Do you believe in aliens, time travel and parallel universes? Are you fascinated with the future, from interstellar travel to post-apocalyptic horror? If you’ve ever considered whether you’d join the robots or side with the humans, you’ll enjoy our list of the best sci-fi shows to watch right now — and a few to binge later.
Best Sci-Fi Shows to Watch Right Now
There’s never been a better time for fans of science fiction shows. Mind-bending, time-traveling, spaceship-having shows are everywhere, and they’re only getting better. Check out these popular sci-fi shows airing right now and get up to speed before they return.
‘From’
You’re on a fun family road trip, but you’re lost. You stumble upon a charming town and ask for directions from a gruff yet helpful sheriff. But no matter how closely you follow those directions, you can’t get out of the town. You circle around and around, until you finally realize: You can never leave.
That’s the premise of From, one of the most popular new sci-fi shows. The unfortunate souls are the Matthews family, made up of father Jim (Eion Bailey), mother Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and their kids Ethan (Simon Webster) and Jessica (Hannah Cheramy). And being stuck in a mysterious town isn’t the worst thing that will happen to them.
What are the monsters that come at night? What do they want? And how can they be stopped? The show is set to return for a second season in the spring of 2023, so maybe we’ll find out.
‘Snowpiercer’
It’s the year 2031. The human race has made a last-ditch effort to stop global warming, but instead has created a catastrophic ice age. Now, a small group of survivors has taken refuge in an ultra-long train (1,001 cars, to be exact) that circles the globe nonstop. The train is called the Snowpiercer, and its inhabitants live in a strange and unique world.
The show has no shortage of star power, with Jennifer Connelly as main character Melanie, the train’s director of hospitality, as well as Alison Wright as her second-in-command, Ruth, and Daveed Diggs as Andre, a revolutionary who is also the last remaining police detective. Andre is important: In the first episode, a murder has occurred.
Inspired by a French graphic novel, Snowpiercer takes its place along with some of the best sci-fi movies based on books. Season four has been filmed, but the release date hasn’t been announced, making it one of the most anticipated science fiction shows of 2023. If you haven’t started it yet, now is your chance to catch up.
‘Quantum Leap’
Airing from 1989 to 1993, the original version of this series was one of the biggest science fiction shows to watch during its time. Now Quantum Leap has returned, with Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) and his wife-to-be Addison (Caitlin Bassett) as the main characters. Dr. Song is a brilliant physicist studying time travel for the government. What could go wrong? He certainly doesn’t suspect anything, until he ends up in someone else’s body in 1985.
Like the original series, a hologram visits Dr. Song: that of his fiancée Addison, who guides him through his new reality. In order to make another leap — and possibly return to his real life — he needs to fix something for his host human. There are plenty of callbacks to the original series, leaving the viewer wondering if, unlike his predecessor, he just might make it home.
Quantum Leap was a hit for NBC, which recently announced the popular sci-fi show has been renewed for a second season. The date hasn’t been set, but you can still make a date with your TV to watch the 18 episodes available from season one.
More Sci-Fi Shows to Check Out
Like a good scientist, you want to be up-to-date on your sci-fi shows. You certainly have lots of options, from brand-new hits to classic series with tons of seasons for you to binge.
- Dr. Who (2005–present)
- American Horror Story (2011–present)
- The 100 (2014–2020)
- Westworld (2016–2022)
- Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)
- Raised by Wolves (2020–2022)
- Andor (2022–present)
- The Last of Us (2023–present)
Watch Sci-Fi Shows on DIRECTV
The best sci-fi shows always leave you wanting more — and when you have DIRECTV, you don’t have to worry about where to get it. We have many of the most popular premium networks, plus CBS, NBC, TNT and nearly every other channel you need. The truth is out there, and when it’s this easy to find sci-fi shows to watch, you can spend more time figuring out what exactly is going on.
Can’t get enough TV sci-fi shows? Choose the best package to find the sci-fi you crave.
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