The 2010s were a great decade for interesting and innovative sci-fi TV shows, as speculative fiction was having a resurgence across the board. However, this also meant that plenty of unique and compelling series never cultivated as strong a fanbase as the most famous additions to the genre, like Orphan Black or Westworld. However, these more recent must-watch sci-fi TV shows are perfect to watch today because audiences have an opportunity to discover them and witness how well they hold up in the contemporary context. It’s almost shocking that these series are as underrated as they are.
Though some of these titles were short-lived, they took inspiration from the most influential sci-fi TV shows, learning how to challenge and reinvent the familiar tropes of the genre. It’s disappointing that so many of these underrated titles were canceled and never given the opportunity to reach their full potential. However, with so many reboots and revivals hitting screens in recent years, there’s always hope they’ll come back. If these series find audiences today, there’s still plenty of time for them to become more than cult classics.
7
Limitless (2015–2016)
This Crime Procedural Is Made More Interesting With A Sci-Fi Twist
After the success of the 2011 movie starring Bradley Cooper, Limitless became a TV show in 2015, with Jake McDorman leading the cast as Brian Finch. After getting access to the pill that allows him to use every part of his brain, Brian joins the FBI, alongside Agent Rebecca Harris (Jennifer Carpenter), to help solve the most difficult cases, but can’t reveal his experimental treatment. Cooper makes a few appearances throughout the show, tying the series to the film and making the danger of the drug feel real as Brian comes to like who he is when taking the pill.
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The choice to make the Limitless show a procedural is sharply differentiated from the original movie. The format of the story is likely what made the series unsustainable. However, Limitless still deserves a second chance, as the concept of using the potential for human genius for good is interesting, and the lead characters have enough charm to make the story fun. If Limitless had leaned further into science fiction rather than criminal and political intrigue, it might have had better luck finding its audience.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Limitless (2015–2016) | 58% | 85% |
6
People Of Earth (2016–2017)
The Alien Invasion Looks A Little Different In People Of Earth
People of Earth is a sci-fi TV show I would love to see come back, as the comedy series has a great premise. Centering on the journalist Ozzie (Wyatt Cenac), who discovers that a support group for people abducted by aliens is actually telling the truth, People of Earth has fun with its otherworldly conceit. Spending time with both the rag-tag group of humans in the group and the aliens who abducted them,People of Earth easily cultivates a lot of empathy for its characters and makes the audience look at humanity with a little more kindness.
Though the slow alien invasion that the characters grapple with is the overarching plot of the series, every episode leans into the everyday struggles of the characters, following their heartbreaks, career failures, and difficult relationships with family members. The sci-fi twist on the classic sitcom structure makes People of Earth feel fresh and sustains it even when the story gets stranger with every successive episode. The offbeat sense of humor and high-concept premise made People of Earth an underrated project when it was airing.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| People of Earth (2016–2017) | 89% | 86% |
5
Counterpart (2017–2019)
Parallel Universes Have Never Been As Intriguing As In This Series Led By J.K. Simmons
For fans of the actor, it doesn’t take much convincing to tune into every project that J.K. Simmons is a part of. One of the best actors of his generation, Simmons can play any role, and this skill is on full display in Counterpart, a series that unpacks the reality of parallel worlds. Playing two versions of himself, one who exists on the Alpha Earth and the other on the parallel Prime Earth, Simmons gets to be a mild-mannered government employee and a dangerous secret agent throughout the series.
It’s obvious that Simmons is having a lot of fun exploring the different sides of what began as an almost identical man.
It’s obvious that Simmons is having a lot of fun exploring the different sides of what began as an almost identical man, and the rest of the cast, including the great Olivia Williams, has the same opportunity. Despite its warm critical reception, Counterpart came to an end after just two seasons, leaving many of the questions about the story open-ended. However, this doesn’t make it any less fun to watch Counterpart and witness how the parallel Earths compete, infiltrate each other, and struggle with their identities after learning they aren’t unique in the universe.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Counterpart (2017–2019) | 100% | 85% |
4
Almost Human (2013–2014)
Human-Android Relations Are Explored In This Futuristic Show
Before he was Billy Butcher in The Boys, Karl Urban led a very different kind of speculative fiction series. Almost Human is deeply invested in the concept of what makes someone human, and how empathy, consciousness, and humanity can be part of artificial intelligence. Conversations surrounding AI have only increased in the years since the short-lived Almost Human went off the air, making it the perfect time to revisit the show and watch Urban and Michael Ealy play off each other.
Ealy plays the android Dorian, assigned to work alongside Urban’s John, a detective with extreme prejudice against new technologies like androids. However, Dorian is different, as he was created to experience emotions, making him a nuanced partner for John despite his reservations. Watching the pair grow closer and learn to work together as they unravel the larger mystery at the heart of the show is the best part of revisiting Almost Human today.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Almost Human (2013–2014) | 69% | 83% |
3
Colony (2016–2018)
Josh Holloway Struggles With His Place In The Resistance In This Alien Invasion Show
Alien invasion is a standby of sci-fi, but Colony didn’t rely on the popularity of narratives like this to propel its story. Starring Josh Holloway, best known for his lead performance in the science-fantasy TV show Lost, Colony takes advantage of his skills. Holloway’s character, Will, struggles to determine his place in a new oppressive reality after a devastating alien invasion. The dichotomy between the members of the resistance movement and the people who collaborate with the aliens to enforce the dystopian reality is a central theme in Colony.
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Though Colony didn’t find the success of Lost, it’s still a great series to watch after Holloway’s more famous project, as it demonstrates a new side of the actor. It’s always interesting to see how series like Colony tackle dystopian futures, as the show is set against the backdrop of a version of Los Angeles that’s very different from our reality. Colony finds its place among the alien invasion genre by focusing on human interactions and interpersonal drama, tying this to the political and social overtones of the narrative.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Colony (2016–2018) | 92% | 80% |
2
Travelers (2016–2018)
Time Travel Gets A Sly Twist In This Mystery Series
The time travel tropes in movies and TV shows are familiar to audiences of all kinds, even those who aren’t as invested in the sci-fi genre. However, Netflix’s Travelers did a great job of breaking away from the expected storylines and kept the audience guessing without going off the rails. Its central premise is already unique, as it chronicles the lives of the titular Travelers, who send their consciousnesses back in time to stave off some of the apocalyptic events of the future.
These themes are more relevant than ever, allowing Travelers to stand the test of time and remain one of Netflix’s most interesting original sci-fi series. Throughout the series, the Travelers have to assume the identities of the people whose bodies they take over, creating many opportunities for mystery and conflicts of interest that spark tension between the past and the future. Combining elements of episodic television with compelling season-long arcs, Travelers had the potential to go on for many seasons despite its cancellation after season 3.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Travelers (2016–2018) | 100% | 97% |
Cast
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Eric McCormack
Grant MacLaren
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MacKenzie Porter
Marcy Warton
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Nesta Cooper
Carly Shannon
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Jared Abrahamson
Trevor Holden
1
Future Man (2017–2020)
Josh Hutcherson Is An Unlikely But Charming Hero In Future Man
Josh Hutcherson lends his charisma and likable persona to every project he has a hand in, and Future Man was no exception. Airing on Hulu from 2017 to 2020, Future Man followed the adventures of the unlikely hero, Josh (Hutcherson), who finds himself drafted into a real futuristic army after beating an impossible video game. Satirical and tongue-in-cheek at times, Future Man pokes fun at the pitfalls of the sci-fi genre and leans into Josh’s ineptitude as he takes on zany challenges that will prevent the end of the world.
Future Man never found its audience while it was on the air, but it still works today, not feeling too dated or out of touch.
While most sci-fi shows follow a hero who’s out of their element and must learn the rules of a new world, this trope is heightened in Future Man and played for well-earned laughs. Packed with time travel, action, and hilarious characters, Future Man never found its audience while it was on the air, but it still works today, not feeling too dated or out of touch. Though Hutcherson is now most associated with his work in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, he disappears into the bumbling but well-meaning Josh with ease.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
| Future Man (2017–2020) | 91% | 83% |
