Silo
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- May 5, 2023
- Showrunner
- Graham Yost
- Directors
- Morten Tyldum, David Semel
- Cast
- Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins, Harriet Walter, Christian Ochoa Lavernia, Avi Nash, Billy Postlethwaite, Chinaza Uche, Iain Glen, Remmie Milner, David Oyelowo, Rick Gomez, Ferdinand Kingsley, Shane McRae, Chipo Chung, Caitlin Zoz, Matt Gomez Hidaka, Angela Yeoh, Olatunji Ayofe, Khairika Sinani, Will Patton, Akie Kotabe
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
Apple TV boasts an impressive resume for producing television shows, with the dystopian Silo ranking among the best within its catalog. Set in a future where the last of civilization lives underground in a 144-story bunker, Juliette Nichols is soon promoted to the position of Sheriff, with her findings revealing many unexplained secrets about the Silo they inhabit and the society that is divided by class.
Silo's dystopian outlook and the mystery behind it prove to be an enticing watch, particularly for those eager for big-budget sci-fi spectacles.
6 Loki
Notorious MCU Villain Takes The Spotlight
Loki
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2021 - 2022
WHERE TO WATCH
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Michael Waldron
- Seasons
- 2
In the vast catalog of MCU shows on Disney+, Loki has often been regarded as one of the best, exploring one of Marvel's greatest villains, with Tom Hiddleston returning to bring chaos and trouble to the Time Variance Authority. Loki's adventures through the TVA, where time travel, variants, and lawbreaking become the norm, viewers can see the Prince of Asgard continue to dabble in mischief.
Featuring fresh characters that rejuvenate the MCU, Loki is a creative sci-fi series that explores complex multiverse mayhem, enabling unlimited possibilities for Loki and his band of quirky companions.
5 Pantheon
Uploaded Intelligence Disrupts Society
Pantheon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2023-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Network
- Prime Video, AMC+, HIDIVE
- Cast
- Arthel Neville, Daniel Dae Kim, Madhur Jaffrey, Paul Dano, Tunde Adebimpe, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Raza Jaffrey, Katie Chang, SungWon Cho, Julian Lerner, Blaze Freeman, Rosemarie DeWitt, Aaron Eckhart, Taylor Schilling, Ron Livingston, Chris Diamantopoulos, Samuel Roukin, Odeya Rush, Maude Apatow, William Hurt, Michael Kelly, Ajay Mehta, Jacob Sartorius, Krystina Alabado, Magnus McLain
- Seasons
- 2
The widely revered animated show Pantheon presents technological dangers while providing riveting sci-fi action throughout its two-season run. Much of Pantheon's focus is on Maddie, a teenage girl whose world turns upside-down when she receives messages from her deceased father, with the consciousness of her dad being uploaded to the cloud, a process by the name of Uploaded Intelligence.
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Pantheon presents a technological and moral dilemma for society, as the uploading of countless consciousnesses threatens the harmony of civilization, with its dangers and ethical complexity delivering a fresh premise within the sci-fi genre.
4 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Anime Adaptation Of A Futuristic Video Game
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2022
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Trigger
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.61
Following the release of the much-publicized video game Cyberpunk 2077, Netflix unveiled the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a limited series that amazed audiences upon its release, as the futuristic surroundings of Night City were further explored. In the metropolis of Night City, a journey unfolds for David Martinez, a street kid who becomes involved in criminal pursuits as an edgerunner after the loss of his mother. His exploits within Maine's crew, alongside Lucy, provide pulsating action and slick animation of the highest order.
Edgerunner's vibrant and dystopian world, which showcases the technological advancements of its time, is a perfect sci-fi experience for those seeking short yet high-octane entertainment.
3 The Last Of Us
Post-Apocalyptic Future Where Zombies Run Rampant
The Last of Us
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Network
- HBO
One of the few video game adaptations to stick the landing is The Last of Us on HBO, a show retelling the story of Joel and Ellie's arduous journey across a zombie-infested America. With Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey portraying the two iconic characters, they form a found family connection while navigating past high volumes of infected and cult-like groups in a story that features survival elements.
The Last of Us's dystopian future, brought to ruin by the spread of an infection, sets the stage for a compelling story centered on its two protagonists, with their mission to reach the Fireflies and development unfolding in tandem, solidifying itself as prestige TV.
2 Andor
Gritty Star Wars Story Set Before Rogue One
Andor
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Tony Gilroy
Andor presented Star Wars in a light it had never shown before, exploring the gritty and dark journey the Rebellion underwent before Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia helped save the galaxy. Before the events of Rogue One, Cassian Andor's journey to becoming an agent of the Rebellion spans the course of Andor, with other integral characters, such as Mon Mothma, Luthen Rael, and Saw Gerrera, playing key roles in turning the tide against the methodical Empire.
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Andor's examination of an Empire-controlled galaxy and the harsh realities of a war beneath the surface presents a truly visceral sci-fi perspective within the confines of the Star Wars franchise.
1 Severance
Workplace Drama That Sees Employees Having Two Separate Personalities
Severance
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 17, 2022
- Cast
- Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, Sarah Bock, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, Jeff McCarthy, Hudson Flynn, Ruby Stevens, Alexis Cofield, Alexandra Ferrara, Michael Kayne, Jillian Lindig, Lou Martini Jr., James Augustus Lee, Joanne Kelly, Anthoula Katsimatides, Nikki M. James, Cassidy Layton, Michael Caiazzo
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Directors
- Ben Stiller
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
Very few shows in the 2020s have had a more transcendent impact than Severance, Apple TV's flagship show. Thanks to an incomparable narrative, Severance follows Mark Scout and the workers at Lumon, where, upon entering the workplace, a separate consciousness takes over, allowing employees to separate their work life from their personal lives.
While working on the severed floor for the tight-lipped Lumon, both iterations of Mark begin to question the company, along with many unexplained mysteries, such as the case of Mark's suspected dead wife and the significance of his department's work. Severance's delicately told story, full of secrets, romance, and absurdities, has seen the show become a phenomenon as of 2025, shaping up to be the de facto sci-fi show of its generation.
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