15 Best Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time, Ranked

Sci-fi is an enduring genre on the small screen, even if the budgets couldn't always match the big screen, and these are the best sci-fi shows ever.

15 Best Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time, Ranked

By Sam Stone

March 1, 2026 11:10 am EST

Hulu

One of the most enduring genres available on the television medium, dating as far back as 1949's "Captain Video and His Video Rangers," is science fiction. Since then, the genre has been something of a constant, often pushing the boundaries of popular storytelling as television has evolved. Over the subsequent decades, sci-fi has marked the time, with many shows, even cult classics, earning particularly vocal fandoms. Some sci-fi television properties are multigenerational, reinvented and relaunched to better align with contemporary audience sensibilities.

Simply put, we love sci-fi TV shows, from the big bombastic spectacle to the more character-driven possibilities of the genre. At the same time, sci-fi is extremely malleable, capable of nonsensical comedies, soul-searching dramas, and escapist action. With so many different creative directions for the genre, there is a plethora of series to highlight, but we've narrowed it down to a handful of standouts.

Here are the 15 best sci-fi shows of all time ranked, exemplifying the enduring excellence of the genre.

15. Orphan Black

[Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) looks to her right with her hair disheveled in Orphan Black]

BBC America

Premiering in 2013, "Orphan Black" is a strong, character-focused sci-fi thriller which explores the moral implications of human cloning. The series focuses on con artist Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), who watches her doppelganger killing herself in Toronto. Assuming her double's identity, Sarah discovers that, not only is she a clone, but there are numerous other clones of herself in North America and Europe. To make matters worse, Sarah and her clones are being hunted by the authorities and a murderous religious cult.

"Orphan Black" really is a showcase for Tatiana Maslany's acting talents, and she consistently delivers across the series' five-season run. In lesser creative hands, the show could've come off as a one-note campy tale, but the series blends its lighter and darker narrative elements masterfully. The show starts out as something of a mystery behind the cloning premise and who is hunting the clones, evolving into a full-on thriller. Led by a commanding performance from Maslany, "Orphan Black" is densely packed with plenty of plot twists to keep audiences hooked.

14. Futurama

[Philip J. Fry (Billy West) uses a remote control while sitting with Bender (John DiMaggio) on a couch in Futurama]

Hulu

After creating "The Simpsons," Matt Groening turned his brand of animated comedy to the 31st century for the 1999 series "Futurama." The show opens with pizza deliveryman Philip J. Fry (Billy West) accidentally getting cryogenically frozen in 1999 and revived in 2999. Fry gets a job with Planet Express, a company that handles all sorts of deliveries across the galaxy. As Fry gets to know his new co-workers and acclimate to life in the future, he falls in love with his captain, Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal).

"Futurama" is far from being just a sci-fi riff on "The Simpsons," offering its own brand of comedy and memorable ensemble cast. Initially airing on Fox, the series has been revived and subtly reinvented multiple times since its debut, eventually finding a current home on Hulu. For all the recurring tropes and gags, "Futurama" always feels like it has something new to say while getting the audience genuinely invested in its main characters. One of TV's most unexpected comfort shows, "Futurama" has used its sci-fi world to regularly and hilariously skewer the inanities of modern life.

13. Rick and Morty

[Morty Smith (Justin Roiland) looks downcast in a spaceship while Rick Sanchez (Justin Roiland) adjusts his sunglasses in Rick and Morty]

Adult Swim

Another wacky sci-fi animated comedy, "Rick and Morty" has been a staple on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block since it premiered in 2013. The series follows mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith as they explore different dimensions and other worlds. This often involves explorations of the multiverse, with Rick's zany inventions usually fueling the duo's misadventures. The show also expands to the rest of the family as they get caught up in Rick's antics, including Morty's parents and older sister Summer.

The pairing between the outrageous and clearly deranged Rick and chronically anxious and withdrawn Morty makes for a great comedy team at the core of "Rick and Morty." This elevates the often pop culture-fueled humor, with the creative freedom given by Adult Swim to the show letting the stories run wild. At the same time, the show knows when to lean into genuinely emotional moments, often drawn from feelings of vulnerability and insecurity from its main characters. Irreverent and frequently veering into absurdist and dark humor, "Rick and Morty" has certainly earned its widespread success from its freewheeling sci-fi stakes.

12. Star Trek: The Original Series

[Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Kirk (William Shatner) take cover behind a rock in Star Trek: The Original Series]

CBS Studios

The show that started it all, "Star Trek: The Original Series," as it became retroactively known, debuted in 1966. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the show followed the USS Enterprise, a starship in the United Federation of Planets, exploring the galaxy on a five-year mission. Led by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), the crew carried out missions throughout the cosmos, regularly encountering new life and new civilizations. This often places them against hostile entities and organizations, with the crew's quick-thinking usually saving the day.

There is a strong argument that "The Original Series" is the best "Star Trek" show, including its pioneering presence on television. Even beyond spawning a franchise that's lasted for over six decades, the far-reaching influence of "TOS" cannot be understated. From stories that ranged from escapist fare to headier philosophical tales with pointed social commentary, "Star Trek" marked a breakthrough for sci-fi storytelling on television. That influence doesn't continue without "TOS" being an exceptional show in its own right, full of memorable characters and storylines that loom large over the genre.

11. Doctor Who

[The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) stares skeptically outside of the TARDIS in Doctor Who]

BBC

Just as American television has had "Star Trek" as a longstanding sci-fi franchise since the '60s, British television has had "Doctor Who." Premiering in 1963, the show features a humanoid extraterrestrial known simply as the Doctor traveling through time and space in their vessel, the TARDIS. The Doctor is accompanied by a line of companions, while the Doctor themselves continually regenerates into new physical forms whenever their current body expires. Through their journeys, the Doctor defeats all sorts of monsters and other threats to humanity as they explore the space-time continuum.

[...]

Original source