All the main streaming services offer some great science fiction television shows, but these seven shows are the best examples of the sci-fi genre that you can watch right now. Most of the best sci-fi shows of all time are available on one streaming service or another, with a few notable exceptions. Unfortunately, that means it can be difficult to tell which shows are worth streaming and which are worth skipping.
Luckily, no matter which streaming service you subscribe to, there’s at least one science fiction show in their catalog that is absolutely worth watching. While certain platforms, like Prime Video and Apple TV+, have made a name for their sci-fi offerings, all of the major streamers have at least dabbled in the genre, and all of them have classic shows ready to watch right now.
Paramount+
The Twilight Zone
While its science fiction library isn’t as robust as other streamers, picking the best sci-fi show from Paramount+ is more challenging than it initially seems. Paramount+ has the entire collection of Star Trek as part of its catalog, after all, from William Shatner’s original series to the ongoing show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Star Trek is easily one of the greatest science fiction series of all time, so it would be an easy pick.
Paramount+, however, also has another great option in its catalog: The Twilight Zone. While Star Trek is a foundational sci-fi franchise, there’s probably no single science fiction series more influential than The Twilight Zone. Its legacy speaks for itself: if you’re a fan of sci-fi, you’ve probably seen at least one episode of The Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone is also arguably better than any single Star Trek series. As an anthology series, it covers everything from alien invasions to totalitarian dystopias. Its political commentary, though being over half a century old, is still as sharp as ever. The best episodes of The Twilight Zone will still leave viewers contemplating the biggest questions in life, which is reason enough to stream it.
Peacock
Farscape
Peacock has recently started releasing some great new sci-fi TV shows, but the streamer’s best is a classic. In recent years, Peacock has been hosting and promoting newer shows like the ongoing Twisted Metal and the recently completed Resident Alien. More great sci-fi shows are sure to come, but they may not be able to surpass Farscape.
Farscape is one of the most unique science fiction shows ever made. Featuring puppets made by the Jim Henson Company, Farscape depicted a wholly novel view of alien life, the wider galaxy, and physical concepts like wormholes. It may be a bit advanced and high-concept for more casual viewers, but longtime sci-fi fans will surely appreciate Farscape’s take on the genre.
Perhaps the best part of Farscape is how it develops over time. What begins as a semi-connected, “monster of the week” type show quickly grows into a sprawling universe densely packed with lore. It’ll remind you of Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, and countless other great sci-fi franchises all thrown into a pot with quite a bit of its own character sprinkled on top.
Prime Video
Fallout
One of the newer entries on this list comes from Prime Video: Fallout. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Fallout is set in a retro-futuristic America ravaged by nuclear war and ravaged by insane factions, evil corporate interests, and monsters created by radiation. Despite the pulpy setting, Fallout also manages to tell a moving emotional and human story.
Prime Video does have a great back catalog of sci-fi shows, such as Stargate SG-1, but Fallout still manages to beat them out. While a classic, Stargate does fall into the often over-saturated subgenre of ship sci-fi, while Fallout feels like an entirely different beast. It’s wacky, serious, action-packed, and dramatic all at the same time, which gives it an edge over Prime Video’s other offerings.
Another bonus of Fallout is the fact that it’s still going on. Fallout season 2 is set to premiere on December 17, 2025. That means that, unlike many other science fiction shows, Fallout fans won’t be met with an unresolved cliffhanger after the first season. Given the show and games’ popularity, it also looks like Fallout could get to a genuine series finale as well.
Disney+/Hulu
Andor
Disney+ may have the single best backlog of science fiction shows of any streamer, but one of its original series still takes the cake. Disney+ offers some of the best science fiction shows ever made, including both The X-Files and Firefly (but not its sequel movie, Serenity). These are great additions to the genre and must-watch shows, but they’re still not the best on Disney+.
The title of best sci-fi show on Disney+ belongs to Andor, the prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Unlike many Star Wars stories, Andor is the furthest thing from a kids’ show. It’s a sweeping political and spy thriller that examines the costs of rebelling against a tyrannical government. It perfectly leverages the legend of Star Wars to craft one of the most compelling dramas of any genre, not just sci-fi.
Whether you like Star Wars or not, Andor is worth watching. It has deeply moving emotional stakes, nail-biting moments of pure suspense, love, tragedy, inspiration, hopelessness, and everything else. It is the embodiment of the word “saga,” yet it features zero Jedi or Sith. I cannot recommend Andor enough, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Netflix
Stranger Things
Netflix isn’t particularly known for its sci-fi offerings, but it has a remarkable number of great sci-fi originals and classics in its catalog. From older hit shows like Lost to newer originals like Altered Carbon and the widely acclaimed Black Mirror, Netflix has been doing great with sci-fi. The streamer’s best entry to the genre, however, is Stranger Things.
Since it began in 2016, Stranger Things has become a cultural phenomenon, and for good reason. Each new season builds upon the last in a compelling mix of nostalgia, nerd culture, horror, and fascinating science fiction. While the sci-fi isn’t always the main draw of Stranger Things, what is there is more than enough to justify giving it a watch.
Like other entries in this list, now is also the perfect time to watch Stranger Things. After a three-year hiatus, Stranger Things season 5 is returning on November 26, 2025. Season 5 will be the series’ finale, and it promises to send the town of Hawkins off with a bang. Lots of people will be talking about it at the end of the year, and now is the perfect time to see what all the fuss is about.
Apple TV+
Severance
Apple TV+ has made quite a name for itself in the science fiction genre. The streamer has so many hit original shows, from For All Mankind to Foundation and Murderbot. It would normally be hard to pick a single best entry in a catalog of sci-fi shows as dense as Apple TV+’s, if it weren’t for Severance.
Even with such stiff competition within Apple TV+, Severance still comes out on top. From its completely unique premise, of a company so secretive it splits its employees’ personalities into two to maintain confidentiality, to the endless secrets and revelations within the show itself, Severance is must-watch television. It even managed to “break containment” and reach a wider audience than most sci-fi shows can.
While Severance really can appeal to anyone who’s ever worked a job, its main appeal will be to people who like watching a mystery unfold only to reveal more questions than answers. Severance is beautifully paced, its central questions are so compelling that you can’t help but keep watching, and everyone wants to know the truth of Lumon. If you watch Severance, you’ll understand the hype.
HBO Max
Falling Skies
HBO Max hasn’t dipped its toes into the science fiction genre as fully as other streaming services have, but you wouldn’t recognize that from its best offerings. While newer shows like The Last of Us, Station Eleven, and Scavenger’s Reign have all rightfully made a name for themselves, it’s not actually an HBO Max original that is the streamer’s best show.
Instead, it’s the TNT original Falling Skies from 2011. Focusing on Earth’s resistance to an alien invasion, Falling Skies offers a blend of sci-fi tropes and innovations that will remind viewers of everything from War of the Worlds to Andor. Like other entries on this list, Falling Skies manages to balance its high concept with human stories, a great mystery, and even better action.