Eagerly explore the future. Venture nostalgically into the past. Experience everything in between. As you sit down and enjoy sci-fi drama series, you’re challenged with big ideas about technology and our place in the universe. In a vast galaxy full of streaming content, it can be hard to know which shows are truly worth your time, and for this reason, we’ve put together a definitive list of the best sci-fi dramas.
Mind-bending dystopian thrillers and epic space operas, futuristic adventures and more – that’s what you will find in our guide to the top 10 series in the genre. Each show has been ranked by public sentiment and what’s trending. This list is a credible guide to help you find your next great binge and start streaming the best sci-fi drama series.
What are the best sci-fi drama series to watch now?
So, what ranking approach have we used in this list of the best sci-fi drama series? We want it to be as clear and logical as possible and to provide you with a genuinely helpful list of top series, and begin by analysing what’s trending. We then look closely at the positive public opinions from social media, review sites, and viewer forums.
With the opinions gathered, we compile comprehensive list and add key details for each TV series – we go beyond the full title and a brief synopsis, instead offering information about the genre, the talent involved, the director, and the total runtime. What’s more, we never forget to confirm the all-important streaming service where you can watch it.
Upload
Sci-fi •Comedy •Drama
Overview
In 2033, people who are near death can be “uploaded” into virtual reality hotels run by 6 tech firms. Cash-strapped Nora lives in Brooklyn and works customer service for the luxurious “Lakeview” digital afterlife. When L.A. party-boy/coder Nathan’s self-driving car crashes, his high-maintenance girlfriend uploads him permanently into Nora’s VR world.
Cast
Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley
Invasion
Sci-fi •Drama •Fantasy
Overview
Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens humanity’s existence. Events unfold in real time through the eyes of five ordinary people across the globe as they struggle to make sense of the chaos unraveling around them.
Cast
Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Billy Barratt
Foundation
Sci-fi •Drama
Overview
Follow a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
Cast
Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn
Supernatural
Drama •Fantasy •Horror •Mystery •Thriller •Sci-fi
Overview
When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America … and he taught them how to kill it. Now, the Winchester brothers crisscross the country in their ’67 Chevy Impala, battling every kind of supernatural threat they encounter along the way.
Cast
Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins
The Expanse
Drama •Sci-fi •Mystery •Thriller
Overview
A thriller set two hundred years in the future following the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.
Cast
Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Frankie Adams
Fallout
Action •Adventure •Drama •Sci-fi
Overview
The story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.
Cast
Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias, Walton Goggins
Interview with the Vampire
Drama •Sci-fi •Fantasy •Horror •Romance
Overview
Louis de Pointe’s epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat De Lioncourt’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.
Cast
Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey Bass, Eric Bogosian
Duration
47 minutes
The Vampire Diaries
Drama •Fantasy •Horror •Mystery •Romance •Thriller •Sci-fi
Overview
The story of two vampire brothers obsessed with the same girl, who bears a striking resemblance to the beautiful but ruthless vampire they knew and loved in 1864.
Cast
Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice King, Zach Roerig
Arrow
Drama •Action •Adventure •Crime •Sci-fi
Overview
Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.
Cast
Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez, Katherine McNamara
The Boys
Drama •Action •Adventure •Comedy •Crime •Sci-fi
Overview
A group of vigilantes known informally as “The Boys” set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
Cast
Jack Quaid, Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott
Frequently asked questions
Focusing on the human stories behind the futuristic concepts and containing some action, a sci-fi drama’s main plot is driven by character relationships and conflicts as well as the philosophical questions about technology. Sci-fi action, on the other hand, puts high-octane spectacle and exciting set pieces at the forefront.
We are happy to say that yes, these 10 best sci-fi drama series are currently available on major Australian streaming platforms, and we’re pleased to help ensure search doesn’t need to be fruitless – in fact, these shows are ready to stream right now. Just head to the platform and start watching right away.
The great thing is that new shows and sci-fi series that are older classics are equally engaging – and, yes, we consider that new sci-fi dramas are often edgy, but remember that older series that set the standard for modern hits that are still equally making an impact today.
New to sci-fi drama? We suggest starting with a show that has a strong, relatable human story – that’s because a series that focuses on character relationships and emotional stakes, with sci-fi elements in the background, is a great entry point into the genre. And you can then build up to the more complex series later.
Exploring the human mind and its connection to technology, psychological sci-fi shows use futuristic concepts to look at our inner selves and what it means to be human. They’re so popular because they reflect our human experience, and they’re so well received.
That doesn’t need to be a problem – you can easily check the runtime for each show in our guide, and viewers find that some of the series on our list have shorter seasons or a limited number of episodes. Need short, snappy, sci-fi stories? The shorter seasons make for a great weekend binge, and with these, you can still experience an epic story without a huge time commitment.
The vastness of the sci-fi drama series means we can’t include every single incredible series. What we try to do is include series that are currently trending and what audiences are loving, which means we focus on the most popular shows.
When you check back in the future, you will find that we always update this list as new sci-fi series are released and gain popularity. That’s because the world of streaming is always evolving, and we want to ensure our guide stays current and useful.
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