In today’s television climate, sci-fi is in a great place. There’s more sci-fi programming than ever thanks to its inclusion on streaming services. Stranger Things is the most popular English-language television series on Netflix. Andor is arguably the best show on Disney+. Plus, The Last of Us set viewership records for HBO.
One of the more underrated television shows right now is The Ark. Appropriately airing on Syfy, The Ark is a space adventure about a crew forced to leave Earth in search of humanity’s next planet. If you enjoy The Ark, then try these three sci-fi shows, including a hit Apple TV+ drama, a Game of Thrones-esque show in space, and an adaptation of a popular video game franchise.
Silo (2023-)
Apple TV+ is arguably the best streaming service for sci-fi. Severance, Dark Matter, See, Foundation, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters have all found audiences on the streamer. Add Silo to the list, which debuted as the No. 1 drama in the history of Apple TV+. In a dystopian future, humans live in a giant silo that extends hundreds of stories underground. Humans fled the surface to the confines of the silo because of the toxic effects left on the surface from a devastating war 140 years earlier.
After the sheriff’s wife mysteriously dies after leaving the surface, an engineer, Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), uncovers lies stemming from the people in power and the dark secrets that threaten the silo’s existence. While Silo plays like a dystopian drama on its surface, the series combines elements from other genres, including political thrillers and mystery procedurals, to appeal to more than just sci-fi fans.
Stream Silo on Apple TV+.
The Expanse (2015-2022)
If you’re looking for more shows set in space featuring intergalactic travel, give The Expanse a shot. The series is based on the novel series by James S. A. Corey. Set hundreds of years in the future, The Expanse depicts a world where humans have colonized the Solar System. The three powers include Mars’ Congressional Republic, the United Nations of Earth and Luna, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA) around the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
With Earth and Mars on the brink of war, the lives of three people — Detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), Ship Officer James Holden (Steve Strait), and U.N. Security Council Member Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) — become intertwined after the disappearance of young woman uncovers a deadly conspiracy that threatens the entire Solar System. With a large ensemble and multiple storylines spread across the galaxy, The Expanse is like Game of Thrones in space.
Stream The Expanse on Prime Video.
Fallout (2024-)
At one time years ago, there was a video game adaptation curse in Hollywood. Adaptations of Need for Speed, Max Payne, and Super Mario Bros. failed to live up to the video game. HBO’s The Last of Us shattered the curse in 2023, and Prime Video’s Fallout put it to bed. Developed by Westworld’s Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Fallout depicts the aftermath of a devastating nuclear war in 2077 between the United States and China, with civilization moving into underground bunkers known as Vaults.
In 2296, Lucy (Ella Purnell) leaves Los Angeles’ Vault 33 to search for her father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), who was kidnapped by wasteland raiders. On her journey, Lucy meets several of the Fallout universe’s iconic characters, including The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) and the Brotherhood of Steel. More Fallout is on the way, as Amazon renewed the series for a second season.
Stream Fallout on Prime Video.