Calling something a masterpiece is a big deal. A lot of the time, a so-called masterpiece is a flawless piece of work that doesn’t falter in any shape or form. In many other cases, a masterpiece, especially on film and TV, is a matter of subjective thought and sentiment, meaning it can be flawed but still loved as a perfect result all around.
These underrated sci-fi shows can be called masterpieces and have often been called that by their fans. Moreover, critics also agree on most of them being great, making them prominent in the vast world of science fiction. You may not have known about all of them, but they’re worth your time.
8
’12 Monkeys’ (2015–2018)
Created by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett
Terry Gilliam‘s 1995 movie 12 Monkeys is often deemed an untouchable piece of sci-fi, so when the TV series adaptation came out, people expected a messy time-travel TV show. In reality, the series turned out coherent and thrilling, full of moments that the movie may not have had the freedom to include. The show ended after four seasons and 47 episodes with a pretty airtight ending; while initial reactions were mixed, the show experienced a rise in popular opinion, getting praise for its storytelling and making the time-travel narrative a lot more cohesive, even compared to the movie.
12 Monkeys follows a time traveler, James Cole (Aaron Stanford), who travels from 2043 back into 2015 to help a group of scientists prevent the organization known as the “Army of the 12 Monkeys” from releasing a deadly virus. In Cole’s timeline, the virus annihilated humanity in 2017 and caused irreparable damage to the world; another key player is virologist Cassie Railly (Amanda Schull), whom Cole must find and ask for help. 12 Monkeys was dismissed because of a relatively unknown cast, potentially a lacking marketing effort, and, moreover, because it was just another sci-fi adaptation, but this series comes really close to perfection.
7
‘Fortitude’ (2015–2018)
Created by Simon Donald
Calling Fortitude sci-fi might surprise people, but don’t worry, it’s not too much of a spoiler. Primarily advertised as a psychological horror/thriller, Fortitude is a brilliant little show that got sidelined by other shows at the time but can be considered a masterpiece from start to finish for many reasons. It has the power to immerse viewers in its fictional icy town so well that you’ll need a blanket while watching it, even if it’s warm outside. The show expertly blends psychological thriller, sci-fi, mystery, and even body horror.
Fortitude is the name of the small, remote Arctic town where the show is set. Armed with the fact that they’re the safest community on Earth, Fortitude begins experiencing something unprecedented—murder. The rise in deaths of the locals is alarming, and Sheriff Dan Anderssen (Richard Dormer) tries to get to the bottom of it all, which is where more sci-fi elements come into play. Fortitude has such a surreal, chilling atmosphere, and we must acknowledge it for that; beyond that, the cast is colorful and highly talented and includes names like Stanley Tucci, Christopher Eccleston, and Michael Gambon.
6
‘Travelers’ (2016–2018)
Created by Brad Wright
Travelers is so underrated, you’ve probably not even heard of it. This sleeper hit went under the radar, and it’s a rewatchable Netflix series that has intricate time-traveling rules, tight writing, and great pacing; its biggest strength, though, must be that it’s character-driven and, more than anything, human. Critically, Travelers was well-received throughout its three-season run, praised for the performances and storytelling, and labeled as a fun and enjoyable series. It stars Eric McCormack, MacKenzie Porter, and Nesta Cooper, among others.
Travelers is set in the present time and follows four individuals who were about to die, suddenly undergoing significant personality changes. It turns out these people’s bodies were inhabited by travelers from a distant future, who entered their bodies to prevent catastrophic events from happening. The travelers are special operatives, and viewers are shown how the team of five works together and within their tasks to make the future better without taking massive risks to damage the timeline. It’s a pretty intricate and fun premise, and it works well throughout the three seasons the show had.
Travelers
- Release Date
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2016 – 2018-00-00
- Network
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showcase, Netflix
5
‘Orphan Black’ (2013–2017)
Created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett
Can we consider Orphan Black underrated? Absolutely. Despite its underrated status remaining and firmly defining the series, it was still popular among its most loyal fans online, who called themselves the Clone Club. It’s an “if you know, you know” thing, and if you know what’s good, you’ll sit and watch this five-season series. Orphan Black has clones, corporate espionage, and bioethics as its main themes, wonderfully blending sci-fi with a conspiracy thriller. The show is firmly guided by the steady and expert performance of Tatiana Maslany, who portrays multiple distinct characters very successfully.
Orphan Black is about Sarah (Maslany), a con artist living in Toronto, who one day witnesses the death of a woman named Beth. Upon closer look, Sarah realizes she and Beth are identical. She takes the opportunity to steal Beth’s identity and life, but then realizes she and Beth are part of a bigger scheme. Maslany portrays five known characters in the series, transforming into each in detail. The series, like any good sci-fi, explores the moral and ethical implications of human cloning, as well as its impact on the human psyche and identity.
Orphan Black
- Release Date
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2013 – 2017-00-00
- Showrunner
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Graeme Manson
4
‘Counterpart’ (2017–2019)
Created by Justin Marks
Counterpart is one of the best espionage thrillers of the past decade, but it’s also a show with a brilliant sci-fi twist. It deals with themes of identity, parallel universes, and conspiracies, and it’s something like Severance, if Severance had parallel universes and lots of spy action in a Cold War setting. I know the comparison isn’t all that great, but you’ll see why it was made. Counterpart stars J.K. Simmons in a dual role, delivering a powerhouse performance; it’s truly one of his best and proof of why he’s one of the best, too.
Counterpart follows the employee of a UN-adjacent agency in Berlin, Howard Silk (Simmons), who doesn’t know what his company really does or what his purpose is in it. His only job is to communicate through nonsensical messages with others—kind of like Severance, right? Things get crazier when Silk finally finds out his workplace is actually a portal to another dimension and that he has a counterpart who is much cooler and more involved in stuff than he is. Counterpart has only two seasons and 20 episodes, but it’s worth taking a longer weekend off to binge-watch it and make it less of a hidden gem.
3
‘Utopia’ (2013–2014)
Created by Dennis Kelly
Visually stunning, narratively bold, scored by Cristobal Tapia de Veer, and performed to perfection, Utopia is the conspiracy-laced sci-fi thriller you’ve always wanted to watch. Of course, because it’s a British TV series, it’s full of dark comedy, too, but it blends sci-fi, thriller, mystery, and action seamlessly besides that. There was a US remake with John Cusack in it, but, for the love of God, skip it (not because of Cusack, just in general). Utopia is incredible not only for being a near-perfect product, but also because it predicted much of our current digital anxiety, narratives around humanity, and conspiracy theories that tend to rule the world.
Utopia follows a group of four people who meet in person after talking about the comic book called The Utopia Experiments online. They meet because they believe the comic predicted plenty of current world events, and one of them acquires a manuscript for the comic’s unpublished sequel that could possibly predict more disasters. However, the four aren’t alone; they’re being watched by an organization called “The Network.” Neil Maskell, who is quite famous in the UK, delivers his best performance as the emotionally unstable and disconnected killer, Arby.
Utopia
- Release Date
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2013 – 2013
- Network
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Channel 4
2
‘The OA’ (2016–2019)
Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij
The OA may not be considered underrated by some people, but it’s still heavily underseen, and its premise might be the reason why. It’s really difficult to explain this show, but hopefully, it’d be enough to call it experimental, metaphysical, and absolutely mesmerizing. If you’re open to weird sci-fi series with philosophical undertones, The OA is beautiful and haunting. Hardcore fans of the show still mourn its premature cancellation but return to it once in a while for enjoyment and additional analysis. Creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij have already dabbled with sci-fi in the past, and it seems they’re willing to continue The OA with whatever it takes.
The OA is about Prairie Johnson (Marling), a young woman who returns home to her small town after being missing for seven long years. She returns with the ability to see, which she didn’t have before, and with scars on her back. Coinciding with that, Prairie claims she’s the “OA”—original angel—and refuses to speak about her disappearance. A lot happens that connects Prairie to the local crowd, and we get to see a lot more about her time away from home. Many people haven’t seen this wonderful show, but it’s one of the most unique premises in sci-fi.
The OA
- Release Date
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2016 – 2018
- Network
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Netflix
1
‘Babylon 5’ (1993–1998)
Created by J. Michael Straczynski
Fans of The Expanse will love Babylon 5, which feels like an even more underrated space opera. Though The Expanse was considered underrated before, it’s fair to say that it’s been hyped up to bits and given a new lease on life; it’s time we do the same with Babylon 5, which had a pre-planned five-season arc before that was even a thing. The show draws so much from social and political events that were relevant at the time of its filming; it did something many sci-fi shows didn’t until then, like delving into the socio-political implications of humanity inhabiting other planets and turning them into colonies.
Babylon 5 is, very simply put, about the eponymous space station where humans and aliens work together to keep peace in the galaxy. However, secret wars, ancient evils, and political drama threaten to tear everything apart, and the show often focuses on the individual impact of these events rather than taking an overall look at them. The character-focused story is intricate and beautifully written, and a definite must-watch for any fan of science fiction and space operas. This cult classic is often cited among the greatest sci-fi series of all time.