15 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of 2023

Summary In 2023, science fiction series reached new heights with believable worlds and fantastic technology, showcasing the genre's best stories.

Streaming giants like Peacock, HBO, and Apple TV+ released faithful adaptations of classic properties, while network TV channels like CW and AMC produced their own original series.

Standout series in 2023 included "Invasion" season 2, "Hello Tomorrow!" season 1, and "Twisted Metal" season 1, each offering unique storytelling and captivating visuals.

2023 was a fantastic year for science fiction, as reflected by the landscape of televised series that were released over the course of the year's broadcast season. In the past, sci-fi may have been considered a more niche genre, particularly when it came to TV. Oftentimes, more limited TV budgets have constrained the special effects necessary to convey many sci-fi stories. Today, even the lowest-dollar science fiction offerings are able to conjure believable worlds and fantastic technology representing the best stories the genre has to offer.

In the past year, streaming giants like Peacock, HBO, and Apple TV+ were able to flex their captured audiences with faithful adaptations of classic properties like Twisted Metal and Godzilla. Not to be outdone, network TV channels like CW and AMC have hung in there with their own original series, like The Swarm and The Walking Dead: Dead City. Whether they were post-apocalyptic character studies or technology-driven warnings of a dark near future, 2023's sci-fi series stacked up to each other closely, but with clear winners in terms of quality.

15 Invasion

Season 2

A fairly typical science fiction story, season 1 of Invasion mostly failed to impress audiences or critics, telling a meandering, lagging story obsessed with its own epic scale. Luckily, the sophomore season of Invasion represents a marked improvement, focusing the action on the aftermath of the alien occupation rather than the invasion itself, presenting more opportunities for interesting situations and character development.

Ultimately, these improvements may be too little too late, as the damage of season 1 still echoes throughout the subsequent plotline that still has room to grow to fully pick up the pace. It doesn't help that season 3 of Invasion remains up in the air with no confirmation being made, but the way the series has turned things around suggests that there will likely be a lot more enthusiasm now to see the story continue. An another season of improvement would make Invasion one of Apple TV+'s best originals.

14 Hello Tomorrow!

Season 1

A curious retrofuture period piece, Hello Tomorrow! mixes Mad Men with the irreverent astro-punk set dressing of The Jetsons. Following a charming sales agent's misadventures in hawking worthless timeshares on the Moon, Hello Tomorrow! is in the curious position of being a story set within a science fiction setting that doesn't have any particular strong themes the genre is known for, refusing to lean into it's setting in a way that makes it inherent to the themes.

There is a sense that the series is not living up to the potential set by the interesting premise. The comedic aspects are not quite funny enough and the dramatic elements are not gripping enough. Hello Tomorrow! might not have the strongest narrative or most captivating performances, but its breathtaking visuals and endearing charm make it hard to overlook and allow it to rank among the best sci-fi series of the year.

13 Twisted Metal

Season 1

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Of all the sci-fi video game series to be adapted for TV, few could've predicted Peacock reaching for the rights to produce a Twisted Metal live-action series. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where the roads are ruled by marauders who hunt people in their tricked-out and deadly cars. Anthony Mackie stars as a "milkman" on a journey across the country with enemies coming around every corner.

The dark-toned vehicular combat spectacle games may not have given the show much to work with in terms of a fleshed-out story, but Mackie just manages to carry the cartoonishly violent series across the checkered line as a worthy, if clumsy action comedy. Though the premiere season took a few episodes to find its footing, the showing was solid enough to see Twisted Metal renewed for a second season. The series is boosted by never taking itself too seriously and paying homage to the source matieral.

12 Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters

Season 1

The latest edition to Warner Bros. and Legendary's Monsterverse, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters took a more human delve into the world of Godzilla, investigating the secretive eponymous organization. The show is told in different timelines, showing the birth of the mysterious organization known as Monarch, with Wyatt Russell playing one of its founding members, and a modern setting where Wyatt's real-life father plays the older version of his character who holds the secrets to Monarch's legacy.

The show is a fun monster-hunting adventure with some fun Easter eggs for the massive monster franchise to those willing to overlook Godzilla's lack of presence. Despite its strengths, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has an admittedly small budget to work with in the representation of its monsters. However, while the rest of the cast is not as compelling, the two Russells bring a lot of charm and fun to the series.

11 The Walking Dead: Dead City

Season 1

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Coming hot off the back of The Walking Dead's historic finale, Maggie and Negan carve their way back onto screens tuned to AMC with The Walking Dead: Dead City. The unlikely duo's dynamic from the final episode of The Walking Dead is expanded upon with this six-episode arc, delving the viewer into a terrifying post-apocalyptic Manhattan. Maggie and Negan continue their tentative partnership as they encounter other survivors and threats.

While The Walking Dead is a franchise just as zombified as the undead inhabiting its world, Dead City manages to prove its worth as a spin-off by having a tighter focus than the bloated main series. The relationship between the two leads creates fun tension throughout the story while the show still delivers on the zombie action and depiction of humanity falling apart. The success allowed it to be renewed for a sophomore season, further following these two intriguing characters.

10 Upload

Season 3

Putting a science fiction story bent to the comedy stylings of producer Greg Daniels, known for The Office, King of the Hill, and Parks and Rec, Upload is a post-mortem look into decorporealization after death through the lens of a sitcom. It is set in a future in which humans can be uploaded into the afterlife of their choice and follows a young man who dies prematurely and deals with the pros and cons of his new "heaven."

Equal parts The Good Place and Black Mirror, the third season of Upload in 2023 weaves a denser narrative than ever, pondering the human condition's ability to persevere in the digital world alongside jokes befitting of Daniels' other work. Though in danger of crumbling under the weight of its own ambitions, Upload's thoughtful question-posing and comedy chops still solidifies season 3 as a solid sci-fi offering.

9 The Swarm

Season 1

Not to be confused with the Donald Glover-created Swarm, The Swarm is a unique sci-fi story. The CW moved quickly on capitalizing on this curious news story that made a splash in 2023, regarding Orca whales having aggressive encounters with boats at sea. The Swarm hypothesizes what this rebellious act of nature would look like taken to the extreme, pitting a mysterious collective consciousness affecting the behavior of animals around the world against a globe-trotting team of researchers.

It is not uncommon for sci-fi stories to touch on topical elements even while telling impossible stories. The impact of humanity's environmental damage is a popular theme to be explored and The Swarm does so in an interesting and entertaining way. Though the German-produced series is as unabashedly pulpy as the SyFy channel's greatest hits, it's undoubtedly effective at preying on very real fears of ecological collapse.

8 From

Season 2

Unleashing a second season on unassuming fans the very next year after its release, From continued its crusade to replace Lost as the most iconic sci-fi mystery series of all time in 2023. Like Lost, the show introduces an intriguing premise and then attempts to keep the premise alive over the course of the series. It is set in a mysterious and isolated two which people are drawn while passing through the area only to find that, once there, they cannot leave.

The tense horror drama manages to ask more questions than it answers with its second showing, puzzling and terrifying returning viewers with a compounding mystery. Though From is in no rush, playing its cards sometimes frustratingly close to its chest, the town's sense of dread, mystery, and textured characters make it a standout sci-fi series with great potential.

7 Foundation

Season 2

Adapting the works of science fiction legend Isaac Asimov, Foundation was another original series to fire off a second season in 2023, making the year's competition for viewership even denser. The show sets up an epic universe concerning planets throughout a galaxy all ruled by a Galactic empire. It follows a band of exiles who fight back against the oppressive rulers, putting themselves in danger.

The show boasts a strong cast, including Lee Pace, Jared Harris, and Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur. Unlike From, which layered yet more mystery over its setting already heavy with intrigue, Foundation's second season takes advantage of the first season's laying of the groundwork for a dense space opera setting. Foundation has the production value, smart writing, and historic spectacle to be a worthy adaptation to some of Asimov's most cerebral stories.

6 Black Mirror

Season 6

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As an anthology series with many different directors and creative visions, Black Mirror runs the gamut of quality with a diverse portfolio of episodes that fans rate wildly differently, a curious curation of tales of technology gone too far. After season 5's disappointment as one of the weakest seasons of Black Mirror, 2023 saw the British-produced horror series' true return to form, eschewing low-hanging fruit for less topical stories.

The show continued to bring in exciting actors to tell these wild sci-fi stories with the likes of Josh Hartnett, Annie Murphy, and Zazie Beetz taking part in individual episodes. Sprinkling in some more supernatural stories throughout its collection of standout performances, the jury may still be split on which episodes are best, but it's undeniable that 2023 was a triumph for the Netflix horror anthology.

5 For All Mankind

Season 4

Four seasons since its premiere in 2019, For All Mankind has evolved into a true feather in the cap of Apple TV+. Telling the story of an alternate history in which the space race with the Soviets never ended, season 4 of For All Mankind saw the show internalizing lessons from the failures of the previous season to reinvigorate the story into a truly gripping epic.

The series' long-anticipated catching up to the modern day has paid off phenomenally thus far, with new political turmoil on Earth propelling Ed and his team to go even further beyond the starscape of Mars. The show seems to be one of those series that continues to get better as it remains on the air with clever, thought-provoking, and entertaining stories still being told. There are also plans to expand the series with a spinoff focusing on the Russian space program.

4 Scavengers Reign

Season 1

Released quietly on HBO Max to the sound of cult critical acclaim, Scavengers Reign is an animated series that proves the best science fiction stories don't need to be overly complex. A tale of survival, Scavengers Reign follows the stranded crew of a crashed spaceship marooned on a beautiful, yet deadly, alien planet. With the survivors initially scattered, they begin to come together as they make sense of the planet.

The stunningly simplistic animation and moody tone manage to harbor a genuine sense of danger as the crew of the Demeter 277 contend with all manner of alien creatures, showing off a level of creature design creativity few series can compete with. Animated sci-fi can deliver some of the best entries into the genre and this series is a prime example of the things that can be done in the format that might never be seen in live-action.

3 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Season 2

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The first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was lauded as a triumphant return to form for the franchise, introducing Trekkies to a new fan-favorite captain to contend with the likes of Kirk and Picard with Captain Pike. Taking place a decade before the original series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has a lot of fun with its own crew of characters aboard the starship enterprise.

Season 2 keeps up the good work, recapturing the magic of the series' past with a delicate balance of nostalgic homage and modern vigor. The slightly longer episodes and strong central cast all contribute to serving Star Trek fans the best fare they've enjoyed in the 21st century. It has helped to bring the Star Trek franchise back into popularity after being lost for a number of years.

2 Silo

Season 1

Based on Hugh Howey's critical touchstone science fiction book, Wool, Silo engulfs viewers in a post-apocalyptic mystery that pays off fast. Created by Justified's Graham Yost, Silo follows a community that exists in a giant underground silo. While they are told that the regulations put in place are there to protect them, some people begin to question the reality of their way of life.

The claustrophobic setting and stifling conspiracy only propel the strength of Rebecca Ferguson's work as Juliette further into the spotlight, a shining central star around which the intrigue can center itself. Though Silo is undeniably cheesy at times, it channels the spirit of Howey's original works with a deserving adaptation that couldn't have come out at a better time, the story of a young woman trapped in her home being all-too-relatable for many audiences post-2020.

1 The Last Of Us

Season 1

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Putting the final nail in the "video game curse" with a truly prestige adaptation of Naughty Dog's title of the same name, The Last of Us utterly entranced both fans of the original and new audiences hungry for a dramatic post-apocalyptic character study. The series is set in the aftermath of a virus destroying civilization and turning much of the population into monsters as it follows a man who has been tasked with escorting a young woman across the dangerous land.

Pedro Pascal once again crushes his role as a leading man, and Game of Thrones alum Bella Ramsey proves their worth as an upcoming actor worthy of acclaim. The expert pacing, thoughtful changes to the video game's narrative, and breathtaking visuals all cooperate alongside career-defining performances and heart-wrenching drama to deliver the premiere science fiction TV show of 2023.