From lightsabers to spaceships and plasma cannons to time machines, the science fiction genre has been entertaining audiences for decades. From the famous radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds in 1938 to the all-time classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey exactly 30 years later, the genre has seen countless beautifully imaginative universes and stories crafted, each one more creative than the last. Immersing audiences in distant worlds and igniting a spark for an epic adventure, the sci-fi genre has encouraged us all to dream of the impossible. Although both are very real, space and time are two concepts that are almost mythical, lending themselves to an infinite amount of existential questions and endless possibilities. There is no doubt that there are many ethereal galaxies and celestial tales that will continue to capture our curiosities and be among our very favorites, but if you are searching for a new and exciting sci-fi show to sink your teeth into, Apple TV+ has a brilliant array of originals that will not disappoint. Read on for our list of the best sci-fi shows streaming now on Apple TV+.
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Foundation (2021-Present)
Seasons: 1 Episode Count: 10 | Average Run Time: 50 minutes
Creator/s: Davids S.Goyer and Josh Friedman
Cast: Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn
Foundation is loosely based on a series of books written by Isaac Asimov. It follows the descent of a crumbling galactic empire and a civilization that is on the brink of destruction. A group of people living in exile must combine their efforts to secure and preserve their culture and society in the hope that one day, they will be able to rebuild. With strong and impressive character arcs as well as extraordinarily detailed graphics, it is really no wonder that this show has been renewed for yet another season.
For All Mankind (2019-Present)
Seasons: 3 | Episode Count: 30 | Average Run Time: 55 minutes
Creator/s: Ronald D.Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour
Set during the famous Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States, For All Mankind explores an alternate version of how things could have been. Competing to be the first one to land on the moon, it had been the US who had eventually triumphed, but this show offers a different result to one of the most iconic events of the 20th century. From the Soviets reaching the moon first to the crash landing of Apollo 11, For All Mankind examines what would have happened if the Space Race had continued on and how it would have affected the world.
Invasion (2021-Present)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 10 | Average Run Time: 55 minutes
Creator/s: Simon Kinberg and David Weil
Cast: Sam Neill, Golshifteh Farahani, Shamier Anderson, Shioli Kutsuna, Firas Nassar
Co-created by Simon Kinberg (Dark Phoenix) and David Weil (Hunters), the show follows five different people and their ability to handle and survive an alien attack on Earth. Struggling to comprehend their surrounding reality, they must adapt quickly and do whatever they can to stay alive. Whether they're a small-town sheriff, a Navy SEAL, or just a mother determined to protect her family, Invasion demonstrates the desperate measures that people are willing to take and just how instrumental hope can be to your overall survival.
Severance (2022-Present)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 9 | Average Run Time: 48 minutes
Creator/s: Dan Erickson
Cast: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Christopher Walken
Severance focuses on a team of office workers who undergo a medical procedure that has severed their personal memories from their professional ones. With strange and suspicious things happening at work, they begin to investigate and uncover a terrible truth surrounding the company they work for. The concept alone is interesting enough to draw your attention, but the show's gripping suspense will have you pinned to your screen. The series also has a second season on the way.
See (2019-2022)
Seasons: 3 | Episode Count: 24 | Average Run Time: 50 minutes
Creator/s: Steven Knight
Cast: Jason Momoa, Sylvia Hoeks, Hera Hilmar, Christian Camargo, Alfre Woodard
Set in a dystopian world where society has lost its sense of sight, See shows how people have learned to live and survive using their other senses. Having lived this way for many generations, the concept of sight has become a myth and to talk of it is considered profanity. But when two twin children are born with the ability to see, their father must protect them from a vicious and fearful Queen who tries to hunt them down. The series ended in 2022 with an explosive and well-reviewed Season 3.
Calls (2021)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 9 | Average Run Time: 20 minutes
Creator/s: Fede Álvarez
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Rosario Dawson, Lily Collins, Nick Jonas
Calls is a series of short stories that depict the lives of various people before an apocalyptic event. They each experience a distressing and mysterious phone call that neither one can explain. With no visual scenes (replaced with audio visualizations) to look at, this is a riveting audio drama that lies on the border of psychological thriller and science fiction.
Amazing Stories (2020)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 5 | Average Run Time: 52 minutes
Creator/s: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Hailey Kilgore, Robert Forster, Josh Holloway
An anthology series based on the 1985 original of the same name, Amazing Stories is a collection of creatively wonderful stories designed to take the audience on an adventure. There are five episodes, each one unique but equally compelling. Ranging from a time-traveling romance to a paranormal mystery, this show has a brilliant assembly of characters and plot lines, diverse enough to appeal to everyone.
Dr. Brain (2021-Present)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 6 | Average Run Time: 60 minutes
Creator/s: Kim Jee-woon
Cast: Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Yoo-young, Park Hee-soon, Seo Ji-hye, Lee Jae-won
After a brain scientist loses his family in a suspicious accident, he goes to great lengths to investigate. Like a genius hacking into a computer, he synchronizes his brain with the dead, allowing him to access their memories and discover vital clues that may help. Getting closer to unraveling the mystery that he should have left alone, his efforts prove even more dangerous when he can no longer separate his own memories from the ones that he extracts. Dr. Brain is a trippy series with a gripping plotline that you don't want to miss!
Snoopy in Space (2019-2021)
Seasons: 2 | Episode Count: 24 | Average Run Time: 8 minutes
Creator/s: Mark Evestaff and Betsy Walters
Cast: Terry McGurrin, Robert Tinkler, Nicole Byer, Hattie Kragten
Having been a beloved character for over 70 years, Snoopy is a good-natured beagle well-known from the Peanuts comics and films. Snoopy in Space is an innocently fun and lighthearted show, detailing the galactic adventures of everybody’s favorite gang as they embark on a journey to become astronauts and explore the far reaches of space. With Apple TV+ positioning itself as the one-stop destination for everything Snoopy, and preparing to release more Snoopy programming in 2023, this could be the best time to watch this lovely animated series.
Shining Girls (2022)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 8 | Average Run Time: 50 minutes
Creator/s: Silka Luisa
Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Philipa Soo, Chris Chalk, Amy Brenneman
An 8-part thriller series starring an incredible cast, Shining Girls is based on the 2013 best-selling novel The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. The plot centers on Kirby (Elizabeth Moss), an archivist who enlists the help of a reporter (Wagner Moura) to investigate a murder that she has a strange, personal connection to. As they progress in their investigation, they uncover striking similarities between the case they are working on and others that have taken place decades before. They soon realize that they're hunting down a time-traveling serial killer, but whilst Kirby is searching for the truth, she finds herself trapped within various shifting realities. Struggling to determine what is real and what is fake and with time as her enemy, she must try to catch the killer before the killer catches her.
Hello Tomorrow! (2023-)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 10 | Average Run Time: 30 minutes
Creators: Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen
Cast: Billy Crudup, Hank Azaria, Haneefah Wood, Alison Pill, Nicholas Podany
Hello Tomorrow feels like a cross between Fallout, Death of a Salesman, and Mad Men. Set in a retro-futuristic world, the series follows Jack Billings (Billy Crudup), an ultra-charismatic traveling salesman who runs a business that supposedly sells timeshares on the moon. Of course, as it turns out, nothing is as it seems, and when Jack finds a way to reconnect with his estranged son Joey (Nicholas Podany), he ends up risking everything that he’s built. Crudup is perfectly suited for this role that plays to his strengths and the surrounding cast is equally committed. Pair that with a nostalgic production design, familial drama, and a sense of mystery, and you’ll get one of Apple TV+’s most underappreciated titles. - Nate Richard
Silo (2023-)
Seasons: 1 | Episode Count: 7 (ongoing) | Average Run Time: 55 minutes
Creators: Graham Yost, Morten Tyldum, Hugh Howey, and Rebecca Ferguson
Cast: Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Rashida Jones, Avi Nash, Tim Robbins
In a ruined and toxic future, thousands live in a giant silo deep underground. After its sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, engineer Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) starts to uncover shocking secrets and the truth about the silo. The series feels unique because while it has the dystopian setting we expected, it tells its story in a very noir, almost Hitchcockian way. As we follow Juliette, we uncover the truth about the silo, which will have you hooked by the end of Episode 1.
Extrapolations (2023-Present)
Seasons: 1 Episode Count: 8 | Average Run Time: 51 minutes
Creator/s: Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Edward Norton, Diane Lane
Extrapolations presents stories of the future, extrapolated from the now, focusing on how climate change could drastically affect the ecosystem and change the world as we know it. An anthology series with an important social message, it's an ambitious work of science fiction that still manages to showcase intimate moments of humanity. With positive reviews and a star-studded cast, this is an important and timely show with something to say.
The Big Door Prize (2023-Present)
Seasons: 1 Episode Count: 10 | Average Run Time: 32 minutes
Creator/s: David West Read
Cast: Chris O'Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Patrick Kerr, Damon Gupton, Josh Segarra
When a magical machine appears in a small town grocery store, the residents of the town discover that it can reveal to them their life's true potential. What does that mean? Well, simply put, the machine tells them who they are really supposed to be and the life they ought to be leading, leaving it up to them what to do with that information. The Big Door Prize focuses on the individual stories of the people who use the machine, showing how this knowledge affects their lives and those around them. While Season 1 had mixed reviews, the show ends on a cliffhanger and has a Season 2 in the works that is expected to clear up a lot of the questions you are bound to have at the end of the first season.