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Britt is a writer and digital marketer with experience in multiple industries. Her main passions feature video games, graphic/web design, and cosplay. When she’s not writing for Howchoo, Britt is the Community Manager for the Beard Zone Gaming Community, Co-Founder of The Beard Zone Merch Store, and creates inclusive and nerdy videos for YouTube and TikTok. Outside of content creation and work, Britt spends most of her time looking at corgi photos, singing Celine Dion, and reading fantasy novels.
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Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube

See, listen, learn: these vloggers will open your eyes to a new world!
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 15, 2021
0

There is something magical about watching people explore the world. It’s far too easy to become stuck in a limited view of the world when we’re trapped in a daily grind, but thanks to these incredible souls we do have the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to different ways of living and being in the world.

Travel vlogging is an interesting space to be in, with some vloggers gaining millions of followers and others sticking true to a core of thousands—but in all cases, there is something unique to experience alongside them. Every vlogger I’ve ever seen brings their own personality and individuality into their videos, from the action-packed party lovers, to ordinary folk finding their way in a strange new clime.

I’ve taken care to find a diverse group of travel vloggers or you to enjoy: these are people from all walks of life, various ethnicities, and various cultural backgrounds. For some, the place they live and explore is a new homeland, while for others the goal is to see as much of the world as possible in the time they have. From Edinbrugh, Scotland, to Sichuan in China, there’s just so much to explore.

koldkold
kold: known for his incredible stunts.
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Kold does totally incredible high-caliber travel videography, presenting the world in an action-packed cinematographic format that’s frequently out of this world. Combined with a huge range of incredible stunts, this makes for a channel brimming with uniquely styled content.

Some image descriptionSome image description
kold and his partner feature in videos together.

Sam Kolder is a high-end videographer in his day job, so his travel videos don’t come frequently, but when they do arrive they always brim with intense action, vibrant shifting visuals, and an emphasis on style. According to his biographical video “Hey Tim”, Sam’s proclivity toward cinematography found a whole new outlet through his passion for travel, but sadly only after the death of his brother prompted him to grow.

His story is powerful, visually stunning, and moving enough to help anyone who watches his videos think about their own desire for life with a bit more clarity.

Phil Good TravelPhil Good Travel
Phil Good Travel
  • Areas Traveled: Europe

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkzXuOitvis]

Phil Good Travel highlights the growing trend of African-American tourism. Produced by the Matador Network, this vlog series features Phil as he travels Europe, showing solidarity with black travelers and acting as a powerful proponent for positivity and patience.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Phil Good Travel

Phil offers a fun and funny, as well as sincere and powerful travel experience that everyone will enjoy — but which will hopefully make even more African-Americans feel excited about the prospect of traveling the world.

Sorelle AmoreSorelle Amore
Sorelle Amore
  • Areas Traveled: World; Iceland

Sorelle Amore has become a millionaire sensation through her savvy business sense and stunning style. She first claimed fame through her noted international travels, getting paid to experience the sights and sounds of the world. Since then, she also branched into teaching others how to improve their online presence through better photography via her “Advanced Selfie University.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Sorelle Amore

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she turned her sights to other pastures than those abroad, settling down to concentrate on an ethically-minded business called Abundantia that she hopes will help the world become a better place.

The Cottage FairyThe Cottage Fairy
The Cottage Fairy
  • Areas Traveled: Washington, USA

Watch the video:

The Cottage Fairy mindfulness, nature walks, and a pinch of ASMR-esque introspective conversation all blend into a cottagecore sensibility that is totally transportative. You’ll feel as if your whole being has absconded to the woodland after just a couple of Paola Merrill’s videos, which feature her daily wilderness lifestyle and her musings on human society.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Cottage Fairy

In a highly energetic tech-centered world, it can be a wonderful balm to center oneself within a natural aesthetic. Paola’s proximity to pure nature allows her to immerse herself in the wilderness, but her artistic videos are a reminded that all of us, no matter where we live, can find a wealth of value in encouraging a more natural and wild environment in our surroundings.

OurSignedWorldOurSignedWorld
OurSignedWorld
  • Areas Traveled: Phillipines, World

Watch the video:

OurSignedWorld is a whole-life vlog for the mixed hearing and deaf couple Courtney and Zach (and their daughter Madison, who is also hearing). Zach is deaf and fluent in ASL and Courtney is a professional ASL translator, so their videos feature a wonderful mixture of ASL and spoken material from Courtney (and Madison), with great subtitles as well for anyone who isn’t yet fluent in ASL.

Some image descriptionSome image description
OurSignedWorld

Their videos are not primarily travel related, but their travels have taken them on long road trips within the United States and a few journeys beyond its boarders as well; the couple also plans to make new travel vlogs in 2022 with feedback from their substantial (nearly 70k) YouTube audience.

Fearless and FarFearless and Far
Fearless and Far
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

A travel vlog dedicated to seeking out experiences both intense and frightening, Fearless and Far frequently goes too far for my taste, but oftentimes covers aspects of life in parts of the world that other travel vloggers avoid altogether.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Fearless and Far

Not for the faint of heart, Mike Corey undertakes experiences that will alarm many, but in doing so he opens the eyes of his viewers to possibilities beyond belief. His point, he reiterates, is not that he seeks out intense experiences because he is fearless — quite the reverse; he seeks out what he fears because he fears it, leaning into what scares him in order to broaden his life’s horizon.

Minority NomadMinority Nomad
Minority Nomad
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Minority Nomad is the name of Erick Prince’s travel vlog, which features him traveling the world in search of new experience and new friends. His goal in life is to be the first African American to visit every single country on Earth and with over 90 down, he’s already making great headway.

Prince’s videos are informative and entertaining, and he frequently hangs out with different crowds than many of the other travel vloggers I’ve seen. His experiences feel very real because he’s hanging out with very real people: one of my favorite videos is of a family barbecue in Romania for Name Day, which opens a really cool window into the lives of the people he’s visiting (and provides a nifty trick for getting a good fire started).

Some image descriptionSome image description
Minority Nomad

Prince doesn’t confine himself just to travel, either: he does other videos that explore the differences between the United States and the countries he visits, and in one he even recounted how his experience outside the U.S. turned him (a retired soldier and ostensibly pro-gun citizen) into a far more skeptical gun owner. That’s the sort of change I love seeing, and I think it’s exceptionally cool to see a travel vlogger showcase such large transitions in their own life that the experience of seeing other countires has brought about.

Li ZiqiLi Ziqi
Li Ziqi
  • Areas Traveled: Sichuan Province, China

Watch the video:

Li ZiQi holds a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube” with over 16 million subscribers and over 2.4 billion views.

Her softly pastoral videos feature Li’s life living and working on her grandmother’s rural farm, as well as her explorations of other elements of rural Chinese life. She visits local businesses that create traditional foods, shows her followers how to make peach blossom flower crowns, and offers a startlingly gorgeous view of rural Sichuan life.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Li Ziqi

None of her videos feature interviews, or even talking — the only conventions is that between Li and her grandmother, overheard in the background, with the sounds of nature and gently flowing ambient music blending to create the primary soundscape.

Truly enchanting, with many of her videos taking on a fictionalized fantasy theme that reminds me of playing Skyrim: pastoral meditation at its best.

Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!
  • Areas Traveled: Scotland, Czech Republic, Japan

Watch the video:

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures! features awesome travel videos mostly centering on Scotland and Edinbrugh where Kat and her partner Simon live and explore. Their videos sometimes range farther afield, however, with forrays to Kat’s country of origin (Czech Republic), and locations in Asia.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Simon and Kat create really lovely, heartfelt, content including fun and informative reviews of businesses they visit (in which they showcase incredible amounts of tasty food). Kat dives into some of the geeky elements of her life (something I wish far more travel vloggers would do!) and she creates neat Scotland-themed art (such as the awesome Edinburgh pin that my fiancée bought me as a present).

Some image descriptionSome image description
My Edinbrugh pin made by Kat!

Their blog is one of my favorite discoveries so-far!

Deaf WandererDeaf Wanderer
Deaf Wanderer
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Deaf Wanderer is the work of Chris Haulmark, a deaf man traveling the world with the goal of inspiring others without hearing to do the same. “A lot of people thought I couldn’t solo travel as a deaf person,” Chris said. “I showed them that I could.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf Wanderer

But Chris didn’t stop with travels. In 2018, he ran for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and since then has continued to campaign actively for progressive issues and deaf-friendly legislation around the country. He might not be actively creating travel vlogs anymore, but his incredible store of travel videos from years prior makes his channel a font of wealth for anyone interested in the deaf experience abroad.

The Most Interesting Woman in the WorldThe Most Interesting Woman in the World
The Most Interesting Woman in the World
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

(Kellee Edwards)[https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlogAbroadChannel] has been called “The Most Interesting Woman in the World” by Outside magazine… and for good reason! Kellee is a travel expert, a licensed pilot, and the host of Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands — making her the first black woman to host her own travel series on a major network.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kellee Edwards

Kellee has devoted most of her time to her main pursuits and her Travel Channel series, but she still puts up new content on YouTube from time to time, and it’s always spectacular. Her signature style is pure Indiana Jones: she flies herself to her destinations, she climbs mountains, she dives into deep ocean waves — Kellee’s experiences in the world are certain to inspire everyone to take their life into their own hands and forge their own path through the world.

CupofTJCupofTJ
CupofTJ
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

CupofTJ is the “Cutest Travel & Food Show” that invites people to see new places through the lens of food! TJ Lee started out with a passion for exploration and nummy cuisine, and has built her channel into an incredible world-romping experience as geeky and silly as it is profound. From Indonesia, to Peru, to the Czech Republic, TJ has been all over, and her journey continues weekly!

Some image descriptionSome image description
CupofTJ

“If you have a lifestyle you want to create for yourself, whether that incorporates travel or not, you have to dive in head first and just commit to it,” Lee said. “It’s going to be super rocky, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s going to be so worth it.”

And her channel makes this abundantly clear. If you’ve ever needed a little lift to get you through your week, or maybe even out of your old life and into a life you’re excited to live, TJ’s channel just might be the thing that helps you get there.

The Bucket List FamilyThe Bucket List Family
The Bucket List Family
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Bucket List Family decided to give up everything considered “normal” and instead live their dream which just happened to be traveling the entire planet with their three very young children, experiencing life in its rawest, most vibrant form. They journey from country to country on a never-ending adventure, exploring the world and inspiring millions of people in their wake.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Bucket List Family

Their adventures allow their viewers a unique perspective into life as a family — their high-functioning communication skills, passion for exploration, and earnest love and care for one another always shines through, and their kids are frankly adorable. This is the sort of thing that might just change your life if you let it sink in.

The Endless AdventureThe Endless Adventure
The Endless Adventure
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Endless Adventure is the vlog of Eric and Allison, a young couple who traded in the dream of steady paychecks at normal jobs for the far more preferable dream of experiencing life the world over in all its myriad intricacies and joys.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Endless Adventure

They’ve been traveling for over six years, now, and their COVID-19 project has been the conversion of an older camper RV into a delightful tiny home which will launch them on their next grand tour.

Their videos are sweet, earnest, fun, and highly relatable. As they figure out life on the road together, their viewers get the chance to see a different experience of living, and might just be inspired to follow suit.

Ashley SmithAshley Smith
Ashley Smith
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Ashley Smith is a flight attendant who travels all over the world, which makes her the perfect person to host a travel vlog! Not only is her experience of travel pretty unique from others on this list, with a fascinating look into elements of her professional life, but she is constantly on the move through the air, living a “high life” like no other.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Ashley Smith

Her channel also features a number of “travel adjacent” videos that concentrate on everything from the “real life” of a flight attendant, to hair and beauty tips for travelers, to packing hacks for people constantly on the move. That content alone, from a professional traveler like Ashley, is worth a good binge.

Dream Big, Travel FarDream Big, Travel Far
Dream Big, Travel Far
  • Areas Traveled:

Watch the video:

Dream Big, Travel Far is the traveling couple Cazzy & Bradley. They’ve been running their excellent little travel vlog for five years, but it wasn’t until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that they decided to spend lockdown converting a van into a camper so they could travel the world.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Dream Big, Travel Far

Cazzy and Bradley have landed in a number of cool places, and their experiences traveling are sweet and simple, with a relaxed, personal style that is easy to appreciate.

Converting a van into a living space and then responsibly traveling during the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but these two go at it with passion, managing to have incredible experiences and showcase their ingenuity in the process.

Odin's profile pictureOdin's profile pictureOdin
Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
Discuss this guide!

Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube

See, listen, learn: these vloggers will open your eyes to a new world!
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 15, 2021
0

There is something magical about watching people explore the world. It’s far too easy to become stuck in a limited view of the world when we’re trapped in a daily grind, but thanks to these incredible souls we do have the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to different ways of living and being in the world.

Travel vlogging is an interesting space to be in, with some vloggers gaining millions of followers and others sticking true to a core of thousands—but in all cases, there is something unique to experience alongside them. Every vlogger I’ve ever seen brings their own personality and individuality into their videos, from the action-packed party lovers, to ordinary folk finding their way in a strange new clime.

I’ve taken care to find a diverse group of travel vloggers or you to enjoy: these are people from all walks of life, various ethnicities, and various cultural backgrounds. For some, the place they live and explore is a new homeland, while for others the goal is to see as much of the world as possible in the time they have. From Edinbrugh, Scotland, to Sichuan in China, there’s just so much to explore.

koldkold
kold: known for his incredible stunts.
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Kold does totally incredible high-caliber travel videography, presenting the world in an action-packed cinematographic format that’s frequently out of this world. Combined with a huge range of incredible stunts, this makes for a channel brimming with uniquely styled content.

Some image descriptionSome image description
kold and his partner feature in videos together.

Sam Kolder is a high-end videographer in his day job, so his travel videos don’t come frequently, but when they do arrive they always brim with intense action, vibrant shifting visuals, and an emphasis on style. According to his biographical video “Hey Tim”, Sam’s proclivity toward cinematography found a whole new outlet through his passion for travel, but sadly only after the death of his brother prompted him to grow.

His story is powerful, visually stunning, and moving enough to help anyone who watches his videos think about their own desire for life with a bit more clarity.

Phil Good TravelPhil Good Travel
Phil Good Travel
  • Areas Traveled: Europe

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkzXuOitvis]

Phil Good Travel highlights the growing trend of African-American tourism. Produced by the Matador Network, this vlog series features Phil as he travels Europe, showing solidarity with black travelers and acting as a powerful proponent for positivity and patience.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Phil Good Travel

Phil offers a fun and funny, as well as sincere and powerful travel experience that everyone will enjoy — but which will hopefully make even more African-Americans feel excited about the prospect of traveling the world.

Sorelle AmoreSorelle Amore
Sorelle Amore
  • Areas Traveled: World; Iceland

Sorelle Amore has become a millionaire sensation through her savvy business sense and stunning style. She first claimed fame through her noted international travels, getting paid to experience the sights and sounds of the world. Since then, she also branched into teaching others how to improve their online presence through better photography via her “Advanced Selfie University.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Sorelle Amore

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she turned her sights to other pastures than those abroad, settling down to concentrate on an ethically-minded business called Abundantia that she hopes will help the world become a better place.

The Cottage FairyThe Cottage Fairy
The Cottage Fairy
  • Areas Traveled: Washington, USA

Watch the video:

The Cottage Fairy mindfulness, nature walks, and a pinch of ASMR-esque introspective conversation all blend into a cottagecore sensibility that is totally transportative. You’ll feel as if your whole being has absconded to the woodland after just a couple of Paola Merrill’s videos, which feature her daily wilderness lifestyle and her musings on human society.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Cottage Fairy

In a highly energetic tech-centered world, it can be a wonderful balm to center oneself within a natural aesthetic. Paola’s proximity to pure nature allows her to immerse herself in the wilderness, but her artistic videos are a reminded that all of us, no matter where we live, can find a wealth of value in encouraging a more natural and wild environment in our surroundings.

OurSignedWorldOurSignedWorld
OurSignedWorld
  • Areas Traveled: Phillipines, World

Watch the video:

OurSignedWorld is a whole-life vlog for the mixed hearing and deaf couple Courtney and Zach (and their daughter Madison, who is also hearing). Zach is deaf and fluent in ASL and Courtney is a professional ASL translator, so their videos feature a wonderful mixture of ASL and spoken material from Courtney (and Madison), with great subtitles as well for anyone who isn’t yet fluent in ASL.

Some image descriptionSome image description
OurSignedWorld

Their videos are not primarily travel related, but their travels have taken them on long road trips within the United States and a few journeys beyond its boarders as well; the couple also plans to make new travel vlogs in 2022 with feedback from their substantial (nearly 70k) YouTube audience.

Fearless and FarFearless and Far
Fearless and Far
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

A travel vlog dedicated to seeking out experiences both intense and frightening, Fearless and Far frequently goes too far for my taste, but oftentimes covers aspects of life in parts of the world that other travel vloggers avoid altogether.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Fearless and Far

Not for the faint of heart, Mike Corey undertakes experiences that will alarm many, but in doing so he opens the eyes of his viewers to possibilities beyond belief. His point, he reiterates, is not that he seeks out intense experiences because he is fearless — quite the reverse; he seeks out what he fears because he fears it, leaning into what scares him in order to broaden his life’s horizon.

Minority NomadMinority Nomad
Minority Nomad
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Minority Nomad is the name of Erick Prince’s travel vlog, which features him traveling the world in search of new experience and new friends. His goal in life is to be the first African American to visit every single country on Earth and with over 90 down, he’s already making great headway.

Prince’s videos are informative and entertaining, and he frequently hangs out with different crowds than many of the other travel vloggers I’ve seen. His experiences feel very real because he’s hanging out with very real people: one of my favorite videos is of a family barbecue in Romania for Name Day, which opens a really cool window into the lives of the people he’s visiting (and provides a nifty trick for getting a good fire started).

Some image descriptionSome image description
Minority Nomad

Prince doesn’t confine himself just to travel, either: he does other videos that explore the differences between the United States and the countries he visits, and in one he even recounted how his experience outside the U.S. turned him (a retired soldier and ostensibly pro-gun citizen) into a far more skeptical gun owner. That’s the sort of change I love seeing, and I think it’s exceptionally cool to see a travel vlogger showcase such large transitions in their own life that the experience of seeing other countires has brought about.

Li ZiqiLi Ziqi
Li Ziqi
  • Areas Traveled: Sichuan Province, China

Watch the video:

Li ZiQi holds a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube” with over 16 million subscribers and over 2.4 billion views.

Her softly pastoral videos feature Li’s life living and working on her grandmother’s rural farm, as well as her explorations of other elements of rural Chinese life. She visits local businesses that create traditional foods, shows her followers how to make peach blossom flower crowns, and offers a startlingly gorgeous view of rural Sichuan life.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Li Ziqi

None of her videos feature interviews, or even talking — the only conventions is that between Li and her grandmother, overheard in the background, with the sounds of nature and gently flowing ambient music blending to create the primary soundscape.

Truly enchanting, with many of her videos taking on a fictionalized fantasy theme that reminds me of playing Skyrim: pastoral meditation at its best.

Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!
  • Areas Traveled: Scotland, Czech Republic, Japan

Watch the video:

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures! features awesome travel videos mostly centering on Scotland and Edinbrugh where Kat and her partner Simon live and explore. Their videos sometimes range farther afield, however, with forrays to Kat’s country of origin (Czech Republic), and locations in Asia.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Simon and Kat create really lovely, heartfelt, content including fun and informative reviews of businesses they visit (in which they showcase incredible amounts of tasty food). Kat dives into some of the geeky elements of her life (something I wish far more travel vloggers would do!) and she creates neat Scotland-themed art (such as the awesome Edinburgh pin that my fiancée bought me as a present).

Some image descriptionSome image description
My Edinbrugh pin made by Kat!

Their blog is one of my favorite discoveries so-far!

Deaf WandererDeaf Wanderer
Deaf Wanderer
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Deaf Wanderer is the work of Chris Haulmark, a deaf man traveling the world with the goal of inspiring others without hearing to do the same. “A lot of people thought I couldn’t solo travel as a deaf person,” Chris said. “I showed them that I could.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf Wanderer

But Chris didn’t stop with travels. In 2018, he ran for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and since then has continued to campaign actively for progressive issues and deaf-friendly legislation around the country. He might not be actively creating travel vlogs anymore, but his incredible store of travel videos from years prior makes his channel a font of wealth for anyone interested in the deaf experience abroad.

The Most Interesting Woman in the WorldThe Most Interesting Woman in the World
The Most Interesting Woman in the World
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

(Kellee Edwards)[https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlogAbroadChannel] has been called “The Most Interesting Woman in the World” by Outside magazine… and for good reason! Kellee is a travel expert, a licensed pilot, and the host of Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands — making her the first black woman to host her own travel series on a major network.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kellee Edwards

Kellee has devoted most of her time to her main pursuits and her Travel Channel series, but she still puts up new content on YouTube from time to time, and it’s always spectacular. Her signature style is pure Indiana Jones: she flies herself to her destinations, she climbs mountains, she dives into deep ocean waves — Kellee’s experiences in the world are certain to inspire everyone to take their life into their own hands and forge their own path through the world.

CupofTJCupofTJ
CupofTJ
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

CupofTJ is the “Cutest Travel & Food Show” that invites people to see new places through the lens of food! TJ Lee started out with a passion for exploration and nummy cuisine, and has built her channel into an incredible world-romping experience as geeky and silly as it is profound. From Indonesia, to Peru, to the Czech Republic, TJ has been all over, and her journey continues weekly!

Some image descriptionSome image description
CupofTJ

“If you have a lifestyle you want to create for yourself, whether that incorporates travel or not, you have to dive in head first and just commit to it,” Lee said. “It’s going to be super rocky, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s going to be so worth it.”

And her channel makes this abundantly clear. If you’ve ever needed a little lift to get you through your week, or maybe even out of your old life and into a life you’re excited to live, TJ’s channel just might be the thing that helps you get there.

The Bucket List FamilyThe Bucket List Family
The Bucket List Family
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Bucket List Family decided to give up everything considered “normal” and instead live their dream which just happened to be traveling the entire planet with their three very young children, experiencing life in its rawest, most vibrant form. They journey from country to country on a never-ending adventure, exploring the world and inspiring millions of people in their wake.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Bucket List Family

Their adventures allow their viewers a unique perspective into life as a family — their high-functioning communication skills, passion for exploration, and earnest love and care for one another always shines through, and their kids are frankly adorable. This is the sort of thing that might just change your life if you let it sink in.

The Endless AdventureThe Endless Adventure
The Endless Adventure
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Endless Adventure is the vlog of Eric and Allison, a young couple who traded in the dream of steady paychecks at normal jobs for the far more preferable dream of experiencing life the world over in all its myriad intricacies and joys.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Endless Adventure

They’ve been traveling for over six years, now, and their COVID-19 project has been the conversion of an older camper RV into a delightful tiny home which will launch them on their next grand tour.

Their videos are sweet, earnest, fun, and highly relatable. As they figure out life on the road together, their viewers get the chance to see a different experience of living, and might just be inspired to follow suit.

Ashley SmithAshley Smith
Ashley Smith
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Ashley Smith is a flight attendant who travels all over the world, which makes her the perfect person to host a travel vlog! Not only is her experience of travel pretty unique from others on this list, with a fascinating look into elements of her professional life, but she is constantly on the move through the air, living a “high life” like no other.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Ashley Smith

Her channel also features a number of “travel adjacent” videos that concentrate on everything from the “real life” of a flight attendant, to hair and beauty tips for travelers, to packing hacks for people constantly on the move. That content alone, from a professional traveler like Ashley, is worth a good binge.

Dream Big, Travel FarDream Big, Travel Far
Dream Big, Travel Far
  • Areas Traveled:

Watch the video:

Dream Big, Travel Far is the traveling couple Cazzy & Bradley. They’ve been running their excellent little travel vlog for five years, but it wasn’t until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that they decided to spend lockdown converting a van into a camper so they could travel the world.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Dream Big, Travel Far

Cazzy and Bradley have landed in a number of cool places, and their experiences traveling are sweet and simple, with a relaxed, personal style that is easy to appreciate.

Converting a van into a living space and then responsibly traveling during the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but these two go at it with passion, managing to have incredible experiences and showcase their ingenuity in the process.

 

Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube

See, listen, learn: these vloggers will open your eyes to a new world!
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 15, 2021
0

There is something magical about watching people explore the world. It’s far too easy to become stuck in a limited view of the world when we’re trapped in a daily grind, but thanks to these incredible souls we do have the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to different ways of living and being in the world.

Travel vlogging is an interesting space to be in, with some vloggers gaining millions of followers and others sticking true to a core of thousands—but in all cases, there is something unique to experience alongside them. Every vlogger I’ve ever seen brings their own personality and individuality into their videos, from the action-packed party lovers, to ordinary folk finding their way in a strange new clime.

I’ve taken care to find a diverse group of travel vloggers or you to enjoy: these are people from all walks of life, various ethnicities, and various cultural backgrounds. For some, the place they live and explore is a new homeland, while for others the goal is to see as much of the world as possible in the time they have. From Edinbrugh, Scotland, to Sichuan in China, there’s just so much to explore.

koldkold
kold: known for his incredible stunts.
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Kold does totally incredible high-caliber travel videography, presenting the world in an action-packed cinematographic format that’s frequently out of this world. Combined with a huge range of incredible stunts, this makes for a channel brimming with uniquely styled content.

Some image descriptionSome image description
kold and his partner feature in videos together.

Sam Kolder is a high-end videographer in his day job, so his travel videos don’t come frequently, but when they do arrive they always brim with intense action, vibrant shifting visuals, and an emphasis on style. According to his biographical video “Hey Tim”, Sam’s proclivity toward cinematography found a whole new outlet through his passion for travel, but sadly only after the death of his brother prompted him to grow.

His story is powerful, visually stunning, and moving enough to help anyone who watches his videos think about their own desire for life with a bit more clarity.

Phil Good TravelPhil Good Travel
Phil Good Travel
  • Areas Traveled: Europe

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkzXuOitvis]

Phil Good Travel highlights the growing trend of African-American tourism. Produced by the Matador Network, this vlog series features Phil as he travels Europe, showing solidarity with black travelers and acting as a powerful proponent for positivity and patience.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Phil Good Travel

Phil offers a fun and funny, as well as sincere and powerful travel experience that everyone will enjoy — but which will hopefully make even more African-Americans feel excited about the prospect of traveling the world.

Sorelle AmoreSorelle Amore
Sorelle Amore
  • Areas Traveled: World; Iceland

Sorelle Amore has become a millionaire sensation through her savvy business sense and stunning style. She first claimed fame through her noted international travels, getting paid to experience the sights and sounds of the world. Since then, she also branched into teaching others how to improve their online presence through better photography via her “Advanced Selfie University.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Sorelle Amore

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she turned her sights to other pastures than those abroad, settling down to concentrate on an ethically-minded business called Abundantia that she hopes will help the world become a better place.

The Cottage FairyThe Cottage Fairy
The Cottage Fairy
  • Areas Traveled: Washington, USA

Watch the video:

The Cottage Fairy mindfulness, nature walks, and a pinch of ASMR-esque introspective conversation all blend into a cottagecore sensibility that is totally transportative. You’ll feel as if your whole being has absconded to the woodland after just a couple of Paola Merrill’s videos, which feature her daily wilderness lifestyle and her musings on human society.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Cottage Fairy

In a highly energetic tech-centered world, it can be a wonderful balm to center oneself within a natural aesthetic. Paola’s proximity to pure nature allows her to immerse herself in the wilderness, but her artistic videos are a reminded that all of us, no matter where we live, can find a wealth of value in encouraging a more natural and wild environment in our surroundings.

OurSignedWorldOurSignedWorld
OurSignedWorld
  • Areas Traveled: Phillipines, World

Watch the video:

OurSignedWorld is a whole-life vlog for the mixed hearing and deaf couple Courtney and Zach (and their daughter Madison, who is also hearing). Zach is deaf and fluent in ASL and Courtney is a professional ASL translator, so their videos feature a wonderful mixture of ASL and spoken material from Courtney (and Madison), with great subtitles as well for anyone who isn’t yet fluent in ASL.

Some image descriptionSome image description
OurSignedWorld

Their videos are not primarily travel related, but their travels have taken them on long road trips within the United States and a few journeys beyond its boarders as well; the couple also plans to make new travel vlogs in 2022 with feedback from their substantial (nearly 70k) YouTube audience.

Fearless and FarFearless and Far
Fearless and Far
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

A travel vlog dedicated to seeking out experiences both intense and frightening, Fearless and Far frequently goes too far for my taste, but oftentimes covers aspects of life in parts of the world that other travel vloggers avoid altogether.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Fearless and Far

Not for the faint of heart, Mike Corey undertakes experiences that will alarm many, but in doing so he opens the eyes of his viewers to possibilities beyond belief. His point, he reiterates, is not that he seeks out intense experiences because he is fearless — quite the reverse; he seeks out what he fears because he fears it, leaning into what scares him in order to broaden his life’s horizon.

Minority NomadMinority Nomad
Minority Nomad
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Minority Nomad is the name of Erick Prince’s travel vlog, which features him traveling the world in search of new experience and new friends. His goal in life is to be the first African American to visit every single country on Earth and with over 90 down, he’s already making great headway.

Prince’s videos are informative and entertaining, and he frequently hangs out with different crowds than many of the other travel vloggers I’ve seen. His experiences feel very real because he’s hanging out with very real people: one of my favorite videos is of a family barbecue in Romania for Name Day, which opens a really cool window into the lives of the people he’s visiting (and provides a nifty trick for getting a good fire started).

Some image descriptionSome image description
Minority Nomad

Prince doesn’t confine himself just to travel, either: he does other videos that explore the differences between the United States and the countries he visits, and in one he even recounted how his experience outside the U.S. turned him (a retired soldier and ostensibly pro-gun citizen) into a far more skeptical gun owner. That’s the sort of change I love seeing, and I think it’s exceptionally cool to see a travel vlogger showcase such large transitions in their own life that the experience of seeing other countires has brought about.

Li ZiqiLi Ziqi
Li Ziqi
  • Areas Traveled: Sichuan Province, China

Watch the video:

Li ZiQi holds a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube” with over 16 million subscribers and over 2.4 billion views.

Her softly pastoral videos feature Li’s life living and working on her grandmother’s rural farm, as well as her explorations of other elements of rural Chinese life. She visits local businesses that create traditional foods, shows her followers how to make peach blossom flower crowns, and offers a startlingly gorgeous view of rural Sichuan life.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Li Ziqi

None of her videos feature interviews, or even talking — the only conventions is that between Li and her grandmother, overheard in the background, with the sounds of nature and gently flowing ambient music blending to create the primary soundscape.

Truly enchanting, with many of her videos taking on a fictionalized fantasy theme that reminds me of playing Skyrim: pastoral meditation at its best.

Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!
  • Areas Traveled: Scotland, Czech Republic, Japan

Watch the video:

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures! features awesome travel videos mostly centering on Scotland and Edinbrugh where Kat and her partner Simon live and explore. Their videos sometimes range farther afield, however, with forrays to Kat’s country of origin (Czech Republic), and locations in Asia.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Simon and Kat create really lovely, heartfelt, content including fun and informative reviews of businesses they visit (in which they showcase incredible amounts of tasty food). Kat dives into some of the geeky elements of her life (something I wish far more travel vloggers would do!) and she creates neat Scotland-themed art (such as the awesome Edinburgh pin that my fiancée bought me as a present).

Some image descriptionSome image description
My Edinbrugh pin made by Kat!

Their blog is one of my favorite discoveries so-far!

Deaf WandererDeaf Wanderer
Deaf Wanderer
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Deaf Wanderer is the work of Chris Haulmark, a deaf man traveling the world with the goal of inspiring others without hearing to do the same. “A lot of people thought I couldn’t solo travel as a deaf person,” Chris said. “I showed them that I could.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf Wanderer

But Chris didn’t stop with travels. In 2018, he ran for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and since then has continued to campaign actively for progressive issues and deaf-friendly legislation around the country. He might not be actively creating travel vlogs anymore, but his incredible store of travel videos from years prior makes his channel a font of wealth for anyone interested in the deaf experience abroad.

The Most Interesting Woman in the WorldThe Most Interesting Woman in the World
The Most Interesting Woman in the World
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

(Kellee Edwards)[https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlogAbroadChannel] has been called “The Most Interesting Woman in the World” by Outside magazine… and for good reason! Kellee is a travel expert, a licensed pilot, and the host of Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands — making her the first black woman to host her own travel series on a major network.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kellee Edwards

Kellee has devoted most of her time to her main pursuits and her Travel Channel series, but she still puts up new content on YouTube from time to time, and it’s always spectacular. Her signature style is pure Indiana Jones: she flies herself to her destinations, she climbs mountains, she dives into deep ocean waves — Kellee’s experiences in the world are certain to inspire everyone to take their life into their own hands and forge their own path through the world.

CupofTJCupofTJ
CupofTJ
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

CupofTJ is the “Cutest Travel & Food Show” that invites people to see new places through the lens of food! TJ Lee started out with a passion for exploration and nummy cuisine, and has built her channel into an incredible world-romping experience as geeky and silly as it is profound. From Indonesia, to Peru, to the Czech Republic, TJ has been all over, and her journey continues weekly!

Some image descriptionSome image description
CupofTJ

“If you have a lifestyle you want to create for yourself, whether that incorporates travel or not, you have to dive in head first and just commit to it,” Lee said. “It’s going to be super rocky, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s going to be so worth it.”

And her channel makes this abundantly clear. If you’ve ever needed a little lift to get you through your week, or maybe even out of your old life and into a life you’re excited to live, TJ’s channel just might be the thing that helps you get there.

The Bucket List FamilyThe Bucket List Family
The Bucket List Family
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Bucket List Family decided to give up everything considered “normal” and instead live their dream which just happened to be traveling the entire planet with their three very young children, experiencing life in its rawest, most vibrant form. They journey from country to country on a never-ending adventure, exploring the world and inspiring millions of people in their wake.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Bucket List Family

Their adventures allow their viewers a unique perspective into life as a family — their high-functioning communication skills, passion for exploration, and earnest love and care for one another always shines through, and their kids are frankly adorable. This is the sort of thing that might just change your life if you let it sink in.

The Endless AdventureThe Endless Adventure
The Endless Adventure
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Endless Adventure is the vlog of Eric and Allison, a young couple who traded in the dream of steady paychecks at normal jobs for the far more preferable dream of experiencing life the world over in all its myriad intricacies and joys.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Endless Adventure

They’ve been traveling for over six years, now, and their COVID-19 project has been the conversion of an older camper RV into a delightful tiny home which will launch them on their next grand tour.

Their videos are sweet, earnest, fun, and highly relatable. As they figure out life on the road together, their viewers get the chance to see a different experience of living, and might just be inspired to follow suit.

Ashley SmithAshley Smith
Ashley Smith
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Ashley Smith is a flight attendant who travels all over the world, which makes her the perfect person to host a travel vlog! Not only is her experience of travel pretty unique from others on this list, with a fascinating look into elements of her professional life, but she is constantly on the move through the air, living a “high life” like no other.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Ashley Smith

Her channel also features a number of “travel adjacent” videos that concentrate on everything from the “real life” of a flight attendant, to hair and beauty tips for travelers, to packing hacks for people constantly on the move. That content alone, from a professional traveler like Ashley, is worth a good binge.

Dream Big, Travel FarDream Big, Travel Far
Dream Big, Travel Far
  • Areas Traveled:

Watch the video:

Dream Big, Travel Far is the traveling couple Cazzy & Bradley. They’ve been running their excellent little travel vlog for five years, but it wasn’t until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that they decided to spend lockdown converting a van into a camper so they could travel the world.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Dream Big, Travel Far

Cazzy and Bradley have landed in a number of cool places, and their experiences traveling are sweet and simple, with a relaxed, personal style that is easy to appreciate.

Converting a van into a living space and then responsibly traveling during the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but these two go at it with passion, managing to have incredible experiences and showcase their ingenuity in the process.

Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube

See, listen, learn: these vloggers will open your eyes to a new world!
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 15, 2021
0

There is something magical about watching people explore the world. It’s far too easy to become stuck in a limited view of the world when we’re trapped in a daily grind, but thanks to these incredible souls we do have the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to different ways of living and being in the world.

Travel vlogging is an interesting space to be in, with some vloggers gaining millions of followers and others sticking true to a core of thousands—but in all cases, there is something unique to experience alongside them. Every vlogger I’ve ever seen brings their own personality and individuality into their videos, from the action-packed party lovers, to ordinary folk finding their way in a strange new clime.

I’ve taken care to find a diverse group of travel vloggers or you to enjoy: these are people from all walks of life, various ethnicities, and various cultural backgrounds. For some, the place they live and explore is a new homeland, while for others the goal is to see as much of the world as possible in the time they have. From Edinbrugh, Scotland, to Sichuan in China, there’s just so much to explore.

Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube

Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube
See, listen, learn: these vloggers will open your eyes to a new world!
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 15, 2021
0
Odin
 
 
koldkold
kold: known for his incredible stunts.
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Kold does totally incredible high-caliber travel videography, presenting the world in an action-packed cinematographic format that’s frequently out of this world. Combined with a huge range of incredible stunts, this makes for a channel brimming with uniquely styled content.

Some image descriptionSome image description
kold and his partner feature in videos together.

Sam Kolder is a high-end videographer in his day job, so his travel videos don’t come frequently, but when they do arrive they always brim with intense action, vibrant shifting visuals, and an emphasis on style. According to his biographical video “Hey Tim”, Sam’s proclivity toward cinematography found a whole new outlet through his passion for travel, but sadly only after the death of his brother prompted him to grow.

His story is powerful, visually stunning, and moving enough to help anyone who watches his videos think about their own desire for life with a bit more clarity.

koldkold
kold: known for his incredible stunts.
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Kold does totally incredible high-caliber travel videography, presenting the world in an action-packed cinematographic format that’s frequently out of this world. Combined with a huge range of incredible stunts, this makes for a channel brimming with uniquely styled content.

Some image descriptionSome image description
kold and his partner feature in videos together.

Sam Kolder is a high-end videographer in his day job, so his travel videos don’t come frequently, but when they do arrive they always brim with intense action, vibrant shifting visuals, and an emphasis on style. According to his biographical video “Hey Tim”, Sam’s proclivity toward cinematography found a whole new outlet through his passion for travel, but sadly only after the death of his brother prompted him to grow.

His story is powerful, visually stunning, and moving enough to help anyone who watches his videos think about their own desire for life with a bit more clarity.

kold

kold

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Phil Good TravelPhil Good Travel
Phil Good Travel
  • Areas Traveled: Europe

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkzXuOitvis]

Phil Good Travel highlights the growing trend of African-American tourism. Produced by the Matador Network, this vlog series features Phil as he travels Europe, showing solidarity with black travelers and acting as a powerful proponent for positivity and patience.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Phil Good Travel

Phil offers a fun and funny, as well as sincere and powerful travel experience that everyone will enjoy — but which will hopefully make even more African-Americans feel excited about the prospect of traveling the world.

Phil Good TravelPhil Good Travel
Phil Good Travel
  • Areas Traveled: Europe

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkzXuOitvis]

Phil Good Travel highlights the growing trend of African-American tourism. Produced by the Matador Network, this vlog series features Phil as he travels Europe, showing solidarity with black travelers and acting as a powerful proponent for positivity and patience.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Phil Good Travel

Phil offers a fun and funny, as well as sincere and powerful travel experience that everyone will enjoy — but which will hopefully make even more African-Americans feel excited about the prospect of traveling the world.

Phil Good Travel

Phil Good TravelSome image description
Sorelle AmoreSorelle Amore
Sorelle Amore
  • Areas Traveled: World; Iceland

Sorelle Amore has become a millionaire sensation through her savvy business sense and stunning style. She first claimed fame through her noted international travels, getting paid to experience the sights and sounds of the world. Since then, she also branched into teaching others how to improve their online presence through better photography via her “Advanced Selfie University.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Sorelle Amore

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she turned her sights to other pastures than those abroad, settling down to concentrate on an ethically-minded business called Abundantia that she hopes will help the world become a better place.

Sorelle AmoreSorelle Amore
Sorelle Amore
  • Areas Traveled: World; Iceland

Sorelle Amore has become a millionaire sensation through her savvy business sense and stunning style. She first claimed fame through her noted international travels, getting paid to experience the sights and sounds of the world. Since then, she also branched into teaching others how to improve their online presence through better photography via her “Advanced Selfie University.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Sorelle Amore

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she turned her sights to other pastures than those abroad, settling down to concentrate on an ethically-minded business called Abundantia that she hopes will help the world become a better place.

Sorelle Amore

Sorelle AmoreSome image description
The Cottage FairyThe Cottage Fairy
The Cottage Fairy
  • Areas Traveled: Washington, USA

Watch the video:

The Cottage Fairy mindfulness, nature walks, and a pinch of ASMR-esque introspective conversation all blend into a cottagecore sensibility that is totally transportative. You’ll feel as if your whole being has absconded to the woodland after just a couple of Paola Merrill’s videos, which feature her daily wilderness lifestyle and her musings on human society.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Cottage Fairy

In a highly energetic tech-centered world, it can be a wonderful balm to center oneself within a natural aesthetic. Paola’s proximity to pure nature allows her to immerse herself in the wilderness, but her artistic videos are a reminded that all of us, no matter where we live, can find a wealth of value in encouraging a more natural and wild environment in our surroundings.

The Cottage FairyThe Cottage Fairy
The Cottage Fairy
  • Areas Traveled: Washington, USA

Watch the video:

The Cottage Fairy mindfulness, nature walks, and a pinch of ASMR-esque introspective conversation all blend into a cottagecore sensibility that is totally transportative. You’ll feel as if your whole being has absconded to the woodland after just a couple of Paola Merrill’s videos, which feature her daily wilderness lifestyle and her musings on human society.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Cottage Fairy

In a highly energetic tech-centered world, it can be a wonderful balm to center oneself within a natural aesthetic. Paola’s proximity to pure nature allows her to immerse herself in the wilderness, but her artistic videos are a reminded that all of us, no matter where we live, can find a wealth of value in encouraging a more natural and wild environment in our surroundings.

The Cottage Fairy

The Cottage Fairy

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
OurSignedWorldOurSignedWorld
OurSignedWorld
  • Areas Traveled: Phillipines, World

Watch the video:

OurSignedWorld is a whole-life vlog for the mixed hearing and deaf couple Courtney and Zach (and their daughter Madison, who is also hearing). Zach is deaf and fluent in ASL and Courtney is a professional ASL translator, so their videos feature a wonderful mixture of ASL and spoken material from Courtney (and Madison), with great subtitles as well for anyone who isn’t yet fluent in ASL.

Some image descriptionSome image description
OurSignedWorld

Their videos are not primarily travel related, but their travels have taken them on long road trips within the United States and a few journeys beyond its boarders as well; the couple also plans to make new travel vlogs in 2022 with feedback from their substantial (nearly 70k) YouTube audience.

OurSignedWorldOurSignedWorld
OurSignedWorld
  • Areas Traveled: Phillipines, World

Watch the video:

OurSignedWorld is a whole-life vlog for the mixed hearing and deaf couple Courtney and Zach (and their daughter Madison, who is also hearing). Zach is deaf and fluent in ASL and Courtney is a professional ASL translator, so their videos feature a wonderful mixture of ASL and spoken material from Courtney (and Madison), with great subtitles as well for anyone who isn’t yet fluent in ASL.

Some image descriptionSome image description
OurSignedWorld

Their videos are not primarily travel related, but their travels have taken them on long road trips within the United States and a few journeys beyond its boarders as well; the couple also plans to make new travel vlogs in 2022 with feedback from their substantial (nearly 70k) YouTube audience.

OurSignedWorld

OurSignedWorld

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Fearless and FarFearless and Far
Fearless and Far
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

A travel vlog dedicated to seeking out experiences both intense and frightening, Fearless and Far frequently goes too far for my taste, but oftentimes covers aspects of life in parts of the world that other travel vloggers avoid altogether.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Fearless and Far

Not for the faint of heart, Mike Corey undertakes experiences that will alarm many, but in doing so he opens the eyes of his viewers to possibilities beyond belief. His point, he reiterates, is not that he seeks out intense experiences because he is fearless — quite the reverse; he seeks out what he fears because he fears it, leaning into what scares him in order to broaden his life’s horizon.

Fearless and FarFearless and Far
Fearless and Far
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

A travel vlog dedicated to seeking out experiences both intense and frightening, Fearless and Far frequently goes too far for my taste, but oftentimes covers aspects of life in parts of the world that other travel vloggers avoid altogether.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Fearless and Far

Not for the faint of heart, Mike Corey undertakes experiences that will alarm many, but in doing so he opens the eyes of his viewers to possibilities beyond belief. His point, he reiterates, is not that he seeks out intense experiences because he is fearless — quite the reverse; he seeks out what he fears because he fears it, leaning into what scares him in order to broaden his life’s horizon.

Fearless and Far

Fearless and Far

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Minority NomadMinority Nomad
Minority Nomad
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Minority Nomad is the name of Erick Prince’s travel vlog, which features him traveling the world in search of new experience and new friends. His goal in life is to be the first African American to visit every single country on Earth and with over 90 down, he’s already making great headway.

Prince’s videos are informative and entertaining, and he frequently hangs out with different crowds than many of the other travel vloggers I’ve seen. His experiences feel very real because he’s hanging out with very real people: one of my favorite videos is of a family barbecue in Romania for Name Day, which opens a really cool window into the lives of the people he’s visiting (and provides a nifty trick for getting a good fire started).

Some image descriptionSome image description
Minority Nomad

Prince doesn’t confine himself just to travel, either: he does other videos that explore the differences between the United States and the countries he visits, and in one he even recounted how his experience outside the U.S. turned him (a retired soldier and ostensibly pro-gun citizen) into a far more skeptical gun owner. That’s the sort of change I love seeing, and I think it’s exceptionally cool to see a travel vlogger showcase such large transitions in their own life that the experience of seeing other countires has brought about.

Minority NomadMinority Nomad
Minority Nomad
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Minority Nomad is the name of Erick Prince’s travel vlog, which features him traveling the world in search of new experience and new friends. His goal in life is to be the first African American to visit every single country on Earth and with over 90 down, he’s already making great headway.

Prince’s videos are informative and entertaining, and he frequently hangs out with different crowds than many of the other travel vloggers I’ve seen. His experiences feel very real because he’s hanging out with very real people: one of my favorite videos is of a family barbecue in Romania for Name Day, which opens a really cool window into the lives of the people he’s visiting (and provides a nifty trick for getting a good fire started).

Some image descriptionSome image description
Minority Nomad

Prince doesn’t confine himself just to travel, either: he does other videos that explore the differences between the United States and the countries he visits, and in one he even recounted how his experience outside the U.S. turned him (a retired soldier and ostensibly pro-gun citizen) into a far more skeptical gun owner. That’s the sort of change I love seeing, and I think it’s exceptionally cool to see a travel vlogger showcase such large transitions in their own life that the experience of seeing other countires has brought about.

Minority Nomad

Minority Nomad

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Li ZiqiLi Ziqi
Li Ziqi
  • Areas Traveled: Sichuan Province, China

Watch the video:

Li ZiQi holds a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube” with over 16 million subscribers and over 2.4 billion views.

Her softly pastoral videos feature Li’s life living and working on her grandmother’s rural farm, as well as her explorations of other elements of rural Chinese life. She visits local businesses that create traditional foods, shows her followers how to make peach blossom flower crowns, and offers a startlingly gorgeous view of rural Sichuan life.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Li Ziqi

None of her videos feature interviews, or even talking — the only conventions is that between Li and her grandmother, overheard in the background, with the sounds of nature and gently flowing ambient music blending to create the primary soundscape.

Truly enchanting, with many of her videos taking on a fictionalized fantasy theme that reminds me of playing Skyrim: pastoral meditation at its best.

Li ZiqiLi Ziqi
Li Ziqi
  • Areas Traveled: Sichuan Province, China

Watch the video:

Li ZiQi holds a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube” with over 16 million subscribers and over 2.4 billion views.

Her softly pastoral videos feature Li’s life living and working on her grandmother’s rural farm, as well as her explorations of other elements of rural Chinese life. She visits local businesses that create traditional foods, shows her followers how to make peach blossom flower crowns, and offers a startlingly gorgeous view of rural Sichuan life.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Li Ziqi

None of her videos feature interviews, or even talking — the only conventions is that between Li and her grandmother, overheard in the background, with the sounds of nature and gently flowing ambient music blending to create the primary soundscape.

Truly enchanting, with many of her videos taking on a fictionalized fantasy theme that reminds me of playing Skyrim: pastoral meditation at its best.

Li Ziqi

Li Ziqi

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!
  • Areas Traveled: Scotland, Czech Republic, Japan

Watch the video:

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures! features awesome travel videos mostly centering on Scotland and Edinbrugh where Kat and her partner Simon live and explore. Their videos sometimes range farther afield, however, with forrays to Kat’s country of origin (Czech Republic), and locations in Asia.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Simon and Kat create really lovely, heartfelt, content including fun and informative reviews of businesses they visit (in which they showcase incredible amounts of tasty food). Kat dives into some of the geeky elements of her life (something I wish far more travel vloggers would do!) and she creates neat Scotland-themed art (such as the awesome Edinburgh pin that my fiancée bought me as a present).

Some image descriptionSome image description
My Edinbrugh pin made by Kat!

Their blog is one of my favorite discoveries so-far!

Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!
  • Areas Traveled: Scotland, Czech Republic, Japan

Watch the video:

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures! features awesome travel videos mostly centering on Scotland and Edinbrugh where Kat and her partner Simon live and explore. Their videos sometimes range farther afield, however, with forrays to Kat’s country of origin (Czech Republic), and locations in Asia.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Simon and Kat create really lovely, heartfelt, content including fun and informative reviews of businesses they visit (in which they showcase incredible amounts of tasty food). Kat dives into some of the geeky elements of her life (something I wish far more travel vloggers would do!) and she creates neat Scotland-themed art (such as the awesome Edinburgh pin that my fiancée bought me as a present).

Some image descriptionSome image description
My Edinbrugh pin made by Kat!

Their blog is one of my favorite discoveries so-far!

Kakibot’s Edinburgh Adventures!

Kakibot's Edinburgh Adventures!

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf WandererDeaf Wanderer
Deaf Wanderer
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Deaf Wanderer is the work of Chris Haulmark, a deaf man traveling the world with the goal of inspiring others without hearing to do the same. “A lot of people thought I couldn’t solo travel as a deaf person,” Chris said. “I showed them that I could.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf Wanderer

But Chris didn’t stop with travels. In 2018, he ran for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and since then has continued to campaign actively for progressive issues and deaf-friendly legislation around the country. He might not be actively creating travel vlogs anymore, but his incredible store of travel videos from years prior makes his channel a font of wealth for anyone interested in the deaf experience abroad.

Deaf WandererDeaf Wanderer
Deaf Wanderer
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Deaf Wanderer is the work of Chris Haulmark, a deaf man traveling the world with the goal of inspiring others without hearing to do the same. “A lot of people thought I couldn’t solo travel as a deaf person,” Chris said. “I showed them that I could.”

Some image descriptionSome image description
Deaf Wanderer

But Chris didn’t stop with travels. In 2018, he ran for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and since then has continued to campaign actively for progressive issues and deaf-friendly legislation around the country. He might not be actively creating travel vlogs anymore, but his incredible store of travel videos from years prior makes his channel a font of wealth for anyone interested in the deaf experience abroad.

Deaf Wanderer

Deaf Wanderer

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
The Most Interesting Woman in the WorldThe Most Interesting Woman in the World
The Most Interesting Woman in the World
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

(Kellee Edwards)[https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlogAbroadChannel] has been called “The Most Interesting Woman in the World” by Outside magazine… and for good reason! Kellee is a travel expert, a licensed pilot, and the host of Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands — making her the first black woman to host her own travel series on a major network.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kellee Edwards

Kellee has devoted most of her time to her main pursuits and her Travel Channel series, but she still puts up new content on YouTube from time to time, and it’s always spectacular. Her signature style is pure Indiana Jones: she flies herself to her destinations, she climbs mountains, she dives into deep ocean waves — Kellee’s experiences in the world are certain to inspire everyone to take their life into their own hands and forge their own path through the world.

The Most Interesting Woman in the WorldThe Most Interesting Woman in the World
The Most Interesting Woman in the World
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

(Kellee Edwards)[https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlogAbroadChannel] has been called “The Most Interesting Woman in the World” by Outside magazine… and for good reason! Kellee is a travel expert, a licensed pilot, and the host of Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands — making her the first black woman to host her own travel series on a major network.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Kellee Edwards

Kellee has devoted most of her time to her main pursuits and her Travel Channel series, but she still puts up new content on YouTube from time to time, and it’s always spectacular. Her signature style is pure Indiana Jones: she flies herself to her destinations, she climbs mountains, she dives into deep ocean waves — Kellee’s experiences in the world are certain to inspire everyone to take their life into their own hands and forge their own path through the world.

Kellee Edwards

The Most Interesting Woman in the World

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
CupofTJCupofTJ
CupofTJ
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

CupofTJ is the “Cutest Travel & Food Show” that invites people to see new places through the lens of food! TJ Lee started out with a passion for exploration and nummy cuisine, and has built her channel into an incredible world-romping experience as geeky and silly as it is profound. From Indonesia, to Peru, to the Czech Republic, TJ has been all over, and her journey continues weekly!

Some image descriptionSome image description
CupofTJ

“If you have a lifestyle you want to create for yourself, whether that incorporates travel or not, you have to dive in head first and just commit to it,” Lee said. “It’s going to be super rocky, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s going to be so worth it.”

And her channel makes this abundantly clear. If you’ve ever needed a little lift to get you through your week, or maybe even out of your old life and into a life you’re excited to live, TJ’s channel just might be the thing that helps you get there.

CupofTJCupofTJ
CupofTJ
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

CupofTJ is the “Cutest Travel & Food Show” that invites people to see new places through the lens of food! TJ Lee started out with a passion for exploration and nummy cuisine, and has built her channel into an incredible world-romping experience as geeky and silly as it is profound. From Indonesia, to Peru, to the Czech Republic, TJ has been all over, and her journey continues weekly!

Some image descriptionSome image description
CupofTJ

“If you have a lifestyle you want to create for yourself, whether that incorporates travel or not, you have to dive in head first and just commit to it,” Lee said. “It’s going to be super rocky, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s going to be so worth it.”

And her channel makes this abundantly clear. If you’ve ever needed a little lift to get you through your week, or maybe even out of your old life and into a life you’re excited to live, TJ’s channel just might be the thing that helps you get there.

CupofTJ

CupofTJ

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
The Bucket List FamilyThe Bucket List Family
The Bucket List Family
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Bucket List Family decided to give up everything considered “normal” and instead live their dream which just happened to be traveling the entire planet with their three very young children, experiencing life in its rawest, most vibrant form. They journey from country to country on a never-ending adventure, exploring the world and inspiring millions of people in their wake.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Bucket List Family

Their adventures allow their viewers a unique perspective into life as a family — their high-functioning communication skills, passion for exploration, and earnest love and care for one another always shines through, and their kids are frankly adorable. This is the sort of thing that might just change your life if you let it sink in.

The Bucket List FamilyThe Bucket List Family
The Bucket List Family
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Bucket List Family decided to give up everything considered “normal” and instead live their dream which just happened to be traveling the entire planet with their three very young children, experiencing life in its rawest, most vibrant form. They journey from country to country on a never-ending adventure, exploring the world and inspiring millions of people in their wake.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Bucket List Family

Their adventures allow their viewers a unique perspective into life as a family — their high-functioning communication skills, passion for exploration, and earnest love and care for one another always shines through, and their kids are frankly adorable. This is the sort of thing that might just change your life if you let it sink in.

The Bucket List Family

The Bucket List Family

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
The Endless AdventureThe Endless Adventure
The Endless Adventure
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Endless Adventure is the vlog of Eric and Allison, a young couple who traded in the dream of steady paychecks at normal jobs for the far more preferable dream of experiencing life the world over in all its myriad intricacies and joys.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Endless Adventure

They’ve been traveling for over six years, now, and their COVID-19 project has been the conversion of an older camper RV into a delightful tiny home which will launch them on their next grand tour.

Their videos are sweet, earnest, fun, and highly relatable. As they figure out life on the road together, their viewers get the chance to see a different experience of living, and might just be inspired to follow suit.

The Endless AdventureThe Endless Adventure
The Endless Adventure
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

The Endless Adventure is the vlog of Eric and Allison, a young couple who traded in the dream of steady paychecks at normal jobs for the far more preferable dream of experiencing life the world over in all its myriad intricacies and joys.

Some image descriptionSome image description
The Endless Adventure

They’ve been traveling for over six years, now, and their COVID-19 project has been the conversion of an older camper RV into a delightful tiny home which will launch them on their next grand tour.

Their videos are sweet, earnest, fun, and highly relatable. As they figure out life on the road together, their viewers get the chance to see a different experience of living, and might just be inspired to follow suit.

The Endless Adventure

The Endless Adventure

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Ashley SmithAshley Smith
Ashley Smith
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Ashley Smith is a flight attendant who travels all over the world, which makes her the perfect person to host a travel vlog! Not only is her experience of travel pretty unique from others on this list, with a fascinating look into elements of her professional life, but she is constantly on the move through the air, living a “high life” like no other.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Ashley Smith

Her channel also features a number of “travel adjacent” videos that concentrate on everything from the “real life” of a flight attendant, to hair and beauty tips for travelers, to packing hacks for people constantly on the move. That content alone, from a professional traveler like Ashley, is worth a good binge.

Ashley SmithAshley Smith
Ashley Smith
  • Areas Traveled: World

Watch the video:

Ashley Smith is a flight attendant who travels all over the world, which makes her the perfect person to host a travel vlog! Not only is her experience of travel pretty unique from others on this list, with a fascinating look into elements of her professional life, but she is constantly on the move through the air, living a “high life” like no other.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Ashley Smith

Her channel also features a number of “travel adjacent” videos that concentrate on everything from the “real life” of a flight attendant, to hair and beauty tips for travelers, to packing hacks for people constantly on the move. That content alone, from a professional traveler like Ashley, is worth a good binge.

Ashley Smith

Ashley Smith

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
Dream Big, Travel FarDream Big, Travel Far
Dream Big, Travel Far
  • Areas Traveled:

Watch the video:

Dream Big, Travel Far is the traveling couple Cazzy & Bradley. They’ve been running their excellent little travel vlog for five years, but it wasn’t until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that they decided to spend lockdown converting a van into a camper so they could travel the world.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Dream Big, Travel Far

Cazzy and Bradley have landed in a number of cool places, and their experiences traveling are sweet and simple, with a relaxed, personal style that is easy to appreciate.

Converting a van into a living space and then responsibly traveling during the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but these two go at it with passion, managing to have incredible experiences and showcase their ingenuity in the process.

Dream Big, Travel FarDream Big, Travel Far
Dream Big, Travel Far
  • Areas Traveled:

Watch the video:

Dream Big, Travel Far is the traveling couple Cazzy & Bradley. They’ve been running their excellent little travel vlog for five years, but it wasn’t until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that they decided to spend lockdown converting a van into a camper so they could travel the world.

Some image descriptionSome image description
Dream Big, Travel Far

Cazzy and Bradley have landed in a number of cool places, and their experiences traveling are sweet and simple, with a relaxed, personal style that is easy to appreciate.

Converting a van into a living space and then responsibly traveling during the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but these two go at it with passion, managing to have incredible experiences and showcase their ingenuity in the process.

Dream Big, Travel Far

Dream Big, Travel Far

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Some image description
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Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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How to Customize a Contact’s Ringtone on an iPhone

Customize your favorite contact’s ringtones!
Sep 14, 2021
1 minute

Sometimes, when you are busy or out and about and your iPhone starts ringing, you don’t want to pick it up, but you know it might be so-and-so with that important call you’ve been waiting on. Maybe, you think it might be one of your children calling to ring you about something critical, but you dig through your bag only to find out it was a spammy call and you could’ve continued what you were doing uninterrupted.

Did you know you can customize your contacts to a ringtone of your choosing? Each contact can have its very own ringtone so that you always know who is calling before you start looking for your iPhone or digging through your bag to pick up. Plus, it’s fun. You can buy ringtones so that your best friend’s favorite song becomes their ringtone or the song your dad loved when you were a kid becomes his ringtone.

The sky is really the limit when it comes to possibilities. In this guide, I show you how to customize a ringtone for an individual contact. These steps can apply to any contact and any ringtone.

Note: The below steps can also be adapted to change a contact’s text tone.

iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Open the Phone AppOpen the Phone App

First, go to your home screen. Find the Phone app and give it a click. Alternatively, you can open the Contacts app, if it is readily available to you on your iPhone’s home screen.

Click "Contacts"Click "Contacts"

Click “contacts” at the bottom of the screen.

Choose the ContactChoose the Contact

Select the contact you want to change the ringtone for.

Click "Edit"Click "Edit"

Click “edit” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Click "Ringtone Default"Click "Ringtone Default"

Click “ringtone default.” It may not say “default” if you have changed the ringtone before. In that case it will say “ringtone” followed by the ringtone name.

This is where you can also choose “text tone default,” if you want to change that contact’s text tone versus its ringtone. The process is virtually the same.

Choose the RingtoneChoose the Ringtone

Select the ringtone you would like to use for that contact.

OR Buy a RingtoneOR Buy a Ringtone

Of course, if you want to get fancy you can buy a ringtone to use with your contact. Maybe you want it to be that contact’s favorite song or favorite TV show theme song. Either way, this process is super simple while adding just a few additional steps.

To learn how to buy a ringtone to use for that specific contact, or many others if you choose, check out my guide on how to buy a ringtone for an iPhone contact.

Click "Done"Click "Done"

Once you have selected your contact, click “done.”

Check the RingtoneCheck the Ringtone

Make sure the correct ringtone is selected. You’ll be able to see on that contact’s contact page after clicking “done” in step eight.

And… you’re done! you’ve successfully changed the ringtone for your contact of choice and can now move on to the other contacts you want to edit!

AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0

There are many ways to transfer data from one Apple device to another.

How to Customize a Contact’s Ringtone on an iPhone

Customize your favorite contact’s ringtones!
Sep 14, 2021
1 minute

Sometimes, when you are busy or out and about and your iPhone starts ringing, you don’t want to pick it up, but you know it might be so-and-so with that important call you’ve been waiting on. Maybe, you think it might be one of your children calling to ring you about something critical, but you dig through your bag only to find out it was a spammy call and you could’ve continued what you were doing uninterrupted.

Did you know you can customize your contacts to a ringtone of your choosing? Each contact can have its very own ringtone so that you always know who is calling before you start looking for your iPhone or digging through your bag to pick up. Plus, it’s fun. You can buy ringtones so that your best friend’s favorite song becomes their ringtone or the song your dad loved when you were a kid becomes his ringtone.

The sky is really the limit when it comes to possibilities. In this guide, I show you how to customize a ringtone for an individual contact. These steps can apply to any contact and any ringtone.

Note: The below steps can also be adapted to change a contact’s text tone.

iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Open the Phone AppOpen the Phone App

First, go to your home screen. Find the Phone app and give it a click. Alternatively, you can open the Contacts app, if it is readily available to you on your iPhone’s home screen.

Click "Contacts"Click "Contacts"

Click “contacts” at the bottom of the screen.

Choose the ContactChoose the Contact

Select the contact you want to change the ringtone for.

Click "Edit"Click "Edit"

Click “edit” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Click "Ringtone Default"Click "Ringtone Default"

Click “ringtone default.” It may not say “default” if you have changed the ringtone before. In that case it will say “ringtone” followed by the ringtone name.

This is where you can also choose “text tone default,” if you want to change that contact’s text tone versus its ringtone. The process is virtually the same.

Choose the RingtoneChoose the Ringtone

Select the ringtone you would like to use for that contact.

OR Buy a RingtoneOR Buy a Ringtone

Of course, if you want to get fancy you can buy a ringtone to use with your contact. Maybe you want it to be that contact’s favorite song or favorite TV show theme song. Either way, this process is super simple while adding just a few additional steps.

To learn how to buy a ringtone to use for that specific contact, or many others if you choose, check out my guide on how to buy a ringtone for an iPhone contact.

Click "Done"Click "Done"

Once you have selected your contact, click “done.”

Check the RingtoneCheck the Ringtone

Make sure the correct ringtone is selected. You’ll be able to see on that contact’s contact page after clicking “done” in step eight.

And… you’re done! you’ve successfully changed the ringtone for your contact of choice and can now move on to the other contacts you want to edit!

AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0

There are many ways to transfer data from one Apple device to another.

 
1

How to Customize a Contact’s Ringtone on an iPhone

Customize your favorite contact’s ringtones!
Sep 14, 2021
1 minute

Sometimes, when you are busy or out and about and your iPhone starts ringing, you don’t want to pick it up, but you know it might be so-and-so with that important call you’ve been waiting on. Maybe, you think it might be one of your children calling to ring you about something critical, but you dig through your bag only to find out it was a spammy call and you could’ve continued what you were doing uninterrupted.

Did you know you can customize your contacts to a ringtone of your choosing? Each contact can have its very own ringtone so that you always know who is calling before you start looking for your iPhone or digging through your bag to pick up. Plus, it’s fun. You can buy ringtones so that your best friend’s favorite song becomes their ringtone or the song your dad loved when you were a kid becomes his ringtone.

The sky is really the limit when it comes to possibilities. In this guide, I show you how to customize a ringtone for an individual contact. These steps can apply to any contact and any ringtone.

Note: The below steps can also be adapted to change a contact’s text tone.

iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Open the Phone AppOpen the Phone App

First, go to your home screen. Find the Phone app and give it a click. Alternatively, you can open the Contacts app, if it is readily available to you on your iPhone’s home screen.

Click "Contacts"Click "Contacts"

Click “contacts” at the bottom of the screen.

Choose the ContactChoose the Contact

Select the contact you want to change the ringtone for.

Click "Edit"Click "Edit"

Click “edit” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Click "Ringtone Default"Click "Ringtone Default"

Click “ringtone default.” It may not say “default” if you have changed the ringtone before. In that case it will say “ringtone” followed by the ringtone name.

This is where you can also choose “text tone default,” if you want to change that contact’s text tone versus its ringtone. The process is virtually the same.

Choose the RingtoneChoose the Ringtone

Select the ringtone you would like to use for that contact.

OR Buy a RingtoneOR Buy a Ringtone

Of course, if you want to get fancy you can buy a ringtone to use with your contact. Maybe you want it to be that contact’s favorite song or favorite TV show theme song. Either way, this process is super simple while adding just a few additional steps.

To learn how to buy a ringtone to use for that specific contact, or many others if you choose, check out my guide on how to buy a ringtone for an iPhone contact.

Click "Done"Click "Done"

Once you have selected your contact, click “done.”

Check the RingtoneCheck the Ringtone

Make sure the correct ringtone is selected. You’ll be able to see on that contact’s contact page after clicking “done” in step eight.

And… you’re done! you’ve successfully changed the ringtone for your contact of choice and can now move on to the other contacts you want to edit!

AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0

There are many ways to transfer data from one Apple device to another.

How to Customize a Contact’s Ringtone on an iPhone

Customize your favorite contact’s ringtones!
Sep 14, 2021
1 minute

Sometimes, when you are busy or out and about and your iPhone starts ringing, you don’t want to pick it up, but you know it might be so-and-so with that important call you’ve been waiting on. Maybe, you think it might be one of your children calling to ring you about something critical, but you dig through your bag only to find out it was a spammy call and you could’ve continued what you were doing uninterrupted.

Did you know you can customize your contacts to a ringtone of your choosing? Each contact can have its very own ringtone so that you always know who is calling before you start looking for your iPhone or digging through your bag to pick up. Plus, it’s fun. You can buy ringtones so that your best friend’s favorite song becomes their ringtone or the song your dad loved when you were a kid becomes his ringtone.

The sky is really the limit when it comes to possibilities. In this guide, I show you how to customize a ringtone for an individual contact. These steps can apply to any contact and any ringtone.

Note: The below steps can also be adapted to change a contact’s text tone.

iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

How to Customize a Contact’s Ringtone on an iPhone

How to Customize a Contact's Ringtone on an iPhone
Customize your favorite contact’s ringtones!
Sep 14, 2021
1 minute
Christina
 
1
iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

iPhoneiPhoneiPhone ×1
iPhone
Table of Contents

Ringtone Customization Steps:

  1. Open the Phone App
  2. Click “Contacts”
  3. Choose the Contact
  4. Click “Edit”
  5. Click “Ringtone Default”
  6. Choose the Ringtone
  7. OR Buy a Ringtone
  8. Click “Done”
  9. Check the Ringtone
  10. Show all 9
 
1
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Open the Phone AppOpen the Phone App

First, go to your home screen. Find the Phone app and give it a click. Alternatively, you can open the Contacts app, if it is readily available to you on your iPhone’s home screen.

Open the Phone AppOpen the Phone App

First, go to your home screen. Find the Phone app and give it a click. Alternatively, you can open the Contacts app, if it is readily available to you on your iPhone’s home screen.

Open the Phone App

Open the Phone App
Click "Contacts"Click "Contacts"

Click “contacts” at the bottom of the screen.

Click "Contacts"Click "Contacts"

Click “contacts” at the bottom of the screen.

Click “Contacts”

Click "Contacts"
Choose the ContactChoose the Contact

Select the contact you want to change the ringtone for.

Choose the ContactChoose the Contact

Select the contact you want to change the ringtone for.

Choose the Contact

Choose the Contact
Click "Edit"Click "Edit"

Click “edit” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Click "Edit"Click "Edit"

Click “edit” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Click “Edit”

Click "Edit"
Click "Ringtone Default"Click "Ringtone Default"

Click “ringtone default.” It may not say “default” if you have changed the ringtone before. In that case it will say “ringtone” followed by the ringtone name.

This is where you can also choose “text tone default,” if you want to change that contact’s text tone versus its ringtone. The process is virtually the same.

Click "Ringtone Default"Click "Ringtone Default"

Click “ringtone default.” It may not say “default” if you have changed the ringtone before. In that case it will say “ringtone” followed by the ringtone name.

This is where you can also choose “text tone default,” if you want to change that contact’s text tone versus its ringtone. The process is virtually the same.

Click “Ringtone Default”

Click "Ringtone Default"
Choose the RingtoneChoose the Ringtone

Select the ringtone you would like to use for that contact.

Choose the RingtoneChoose the Ringtone

Select the ringtone you would like to use for that contact.

Choose the Ringtone

Choose the Ringtone
OR Buy a RingtoneOR Buy a Ringtone

Of course, if you want to get fancy you can buy a ringtone to use with your contact. Maybe you want it to be that contact’s favorite song or favorite TV show theme song. Either way, this process is super simple while adding just a few additional steps.

To learn how to buy a ringtone to use for that specific contact, or many others if you choose, check out my guide on how to buy a ringtone for an iPhone contact.

OR Buy a RingtoneOR Buy a Ringtone

Of course, if you want to get fancy you can buy a ringtone to use with your contact. Maybe you want it to be that contact’s favorite song or favorite TV show theme song. Either way, this process is super simple while adding just a few additional steps.

To learn how to buy a ringtone to use for that specific contact, or many others if you choose, check out my guide on how to buy a ringtone for an iPhone contact.

OR Buy a Ringtone

OR Buy a Ringtone
Click "Done"Click "Done"

Once you have selected your contact, click “done.”

Click "Done"Click "Done"

Once you have selected your contact, click “done.”

Click “Done”

Click "Done"
Check the RingtoneCheck the Ringtone

Make sure the correct ringtone is selected. You’ll be able to see on that contact’s contact page after clicking “done” in step eight.

And… you’re done! you’ve successfully changed the ringtone for your contact of choice and can now move on to the other contacts you want to edit!

Check the RingtoneCheck the Ringtone

Make sure the correct ringtone is selected. You’ll be able to see on that contact’s contact page after clicking “done” in step eight.

And… you’re done! you’ve successfully changed the ringtone for your contact of choice and can now move on to the other contacts you want to edit!

Check the Ringtone

Check the Ringtone
AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0

There are many ways to transfer data from one Apple device to another.

AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0

There are many ways to transfer data from one Apple device to another.

NEXT UP
How to AirDrop on an iPhone
How to AirDrop on an iPhone
AirDrop your data from one iPhone, or iOS device, to another.
Aug 20, 2021
0
Christina Continue reading
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Christina's profile pictureChristina's profile pictureChristina
Joined in 2021 89 guides
Christina is a writer with a BFA in Creative Writing, years of experience working with technology, and a passion for all things creative. She has a wide array of interests in subjects such as cooking, knitting, DIY, literature, and technology. Currently, she’s still working as a freelance writer and book reviewer, writing a book, and excited to be exploring her many interests here at Howchoo.
Christina's profile picture@cgerard23
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How to Install Shaders on CurseForge

Make those clouds look good enough to eat!
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 14, 2021
8 minutes

Shaders, also known as shader packs, are a way to bring your Minecraft gameplay to a new level of beautiful. Minecraft Shaders improve the game’s visual elements, such as color enhancement, improved lighting, and generally make the game look more realistic. Depending on the shader, players can customize their world to their preference. So if you want pink water and purple sky, shader packs are the way to make it happen.

Before you dive into our guide on how to install shaders in CurseForge, make sure you already have OptiFine installed. We have a helpful guide on how to do that here! Without OptiFine, the shaders won’t work, so make sure to do that and return here after!

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open modpack folder curseforgeopen modpack folder curseforge

Before you can download and install a shader pack, you’ll need to find where in CurseForge your game is!

  1. Open CurseForge and navigate to the modpack you’re using.
  2. Click the ... button to the left of the Play button.
  3. In the drop-down menu, click Open Folder.
  4. This is where you’ll install your shaders!
find shaders file path curseforgefind shaders file path curseforge

Usually, the file path looks like this: C:UsersUSER_NAMETwitchMinecraftInstancesMODPACK_NAME.

shaderpacks folder minecraftshaderpacks folder minecraft

Unfortunately, Minecraft doesn’t automatically create a folder to place shaders into. Inside the Minecraft folder you found in the last step, create a new folder called shaderpacks. Make sure to spell it exactly or else the game won’t recognize where you’ve placed your shaders.

download bsl shaders curseforgedownload bsl shaders curseforge

There are plenty of websites out there for finding shaders, but some are safer than most. We recommend CurseForge or Shaders Mods. Alternatively, you can download directly from a developer’s website as well!

Just make sure it’s compatible with your Minecraft game version and then move on to the next step!

install shaders curseforgeinstall shaders curseforge

Download the correct game version of the shader you’ve chosen and place it within the shaders folder you made in step 2. Make sure you don’t unzip the downloaded file!

activate shaders curseforgeactivate shaders curseforge

Now it’s time to run Minecraft and activate your shaders!

  1. Once the game has launched, follow these steps:
  2. Click Options then Video Settings.
  3. Click Shaders… as shown in the image above.
    shader settings in curseforgeshader settings in curseforge

  4. In the Shaders menu, choose the shader you want to activate. A loading screen will appear and return you back to the Shaders menu when its finished rendering.

From this menu you can either click the Shader Options button on the bottom right to customize the shader pack or click Done and return to the main menu!

Combine all those enchanted books!
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 17, 2021
4 minutes

Whether you feel like your tools could use improvement or you feel ready to take your Minecraft world to the next level, enchantments can create magical gameplay.

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How to Install a Resource Pack in Minecraft

Add any theme to Minecraft!
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 14, 2021
6 minutes

While shaders make Minecraft look pleasing, resource packs are an additional way to change a theme or aesthetic of a Minecraft world. Because resource packs are separate than shaders, you don’t need to install any mods, which makes them so versatile and vanilla-game friendly.

What is the difference between a resource pack and texture pack?

While many use both terms to mean the same thing, there is a fundamental difference between the two. A texture pack is used for 1.6.1 and earlier versions of the game 1.6.1, and they only changed the in-game textures. Resource packs were added in after 1.6.1, and allow players to change sounds, music, and particle effects. They also can modify blocks, items, and entity textures.

Let’s get into our guide on how to install resource packs to Minecraft!

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find file path minecraft launcherfind file path minecraft launcher

Before moving into the actual installation of resource or texture packs, it’s important to know where your Minecraft game is installed. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
  2. Make sure the launch option is the game version you plan on using.
  3. Go to the Installations tab at the top of the window.
    find resource pack folder minecraft launcherfind resource pack folder minecraft launcher

  4. Hover your mouse over the game version you want to find and click the folder icon to the right of the Play button. See the image above for help.
  5. Locate the resource pack folder. This is where you’ll place any resource pack you want to use.
storyblock revived resource packstoryblock revived resource pack

Many websites are available to download resource packs, but some are safer than most. We recommend CurseForge or ResourcePack.net. Alternatively, you can download directly from a developer’s website as well!

Make sure it’s compatible with your Minecraft game version and then move on to the next step!

download resource pack minecraftdownload resource pack minecraft

Download the correct game version of the resource pack you’ve chosen and place it within the Resourcepack folder found in Step 1. Make sure you don’t unzip the downloaded file!

choose resource pack minecraft settingschoose resource pack minecraft settings

Now it’s time to run Minecraft and turn on your resource pack! Once the game has launched, follow these steps:

  1. Click Options then Resource Packs.
  2. Click arrow button that appears over the resource pack’s icon to move it to the right Selected column, as shown in the image below.
    resource pack settings minecraftresource pack settings minecraft

  3. Click Done and a loading screen will appear and return you back to the Options menu when it’s finished rendering.

Return back to the main menu and you can start playing Minecraft with a brand new theme! To learn how to install shaders, read our guide to installing shader packs for Minecraft!

Combine all those enchanted books!
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 17, 2021
4 minutes

Whether you feel like your tools could use improvement or you feel ready to take your Minecraft world to the next level, enchantments can create magical gameplay.

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How To Install OptiFine in Minecraft

Because having pretty water is important.
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 14, 2021
5 minutes

Have you ever wanted Minecraft trees to look less blocky, but don’t want to install multiple mods to do so? What about seeing the water animated and clear? Both are possible, courtesy of a mod called OptiFine! This optimization mod allows Minecraft to run faster and look better with full support for HD textures, and paired with shaders, can change how your Minecraft world feels.

Not only does OptiFine add leaf texture to trees, it also adds swaying movement to foliage and lanterns. Plus, it turns grass blocks dynamic, so you no longer need to see excessive dirt on the side of mountains due to the limitations of the vanilla grass block. Even a non-modded Minecraft world can use OptiFine! This guide will go through the steps and to installing OptiFine with the Minecraft launcher.

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download optifinedownload optifine

To install OptiFine, you’ll need to download the OptiFine JAR file from their website. Make sure to choose the latest version of Optifine that matches your game version.

  1. Click the Download button to the right of the OptiFine version you want.
  2. On the next page, you may need to wait for the Skip Ad button to appear after five seconds.
    install optifine in minecraftinstall optifine in minecraft

  3. Click the Download OptiFine link in the middle of the next page.
  4. We recommend saving OptiFine somewhere you can find it later.
  5. Depending on your browser, you may need to click Keep or Allow if a warning pops up stating that OptiFine might be dangerous. Which, as long as you’re downloading from OptiFine’s official website, it’s not.
installations tab minecraft launcherinstallations tab minecraft launcher

Before moving into the actual installation of OptiFine, it’s important to know where your Minecraft game is installed. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
  2. Make sure the launch option is the game version you plan on using with OptiFine.
  3. Go to the Installations tab at the top of the window.
  4. Hover your mouse over the game version you want to find and click the folder icon to the right of the Play button. See the image below for help.
    find the file path minecraft launcherfind the file path minecraft launcher

  5. The file path that opens in a new window is where you’ll install OptiFine in the next step!
  6. Once finished, close the Minecraft Launcher.
how to install optifinehow to install optifine

Return to where you downloaded OptiFine onto your computer. Double-click to run the OptiFine setup file.

  1. In the window that pops up, click the ... button and go to the file path you found in the previous step.
  2. Click Install on the OptiFine Installer window.
  3. A new window will pop-up to confirm OptiFine has been installed. Click the Okay button to close the installer.

If you can’t open OptiFine to install it, then you’ll need to download Java SE Development Kit 16. On this page, choose the installer for your operating system.

change game version minecraft launcherchange game version minecraft launcher

It’s time to make sure everything is working properly and configure the Minecraft Launcher with OptiFine.

  1. Reopen the Minecraft Launcher.
  2. Click the drop-down menu for Launcher Options at the bottom left of the window, as shown in the image above.
  3. Choose OptiFine.

You’re now ready to begin playing Minecraft! Click Play and enjoy an upgraded version of Minecraft!

If you’re interested in adding more customization to your game, follow our guide on how to install shader packs to your Minecraft game as well!

Combine all those enchanted books!
BrittBritt Britt (54)
Sep 17, 2021
4 minutes

Whether you feel like your tools could use improvement or you feel ready to take your Minecraft world to the next level, enchantments can create magical gameplay.

Follow @howchoo and learn cool things:

Are you a passionate writer? We’re hiring!

Write for Howchoo

Like what we do?

Donate

Want to support Howchoo? When you buy a tool or material through one of our Amazon links, we earn a small commission as an Amazon Associate.

Sep 14, 2021
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Bring the bar experience to your home.
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Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series

From one fan to another: the best sci-fi shows of all time.
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 14, 2021
0

Science fiction is where I live, it’s my happy place. It’s also what I do professionally as a science fiction and fantasy author. Ever since I watched Star Trek as a kid (the first, and for a long time the only, television series my parents allowed me to watch), I’ve been enamored with the genre and all the brilliant places it allows our minds to go.

The heyday of science fiction on television was probably the 90s, when a whole slew of excellent, bizarre, and unforgettable shows were forging a path toward mainstream acceptance of the genre. Since then, things have quieted down a bit for science fiction, though some new series are trying to take up the mantle of the old giants and old classics like Star Trek are being handed off to new minds.

This list is probably not exhaustive—and, boy, would I love to hear from you if you’ve got a series you think I would enjoy. You’ll notice that this list includes a little “hot-take” commentary section on each show with my personal thoughts about it, so you’ll probably pick up my style quickly enough.

Our journey, however, does not begin in the modern era. In fact… we’ll begin our exploration of this frontier of space back before television was even a thing!

Note: If you’re looking for super-hero series… you’re not going to find them here! Though the line between sci-fi and superhero can sometimes be very blurry, they are distinct genres. Look for my article on the best superhero series soon!

Flash Gordon (1935)Flash Gordon (1935)
Flash Gordon (1935)

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This incredible serialization starring (most memorably) Buster Crabbe as the titular Flash Gordon captured the hearts and minds of audiences the world over. With an atomic-age aesthetic and an action-packed premise, this serialization would go on to influence decades of sci-fi.

Hot take

This is a classic of classics, a serialized film experience that everyone needs to see as much for raw historical value as for the fun content of the show.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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A show unlike any other, The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling’s brainchild and one of the anthology series that would go on to inspire generations of sci-fi and horror writers with its vast array of macabre, sci-fi, and darkly humorous tales.

Hot take

A classic show that paved the way for a lot of the transgressive sci-fi we love today, it mixed everything from pure cheese to deeply thoughtful work inside one package. Modern viewers will need to be patient with some episodes.

Doctor Who' (1963-Present)Doctor Who' (1963-Present)
Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)

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The longest-running science fiction series (actually, the longest-running series at all), Doctor Who is the tale of the eponymous hero and his (or her) companions as they travel the convoluted byways of time. With each “regeneration” the Doctor gains a new face and so the series continues, time out of time.

Hot take

One of the most marvelous and magnificent series in existence, Doctor Who presents a hero who (in most cases and especially in the later series) tries to find the pacifist route to victory. It’s thrilling, funny, cheesy, deep, and heartbreaking. But don’t just watch one season, or one Doctor—this is a show that is at its best if you stick with it for a long time.

Star Trek (1966-1969)Star Trek (1966-1969)
Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The classic to end all classics, Star Trek helped change the world. The crew of the USS Enterprise embark on a mission to explore the limits of space (and sometimes time), and every episode ends with a bit of a laugh (often at the vulcan’s expense).

Hot take

A show beloved by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., to King Abdullah of Jordan, to Ronald Reagan, to Professor Stephen Hawking… Star Trek is probably the greatest science fiction story of all time because it tries to imagine a future where the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, where self-betterment, and the betterment of all people, is our primary goal. That’s the sort of message I can take to the stars.

The Prisoner (1967-1968)The Prisoner (1967-1968)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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A renowned spy wakes up one day to find himself a prisoner on an unknown island, in a strange community of nameless individuals—people known only by the numbers they’ve been assigned.

Hot take

“I am not a number!” might as well be the rallying cry of a whole generation. This brilliant little series touches on so many important issues of mass surveillance and human dignity.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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The adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, and his roommate Mindy. Driven by Robin Williams’ effortless and brilliant comedic talents, this is the series that helped launch him to stardom.

Hot take

Is is really science fiction? That might be up for debate, but it’s definitely great sci-fi-comedy and it holds a really special place in the history of the genre. It’s also hilarious and you’ll love it.

V: The Miniseries (1983)V: The Miniseries (1983)
V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Alien visitors have come to Earth to offer us a marvelous trade: our resources for their aid in becoming a better, healthier, more advanced civilization. What’s not to love?

Hot take

A superb little series that felt poignant and gripping. The miniseries is far better than the full-run series that followed. Do not even try to bother with the modern remake, yikes.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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A 1980s astronaut is accidentally knocked into a 500-year return orbit and frozen by a freak gas concoction that allows his rescuers, 500 years after his disappearance, to resurrect him! He then basically goes on being fabulous at 25th century technology and helps defend Earth from the evil Draconian Empire.

Hot take

This is pure American cheese in a can but it’s a classic fun sci-fi binge.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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A satirical series featuring “the first virtual show host” (actually, an actor in stylized make-up depicted in front of a digital screen). Max Headroom drove at the heart of a possible cyber-distopia that looks increasingly realistic for all that it was comprised of absurdism. Max became a culture icon for a couple of decades and still has a cult following today.

Hot take

My confession is that I didn’t discover Max Headroom until quite a bit later in life. As with all satire, this series is sometimes hit and miss, and many cultural references are dated back to the 80s. That said, it’s brilliant in so many ways.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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The Next Generation follows the Enterprise D and her crew as they explore the limits of space, solve crimes, serve as diplomats, and confront dangers facing the United Federation of Planets. It is at once quintessentially 80s and subversively forward-thinking even for today.

Hot take

Possibly the truest of all the Star Trek series to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, The Next Generation opened a gateway to a future where humanity had come together for the betterment of all—but worked harder to probe what this meant, how it came to be, and why it mattered, than the show preceding it. I’d skip episode 4 of season 1 altogether, yikes.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)Red Dwarf (1988-Present)
Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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A disaster aboard the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf leaves Dave Lister in the “curry”ous position of being the last human being left alive… in the universe. With nothing better to do, and billions of light-years from home, he sets course back toward the long-lost Earth with only the ship’s AI, a hologram of a dead friend, and a mysterious creature evolved from cat DNA for company.

Hot take

One of the great science fiction comedy series that not enough people know about. It’s funnier than most modern shows, heartfelt at times, bizarre, and brilliant. It’s its own thing, unashamedly, and it deserves a forever spot in the sci-fi hall of fame.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The distant world of Bajor suddenly becomes of vital importance to the Federation when a wormhole to a distant aprt of the galaxy is discovered on its doorstep. After centuries of brutal oppression, the Bajorans aren’t find of the idea of letting Starfleet come in and gain control, but a Starfleet commander who just might be the bajoran people’s unwilling spiritual leader could be the thing that changes their mind.

Hot take

It’s great, probably the best of the Star Trek series in terms of mixing weightiness with elements of Trek’s core philosophy, all wrapped around a truly wonderful cast of actors. Yes, the premise was ripped off from Babylon 5, but it’s still one of the best things around.

The X-Files (1993-2016)The X-Files (1993-2016)
The X-Files (1993-2016)

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X-Files explores the mysteries case files of the same name buried deep in the heart of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fox Mulder, haunted by events in his past, is on a mission to explore all the “spooky” things the X-Files have in store. But Fox might be treading on powerful toes and native skeptic Dana Scully is assigned to be his partner and report on him. What follows is pure golden TV history.

Hot take

If you want to experience the best, just get the “Mythology Collection” and the first X-Files film. Those are the core episodes that make it such a great show (and they skip all the religious episodes the showrunner threw in later on).

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Earth barely survived the Minbari assault and then only because the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. In order to avoid any such future conflict, a series of space stations were constructed to play host to diplomatic efforts between the species’ of the stars. In this epic sprawling tale war, romance, mystery, soul-searching, and heartbreak all converge within an etheric sense of the profound.

Hot take

It’s the best space-opera ever made. It’s also the first series to use full CGI for its space scenes, paving the way for later favorites. Since its entire premise was stolen to create DS9 when Straczynski originally started pitching it to studios, it’s also responsible for much of what makes that series so good, too.

Sliders (1995-2000)Sliders (1995-2000)
Sliders (1995-2000)

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A genius and his friends get trapped in a “slide” through parallel realities and there’s no telling where they will end up next! With a whole host of alternate possible histories and social outcomes to explore, the series offered an anthology-like experience witnessed through the eyes of a cohesive group of characters.

Hot take

I don’t like anthology series a ton so the way Sliders handled this worked great for me. We got one group of characters and a ton of different situations: ace! Seasons one and two are superb, season three saw FOX Network executives poke their long noses in where they don’t belong (the show’s creator resigned because of how terrible the company was being), but season’s five and six picked back up where season two ended. Watch it, it’s fun!

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Thrown into a distant part of the galaxy by a super-powerful dying alien, the starship Voyager must now try to make its way home… a journey that could take most of a century unless some shortcut can be found. With Captain Katheryn Janeway calling the shots, the only detours will be scientific and coffee-related.

Hot take

It’s a blast. It leans into the cheesier more soapy side of Trek pretty heavily, but it also has some superb heavy-hitting episodes where the writing shines. Noted for having a woman in the commander chair for the first time, but also for being just generally quite solid, it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to Trek.

Lexx (1996-2002)Lexx (1996-2002)
Lexx (1996-2002)

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A wacky, weird, wild, and kinda raunchy science fiction series about people who travel around inside of a giant intergalactic bug known as The Lexx — the most powerful force in the Universe.

Hot take

This show is crazy weird, man, but also pretty groundbreaking. I liked the original miseries far more than the following series, but the whole thing has a charm tha cannot be denied.

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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A mysterious ancient gate is discovered that connects Earth to a vast interstellar wormhole network… and places it in the crosshairs of a parasitic alien race who see human beings as nothing more than hosts and slaves. Luckily, an international team headed up by the U.S. Airforce is deployed to make allies and search for technologies that can be used for defense.

Hot take

U.S. Imperialism to the rescue! It’s an interesting one because it weaves back and forth between god and bad, campy and serious, propagandistic and intriguingly subversive. It’s better than you might expect (but it’ll take at least three seasons for that to become clear). Binge it, baby!

Farscape (1999-2003)Farscape (1999-2003)
Farscape (1999-2003)

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John Crichton, an astronaut testing a new type of space vehicle maneuver, gets caught in a wormhole and flung across the universe. What follows is one of the most splendidly original, deep, engaging, and epic voyages ever conceived for television.

Hot take

Yeah, it’s one of the best science-fiction shows of all time, forever ranked on my top-five list. But, it’s also just one of the best darn shows of all time. Highly recommended.

Futurama (1999-2013)Futurama (1999-2013)
Futurama (1999-2013)

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When pizza delivery guy Fry is frozen for a thousand years he integrates with the madcap ridiculousness of the future surprisingly well and takes on the role of “delivery boy” for an organization called Planet Express. Animated, satirical, ridiculous, and thoughtful in a way that not enough of these animated comedy series actually are.

Hot take

Not all cartoons are for kids. This is definitely a cartoon for adults, so don’t sit little Timmy down in front of it, please. It’s definitely an old favorite of mine, though, and I love how clever it could be.

Andromeda (2000-2005)Andromeda (2000-2005)
Andromeda (2000-2005)

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The Commonwealth has fallen but one man, its most loyal servant, has survived. Clinging to life as his spaceship orbits the event horizon of a black hole, Captain Dylan Hunt is retrieved centuries out from his own time and he embarks on an epic quest to bring order back to a dark galaxy.

Hot take

Kevin Sorbo isn’t exactly a fan-favorite, but his portrayal of Hunt is grand, and, as a whole, this series is wallopingly good space-opera.

Firefly (2002-2003)Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly (2002-2003)

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Like a leaf on the wind, the starship Serenity and her crew float from place to place as the gusts of fortune decides. Always low on cash, always on the edge of the law, things get heated when a stowaway is found, a stowaway who is wanted by the powerful Capitalistic government that rules the solar system known as The ‘Verse: The Alliance.

Hot take

TOO SOON. It’s one of the best darn television series to be made, period and the fact that it got canceled is a crime. The follow-up film Serenity is actually pretty good and will help wrap the story up, even if it’s nothing compared to all the goodies Joss had in store.

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)
Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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The people who created the wormhole gates, the Stargates, also created the fabled city of Atlantis, which isn’t on Earth at all, but is hidden on a distant world in another galaxy. A team from Earth goes to investigate and set up a base on Atlantis in the hopes of discovering new technology to defend Earth and perhaps learn why the gate-builders vanished in the first place.

Hot take

It’s fun. The enemy of the series is incredibly uninspired and it’s often much flatter in terms of quality than it could have been, but it’s also better than the original in a few respects as well. (Let us not ever speak of the atrocity that was SG:U).

Life on Mars (2006-2007)Life on Mars (2006-2007)
Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Is he delusional or did he really travel through time? In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler is struck by a car and wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 with a life apparently intact and waiting for him. The mystery is deep.

Hot take

Gosh, I loved this show! The clever ambiguity was superb and the cast really made it work. Don’t watch the god-awful American remake (I can’t imagine the Korean one is any better, either). Stick with the original.

Torchwood (2006-2011)Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Spinning off from its roots in the Doctor Who series (or Whoniverse), Torchwood follows a special investigative team assigned to protect the Earth from threats and technology likely to pose a threat to the species.

Hot take

A bit campy, a whole lot of fun, and featuring LQBTQ characters? All of this combined with the great tie-ins to Doctor Who make this an absolute winner.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Sarah Connor knows that the machines are coming. One day, SkyNet, or something similar, will rise. And she’ll be there to face it. Following her journey after the events of the first two Terminator films, this one-season series concentrates of Sarah and her son’s efforts to save the world from rogue A.I.

Hot take

Cancelled way too soon, this series is actually really solid. It’s only a season long, but if you stick it in with a binge of the movie’s it will fit nicely.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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In the far future humanity has left and lost Earth, colonizing a number of colony planets in deep space. Following the invention of a super-advanced machine race called the Cylons who rebel against the humans who created them, everything changes. The Cylons were defeated once but when they return decades later for round two, everything has changed.

Hot take

One of the many shows caught up in the Post-9/11 world, BSG is filled with explorations of gritty morality, political strife, ethical chaos, and terrorism. It’s… a frustrating show. It probes without probing deep enough and it lives on the fuel of the sort of bad writing that operates from the perspective of “stories are conflict and conflict means everything is gritty and people are stupid!”. Not my favorite but undoubtedly a landmark series. Later seasons got really, really weird… and weirdly religious.

Eureaka (2006-2012)Eureaka (2006-2012)
Eureaka (2006-2012)

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There’s a little northwestern town populated entirely by scientific geniuses whose work constant puts them in positions of great peril. Sometimes, when danger threatens, it’s actually the simplest approach that solves the day… or the simplest man. Enter Jack Carter, the town’s new sheriff and the most average-IQ man in town.

Hot take

Societal problems and grand meta issues aside… this show is just plain fun. At it’s core it’s a soapy dram-com with a tried and true episodic structure and loose running storylines. It’s not world-shaking but it’s a good binge.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Telling the tale of the clone wars that took place between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, this animated series tangles with tough issues of morality, the hardships of war, the struggles of ethics, and the importance of emotional connection as opposed to apathy.

Hot take

Super great series, actually. Within reason, acceptable for kids aged at least 12, if they’re mature and you’re also capable enough to talk with them about some of the heady philosophic things going on in the writing. Mostly good writing, overall, and less glorification of violence than might be expected (certainly a bajillion times better than Rebels which you really shouldn’t let your kids watch, at least in part because of how that series turns things like death-during-battle into a source of amusement. Yikes).

Dollhouse (2009-2010)Dollhouse (2009-2010)
Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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A mysterious corporation operates a business known as The Dollhouse where people who don’t think they had another option agree to rent out their bodies to be used as platforms for advanced computer-created consciousnesses. For a set period of years, these people undertake everything from high-price escorting to high-risk assassination, their minds and abilities programmed to be perfect for any task at hand.

Hot take

Joss’s first big series after Firefly, it’s not as good as any of his previous work, though it clearly incorporates ideas from both Firefly and Buffy. It’s raised lots of interesting discussions due to its portrayal of… well, everything so it succeeded as a discussion platform even if it was only reasonably successful as a series.

Black Mirror (2011-Present)Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror (2011-Present)

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An anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but… Gritty and realistic and daaaark. It mostly dissects issues of technology interacting with society, and does so in terribly prescient ways at times.

Hot take

It’s really depressing. Often well-written and clever, and helped to bring dark sides of real tech issues to the public. But… meh.

Almost Human (2013-2014)Almost Human (2013-2014)
Almost Human (2013-2014)

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An outcast cop and a human-like android team up to solve crimes, but the relationships at the core of the show are what makes this series shine.

Hot take

It got canceled really darn fast which just proves that FOX never knows what they’re doing (seriously, all FOX execs should just be fired, forever). It’s a really solid series and offered a lot of superb moments, including a superb bit of interplay between the main actors. If you like this one, you should try out my favorite video game that covers similar themes: Detroit: Become Human.

The 100 (2014-Present)The 100 (2014-Present)
The 100 (2014-Present)

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A group of 100 young people crash land on Earth… an Earth long believed to be totally uninhabitable due to a long-past war. Only, there are inhabitants, and not all of them take kindly to the newcomers. As group lines form, the teens must fight to survive the struggles within and without, and discover the truth that history wanted them to forget.

Hot take

It’s okay. Not great, just okay. It really needed to do some things differently from the get-go and it relies far too much upon cheap “drama hook” writing where the tension is ramped up, often pointlessly, instead of actually… y’know, trying to write something complex.

Orphan Black (2013-2017)Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Sarah Manning witnesses the death of a woman who looks just like her. By impersonating her dead doppelgänger, Sarah encounters a mystery of stunning proportions that will unsettle every aspect of her life and pit her against international powers.

Hot take

This one is superb, largely because Tatiana Maslany is an incredible actress. Check it out!

Helix (2014-2015)Helix (2014-2015)
Helix (2014-2015)

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Something lurks beneath the arctic ice, an ancient disease that cannot be understood… or contained.

Hot take

This was a masterful little series… at least as far as season one went. Don’t bother with season two, there was a reason the show got canceled. But season one really stood out from the crowd. Fans of The Thing will love this.

Dark Matter (2015-2017)Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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When six amnesiacs awaken on a spaceship with no idea how they got there who who they are, stuck between warring corporations, bounty-hunters, and secrets from their unknown pasts, you know things are going to be interesting.

Hot take

Great premise and it’s a pity it got canceled so soon. The show-runners made some bad choices with the direction of the plot, and the heyday of this sort of science fiction might be too far in the past to do well for a modern audience. That said: it’s one of the closest shows to what I consider good sci-fi to come out during this time period. Produced by the same people who made Stargate!

Sense 8 (2015-2018)Sense 8 (2015-2018)
Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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A group of people, psychically linked, know the ins and outs of one another’s minds in a way nobody else could imagine… and it’s only through that power that they’ll be able to stay alive.

Hot take

Look, it’s created by J. Michael Straczynski (who also created Babylon 5), and the Wachowski’s (who created The Matrix). It’s one of the best modern science-fiction shows (as well as easily the sexiest show in existence). You might be uncomfortable watching it because of how much sexytime there is, but give it a chance. Seasons one and two come together to provide a powerful and unforgettable story.

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Nazi Germany and Japan won World War Two and now, with the United States divided between them, another war brews on the horizon. Meanwhile, the resistance has discovered something… impossible. A hint that this might not be the future that should have been at all.

Hot take

From the bizarre and brilliant mind of Philip K. Dick and rendered well to modern TV format, this show surprised me by actually being quite clever. I’d definitely give it a watch.

Killjoys (2015-2019)Killjoys (2015-2019)
Killjoys (2015-2019)

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A trio of bounty hunters working for an organization called the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition try to do their job while subverting the power of a tyrannical super-corporation that controls the entire planetary system.

Hot take

This show as really hot and I wish it had been allowed to thrive a little longer. Still, the time it did have was good, and it’s one of my few modern favorites.

The Expanse (2015-Present)The Expanse (2015-Present)
The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System’s asteroid belts have been colonized and a cold war state exists between Earth and Mars. Into this, a mysterious plot is injected to set the powers against one another, and if that war is sparked an alien artifact of unbelievable power might prove to be the end of humanity altogether.

Hot take

Probably the best modern hard sci-fi space opera, The Expanse is based off a great book series of the same name. The books are better in most respects but that’s almost always the case. The series is still superb in many ways and tries to stick to the books as close as it can, even if later seasons do go downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the “we need to make this super gritty for the dumb TV-audience” writing style.

Stranger Things (2016-Present)Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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A mysterious government agency doing things it shouldn’t? A group of D&D-loving kids searching for a lost friend? A mother who refuses to believe her child is dead? A creature from a dimension other than our own? An awesome 80s aesthetic?

Hot take

Watch it. This series is a blast. Season one might be the best, but the later seasons are still great.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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In the future consciousness can be transferred between bodies, a technology mostly used by the ultra-wealthy to attain effective immortality while the poor rot. Into this world, a prisoner, ex-terrorist, and one-time agent of the law, is pulled from a cryogenic freeze in order to solve a murder.

Hot take

One of the best science fiction series in modern history, Altered Carbon had me totally hooked. Sadly, Netflix canceled this brilliant series before it could really get going.

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

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A Star Wars series focused on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who comes into custody of a force-sensitive child wanted by the Imperial Remnant.

Hot take

Action-packed homage to spaghetti westerns and, frankly, not that good. Season one lacked coherence and even dire hard classic cinephiles like myself didn’t think that the old cinema references were enough to pull it back from the brink. Much better in season two but, then, almost generalized to the point of “meh.” It’s important because it’s paving the way for a whole new realm of Star Wars offshoots.

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Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
Discuss this guide!

A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series

From one fan to another: the best sci-fi shows of all time.
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 14, 2021
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Science fiction is where I live, it’s my happy place. It’s also what I do professionally as a science fiction and fantasy author. Ever since I watched Star Trek as a kid (the first, and for a long time the only, television series my parents allowed me to watch), I’ve been enamored with the genre and all the brilliant places it allows our minds to go.

The heyday of science fiction on television was probably the 90s, when a whole slew of excellent, bizarre, and unforgettable shows were forging a path toward mainstream acceptance of the genre. Since then, things have quieted down a bit for science fiction, though some new series are trying to take up the mantle of the old giants and old classics like Star Trek are being handed off to new minds.

This list is probably not exhaustive—and, boy, would I love to hear from you if you’ve got a series you think I would enjoy. You’ll notice that this list includes a little “hot-take” commentary section on each show with my personal thoughts about it, so you’ll probably pick up my style quickly enough.

Our journey, however, does not begin in the modern era. In fact… we’ll begin our exploration of this frontier of space back before television was even a thing!

Note: If you’re looking for super-hero series… you’re not going to find them here! Though the line between sci-fi and superhero can sometimes be very blurry, they are distinct genres. Look for my article on the best superhero series soon!

Flash Gordon (1935)Flash Gordon (1935)
Flash Gordon (1935)

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This incredible serialization starring (most memorably) Buster Crabbe as the titular Flash Gordon captured the hearts and minds of audiences the world over. With an atomic-age aesthetic and an action-packed premise, this serialization would go on to influence decades of sci-fi.

Hot take

This is a classic of classics, a serialized film experience that everyone needs to see as much for raw historical value as for the fun content of the show.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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A show unlike any other, The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling’s brainchild and one of the anthology series that would go on to inspire generations of sci-fi and horror writers with its vast array of macabre, sci-fi, and darkly humorous tales.

Hot take

A classic show that paved the way for a lot of the transgressive sci-fi we love today, it mixed everything from pure cheese to deeply thoughtful work inside one package. Modern viewers will need to be patient with some episodes.

Doctor Who' (1963-Present)Doctor Who' (1963-Present)
Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)

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The longest-running science fiction series (actually, the longest-running series at all), Doctor Who is the tale of the eponymous hero and his (or her) companions as they travel the convoluted byways of time. With each “regeneration” the Doctor gains a new face and so the series continues, time out of time.

Hot take

One of the most marvelous and magnificent series in existence, Doctor Who presents a hero who (in most cases and especially in the later series) tries to find the pacifist route to victory. It’s thrilling, funny, cheesy, deep, and heartbreaking. But don’t just watch one season, or one Doctor—this is a show that is at its best if you stick with it for a long time.

Star Trek (1966-1969)Star Trek (1966-1969)
Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The classic to end all classics, Star Trek helped change the world. The crew of the USS Enterprise embark on a mission to explore the limits of space (and sometimes time), and every episode ends with a bit of a laugh (often at the vulcan’s expense).

Hot take

A show beloved by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., to King Abdullah of Jordan, to Ronald Reagan, to Professor Stephen Hawking… Star Trek is probably the greatest science fiction story of all time because it tries to imagine a future where the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, where self-betterment, and the betterment of all people, is our primary goal. That’s the sort of message I can take to the stars.

The Prisoner (1967-1968)The Prisoner (1967-1968)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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A renowned spy wakes up one day to find himself a prisoner on an unknown island, in a strange community of nameless individuals—people known only by the numbers they’ve been assigned.

Hot take

“I am not a number!” might as well be the rallying cry of a whole generation. This brilliant little series touches on so many important issues of mass surveillance and human dignity.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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The adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, and his roommate Mindy. Driven by Robin Williams’ effortless and brilliant comedic talents, this is the series that helped launch him to stardom.

Hot take

Is is really science fiction? That might be up for debate, but it’s definitely great sci-fi-comedy and it holds a really special place in the history of the genre. It’s also hilarious and you’ll love it.

V: The Miniseries (1983)V: The Miniseries (1983)
V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Alien visitors have come to Earth to offer us a marvelous trade: our resources for their aid in becoming a better, healthier, more advanced civilization. What’s not to love?

Hot take

A superb little series that felt poignant and gripping. The miniseries is far better than the full-run series that followed. Do not even try to bother with the modern remake, yikes.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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A 1980s astronaut is accidentally knocked into a 500-year return orbit and frozen by a freak gas concoction that allows his rescuers, 500 years after his disappearance, to resurrect him! He then basically goes on being fabulous at 25th century technology and helps defend Earth from the evil Draconian Empire.

Hot take

This is pure American cheese in a can but it’s a classic fun sci-fi binge.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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A satirical series featuring “the first virtual show host” (actually, an actor in stylized make-up depicted in front of a digital screen). Max Headroom drove at the heart of a possible cyber-distopia that looks increasingly realistic for all that it was comprised of absurdism. Max became a culture icon for a couple of decades and still has a cult following today.

Hot take

My confession is that I didn’t discover Max Headroom until quite a bit later in life. As with all satire, this series is sometimes hit and miss, and many cultural references are dated back to the 80s. That said, it’s brilliant in so many ways.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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The Next Generation follows the Enterprise D and her crew as they explore the limits of space, solve crimes, serve as diplomats, and confront dangers facing the United Federation of Planets. It is at once quintessentially 80s and subversively forward-thinking even for today.

Hot take

Possibly the truest of all the Star Trek series to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, The Next Generation opened a gateway to a future where humanity had come together for the betterment of all—but worked harder to probe what this meant, how it came to be, and why it mattered, than the show preceding it. I’d skip episode 4 of season 1 altogether, yikes.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)Red Dwarf (1988-Present)
Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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A disaster aboard the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf leaves Dave Lister in the “curry”ous position of being the last human being left alive… in the universe. With nothing better to do, and billions of light-years from home, he sets course back toward the long-lost Earth with only the ship’s AI, a hologram of a dead friend, and a mysterious creature evolved from cat DNA for company.

Hot take

One of the great science fiction comedy series that not enough people know about. It’s funnier than most modern shows, heartfelt at times, bizarre, and brilliant. It’s its own thing, unashamedly, and it deserves a forever spot in the sci-fi hall of fame.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The distant world of Bajor suddenly becomes of vital importance to the Federation when a wormhole to a distant aprt of the galaxy is discovered on its doorstep. After centuries of brutal oppression, the Bajorans aren’t find of the idea of letting Starfleet come in and gain control, but a Starfleet commander who just might be the bajoran people’s unwilling spiritual leader could be the thing that changes their mind.

Hot take

It’s great, probably the best of the Star Trek series in terms of mixing weightiness with elements of Trek’s core philosophy, all wrapped around a truly wonderful cast of actors. Yes, the premise was ripped off from Babylon 5, but it’s still one of the best things around.

The X-Files (1993-2016)The X-Files (1993-2016)
The X-Files (1993-2016)

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X-Files explores the mysteries case files of the same name buried deep in the heart of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fox Mulder, haunted by events in his past, is on a mission to explore all the “spooky” things the X-Files have in store. But Fox might be treading on powerful toes and native skeptic Dana Scully is assigned to be his partner and report on him. What follows is pure golden TV history.

Hot take

If you want to experience the best, just get the “Mythology Collection” and the first X-Files film. Those are the core episodes that make it such a great show (and they skip all the religious episodes the showrunner threw in later on).

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Earth barely survived the Minbari assault and then only because the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. In order to avoid any such future conflict, a series of space stations were constructed to play host to diplomatic efforts between the species’ of the stars. In this epic sprawling tale war, romance, mystery, soul-searching, and heartbreak all converge within an etheric sense of the profound.

Hot take

It’s the best space-opera ever made. It’s also the first series to use full CGI for its space scenes, paving the way for later favorites. Since its entire premise was stolen to create DS9 when Straczynski originally started pitching it to studios, it’s also responsible for much of what makes that series so good, too.

Sliders (1995-2000)Sliders (1995-2000)
Sliders (1995-2000)

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A genius and his friends get trapped in a “slide” through parallel realities and there’s no telling where they will end up next! With a whole host of alternate possible histories and social outcomes to explore, the series offered an anthology-like experience witnessed through the eyes of a cohesive group of characters.

Hot take

I don’t like anthology series a ton so the way Sliders handled this worked great for me. We got one group of characters and a ton of different situations: ace! Seasons one and two are superb, season three saw FOX Network executives poke their long noses in where they don’t belong (the show’s creator resigned because of how terrible the company was being), but season’s five and six picked back up where season two ended. Watch it, it’s fun!

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Thrown into a distant part of the galaxy by a super-powerful dying alien, the starship Voyager must now try to make its way home… a journey that could take most of a century unless some shortcut can be found. With Captain Katheryn Janeway calling the shots, the only detours will be scientific and coffee-related.

Hot take

It’s a blast. It leans into the cheesier more soapy side of Trek pretty heavily, but it also has some superb heavy-hitting episodes where the writing shines. Noted for having a woman in the commander chair for the first time, but also for being just generally quite solid, it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to Trek.

Lexx (1996-2002)Lexx (1996-2002)
Lexx (1996-2002)

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A wacky, weird, wild, and kinda raunchy science fiction series about people who travel around inside of a giant intergalactic bug known as The Lexx — the most powerful force in the Universe.

Hot take

This show is crazy weird, man, but also pretty groundbreaking. I liked the original miseries far more than the following series, but the whole thing has a charm tha cannot be denied.

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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A mysterious ancient gate is discovered that connects Earth to a vast interstellar wormhole network… and places it in the crosshairs of a parasitic alien race who see human beings as nothing more than hosts and slaves. Luckily, an international team headed up by the U.S. Airforce is deployed to make allies and search for technologies that can be used for defense.

Hot take

U.S. Imperialism to the rescue! It’s an interesting one because it weaves back and forth between god and bad, campy and serious, propagandistic and intriguingly subversive. It’s better than you might expect (but it’ll take at least three seasons for that to become clear). Binge it, baby!

Farscape (1999-2003)Farscape (1999-2003)
Farscape (1999-2003)

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John Crichton, an astronaut testing a new type of space vehicle maneuver, gets caught in a wormhole and flung across the universe. What follows is one of the most splendidly original, deep, engaging, and epic voyages ever conceived for television.

Hot take

Yeah, it’s one of the best science-fiction shows of all time, forever ranked on my top-five list. But, it’s also just one of the best darn shows of all time. Highly recommended.

Futurama (1999-2013)Futurama (1999-2013)
Futurama (1999-2013)

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When pizza delivery guy Fry is frozen for a thousand years he integrates with the madcap ridiculousness of the future surprisingly well and takes on the role of “delivery boy” for an organization called Planet Express. Animated, satirical, ridiculous, and thoughtful in a way that not enough of these animated comedy series actually are.

Hot take

Not all cartoons are for kids. This is definitely a cartoon for adults, so don’t sit little Timmy down in front of it, please. It’s definitely an old favorite of mine, though, and I love how clever it could be.

Andromeda (2000-2005)Andromeda (2000-2005)
Andromeda (2000-2005)

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The Commonwealth has fallen but one man, its most loyal servant, has survived. Clinging to life as his spaceship orbits the event horizon of a black hole, Captain Dylan Hunt is retrieved centuries out from his own time and he embarks on an epic quest to bring order back to a dark galaxy.

Hot take

Kevin Sorbo isn’t exactly a fan-favorite, but his portrayal of Hunt is grand, and, as a whole, this series is wallopingly good space-opera.

Firefly (2002-2003)Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly (2002-2003)

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Like a leaf on the wind, the starship Serenity and her crew float from place to place as the gusts of fortune decides. Always low on cash, always on the edge of the law, things get heated when a stowaway is found, a stowaway who is wanted by the powerful Capitalistic government that rules the solar system known as The ‘Verse: The Alliance.

Hot take

TOO SOON. It’s one of the best darn television series to be made, period and the fact that it got canceled is a crime. The follow-up film Serenity is actually pretty good and will help wrap the story up, even if it’s nothing compared to all the goodies Joss had in store.

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)
Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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The people who created the wormhole gates, the Stargates, also created the fabled city of Atlantis, which isn’t on Earth at all, but is hidden on a distant world in another galaxy. A team from Earth goes to investigate and set up a base on Atlantis in the hopes of discovering new technology to defend Earth and perhaps learn why the gate-builders vanished in the first place.

Hot take

It’s fun. The enemy of the series is incredibly uninspired and it’s often much flatter in terms of quality than it could have been, but it’s also better than the original in a few respects as well. (Let us not ever speak of the atrocity that was SG:U).

Life on Mars (2006-2007)Life on Mars (2006-2007)
Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Is he delusional or did he really travel through time? In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler is struck by a car and wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 with a life apparently intact and waiting for him. The mystery is deep.

Hot take

Gosh, I loved this show! The clever ambiguity was superb and the cast really made it work. Don’t watch the god-awful American remake (I can’t imagine the Korean one is any better, either). Stick with the original.

Torchwood (2006-2011)Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Spinning off from its roots in the Doctor Who series (or Whoniverse), Torchwood follows a special investigative team assigned to protect the Earth from threats and technology likely to pose a threat to the species.

Hot take

A bit campy, a whole lot of fun, and featuring LQBTQ characters? All of this combined with the great tie-ins to Doctor Who make this an absolute winner.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Sarah Connor knows that the machines are coming. One day, SkyNet, or something similar, will rise. And she’ll be there to face it. Following her journey after the events of the first two Terminator films, this one-season series concentrates of Sarah and her son’s efforts to save the world from rogue A.I.

Hot take

Cancelled way too soon, this series is actually really solid. It’s only a season long, but if you stick it in with a binge of the movie’s it will fit nicely.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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In the far future humanity has left and lost Earth, colonizing a number of colony planets in deep space. Following the invention of a super-advanced machine race called the Cylons who rebel against the humans who created them, everything changes. The Cylons were defeated once but when they return decades later for round two, everything has changed.

Hot take

One of the many shows caught up in the Post-9/11 world, BSG is filled with explorations of gritty morality, political strife, ethical chaos, and terrorism. It’s… a frustrating show. It probes without probing deep enough and it lives on the fuel of the sort of bad writing that operates from the perspective of “stories are conflict and conflict means everything is gritty and people are stupid!”. Not my favorite but undoubtedly a landmark series. Later seasons got really, really weird… and weirdly religious.

Eureaka (2006-2012)Eureaka (2006-2012)
Eureaka (2006-2012)

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There’s a little northwestern town populated entirely by scientific geniuses whose work constant puts them in positions of great peril. Sometimes, when danger threatens, it’s actually the simplest approach that solves the day… or the simplest man. Enter Jack Carter, the town’s new sheriff and the most average-IQ man in town.

Hot take

Societal problems and grand meta issues aside… this show is just plain fun. At it’s core it’s a soapy dram-com with a tried and true episodic structure and loose running storylines. It’s not world-shaking but it’s a good binge.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Telling the tale of the clone wars that took place between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, this animated series tangles with tough issues of morality, the hardships of war, the struggles of ethics, and the importance of emotional connection as opposed to apathy.

Hot take

Super great series, actually. Within reason, acceptable for kids aged at least 12, if they’re mature and you’re also capable enough to talk with them about some of the heady philosophic things going on in the writing. Mostly good writing, overall, and less glorification of violence than might be expected (certainly a bajillion times better than Rebels which you really shouldn’t let your kids watch, at least in part because of how that series turns things like death-during-battle into a source of amusement. Yikes).

Dollhouse (2009-2010)Dollhouse (2009-2010)
Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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A mysterious corporation operates a business known as The Dollhouse where people who don’t think they had another option agree to rent out their bodies to be used as platforms for advanced computer-created consciousnesses. For a set period of years, these people undertake everything from high-price escorting to high-risk assassination, their minds and abilities programmed to be perfect for any task at hand.

Hot take

Joss’s first big series after Firefly, it’s not as good as any of his previous work, though it clearly incorporates ideas from both Firefly and Buffy. It’s raised lots of interesting discussions due to its portrayal of… well, everything so it succeeded as a discussion platform even if it was only reasonably successful as a series.

Black Mirror (2011-Present)Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror (2011-Present)

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An anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but… Gritty and realistic and daaaark. It mostly dissects issues of technology interacting with society, and does so in terribly prescient ways at times.

Hot take

It’s really depressing. Often well-written and clever, and helped to bring dark sides of real tech issues to the public. But… meh.

Almost Human (2013-2014)Almost Human (2013-2014)
Almost Human (2013-2014)

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An outcast cop and a human-like android team up to solve crimes, but the relationships at the core of the show are what makes this series shine.

Hot take

It got canceled really darn fast which just proves that FOX never knows what they’re doing (seriously, all FOX execs should just be fired, forever). It’s a really solid series and offered a lot of superb moments, including a superb bit of interplay between the main actors. If you like this one, you should try out my favorite video game that covers similar themes: Detroit: Become Human.

The 100 (2014-Present)The 100 (2014-Present)
The 100 (2014-Present)

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A group of 100 young people crash land on Earth… an Earth long believed to be totally uninhabitable due to a long-past war. Only, there are inhabitants, and not all of them take kindly to the newcomers. As group lines form, the teens must fight to survive the struggles within and without, and discover the truth that history wanted them to forget.

Hot take

It’s okay. Not great, just okay. It really needed to do some things differently from the get-go and it relies far too much upon cheap “drama hook” writing where the tension is ramped up, often pointlessly, instead of actually… y’know, trying to write something complex.

Orphan Black (2013-2017)Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Sarah Manning witnesses the death of a woman who looks just like her. By impersonating her dead doppelgänger, Sarah encounters a mystery of stunning proportions that will unsettle every aspect of her life and pit her against international powers.

Hot take

This one is superb, largely because Tatiana Maslany is an incredible actress. Check it out!

Helix (2014-2015)Helix (2014-2015)
Helix (2014-2015)

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Something lurks beneath the arctic ice, an ancient disease that cannot be understood… or contained.

Hot take

This was a masterful little series… at least as far as season one went. Don’t bother with season two, there was a reason the show got canceled. But season one really stood out from the crowd. Fans of The Thing will love this.

Dark Matter (2015-2017)Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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When six amnesiacs awaken on a spaceship with no idea how they got there who who they are, stuck between warring corporations, bounty-hunters, and secrets from their unknown pasts, you know things are going to be interesting.

Hot take

Great premise and it’s a pity it got canceled so soon. The show-runners made some bad choices with the direction of the plot, and the heyday of this sort of science fiction might be too far in the past to do well for a modern audience. That said: it’s one of the closest shows to what I consider good sci-fi to come out during this time period. Produced by the same people who made Stargate!

Sense 8 (2015-2018)Sense 8 (2015-2018)
Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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A group of people, psychically linked, know the ins and outs of one another’s minds in a way nobody else could imagine… and it’s only through that power that they’ll be able to stay alive.

Hot take

Look, it’s created by J. Michael Straczynski (who also created Babylon 5), and the Wachowski’s (who created The Matrix). It’s one of the best modern science-fiction shows (as well as easily the sexiest show in existence). You might be uncomfortable watching it because of how much sexytime there is, but give it a chance. Seasons one and two come together to provide a powerful and unforgettable story.

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Nazi Germany and Japan won World War Two and now, with the United States divided between them, another war brews on the horizon. Meanwhile, the resistance has discovered something… impossible. A hint that this might not be the future that should have been at all.

Hot take

From the bizarre and brilliant mind of Philip K. Dick and rendered well to modern TV format, this show surprised me by actually being quite clever. I’d definitely give it a watch.

Killjoys (2015-2019)Killjoys (2015-2019)
Killjoys (2015-2019)

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A trio of bounty hunters working for an organization called the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition try to do their job while subverting the power of a tyrannical super-corporation that controls the entire planetary system.

Hot take

This show as really hot and I wish it had been allowed to thrive a little longer. Still, the time it did have was good, and it’s one of my few modern favorites.

The Expanse (2015-Present)The Expanse (2015-Present)
The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System’s asteroid belts have been colonized and a cold war state exists between Earth and Mars. Into this, a mysterious plot is injected to set the powers against one another, and if that war is sparked an alien artifact of unbelievable power might prove to be the end of humanity altogether.

Hot take

Probably the best modern hard sci-fi space opera, The Expanse is based off a great book series of the same name. The books are better in most respects but that’s almost always the case. The series is still superb in many ways and tries to stick to the books as close as it can, even if later seasons do go downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the “we need to make this super gritty for the dumb TV-audience” writing style.

Stranger Things (2016-Present)Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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A mysterious government agency doing things it shouldn’t? A group of D&D-loving kids searching for a lost friend? A mother who refuses to believe her child is dead? A creature from a dimension other than our own? An awesome 80s aesthetic?

Hot take

Watch it. This series is a blast. Season one might be the best, but the later seasons are still great.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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In the future consciousness can be transferred between bodies, a technology mostly used by the ultra-wealthy to attain effective immortality while the poor rot. Into this world, a prisoner, ex-terrorist, and one-time agent of the law, is pulled from a cryogenic freeze in order to solve a murder.

Hot take

One of the best science fiction series in modern history, Altered Carbon had me totally hooked. Sadly, Netflix canceled this brilliant series before it could really get going.

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

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A Star Wars series focused on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who comes into custody of a force-sensitive child wanted by the Imperial Remnant.

Hot take

Action-packed homage to spaghetti westerns and, frankly, not that good. Season one lacked coherence and even dire hard classic cinephiles like myself didn’t think that the old cinema references were enough to pull it back from the brink. Much better in season two but, then, almost generalized to the point of “meh.” It’s important because it’s paving the way for a whole new realm of Star Wars offshoots.

 

A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series

From one fan to another: the best sci-fi shows of all time.
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 14, 2021
0

Science fiction is where I live, it’s my happy place. It’s also what I do professionally as a science fiction and fantasy author. Ever since I watched Star Trek as a kid (the first, and for a long time the only, television series my parents allowed me to watch), I’ve been enamored with the genre and all the brilliant places it allows our minds to go.

The heyday of science fiction on television was probably the 90s, when a whole slew of excellent, bizarre, and unforgettable shows were forging a path toward mainstream acceptance of the genre. Since then, things have quieted down a bit for science fiction, though some new series are trying to take up the mantle of the old giants and old classics like Star Trek are being handed off to new minds.

This list is probably not exhaustive—and, boy, would I love to hear from you if you’ve got a series you think I would enjoy. You’ll notice that this list includes a little “hot-take” commentary section on each show with my personal thoughts about it, so you’ll probably pick up my style quickly enough.

Our journey, however, does not begin in the modern era. In fact… we’ll begin our exploration of this frontier of space back before television was even a thing!

Note: If you’re looking for super-hero series… you’re not going to find them here! Though the line between sci-fi and superhero can sometimes be very blurry, they are distinct genres. Look for my article on the best superhero series soon!

Flash Gordon (1935)Flash Gordon (1935)
Flash Gordon (1935)

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This incredible serialization starring (most memorably) Buster Crabbe as the titular Flash Gordon captured the hearts and minds of audiences the world over. With an atomic-age aesthetic and an action-packed premise, this serialization would go on to influence decades of sci-fi.

Hot take

This is a classic of classics, a serialized film experience that everyone needs to see as much for raw historical value as for the fun content of the show.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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A show unlike any other, The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling’s brainchild and one of the anthology series that would go on to inspire generations of sci-fi and horror writers with its vast array of macabre, sci-fi, and darkly humorous tales.

Hot take

A classic show that paved the way for a lot of the transgressive sci-fi we love today, it mixed everything from pure cheese to deeply thoughtful work inside one package. Modern viewers will need to be patient with some episodes.

Doctor Who' (1963-Present)Doctor Who' (1963-Present)
Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)

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The longest-running science fiction series (actually, the longest-running series at all), Doctor Who is the tale of the eponymous hero and his (or her) companions as they travel the convoluted byways of time. With each “regeneration” the Doctor gains a new face and so the series continues, time out of time.

Hot take

One of the most marvelous and magnificent series in existence, Doctor Who presents a hero who (in most cases and especially in the later series) tries to find the pacifist route to victory. It’s thrilling, funny, cheesy, deep, and heartbreaking. But don’t just watch one season, or one Doctor—this is a show that is at its best if you stick with it for a long time.

Star Trek (1966-1969)Star Trek (1966-1969)
Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The classic to end all classics, Star Trek helped change the world. The crew of the USS Enterprise embark on a mission to explore the limits of space (and sometimes time), and every episode ends with a bit of a laugh (often at the vulcan’s expense).

Hot take

A show beloved by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., to King Abdullah of Jordan, to Ronald Reagan, to Professor Stephen Hawking… Star Trek is probably the greatest science fiction story of all time because it tries to imagine a future where the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, where self-betterment, and the betterment of all people, is our primary goal. That’s the sort of message I can take to the stars.

The Prisoner (1967-1968)The Prisoner (1967-1968)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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A renowned spy wakes up one day to find himself a prisoner on an unknown island, in a strange community of nameless individuals—people known only by the numbers they’ve been assigned.

Hot take

“I am not a number!” might as well be the rallying cry of a whole generation. This brilliant little series touches on so many important issues of mass surveillance and human dignity.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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The adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, and his roommate Mindy. Driven by Robin Williams’ effortless and brilliant comedic talents, this is the series that helped launch him to stardom.

Hot take

Is is really science fiction? That might be up for debate, but it’s definitely great sci-fi-comedy and it holds a really special place in the history of the genre. It’s also hilarious and you’ll love it.

V: The Miniseries (1983)V: The Miniseries (1983)
V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Alien visitors have come to Earth to offer us a marvelous trade: our resources for their aid in becoming a better, healthier, more advanced civilization. What’s not to love?

Hot take

A superb little series that felt poignant and gripping. The miniseries is far better than the full-run series that followed. Do not even try to bother with the modern remake, yikes.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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A 1980s astronaut is accidentally knocked into a 500-year return orbit and frozen by a freak gas concoction that allows his rescuers, 500 years after his disappearance, to resurrect him! He then basically goes on being fabulous at 25th century technology and helps defend Earth from the evil Draconian Empire.

Hot take

This is pure American cheese in a can but it’s a classic fun sci-fi binge.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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A satirical series featuring “the first virtual show host” (actually, an actor in stylized make-up depicted in front of a digital screen). Max Headroom drove at the heart of a possible cyber-distopia that looks increasingly realistic for all that it was comprised of absurdism. Max became a culture icon for a couple of decades and still has a cult following today.

Hot take

My confession is that I didn’t discover Max Headroom until quite a bit later in life. As with all satire, this series is sometimes hit and miss, and many cultural references are dated back to the 80s. That said, it’s brilliant in so many ways.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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The Next Generation follows the Enterprise D and her crew as they explore the limits of space, solve crimes, serve as diplomats, and confront dangers facing the United Federation of Planets. It is at once quintessentially 80s and subversively forward-thinking even for today.

Hot take

Possibly the truest of all the Star Trek series to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, The Next Generation opened a gateway to a future where humanity had come together for the betterment of all—but worked harder to probe what this meant, how it came to be, and why it mattered, than the show preceding it. I’d skip episode 4 of season 1 altogether, yikes.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)Red Dwarf (1988-Present)
Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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A disaster aboard the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf leaves Dave Lister in the “curry”ous position of being the last human being left alive… in the universe. With nothing better to do, and billions of light-years from home, he sets course back toward the long-lost Earth with only the ship’s AI, a hologram of a dead friend, and a mysterious creature evolved from cat DNA for company.

Hot take

One of the great science fiction comedy series that not enough people know about. It’s funnier than most modern shows, heartfelt at times, bizarre, and brilliant. It’s its own thing, unashamedly, and it deserves a forever spot in the sci-fi hall of fame.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The distant world of Bajor suddenly becomes of vital importance to the Federation when a wormhole to a distant aprt of the galaxy is discovered on its doorstep. After centuries of brutal oppression, the Bajorans aren’t find of the idea of letting Starfleet come in and gain control, but a Starfleet commander who just might be the bajoran people’s unwilling spiritual leader could be the thing that changes their mind.

Hot take

It’s great, probably the best of the Star Trek series in terms of mixing weightiness with elements of Trek’s core philosophy, all wrapped around a truly wonderful cast of actors. Yes, the premise was ripped off from Babylon 5, but it’s still one of the best things around.

The X-Files (1993-2016)The X-Files (1993-2016)
The X-Files (1993-2016)

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X-Files explores the mysteries case files of the same name buried deep in the heart of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fox Mulder, haunted by events in his past, is on a mission to explore all the “spooky” things the X-Files have in store. But Fox might be treading on powerful toes and native skeptic Dana Scully is assigned to be his partner and report on him. What follows is pure golden TV history.

Hot take

If you want to experience the best, just get the “Mythology Collection” and the first X-Files film. Those are the core episodes that make it such a great show (and they skip all the religious episodes the showrunner threw in later on).

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Earth barely survived the Minbari assault and then only because the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. In order to avoid any such future conflict, a series of space stations were constructed to play host to diplomatic efforts between the species’ of the stars. In this epic sprawling tale war, romance, mystery, soul-searching, and heartbreak all converge within an etheric sense of the profound.

Hot take

It’s the best space-opera ever made. It’s also the first series to use full CGI for its space scenes, paving the way for later favorites. Since its entire premise was stolen to create DS9 when Straczynski originally started pitching it to studios, it’s also responsible for much of what makes that series so good, too.

Sliders (1995-2000)Sliders (1995-2000)
Sliders (1995-2000)

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A genius and his friends get trapped in a “slide” through parallel realities and there’s no telling where they will end up next! With a whole host of alternate possible histories and social outcomes to explore, the series offered an anthology-like experience witnessed through the eyes of a cohesive group of characters.

Hot take

I don’t like anthology series a ton so the way Sliders handled this worked great for me. We got one group of characters and a ton of different situations: ace! Seasons one and two are superb, season three saw FOX Network executives poke their long noses in where they don’t belong (the show’s creator resigned because of how terrible the company was being), but season’s five and six picked back up where season two ended. Watch it, it’s fun!

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Thrown into a distant part of the galaxy by a super-powerful dying alien, the starship Voyager must now try to make its way home… a journey that could take most of a century unless some shortcut can be found. With Captain Katheryn Janeway calling the shots, the only detours will be scientific and coffee-related.

Hot take

It’s a blast. It leans into the cheesier more soapy side of Trek pretty heavily, but it also has some superb heavy-hitting episodes where the writing shines. Noted for having a woman in the commander chair for the first time, but also for being just generally quite solid, it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to Trek.

Lexx (1996-2002)Lexx (1996-2002)
Lexx (1996-2002)

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A wacky, weird, wild, and kinda raunchy science fiction series about people who travel around inside of a giant intergalactic bug known as The Lexx — the most powerful force in the Universe.

Hot take

This show is crazy weird, man, but also pretty groundbreaking. I liked the original miseries far more than the following series, but the whole thing has a charm tha cannot be denied.

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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A mysterious ancient gate is discovered that connects Earth to a vast interstellar wormhole network… and places it in the crosshairs of a parasitic alien race who see human beings as nothing more than hosts and slaves. Luckily, an international team headed up by the U.S. Airforce is deployed to make allies and search for technologies that can be used for defense.

Hot take

U.S. Imperialism to the rescue! It’s an interesting one because it weaves back and forth between god and bad, campy and serious, propagandistic and intriguingly subversive. It’s better than you might expect (but it’ll take at least three seasons for that to become clear). Binge it, baby!

Farscape (1999-2003)Farscape (1999-2003)
Farscape (1999-2003)

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John Crichton, an astronaut testing a new type of space vehicle maneuver, gets caught in a wormhole and flung across the universe. What follows is one of the most splendidly original, deep, engaging, and epic voyages ever conceived for television.

Hot take

Yeah, it’s one of the best science-fiction shows of all time, forever ranked on my top-five list. But, it’s also just one of the best darn shows of all time. Highly recommended.

Futurama (1999-2013)Futurama (1999-2013)
Futurama (1999-2013)

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When pizza delivery guy Fry is frozen for a thousand years he integrates with the madcap ridiculousness of the future surprisingly well and takes on the role of “delivery boy” for an organization called Planet Express. Animated, satirical, ridiculous, and thoughtful in a way that not enough of these animated comedy series actually are.

Hot take

Not all cartoons are for kids. This is definitely a cartoon for adults, so don’t sit little Timmy down in front of it, please. It’s definitely an old favorite of mine, though, and I love how clever it could be.

Andromeda (2000-2005)Andromeda (2000-2005)
Andromeda (2000-2005)

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The Commonwealth has fallen but one man, its most loyal servant, has survived. Clinging to life as his spaceship orbits the event horizon of a black hole, Captain Dylan Hunt is retrieved centuries out from his own time and he embarks on an epic quest to bring order back to a dark galaxy.

Hot take

Kevin Sorbo isn’t exactly a fan-favorite, but his portrayal of Hunt is grand, and, as a whole, this series is wallopingly good space-opera.

Firefly (2002-2003)Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly (2002-2003)

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Like a leaf on the wind, the starship Serenity and her crew float from place to place as the gusts of fortune decides. Always low on cash, always on the edge of the law, things get heated when a stowaway is found, a stowaway who is wanted by the powerful Capitalistic government that rules the solar system known as The ‘Verse: The Alliance.

Hot take

TOO SOON. It’s one of the best darn television series to be made, period and the fact that it got canceled is a crime. The follow-up film Serenity is actually pretty good and will help wrap the story up, even if it’s nothing compared to all the goodies Joss had in store.

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)
Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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The people who created the wormhole gates, the Stargates, also created the fabled city of Atlantis, which isn’t on Earth at all, but is hidden on a distant world in another galaxy. A team from Earth goes to investigate and set up a base on Atlantis in the hopes of discovering new technology to defend Earth and perhaps learn why the gate-builders vanished in the first place.

Hot take

It’s fun. The enemy of the series is incredibly uninspired and it’s often much flatter in terms of quality than it could have been, but it’s also better than the original in a few respects as well. (Let us not ever speak of the atrocity that was SG:U).

Life on Mars (2006-2007)Life on Mars (2006-2007)
Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Is he delusional or did he really travel through time? In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler is struck by a car and wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 with a life apparently intact and waiting for him. The mystery is deep.

Hot take

Gosh, I loved this show! The clever ambiguity was superb and the cast really made it work. Don’t watch the god-awful American remake (I can’t imagine the Korean one is any better, either). Stick with the original.

Torchwood (2006-2011)Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Spinning off from its roots in the Doctor Who series (or Whoniverse), Torchwood follows a special investigative team assigned to protect the Earth from threats and technology likely to pose a threat to the species.

Hot take

A bit campy, a whole lot of fun, and featuring LQBTQ characters? All of this combined with the great tie-ins to Doctor Who make this an absolute winner.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Sarah Connor knows that the machines are coming. One day, SkyNet, or something similar, will rise. And she’ll be there to face it. Following her journey after the events of the first two Terminator films, this one-season series concentrates of Sarah and her son’s efforts to save the world from rogue A.I.

Hot take

Cancelled way too soon, this series is actually really solid. It’s only a season long, but if you stick it in with a binge of the movie’s it will fit nicely.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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In the far future humanity has left and lost Earth, colonizing a number of colony planets in deep space. Following the invention of a super-advanced machine race called the Cylons who rebel against the humans who created them, everything changes. The Cylons were defeated once but when they return decades later for round two, everything has changed.

Hot take

One of the many shows caught up in the Post-9/11 world, BSG is filled with explorations of gritty morality, political strife, ethical chaos, and terrorism. It’s… a frustrating show. It probes without probing deep enough and it lives on the fuel of the sort of bad writing that operates from the perspective of “stories are conflict and conflict means everything is gritty and people are stupid!”. Not my favorite but undoubtedly a landmark series. Later seasons got really, really weird… and weirdly religious.

Eureaka (2006-2012)Eureaka (2006-2012)
Eureaka (2006-2012)

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There’s a little northwestern town populated entirely by scientific geniuses whose work constant puts them in positions of great peril. Sometimes, when danger threatens, it’s actually the simplest approach that solves the day… or the simplest man. Enter Jack Carter, the town’s new sheriff and the most average-IQ man in town.

Hot take

Societal problems and grand meta issues aside… this show is just plain fun. At it’s core it’s a soapy dram-com with a tried and true episodic structure and loose running storylines. It’s not world-shaking but it’s a good binge.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Telling the tale of the clone wars that took place between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, this animated series tangles with tough issues of morality, the hardships of war, the struggles of ethics, and the importance of emotional connection as opposed to apathy.

Hot take

Super great series, actually. Within reason, acceptable for kids aged at least 12, if they’re mature and you’re also capable enough to talk with them about some of the heady philosophic things going on in the writing. Mostly good writing, overall, and less glorification of violence than might be expected (certainly a bajillion times better than Rebels which you really shouldn’t let your kids watch, at least in part because of how that series turns things like death-during-battle into a source of amusement. Yikes).

Dollhouse (2009-2010)Dollhouse (2009-2010)
Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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A mysterious corporation operates a business known as The Dollhouse where people who don’t think they had another option agree to rent out their bodies to be used as platforms for advanced computer-created consciousnesses. For a set period of years, these people undertake everything from high-price escorting to high-risk assassination, their minds and abilities programmed to be perfect for any task at hand.

Hot take

Joss’s first big series after Firefly, it’s not as good as any of his previous work, though it clearly incorporates ideas from both Firefly and Buffy. It’s raised lots of interesting discussions due to its portrayal of… well, everything so it succeeded as a discussion platform even if it was only reasonably successful as a series.

Black Mirror (2011-Present)Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror (2011-Present)

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An anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but… Gritty and realistic and daaaark. It mostly dissects issues of technology interacting with society, and does so in terribly prescient ways at times.

Hot take

It’s really depressing. Often well-written and clever, and helped to bring dark sides of real tech issues to the public. But… meh.

Almost Human (2013-2014)Almost Human (2013-2014)
Almost Human (2013-2014)

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An outcast cop and a human-like android team up to solve crimes, but the relationships at the core of the show are what makes this series shine.

Hot take

It got canceled really darn fast which just proves that FOX never knows what they’re doing (seriously, all FOX execs should just be fired, forever). It’s a really solid series and offered a lot of superb moments, including a superb bit of interplay between the main actors. If you like this one, you should try out my favorite video game that covers similar themes: Detroit: Become Human.

The 100 (2014-Present)The 100 (2014-Present)
The 100 (2014-Present)

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A group of 100 young people crash land on Earth… an Earth long believed to be totally uninhabitable due to a long-past war. Only, there are inhabitants, and not all of them take kindly to the newcomers. As group lines form, the teens must fight to survive the struggles within and without, and discover the truth that history wanted them to forget.

Hot take

It’s okay. Not great, just okay. It really needed to do some things differently from the get-go and it relies far too much upon cheap “drama hook” writing where the tension is ramped up, often pointlessly, instead of actually… y’know, trying to write something complex.

Orphan Black (2013-2017)Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Sarah Manning witnesses the death of a woman who looks just like her. By impersonating her dead doppelgänger, Sarah encounters a mystery of stunning proportions that will unsettle every aspect of her life and pit her against international powers.

Hot take

This one is superb, largely because Tatiana Maslany is an incredible actress. Check it out!

Helix (2014-2015)Helix (2014-2015)
Helix (2014-2015)

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Something lurks beneath the arctic ice, an ancient disease that cannot be understood… or contained.

Hot take

This was a masterful little series… at least as far as season one went. Don’t bother with season two, there was a reason the show got canceled. But season one really stood out from the crowd. Fans of The Thing will love this.

Dark Matter (2015-2017)Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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When six amnesiacs awaken on a spaceship with no idea how they got there who who they are, stuck between warring corporations, bounty-hunters, and secrets from their unknown pasts, you know things are going to be interesting.

Hot take

Great premise and it’s a pity it got canceled so soon. The show-runners made some bad choices with the direction of the plot, and the heyday of this sort of science fiction might be too far in the past to do well for a modern audience. That said: it’s one of the closest shows to what I consider good sci-fi to come out during this time period. Produced by the same people who made Stargate!

Sense 8 (2015-2018)Sense 8 (2015-2018)
Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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A group of people, psychically linked, know the ins and outs of one another’s minds in a way nobody else could imagine… and it’s only through that power that they’ll be able to stay alive.

Hot take

Look, it’s created by J. Michael Straczynski (who also created Babylon 5), and the Wachowski’s (who created The Matrix). It’s one of the best modern science-fiction shows (as well as easily the sexiest show in existence). You might be uncomfortable watching it because of how much sexytime there is, but give it a chance. Seasons one and two come together to provide a powerful and unforgettable story.

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Nazi Germany and Japan won World War Two and now, with the United States divided between them, another war brews on the horizon. Meanwhile, the resistance has discovered something… impossible. A hint that this might not be the future that should have been at all.

Hot take

From the bizarre and brilliant mind of Philip K. Dick and rendered well to modern TV format, this show surprised me by actually being quite clever. I’d definitely give it a watch.

Killjoys (2015-2019)Killjoys (2015-2019)
Killjoys (2015-2019)

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A trio of bounty hunters working for an organization called the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition try to do their job while subverting the power of a tyrannical super-corporation that controls the entire planetary system.

Hot take

This show as really hot and I wish it had been allowed to thrive a little longer. Still, the time it did have was good, and it’s one of my few modern favorites.

The Expanse (2015-Present)The Expanse (2015-Present)
The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System’s asteroid belts have been colonized and a cold war state exists between Earth and Mars. Into this, a mysterious plot is injected to set the powers against one another, and if that war is sparked an alien artifact of unbelievable power might prove to be the end of humanity altogether.

Hot take

Probably the best modern hard sci-fi space opera, The Expanse is based off a great book series of the same name. The books are better in most respects but that’s almost always the case. The series is still superb in many ways and tries to stick to the books as close as it can, even if later seasons do go downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the “we need to make this super gritty for the dumb TV-audience” writing style.

Stranger Things (2016-Present)Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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A mysterious government agency doing things it shouldn’t? A group of D&D-loving kids searching for a lost friend? A mother who refuses to believe her child is dead? A creature from a dimension other than our own? An awesome 80s aesthetic?

Hot take

Watch it. This series is a blast. Season one might be the best, but the later seasons are still great.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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In the future consciousness can be transferred between bodies, a technology mostly used by the ultra-wealthy to attain effective immortality while the poor rot. Into this world, a prisoner, ex-terrorist, and one-time agent of the law, is pulled from a cryogenic freeze in order to solve a murder.

Hot take

One of the best science fiction series in modern history, Altered Carbon had me totally hooked. Sadly, Netflix canceled this brilliant series before it could really get going.

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

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A Star Wars series focused on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who comes into custody of a force-sensitive child wanted by the Imperial Remnant.

Hot take

Action-packed homage to spaghetti westerns and, frankly, not that good. Season one lacked coherence and even dire hard classic cinephiles like myself didn’t think that the old cinema references were enough to pull it back from the brink. Much better in season two but, then, almost generalized to the point of “meh.” It’s important because it’s paving the way for a whole new realm of Star Wars offshoots.

A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series

From one fan to another: the best sci-fi shows of all time.
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 14, 2021
0

Science fiction is where I live, it’s my happy place. It’s also what I do professionally as a science fiction and fantasy author. Ever since I watched Star Trek as a kid (the first, and for a long time the only, television series my parents allowed me to watch), I’ve been enamored with the genre and all the brilliant places it allows our minds to go.

The heyday of science fiction on television was probably the 90s, when a whole slew of excellent, bizarre, and unforgettable shows were forging a path toward mainstream acceptance of the genre. Since then, things have quieted down a bit for science fiction, though some new series are trying to take up the mantle of the old giants and old classics like Star Trek are being handed off to new minds.

This list is probably not exhaustive—and, boy, would I love to hear from you if you’ve got a series you think I would enjoy. You’ll notice that this list includes a little “hot-take” commentary section on each show with my personal thoughts about it, so you’ll probably pick up my style quickly enough.

Our journey, however, does not begin in the modern era. In fact… we’ll begin our exploration of this frontier of space back before television was even a thing!

Note: If you’re looking for super-hero series… you’re not going to find them here! Though the line between sci-fi and superhero can sometimes be very blurry, they are distinct genres. Look for my article on the best superhero series soon!

A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series

A Fan’s Guide to the Top Science Fiction TV Series
From one fan to another: the best sci-fi shows of all time.
OdinOdin Odin (52)
Sep 14, 2021
0
Odin
 
 
Flash Gordon (1935)Flash Gordon (1935)
Flash Gordon (1935)

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This incredible serialization starring (most memorably) Buster Crabbe as the titular Flash Gordon captured the hearts and minds of audiences the world over. With an atomic-age aesthetic and an action-packed premise, this serialization would go on to influence decades of sci-fi.

Hot take

This is a classic of classics, a serialized film experience that everyone needs to see as much for raw historical value as for the fun content of the show.

Flash Gordon (1935)Flash Gordon (1935)
Flash Gordon (1935)

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This incredible serialization starring (most memorably) Buster Crabbe as the titular Flash Gordon captured the hearts and minds of audiences the world over. With an atomic-age aesthetic and an action-packed premise, this serialization would go on to influence decades of sci-fi.

Hot take

This is a classic of classics, a serialized film experience that everyone needs to see as much for raw historical value as for the fun content of the show.

Flash Gordon (1935)

Flash Gordon (1935)

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The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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A show unlike any other, The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling’s brainchild and one of the anthology series that would go on to inspire generations of sci-fi and horror writers with its vast array of macabre, sci-fi, and darkly humorous tales.

Hot take

A classic show that paved the way for a lot of the transgressive sci-fi we love today, it mixed everything from pure cheese to deeply thoughtful work inside one package. Modern viewers will need to be patient with some episodes.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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A show unlike any other, The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling’s brainchild and one of the anthology series that would go on to inspire generations of sci-fi and horror writers with its vast array of macabre, sci-fi, and darkly humorous tales.

Hot take

A classic show that paved the way for a lot of the transgressive sci-fi we love today, it mixed everything from pure cheese to deeply thoughtful work inside one package. Modern viewers will need to be patient with some episodes.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

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Doctor Who' (1963-Present)Doctor Who' (1963-Present)
Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)

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The longest-running science fiction series (actually, the longest-running series at all), Doctor Who is the tale of the eponymous hero and his (or her) companions as they travel the convoluted byways of time. With each “regeneration” the Doctor gains a new face and so the series continues, time out of time.

Hot take

One of the most marvelous and magnificent series in existence, Doctor Who presents a hero who (in most cases and especially in the later series) tries to find the pacifist route to victory. It’s thrilling, funny, cheesy, deep, and heartbreaking. But don’t just watch one season, or one Doctor—this is a show that is at its best if you stick with it for a long time.

Doctor Who' (1963-Present)Doctor Who' (1963-Present)
Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)

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The longest-running science fiction series (actually, the longest-running series at all), Doctor Who is the tale of the eponymous hero and his (or her) companions as they travel the convoluted byways of time. With each “regeneration” the Doctor gains a new face and so the series continues, time out of time.

Hot take

One of the most marvelous and magnificent series in existence, Doctor Who presents a hero who (in most cases and especially in the later series) tries to find the pacifist route to victory. It’s thrilling, funny, cheesy, deep, and heartbreaking. But don’t just watch one season, or one Doctor—this is a show that is at its best if you stick with it for a long time.

Doctor Who (1963-Present)

Doctor Who' (1963-Present)

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Star Trek (1966-1969)Star Trek (1966-1969)
Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The classic to end all classics, Star Trek helped change the world. The crew of the USS Enterprise embark on a mission to explore the limits of space (and sometimes time), and every episode ends with a bit of a laugh (often at the vulcan’s expense).

Hot take

A show beloved by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., to King Abdullah of Jordan, to Ronald Reagan, to Professor Stephen Hawking… Star Trek is probably the greatest science fiction story of all time because it tries to imagine a future where the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, where self-betterment, and the betterment of all people, is our primary goal. That’s the sort of message I can take to the stars.

Star Trek (1966-1969)Star Trek (1966-1969)
Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The classic to end all classics, Star Trek helped change the world. The crew of the USS Enterprise embark on a mission to explore the limits of space (and sometimes time), and every episode ends with a bit of a laugh (often at the vulcan’s expense).

Hot take

A show beloved by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., to King Abdullah of Jordan, to Ronald Reagan, to Professor Stephen Hawking… Star Trek is probably the greatest science fiction story of all time because it tries to imagine a future where the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, where self-betterment, and the betterment of all people, is our primary goal. That’s the sort of message I can take to the stars.

Star Trek (1966-1969)

Star Trek (1966-1969)

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The Prisoner (1967-1968)The Prisoner (1967-1968)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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A renowned spy wakes up one day to find himself a prisoner on an unknown island, in a strange community of nameless individuals—people known only by the numbers they’ve been assigned.

Hot take

“I am not a number!” might as well be the rallying cry of a whole generation. This brilliant little series touches on so many important issues of mass surveillance and human dignity.

The Prisoner (1967-1968)The Prisoner (1967-1968)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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A renowned spy wakes up one day to find himself a prisoner on an unknown island, in a strange community of nameless individuals—people known only by the numbers they’ve been assigned.

Hot take

“I am not a number!” might as well be the rallying cry of a whole generation. This brilliant little series touches on so many important issues of mass surveillance and human dignity.

The Prisoner (1967-1968)

The Prisoner (1967-1968)

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Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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The adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, and his roommate Mindy. Driven by Robin Williams’ effortless and brilliant comedic talents, this is the series that helped launch him to stardom.

Hot take

Is is really science fiction? That might be up for debate, but it’s definitely great sci-fi-comedy and it holds a really special place in the history of the genre. It’s also hilarious and you’ll love it.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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The adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, and his roommate Mindy. Driven by Robin Williams’ effortless and brilliant comedic talents, this is the series that helped launch him to stardom.

Hot take

Is is really science fiction? That might be up for debate, but it’s definitely great sci-fi-comedy and it holds a really special place in the history of the genre. It’s also hilarious and you’ll love it.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

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V: The Miniseries (1983)V: The Miniseries (1983)
V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Alien visitors have come to Earth to offer us a marvelous trade: our resources for their aid in becoming a better, healthier, more advanced civilization. What’s not to love?

Hot take

A superb little series that felt poignant and gripping. The miniseries is far better than the full-run series that followed. Do not even try to bother with the modern remake, yikes.

V: The Miniseries (1983)V: The Miniseries (1983)
V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Alien visitors have come to Earth to offer us a marvelous trade: our resources for their aid in becoming a better, healthier, more advanced civilization. What’s not to love?

Hot take

A superb little series that felt poignant and gripping. The miniseries is far better than the full-run series that followed. Do not even try to bother with the modern remake, yikes.

V: The Miniseries (1983)

V: The Miniseries (1983)

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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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A 1980s astronaut is accidentally knocked into a 500-year return orbit and frozen by a freak gas concoction that allows his rescuers, 500 years after his disappearance, to resurrect him! He then basically goes on being fabulous at 25th century technology and helps defend Earth from the evil Draconian Empire.

Hot take

This is pure American cheese in a can but it’s a classic fun sci-fi binge.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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A 1980s astronaut is accidentally knocked into a 500-year return orbit and frozen by a freak gas concoction that allows his rescuers, 500 years after his disappearance, to resurrect him! He then basically goes on being fabulous at 25th century technology and helps defend Earth from the evil Draconian Empire.

Hot take

This is pure American cheese in a can but it’s a classic fun sci-fi binge.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981)

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Max Headroom (1987-1988)Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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A satirical series featuring “the first virtual show host” (actually, an actor in stylized make-up depicted in front of a digital screen). Max Headroom drove at the heart of a possible cyber-distopia that looks increasingly realistic for all that it was comprised of absurdism. Max became a culture icon for a couple of decades and still has a cult following today.

Hot take

My confession is that I didn’t discover Max Headroom until quite a bit later in life. As with all satire, this series is sometimes hit and miss, and many cultural references are dated back to the 80s. That said, it’s brilliant in so many ways.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)Max Headroom (1987-1988)
Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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A satirical series featuring “the first virtual show host” (actually, an actor in stylized make-up depicted in front of a digital screen). Max Headroom drove at the heart of a possible cyber-distopia that looks increasingly realistic for all that it was comprised of absurdism. Max became a culture icon for a couple of decades and still has a cult following today.

Hot take

My confession is that I didn’t discover Max Headroom until quite a bit later in life. As with all satire, this series is sometimes hit and miss, and many cultural references are dated back to the 80s. That said, it’s brilliant in so many ways.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)

Max Headroom (1987-1988)

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Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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The Next Generation follows the Enterprise D and her crew as they explore the limits of space, solve crimes, serve as diplomats, and confront dangers facing the United Federation of Planets. It is at once quintessentially 80s and subversively forward-thinking even for today.

Hot take

Possibly the truest of all the Star Trek series to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, The Next Generation opened a gateway to a future where humanity had come together for the betterment of all—but worked harder to probe what this meant, how it came to be, and why it mattered, than the show preceding it. I’d skip episode 4 of season 1 altogether, yikes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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The Next Generation follows the Enterprise D and her crew as they explore the limits of space, solve crimes, serve as diplomats, and confront dangers facing the United Federation of Planets. It is at once quintessentially 80s and subversively forward-thinking even for today.

Hot take

Possibly the truest of all the Star Trek series to Gene Roddenberry’s vision, The Next Generation opened a gateway to a future where humanity had come together for the betterment of all—but worked harder to probe what this meant, how it came to be, and why it mattered, than the show preceding it. I’d skip episode 4 of season 1 altogether, yikes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

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Red Dwarf (1988-Present)Red Dwarf (1988-Present)
Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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A disaster aboard the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf leaves Dave Lister in the “curry”ous position of being the last human being left alive… in the universe. With nothing better to do, and billions of light-years from home, he sets course back toward the long-lost Earth with only the ship’s AI, a hologram of a dead friend, and a mysterious creature evolved from cat DNA for company.

Hot take

One of the great science fiction comedy series that not enough people know about. It’s funnier than most modern shows, heartfelt at times, bizarre, and brilliant. It’s its own thing, unashamedly, and it deserves a forever spot in the sci-fi hall of fame.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)Red Dwarf (1988-Present)
Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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A disaster aboard the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf leaves Dave Lister in the “curry”ous position of being the last human being left alive… in the universe. With nothing better to do, and billions of light-years from home, he sets course back toward the long-lost Earth with only the ship’s AI, a hologram of a dead friend, and a mysterious creature evolved from cat DNA for company.

Hot take

One of the great science fiction comedy series that not enough people know about. It’s funnier than most modern shows, heartfelt at times, bizarre, and brilliant. It’s its own thing, unashamedly, and it deserves a forever spot in the sci-fi hall of fame.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The distant world of Bajor suddenly becomes of vital importance to the Federation when a wormhole to a distant aprt of the galaxy is discovered on its doorstep. After centuries of brutal oppression, the Bajorans aren’t find of the idea of letting Starfleet come in and gain control, but a Starfleet commander who just might be the bajoran people’s unwilling spiritual leader could be the thing that changes their mind.

Hot take

It’s great, probably the best of the Star Trek series in terms of mixing weightiness with elements of Trek’s core philosophy, all wrapped around a truly wonderful cast of actors. Yes, the premise was ripped off from Babylon 5, but it’s still one of the best things around.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The distant world of Bajor suddenly becomes of vital importance to the Federation when a wormhole to a distant aprt of the galaxy is discovered on its doorstep. After centuries of brutal oppression, the Bajorans aren’t find of the idea of letting Starfleet come in and gain control, but a Starfleet commander who just might be the bajoran people’s unwilling spiritual leader could be the thing that changes their mind.

Hot take

It’s great, probably the best of the Star Trek series in terms of mixing weightiness with elements of Trek’s core philosophy, all wrapped around a truly wonderful cast of actors. Yes, the premise was ripped off from Babylon 5, but it’s still one of the best things around.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

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The X-Files (1993-2016)The X-Files (1993-2016)
The X-Files (1993-2016)

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X-Files explores the mysteries case files of the same name buried deep in the heart of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fox Mulder, haunted by events in his past, is on a mission to explore all the “spooky” things the X-Files have in store. But Fox might be treading on powerful toes and native skeptic Dana Scully is assigned to be his partner and report on him. What follows is pure golden TV history.

Hot take

If you want to experience the best, just get the “Mythology Collection” and the first X-Files film. Those are the core episodes that make it such a great show (and they skip all the religious episodes the showrunner threw in later on).

The X-Files (1993-2016)The X-Files (1993-2016)
The X-Files (1993-2016)

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X-Files explores the mysteries case files of the same name buried deep in the heart of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fox Mulder, haunted by events in his past, is on a mission to explore all the “spooky” things the X-Files have in store. But Fox might be treading on powerful toes and native skeptic Dana Scully is assigned to be his partner and report on him. What follows is pure golden TV history.

Hot take

If you want to experience the best, just get the “Mythology Collection” and the first X-Files film. Those are the core episodes that make it such a great show (and they skip all the religious episodes the showrunner threw in later on).

The X-Files (1993-2016)

The X-Files (1993-2016)

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Babylon 5 (1994-1998)Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Earth barely survived the Minbari assault and then only because the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. In order to avoid any such future conflict, a series of space stations were constructed to play host to diplomatic efforts between the species’ of the stars. In this epic sprawling tale war, romance, mystery, soul-searching, and heartbreak all converge within an etheric sense of the profound.

Hot take

It’s the best space-opera ever made. It’s also the first series to use full CGI for its space scenes, paving the way for later favorites. Since its entire premise was stolen to create DS9 when Straczynski originally started pitching it to studios, it’s also responsible for much of what makes that series so good, too.

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Earth barely survived the Minbari assault and then only because the Minbari mysteriously surrendered. In order to avoid any such future conflict, a series of space stations were constructed to play host to diplomatic efforts between the species’ of the stars. In this epic sprawling tale war, romance, mystery, soul-searching, and heartbreak all converge within an etheric sense of the profound.

Hot take

It’s the best space-opera ever made. It’s also the first series to use full CGI for its space scenes, paving the way for later favorites. Since its entire premise was stolen to create DS9 when Straczynski originally started pitching it to studios, it’s also responsible for much of what makes that series so good, too.

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

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Sliders (1995-2000)Sliders (1995-2000)
Sliders (1995-2000)

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A genius and his friends get trapped in a “slide” through parallel realities and there’s no telling where they will end up next! With a whole host of alternate possible histories and social outcomes to explore, the series offered an anthology-like experience witnessed through the eyes of a cohesive group of characters.

Hot take

I don’t like anthology series a ton so the way Sliders handled this worked great for me. We got one group of characters and a ton of different situations: ace! Seasons one and two are superb, season three saw FOX Network executives poke their long noses in where they don’t belong (the show’s creator resigned because of how terrible the company was being), but season’s five and six picked back up where season two ended. Watch it, it’s fun!

Sliders (1995-2000)Sliders (1995-2000)
Sliders (1995-2000)

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A genius and his friends get trapped in a “slide” through parallel realities and there’s no telling where they will end up next! With a whole host of alternate possible histories and social outcomes to explore, the series offered an anthology-like experience witnessed through the eyes of a cohesive group of characters.

Hot take

I don’t like anthology series a ton so the way Sliders handled this worked great for me. We got one group of characters and a ton of different situations: ace! Seasons one and two are superb, season three saw FOX Network executives poke their long noses in where they don’t belong (the show’s creator resigned because of how terrible the company was being), but season’s five and six picked back up where season two ended. Watch it, it’s fun!

Sliders (1995-2000)

Sliders (1995-2000)

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Watch the video:

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Thrown into a distant part of the galaxy by a super-powerful dying alien, the starship Voyager must now try to make its way home… a journey that could take most of a century unless some shortcut can be found. With Captain Katheryn Janeway calling the shots, the only detours will be scientific and coffee-related.

Hot take

It’s a blast. It leans into the cheesier more soapy side of Trek pretty heavily, but it also has some superb heavy-hitting episodes where the writing shines. Noted for having a woman in the commander chair for the first time, but also for being just generally quite solid, it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to Trek.

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Thrown into a distant part of the galaxy by a super-powerful dying alien, the starship Voyager must now try to make its way home… a journey that could take most of a century unless some shortcut can be found. With Captain Katheryn Janeway calling the shots, the only detours will be scientific and coffee-related.

Hot take

It’s a blast. It leans into the cheesier more soapy side of Trek pretty heavily, but it also has some superb heavy-hitting episodes where the writing shines. Noted for having a woman in the commander chair for the first time, but also for being just generally quite solid, it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to Trek.

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

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Lexx (1996-2002)Lexx (1996-2002)
Lexx (1996-2002)

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A wacky, weird, wild, and kinda raunchy science fiction series about people who travel around inside of a giant intergalactic bug known as The Lexx — the most powerful force in the Universe.

Hot take

This show is crazy weird, man, but also pretty groundbreaking. I liked the original miseries far more than the following series, but the whole thing has a charm tha cannot be denied.

Lexx (1996-2002)Lexx (1996-2002)
Lexx (1996-2002)

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A wacky, weird, wild, and kinda raunchy science fiction series about people who travel around inside of a giant intergalactic bug known as The Lexx — the most powerful force in the Universe.

Hot take

This show is crazy weird, man, but also pretty groundbreaking. I liked the original miseries far more than the following series, but the whole thing has a charm tha cannot be denied.

Lexx (1996-2002)

Lexx (1996-2002)

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Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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A mysterious ancient gate is discovered that connects Earth to a vast interstellar wormhole network… and places it in the crosshairs of a parasitic alien race who see human beings as nothing more than hosts and slaves. Luckily, an international team headed up by the U.S. Airforce is deployed to make allies and search for technologies that can be used for defense.

Hot take

U.S. Imperialism to the rescue! It’s an interesting one because it weaves back and forth between god and bad, campy and serious, propagandistic and intriguingly subversive. It’s better than you might expect (but it’ll take at least three seasons for that to become clear). Binge it, baby!

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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A mysterious ancient gate is discovered that connects Earth to a vast interstellar wormhole network… and places it in the crosshairs of a parasitic alien race who see human beings as nothing more than hosts and slaves. Luckily, an international team headed up by the U.S. Airforce is deployed to make allies and search for technologies that can be used for defense.

Hot take

U.S. Imperialism to the rescue! It’s an interesting one because it weaves back and forth between god and bad, campy and serious, propagandistic and intriguingly subversive. It’s better than you might expect (but it’ll take at least three seasons for that to become clear). Binge it, baby!

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

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Watch the video:

Farscape (1999-2003)Farscape (1999-2003)
Farscape (1999-2003)

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John Crichton, an astronaut testing a new type of space vehicle maneuver, gets caught in a wormhole and flung across the universe. What follows is one of the most splendidly original, deep, engaging, and epic voyages ever conceived for television.

Hot take

Yeah, it’s one of the best science-fiction shows of all time, forever ranked on my top-five list. But, it’s also just one of the best darn shows of all time. Highly recommended.

Farscape (1999-2003)Farscape (1999-2003)
Farscape (1999-2003)

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John Crichton, an astronaut testing a new type of space vehicle maneuver, gets caught in a wormhole and flung across the universe. What follows is one of the most splendidly original, deep, engaging, and epic voyages ever conceived for television.

Hot take

Yeah, it’s one of the best science-fiction shows of all time, forever ranked on my top-five list. But, it’s also just one of the best darn shows of all time. Highly recommended.

Farscape (1999-2003)

Farscape (1999-2003)

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Futurama (1999-2013)Futurama (1999-2013)
Futurama (1999-2013)

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When pizza delivery guy Fry is frozen for a thousand years he integrates with the madcap ridiculousness of the future surprisingly well and takes on the role of “delivery boy” for an organization called Planet Express. Animated, satirical, ridiculous, and thoughtful in a way that not enough of these animated comedy series actually are.

Hot take

Not all cartoons are for kids. This is definitely a cartoon for adults, so don’t sit little Timmy down in front of it, please. It’s definitely an old favorite of mine, though, and I love how clever it could be.

Futurama (1999-2013)Futurama (1999-2013)
Futurama (1999-2013)

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When pizza delivery guy Fry is frozen for a thousand years he integrates with the madcap ridiculousness of the future surprisingly well and takes on the role of “delivery boy” for an organization called Planet Express. Animated, satirical, ridiculous, and thoughtful in a way that not enough of these animated comedy series actually are.

Hot take

Not all cartoons are for kids. This is definitely a cartoon for adults, so don’t sit little Timmy down in front of it, please. It’s definitely an old favorite of mine, though, and I love how clever it could be.

Futurama (1999-2013)

Futurama (1999-2013)

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Andromeda (2000-2005)Andromeda (2000-2005)
Andromeda (2000-2005)

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The Commonwealth has fallen but one man, its most loyal servant, has survived. Clinging to life as his spaceship orbits the event horizon of a black hole, Captain Dylan Hunt is retrieved centuries out from his own time and he embarks on an epic quest to bring order back to a dark galaxy.

Hot take

Kevin Sorbo isn’t exactly a fan-favorite, but his portrayal of Hunt is grand, and, as a whole, this series is wallopingly good space-opera.

Andromeda (2000-2005)Andromeda (2000-2005)
Andromeda (2000-2005)

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The Commonwealth has fallen but one man, its most loyal servant, has survived. Clinging to life as his spaceship orbits the event horizon of a black hole, Captain Dylan Hunt is retrieved centuries out from his own time and he embarks on an epic quest to bring order back to a dark galaxy.

Hot take

Kevin Sorbo isn’t exactly a fan-favorite, but his portrayal of Hunt is grand, and, as a whole, this series is wallopingly good space-opera.

Andromeda (2000-2005)

Andromeda (2000-2005)

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Firefly (2002-2003)Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly (2002-2003)

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Like a leaf on the wind, the starship Serenity and her crew float from place to place as the gusts of fortune decides. Always low on cash, always on the edge of the law, things get heated when a stowaway is found, a stowaway who is wanted by the powerful Capitalistic government that rules the solar system known as The ‘Verse: The Alliance.

Hot take

TOO SOON. It’s one of the best darn television series to be made, period and the fact that it got canceled is a crime. The follow-up film Serenity is actually pretty good and will help wrap the story up, even if it’s nothing compared to all the goodies Joss had in store.

Firefly (2002-2003)Firefly (2002-2003)
Firefly (2002-2003)

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Like a leaf on the wind, the starship Serenity and her crew float from place to place as the gusts of fortune decides. Always low on cash, always on the edge of the law, things get heated when a stowaway is found, a stowaway who is wanted by the powerful Capitalistic government that rules the solar system known as The ‘Verse: The Alliance.

Hot take

TOO SOON. It’s one of the best darn television series to be made, period and the fact that it got canceled is a crime. The follow-up film Serenity is actually pretty good and will help wrap the story up, even if it’s nothing compared to all the goodies Joss had in store.

Firefly (2002-2003)

Firefly (2002-2003)

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Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)
Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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The people who created the wormhole gates, the Stargates, also created the fabled city of Atlantis, which isn’t on Earth at all, but is hidden on a distant world in another galaxy. A team from Earth goes to investigate and set up a base on Atlantis in the hopes of discovering new technology to defend Earth and perhaps learn why the gate-builders vanished in the first place.

Hot take

It’s fun. The enemy of the series is incredibly uninspired and it’s often much flatter in terms of quality than it could have been, but it’s also better than the original in a few respects as well. (Let us not ever speak of the atrocity that was SG:U).

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)
Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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The people who created the wormhole gates, the Stargates, also created the fabled city of Atlantis, which isn’t on Earth at all, but is hidden on a distant world in another galaxy. A team from Earth goes to investigate and set up a base on Atlantis in the hopes of discovering new technology to defend Earth and perhaps learn why the gate-builders vanished in the first place.

Hot take

It’s fun. The enemy of the series is incredibly uninspired and it’s often much flatter in terms of quality than it could have been, but it’s also better than the original in a few respects as well. (Let us not ever speak of the atrocity that was SG:U).

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009)

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Watch the video:

Life on Mars (2006-2007)Life on Mars (2006-2007)
Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Is he delusional or did he really travel through time? In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler is struck by a car and wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 with a life apparently intact and waiting for him. The mystery is deep.

Hot take

Gosh, I loved this show! The clever ambiguity was superb and the cast really made it work. Don’t watch the god-awful American remake (I can’t imagine the Korean one is any better, either). Stick with the original.

Life on Mars (2006-2007)Life on Mars (2006-2007)
Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Is he delusional or did he really travel through time? In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler is struck by a car and wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 with a life apparently intact and waiting for him. The mystery is deep.

Hot take

Gosh, I loved this show! The clever ambiguity was superb and the cast really made it work. Don’t watch the god-awful American remake (I can’t imagine the Korean one is any better, either). Stick with the original.

Life on Mars (2006-2007)

Life on Mars (2006-2007)

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Torchwood (2006-2011)Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Spinning off from its roots in the Doctor Who series (or Whoniverse), Torchwood follows a special investigative team assigned to protect the Earth from threats and technology likely to pose a threat to the species.

Hot take

A bit campy, a whole lot of fun, and featuring LQBTQ characters? All of this combined with the great tie-ins to Doctor Who make this an absolute winner.

Torchwood (2006-2011)Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Spinning off from its roots in the Doctor Who series (or Whoniverse), Torchwood follows a special investigative team assigned to protect the Earth from threats and technology likely to pose a threat to the species.

Hot take

A bit campy, a whole lot of fun, and featuring LQBTQ characters? All of this combined with the great tie-ins to Doctor Who make this an absolute winner.

Torchwood (2006-2011)

Torchwood (2006-2011)

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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Sarah Connor knows that the machines are coming. One day, SkyNet, or something similar, will rise. And she’ll be there to face it. Following her journey after the events of the first two Terminator films, this one-season series concentrates of Sarah and her son’s efforts to save the world from rogue A.I.

Hot take

Cancelled way too soon, this series is actually really solid. It’s only a season long, but if you stick it in with a binge of the movie’s it will fit nicely.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Sarah Connor knows that the machines are coming. One day, SkyNet, or something similar, will rise. And she’ll be there to face it. Following her journey after the events of the first two Terminator films, this one-season series concentrates of Sarah and her son’s efforts to save the world from rogue A.I.

Hot take

Cancelled way too soon, this series is actually really solid. It’s only a season long, but if you stick it in with a binge of the movie’s it will fit nicely.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

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Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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In the far future humanity has left and lost Earth, colonizing a number of colony planets in deep space. Following the invention of a super-advanced machine race called the Cylons who rebel against the humans who created them, everything changes. The Cylons were defeated once but when they return decades later for round two, everything has changed.

Hot take

One of the many shows caught up in the Post-9/11 world, BSG is filled with explorations of gritty morality, political strife, ethical chaos, and terrorism. It’s… a frustrating show. It probes without probing deep enough and it lives on the fuel of the sort of bad writing that operates from the perspective of “stories are conflict and conflict means everything is gritty and people are stupid!”. Not my favorite but undoubtedly a landmark series. Later seasons got really, really weird… and weirdly religious.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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In the far future humanity has left and lost Earth, colonizing a number of colony planets in deep space. Following the invention of a super-advanced machine race called the Cylons who rebel against the humans who created them, everything changes. The Cylons were defeated once but when they return decades later for round two, everything has changed.

Hot take

One of the many shows caught up in the Post-9/11 world, BSG is filled with explorations of gritty morality, political strife, ethical chaos, and terrorism. It’s… a frustrating show. It probes without probing deep enough and it lives on the fuel of the sort of bad writing that operates from the perspective of “stories are conflict and conflict means everything is gritty and people are stupid!”. Not my favorite but undoubtedly a landmark series. Later seasons got really, really weird… and weirdly religious.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

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Eureaka (2006-2012)Eureaka (2006-2012)
Eureaka (2006-2012)

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There’s a little northwestern town populated entirely by scientific geniuses whose work constant puts them in positions of great peril. Sometimes, when danger threatens, it’s actually the simplest approach that solves the day… or the simplest man. Enter Jack Carter, the town’s new sheriff and the most average-IQ man in town.

Hot take

Societal problems and grand meta issues aside… this show is just plain fun. At it’s core it’s a soapy dram-com with a tried and true episodic structure and loose running storylines. It’s not world-shaking but it’s a good binge.

Eureaka (2006-2012)Eureaka (2006-2012)
Eureaka (2006-2012)

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There’s a little northwestern town populated entirely by scientific geniuses whose work constant puts them in positions of great peril. Sometimes, when danger threatens, it’s actually the simplest approach that solves the day… or the simplest man. Enter Jack Carter, the town’s new sheriff and the most average-IQ man in town.

Hot take

Societal problems and grand meta issues aside… this show is just plain fun. At it’s core it’s a soapy dram-com with a tried and true episodic structure and loose running storylines. It’s not world-shaking but it’s a good binge.

Eureaka (2006-2012)

Eureaka (2006-2012)

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Telling the tale of the clone wars that took place between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, this animated series tangles with tough issues of morality, the hardships of war, the struggles of ethics, and the importance of emotional connection as opposed to apathy.

Hot take

Super great series, actually. Within reason, acceptable for kids aged at least 12, if they’re mature and you’re also capable enough to talk with them about some of the heady philosophic things going on in the writing. Mostly good writing, overall, and less glorification of violence than might be expected (certainly a bajillion times better than Rebels which you really shouldn’t let your kids watch, at least in part because of how that series turns things like death-during-battle into a source of amusement. Yikes).

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Telling the tale of the clone wars that took place between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, this animated series tangles with tough issues of morality, the hardships of war, the struggles of ethics, and the importance of emotional connection as opposed to apathy.

Hot take

Super great series, actually. Within reason, acceptable for kids aged at least 12, if they’re mature and you’re also capable enough to talk with them about some of the heady philosophic things going on in the writing. Mostly good writing, overall, and less glorification of violence than might be expected (certainly a bajillion times better than Rebels which you really shouldn’t let your kids watch, at least in part because of how that series turns things like death-during-battle into a source of amusement. Yikes).

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

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Dollhouse (2009-2010)Dollhouse (2009-2010)
Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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A mysterious corporation operates a business known as The Dollhouse where people who don’t think they had another option agree to rent out their bodies to be used as platforms for advanced computer-created consciousnesses. For a set period of years, these people undertake everything from high-price escorting to high-risk assassination, their minds and abilities programmed to be perfect for any task at hand.

Hot take

Joss’s first big series after Firefly, it’s not as good as any of his previous work, though it clearly incorporates ideas from both Firefly and Buffy. It’s raised lots of interesting discussions due to its portrayal of… well, everything so it succeeded as a discussion platform even if it was only reasonably successful as a series.

Dollhouse (2009-2010)Dollhouse (2009-2010)
Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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A mysterious corporation operates a business known as The Dollhouse where people who don’t think they had another option agree to rent out their bodies to be used as platforms for advanced computer-created consciousnesses. For a set period of years, these people undertake everything from high-price escorting to high-risk assassination, their minds and abilities programmed to be perfect for any task at hand.

Hot take

Joss’s first big series after Firefly, it’s not as good as any of his previous work, though it clearly incorporates ideas from both Firefly and Buffy. It’s raised lots of interesting discussions due to its portrayal of… well, everything so it succeeded as a discussion platform even if it was only reasonably successful as a series.

Dollhouse (2009-2010)

Dollhouse (2009-2010)

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Black Mirror (2011-Present)Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror (2011-Present)

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An anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but… Gritty and realistic and daaaark. It mostly dissects issues of technology interacting with society, and does so in terribly prescient ways at times.

Hot take

It’s really depressing. Often well-written and clever, and helped to bring dark sides of real tech issues to the public. But… meh.

Black Mirror (2011-Present)Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror (2011-Present)

Watch the video:

An anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but… Gritty and realistic and daaaark. It mostly dissects issues of technology interacting with society, and does so in terribly prescient ways at times.

Hot take

It’s really depressing. Often well-written and clever, and helped to bring dark sides of real tech issues to the public. But… meh.

Black Mirror (2011-Present)

Black Mirror (2011-Present)

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Watch the video:

Almost Human (2013-2014)Almost Human (2013-2014)
Almost Human (2013-2014)

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An outcast cop and a human-like android team up to solve crimes, but the relationships at the core of the show are what makes this series shine.

Hot take

It got canceled really darn fast which just proves that FOX never knows what they’re doing (seriously, all FOX execs should just be fired, forever). It’s a really solid series and offered a lot of superb moments, including a superb bit of interplay between the main actors. If you like this one, you should try out my favorite video game that covers similar themes: Detroit: Become Human.

Almost Human (2013-2014)Almost Human (2013-2014)
Almost Human (2013-2014)

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An outcast cop and a human-like android team up to solve crimes, but the relationships at the core of the show are what makes this series shine.

Hot take

It got canceled really darn fast which just proves that FOX never knows what they’re doing (seriously, all FOX execs should just be fired, forever). It’s a really solid series and offered a lot of superb moments, including a superb bit of interplay between the main actors. If you like this one, you should try out my favorite video game that covers similar themes: Detroit: Become Human.

Almost Human (2013-2014)

Almost Human (2013-2014)

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Watch the video:

The 100 (2014-Present)The 100 (2014-Present)
The 100 (2014-Present)

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A group of 100 young people crash land on Earth… an Earth long believed to be totally uninhabitable due to a long-past war. Only, there are inhabitants, and not all of them take kindly to the newcomers. As group lines form, the teens must fight to survive the struggles within and without, and discover the truth that history wanted them to forget.

Hot take

It’s okay. Not great, just okay. It really needed to do some things differently from the get-go and it relies far too much upon cheap “drama hook” writing where the tension is ramped up, often pointlessly, instead of actually… y’know, trying to write something complex.

The 100 (2014-Present)The 100 (2014-Present)
The 100 (2014-Present)

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A group of 100 young people crash land on Earth… an Earth long believed to be totally uninhabitable due to a long-past war. Only, there are inhabitants, and not all of them take kindly to the newcomers. As group lines form, the teens must fight to survive the struggles within and without, and discover the truth that history wanted them to forget.

Hot take

It’s okay. Not great, just okay. It really needed to do some things differently from the get-go and it relies far too much upon cheap “drama hook” writing where the tension is ramped up, often pointlessly, instead of actually… y’know, trying to write something complex.

The 100 (2014-Present)

The 100 (2014-Present)

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Watch the video:

Orphan Black (2013-2017)Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Sarah Manning witnesses the death of a woman who looks just like her. By impersonating her dead doppelgänger, Sarah encounters a mystery of stunning proportions that will unsettle every aspect of her life and pit her against international powers.

Hot take

This one is superb, largely because Tatiana Maslany is an incredible actress. Check it out!

Orphan Black (2013-2017)Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Sarah Manning witnesses the death of a woman who looks just like her. By impersonating her dead doppelgänger, Sarah encounters a mystery of stunning proportions that will unsettle every aspect of her life and pit her against international powers.

Hot take

This one is superb, largely because Tatiana Maslany is an incredible actress. Check it out!

Orphan Black (2013-2017)

Orphan Black (2013-2017)

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Watch the video:

Helix (2014-2015)Helix (2014-2015)
Helix (2014-2015)

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Something lurks beneath the arctic ice, an ancient disease that cannot be understood… or contained.

Hot take

This was a masterful little series… at least as far as season one went. Don’t bother with season two, there was a reason the show got canceled. But season one really stood out from the crowd. Fans of The Thing will love this.

Helix (2014-2015)Helix (2014-2015)
Helix (2014-2015)

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Something lurks beneath the arctic ice, an ancient disease that cannot be understood… or contained.

Hot take

This was a masterful little series… at least as far as season one went. Don’t bother with season two, there was a reason the show got canceled. But season one really stood out from the crowd. Fans of The Thing will love this.

Helix (2014-2015)

Helix (2014-2015)

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Watch the video:

Dark Matter (2015-2017)Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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When six amnesiacs awaken on a spaceship with no idea how they got there who who they are, stuck between warring corporations, bounty-hunters, and secrets from their unknown pasts, you know things are going to be interesting.

Hot take

Great premise and it’s a pity it got canceled so soon. The show-runners made some bad choices with the direction of the plot, and the heyday of this sort of science fiction might be too far in the past to do well for a modern audience. That said: it’s one of the closest shows to what I consider good sci-fi to come out during this time period. Produced by the same people who made Stargate!

Dark Matter (2015-2017)Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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When six amnesiacs awaken on a spaceship with no idea how they got there who who they are, stuck between warring corporations, bounty-hunters, and secrets from their unknown pasts, you know things are going to be interesting.

Hot take

Great premise and it’s a pity it got canceled so soon. The show-runners made some bad choices with the direction of the plot, and the heyday of this sort of science fiction might be too far in the past to do well for a modern audience. That said: it’s one of the closest shows to what I consider good sci-fi to come out during this time period. Produced by the same people who made Stargate!

Dark Matter (2015-2017)

Dark Matter (2015-2017)

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Watch the video:

Sense 8 (2015-2018)Sense 8 (2015-2018)
Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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A group of people, psychically linked, know the ins and outs of one another’s minds in a way nobody else could imagine… and it’s only through that power that they’ll be able to stay alive.

Hot take

Look, it’s created by J. Michael Straczynski (who also created Babylon 5), and the Wachowski’s (who created The Matrix). It’s one of the best modern science-fiction shows (as well as easily the sexiest show in existence). You might be uncomfortable watching it because of how much sexytime there is, but give it a chance. Seasons one and two come together to provide a powerful and unforgettable story.

Sense 8 (2015-2018)Sense 8 (2015-2018)
Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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A group of people, psychically linked, know the ins and outs of one another’s minds in a way nobody else could imagine… and it’s only through that power that they’ll be able to stay alive.

Hot take

Look, it’s created by J. Michael Straczynski (who also created Babylon 5), and the Wachowski’s (who created The Matrix). It’s one of the best modern science-fiction shows (as well as easily the sexiest show in existence). You might be uncomfortable watching it because of how much sexytime there is, but give it a chance. Seasons one and two come together to provide a powerful and unforgettable story.

Sense 8 (2015-2018)

Sense 8 (2015-2018)

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Watch the video:

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Nazi Germany and Japan won World War Two and now, with the United States divided between them, another war brews on the horizon. Meanwhile, the resistance has discovered something… impossible. A hint that this might not be the future that should have been at all.

Hot take

From the bizarre and brilliant mind of Philip K. Dick and rendered well to modern TV format, this show surprised me by actually being quite clever. I’d definitely give it a watch.

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Nazi Germany and Japan won World War Two and now, with the United States divided between them, another war brews on the horizon. Meanwhile, the resistance has discovered something… impossible. A hint that this might not be the future that should have been at all.

Hot take

From the bizarre and brilliant mind of Philip K. Dick and rendered well to modern TV format, this show surprised me by actually being quite clever. I’d definitely give it a watch.

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

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Watch the video:

Killjoys (2015-2019)Killjoys (2015-2019)
Killjoys (2015-2019)

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A trio of bounty hunters working for an organization called the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition try to do their job while subverting the power of a tyrannical super-corporation that controls the entire planetary system.

Hot take

This show as really hot and I wish it had been allowed to thrive a little longer. Still, the time it did have was good, and it’s one of my few modern favorites.

Killjoys (2015-2019)Killjoys (2015-2019)
Killjoys (2015-2019)

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A trio of bounty hunters working for an organization called the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition try to do their job while subverting the power of a tyrannical super-corporation that controls the entire planetary system.

Hot take

This show as really hot and I wish it had been allowed to thrive a little longer. Still, the time it did have was good, and it’s one of my few modern favorites.

Killjoys (2015-2019)

Killjoys (2015-2019)

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Watch the video:

The Expanse (2015-Present)The Expanse (2015-Present)
The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System’s asteroid belts have been colonized and a cold war state exists between Earth and Mars. Into this, a mysterious plot is injected to set the powers against one another, and if that war is sparked an alien artifact of unbelievable power might prove to be the end of humanity altogether.

Hot take

Probably the best modern hard sci-fi space opera, The Expanse is based off a great book series of the same name. The books are better in most respects but that’s almost always the case. The series is still superb in many ways and tries to stick to the books as close as it can, even if later seasons do go downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the “we need to make this super gritty for the dumb TV-audience” writing style.

The Expanse (2015-Present)The Expanse (2015-Present)
The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System’s asteroid belts have been colonized and a cold war state exists between Earth and Mars. Into this, a mysterious plot is injected to set the powers against one another, and if that war is sparked an alien artifact of unbelievable power might prove to be the end of humanity altogether.

Hot take

Probably the best modern hard sci-fi space opera, The Expanse is based off a great book series of the same name. The books are better in most respects but that’s almost always the case. The series is still superb in many ways and tries to stick to the books as close as it can, even if later seasons do go downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the “we need to make this super gritty for the dumb TV-audience” writing style.

The Expanse (2015-Present)

The Expanse (2015-Present)

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Watch the video:

Stranger Things (2016-Present)Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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A mysterious government agency doing things it shouldn’t? A group of D&D-loving kids searching for a lost friend? A mother who refuses to believe her child is dead? A creature from a dimension other than our own? An awesome 80s aesthetic?

Hot take

Watch it. This series is a blast. Season one might be the best, but the later seasons are still great.

Stranger Things (2016-Present)Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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A mysterious government agency doing things it shouldn’t? A group of D&D-loving kids searching for a lost friend? A mother who refuses to believe her child is dead? A creature from a dimension other than our own? An awesome 80s aesthetic?

Hot take

Watch it. This series is a blast. Season one might be the best, but the later seasons are still great.

Stranger Things (2016-Present)

Stranger Things (2016-Present)

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Watch the video:

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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In the future consciousness can be transferred between bodies, a technology mostly used by the ultra-wealthy to attain effective immortality while the poor rot. Into this world, a prisoner, ex-terrorist, and one-time agent of the law, is pulled from a cryogenic freeze in order to solve a murder.

Hot take

One of the best science fiction series in modern history, Altered Carbon had me totally hooked. Sadly, Netflix canceled this brilliant series before it could really get going.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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In the future consciousness can be transferred between bodies, a technology mostly used by the ultra-wealthy to attain effective immortality while the poor rot. Into this world, a prisoner, ex-terrorist, and one-time agent of the law, is pulled from a cryogenic freeze in order to solve a murder.

Hot take

One of the best science fiction series in modern history, Altered Carbon had me totally hooked. Sadly, Netflix canceled this brilliant series before it could really get going.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

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Watch the video:

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

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A Star Wars series focused on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who comes into custody of a force-sensitive child wanted by the Imperial Remnant.

Hot take

Action-packed homage to spaghetti westerns and, frankly, not that good. Season one lacked coherence and even dire hard classic cinephiles like myself didn’t think that the old cinema references were enough to pull it back from the brink. Much better in season two but, then, almost generalized to the point of “meh.” It’s important because it’s paving the way for a whole new realm of Star Wars offshoots.

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

Watch the video:

A Star Wars series focused on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who comes into custody of a force-sensitive child wanted by the Imperial Remnant.

Hot take

Action-packed homage to spaghetti westerns and, frankly, not that good. Season one lacked coherence and even dire hard classic cinephiles like myself didn’t think that the old cinema references were enough to pull it back from the brink. Much better in season two but, then, almost generalized to the point of “meh.” It’s important because it’s paving the way for a whole new realm of Star Wars offshoots.

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

The Mandalorian (2019-Present)

Watch the video:

Watch the video:

Odin's profile pictureOdin's profile pictureOdin
Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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Odin's profile pictureOdin's profile pictureOdin
Joined in 2021 52 guides
Odin Hartshorn Halvorson is a writer, geek, and hopeful futurist. A graduate from Stonecoast MFA, his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the founder of Round Table Writers, an organization dedicated to “writers helping writers.” Odin’s love of Roddenberrian and Straczynskian ideals leads him to contemplate technology’s role in our evolving philosophic landscape, a line of inquiry threaded through both his fiction and non-fiction writing. Learn more at OdinHalvorson.com
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