Streaming Finds: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.
What Is It? A brilliant and wealthy programmer creates an AI system that can track and predict terrorist activity and that can also predict when an individual might be in danger or a threat to someone else. The government is not interested in committing resources to protecting the individuals, so the machine’s creator hires an ex-CIA operative to follow up on those leads.
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Amy Acker, Sarah Shahi
The Skinny: This series appeared on the CBS schedule in the Fall of 2011 with very little fanfare from the sci fi community, but it slowly started to develop a reputation as a sleeper genre entry. When it began, the show was very episodic with case-of-the-week episodes focusing on people in need of help (1985’s The Equalizer meets AI). But as the show proceeded, it developed its central characters and also started to establish a background story arc dealing with the potential threats of AI and constant surveillance. It never fully delved into that side of its story, largely because sci fi-averse CBS likely dictated that it stick to the procedural format, but it did touch on some important AI themes and also delivered a pretty good series led by a very strong cast.
Person of Interest may not count as must-watch sci fi, but it is definitely worth a look. The first season is very heavy on the episodic format with the ongoing story arc starting to develop more in the show’s second year. If the procedural stories do not interest you as much, you might search out some essential episode lists on the internet if you find the AI themes interesting. All five seasons of the show are available on Netflix, which comprises over one hundred episodes, a decent run for a sci fi show these days.
List of All Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows Streaming on Netflix
Click on the following links for a comprehensive list of the Sci Fi TV Shows available on Netflix | Prime Video | Hulu | Other Services
