Whether it’s alien hijinks, screwy timelines, or brain-twisting technology, sci-fi television is there for all types of viewers. Dark suspense, heartwarming space curiosities, and everything in between, these 15 notable series have a little something for everyone. Count down with us.

15. Resident Alien

If your dream sci-fi series has humor and heart, Resident Alien needs to be on your list. Alan Tudyk stars as an alien sent to destroy humanity, but crash-lands in Colorado and disguises himself as a small-town physician. Crimes to solve and lessons about human existence alter him in ways he never anticipated. It’s witty, clever, and weirdly sentimental.

14. The Rain

This Danish post-apocalyptic drama offers a new spin on viral plagues, in that it features a rain-borne virus that decimates Scandinavia and leaves two siblings to survive and try to determine what remains of the world—and themselves. With its heart at its center and pervasive sense of unease, it’s an intense ride.

13. Welcome to Eden

Imagine being invited to an exclusive party on a remote island… only to find you’ve stepped into a nightmare. In Welcome to Eden, guests at a lavish influencer bash wake up trapped in a cult-like compound. This Spanish-language thriller is equal parts glossy and unsettling, blending sci-fi with psychological suspense.

12. Lost in Space

The Robinsons are back in this stylish reboot of the old series. Stranded on a distant planet, the family must help one another—and use their brains—to make it out alive. With cinematic scenery and poignant family drama, this is an excellent option for viewers who enjoy their space tales with emotion and action.

11. Love, Death & Robots

In a hurry, but curious? This cartoon anthology is an unpredictable, unconventional blend of sci-fi stories, each one with its own aesthetic. Some are surreal, some are tear-jerkers, but they all test the boundaries of the genre. If you’re a fan of variety and visual experimentation, this is your show.

10. Bodies

Four detectives. Four timelines. One killing. That’s the compelling setup of Bodies, wherein sleuths through the ages are united by a single crime. What begins as a mystery escalates to something much grander—time travel, cover-ups, and humanity’s destiny.

9. Alice in Borderland

Combine one part game, one part dystopia, and a whole lot of adrenaline—Alice in Borderland is a survival thriller like no other. When Tokyo mysteriously drains overnight, a gamer and his cohorts must survive by competing in life-or-death tests. It’s gritty, creative, and packed with jaw-dropping surprises.

8. Maniac

In a retro-futuristic universe, two strangers enlist in a pharmaceutical trial that vows to cure their minds. But the therapy transports them on surreal odysseys through alternate realities, genres, and emotional landscapes. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill excel in this cerebral and deeply innovative miniseries.

7. The Umbrella Academy

What happens when a group of superpowered siblings reunite for their father’s funeral—and realize the apocalypse is coming? The Umbrella Academy balances superhero action with family dysfunction, time-travel chaos, and offbeat humor. It’s weird, emotional, and endlessly entertaining.

6. Stranger Things

Based in a small Indiana town during the ’80s, Stranger Things begins with a missing child and opens a doorway to another world. With its mix of sci-fi, horror, and nostalgia, it’s become a phenomenon. But aside from the monsters, it’s the heart and friendships that bring us back time and again.

5. Russian Doll

Nadia is repeatedly dying on her birthday—and waking up in the same night again and again. As she searches for clues, she meets another person trapped in the same time loop. This clever, darkly comedic series explores trauma, destiny, and redemption in a very original manner. 

4. Black Mirror

If tech anxiety had television, it would be Black Mirror. Each self-contained episode delves into the dark side of innovation, from social credit systems to AI clones. Provocative, unsettling, and always on the pulse of the times, this anthology mines contemporary fears in the most compelling way.

3. 3 Body Problem

Adapted from Liu Cixin’s award-winning novel, this epic series brings us from Earth to the furthest edge of the cosmos. A wave of unexplained deaths among scientists uncovers a far greater danger: first contact with alien life. With enormous concepts and deep emotional investments, this is what visionary sci-fi is all about.

2. Doctor Who

A time-traveling extraterrestrial with a two-headed sense of justice—Doctor Who is a legend for a reason. The Doctor travels through time and space, saving civilizations, thwarting evil, and sometimes breaking your heart. With decades of stories to wade through, it’s the ultimate timey-wimey adventure.

1. Dark

Few series play games with your head like Dark. The German show starts with a lost child and careens into a dense tale of time loops, alternate universes, and family secrets. It’s atmospheric, intellectual, and profoundly satisfying—just don’t expect to get everything on the first go-around.