10 Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Shows That Nobody Remembers Today

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Science fiction TV has always been popular, but many great shows get forgotten over time. While series like Severance, Black Mirror, and The Expanse have become huge hits and rightly so, there are older, equally good – and sometimes even better – shows that most people have never heard of.

Many science fiction TV shows are forgotten simply because they appeared before their time – good sci-fi often challenges how we think about society, and audiences weren’t always ready. Even though these series are now largely unknown, they remain among the best science fiction stories ever told.

Continuum (2012-2015)

Number Of Seasons: 4

Science fiction captivates audiences by posing thought-provoking “what if” scenarios. The Canadian series Continuum exemplifies this through its exploration of time travel. The show is set in 2077, in a world dominated by large corporations. The story centers on Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols), a law enforcement officer who travels back in time to 2012 after a group of terrorists uses time travel to evade capture.

Time travel is a common concept in science fiction, and can often feel cliché. However, the show Continuum uses it effectively, crafting a complex story that explores themes of power, control, and the blurry boundaries between good and evil.

Almost Human (2013-2014)

Number Of Seasons: 1

Before landing the role of the compelling Billy Butcher in The Boys, Karl Urban played John Kennex in Almost Human. Kennex was a police officer teamed up with an android named Dorian (Michael Ealy). Interestingly, Dorian wasn’t a typical, unfeeling robot; he was actually taken out of service because he showed too much human emotion.

Unlike many sci-fi shows, Almost Human felt fresh because it followed the structure of a typical police drama, but with an interesting twist: androids and their impact on society. What really made the show special was the dynamic between the two main characters, John and Dorian. They were true partners who learned from each other, instead of John simply trying to teach Dorian how to be more human.

Undone (2019-2022)

Number Of Seasons: 2

Despite its innovative approach, Prime Video’s Undone didn’t receive the attention it deserved, even though audiences are increasingly open to original sci-fi shows. The series follows Alma (Rosa Salazar), a 28-year-old who, after a serious accident, develops the power to perceive time in a non-linear way. Undone stands out thanks to its distinctive animation and its thought-provoking, emotionally resonant story.

The show features a unique animation style called rotoscoping, where animators trace over live-action film to create images that feel dreamy and surreal. But the unusual look of Undone isn’t just for show – it’s meant to reflect how the main character, Alma, experiences reality differently after a traumatic event.

Future Man (2017-2020)

Number Of Seasons: 3

I’m really enjoying Hulu’s Future Man – it’s a super fun sci-fi show that does time travel really well. The main character, Josh Futturman, is played by Josh Hutcherson (you might know him from The Hunger Games), and he’s just a regular guy, a janitor, who feels like he’s going nowhere. He escapes into this video game, Biotic Wars, and when he actually wins it turns out the game wasn’t just for entertainment! It was created by future soldiers who need his help, and they recruit him to join their fight.

Josh is supposed to be the hero who saves the world, but he’s actually clumsy, lacks drive, and isn’t very confident. Luckily, the show Future Man doesn’t try to turn him into someone he’s not. It playfully uses and pokes fun at classic sci-fi ideas, making for a consistently hilarious and fast-paced show.

Pantheon (2022-2023)

Number Of Seasons: 2

For years, science fiction shows have imagined how artificial intelligence might change the world and what that means for humanity. The series Pantheon, inspired by Ken Lieu’s stories, tackles this question with a unique and thoughtful approach, really digging into what it means to be human. The show follows Maddie Kim (played by Katie Chang), a teenager who learns her father’s mind was uploaded to the internet after he died.

Many science fiction shows focus on the dangers of technology, but Pantheon explores both the benefits and drawbacks. Thanks to a process called Uploaded Intelligence, Maddie was able to stay connected with her father even after his death. However, being without a physical body meant he missed out on many life experiences, which made Maddie question what it really means to be human.

Killjoys (2015-2019)

Number Of Seasons: 5

I absolutely loved Killjoys! It takes place in this cool planetary system called the Quad, where everything is controlled by these nine super-powerful families. The show follows Dutch, Johnny, and D’avin – they’re bounty hunters working for a group called the Recalibration Apprehension Coalition, basically tracking down criminals. What really makes the show stand out to me is how well-developed the three main characters are – they’re just fantastic!

Okay, so Killjoys isn’t your standard heroes-save-the-day kind of show. These bounty hunters have to remain neutral, even when tracking down bad guys, which immediately makes things more interesting. It’s not a simple good versus evil story, and that complexity really drew me in. Over its five seasons, it blossomed into something much bigger than just an action series – it became a really smart sci-fi show tackling political issues and the divide between classes. What I loved was that the characters and storylines got richer and more compelling as the show went on, but it never lost what made it special in the first place.

Humans (2015-2018)

Number Of Seasons: 3

While Black Mirror is a recent show that’s sparked a lot of discussion about our relationship with technology, it’s not the only British science fiction series to explore this theme. Humans, featuring Gemma Chan, presents a world similar to our own, but with highly advanced robotic helpers called Synths who serve people’s needs.

As a huge sci-fi fan, what really grabbed me about Humans isn’t just the robots themselves, but how they start to become more human – developing things like awareness and the ability to make their own choices. It’s not simply a story about people and robots coexisting; it really makes you think about what it means to create artificial life and what responsibilities we have to these creations – what rights should they have, you know?

Dark Matter (2015-2017)

Number Of Seasons: 3

It’s unfortunate that a show as original as Dark Matter isn’t more widely remembered, because it could have been hugely popular. The series centers around six individuals who find themselves on a spaceship with no memories of their past. As the story unfolds, they learn they weren’t heroes in their former lives.

Dark Matter is a captivating show that consistently surprised viewers over its three seasons. Full of unexpected twists, betrayals, and hidden secrets, it’s a shame this clever and well-acted series never got the recognition it deserved, despite skillfully using classic science fiction elements.

The 4400 (2004-2007)

Number Of Seasons: 4

The TV show The 4400 centers around a group of people who vanish for several years, only to suddenly reappear. Remarkably, they haven’t aged at all, and they start developing extraordinary abilities, such as moving objects with their minds and reading thoughts.

The TV show The 4400 centers on the experiences of people who mysteriously disappear and then reappear, but it’s more than just a story about their absence. It blends science fiction ideas with heartfelt drama, exploring important themes like the balance between government power and individual freedom. Unfortunately, the show was cut short after only three seasons, meaning viewers never got full closure on what happened to those who returned.

Travelers (2016-2018)

Number Of Seasons: 3

Despite receiving excellent reviews from both critics (100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and viewers (97% approval), the sci-fi show Travelers didn’t become a major hit. This demonstrates that good reviews don’t always guarantee a show will be remembered.

The show centers around a team of future agents who travel back in time to stop events that could cause humanity to fall apart. While Travelers uses a familiar time travel premise seen in many sci-fi stories, it stands out by using that concept to explore deeper themes of who we are, what’s right and wrong, and the choices we make.

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2026-04-05 17:51