Streaming Finds: The Dresden Files, Odyssey 5, Moonlight, and More Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows You Can Binge Over the Labor Day Weekend

Streaming Finds: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.

The Dresden Files (TubiTV, 1 Season Totaling 12 Episodes): This fun little fantasy procedural is based on the Jim Butcher book series and follows professional wizard Harry Dresden who works as a private investigator in Chicago while also helping the police from time to time. The Sci Fi Channel at that time was nearly as bad about cancelling shows as Syfy is today, and sadly this one ended after one season. But it is definitely worth a look, and at twelve episodes you may be able to get in this and another short-lived show over the weekend as well. Watch now on TubiTV for free at this link.

Moonlight (CWSeed, 1 Season Totaling 18 Episodes): This vampire drama hit the small screen just before the first Twilight movie brought us Emo blood-suckers all covered in glitter, and it is nothing like that teen melodrama. While it used the old trope of a reluctant vampire, it delivered a good twist on that and vampire lore in general while building up an interesting world with plenty of potential. Sadly, the show’s first season was cut short by the 2007 writer’s strike and then CBS cancelled the show after that. But it is still an excellent vampire series that’s worth seeking out and at eighteen episodes you should be able to get through this one over the three day weekend. Watch for free now at this link.

The Prisoner (Amazon, 1 Season Totaling 17 Episodes): This one is an oldie, but its Orwellian themes fit in well with our current political climate. A secret agent resigns from his job and is relocated to the idyllic place know as “The Village” which is actually a secure location for people who “know too much”. There he must fight with his captors as they try to bend his will and take away his individuality. This series had a seventeen episode run that was intended from the start to be close-ended. So it wraps up with a series finale, but prepare yourself for one of the most mind-blowing episodes of television ever! You can read more about the series at this link, and you can watch it now with an Amazon Prime membership.

Odyssey 5 (Sony Crackle, 1 Season Totaling 19 Episodes): The astronauts of the shuttle Odyssey 5 watch in horror from space as the Earth is destroyed, but they are saved at the last minute by an alien known as the Seeker. He sends their consciousnesses back in time five years to figure out what caused the destruction and to try and stop it from happening again. This Showtime original delivered a strong sci fi series with an excellent cast that was sadly cut short way too soon. It never got the chance to wrap up any of its storylines, so it will leave you hanging. But it has some damn good episodes that make the journey worth the while. You can read more about the series at this link, and you can watch now at this link.

Agent Carter (Hulu, 2 Seasons Totaling 18 Episodes): Jonesing for your Marvel Universe fix since their are no new movies until 2020 (and the Disney+ shows don’t start until next year either)? This show should help with that. It follows Agent Carter from the Captain America movies as an operative for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (the precursor to SHIELD) in the years following the end of WW II. It may not deliver quite the same level of spectacle as the typical Marvel film, but the series is a ton of fun and definitely a good addition to the MCU. The show was cancelled after two seasons, but the eighteen episodes it did produce are worth a watch and you should be able to get through this one over the weekend. Watch now with a subscription to Hulu.

Ash vs. Evil Dead (Netflix, 3 Seasons Totaling 30 Episodes): In the mood for some good, gory and fun demon-bashing? Then this is your show. It carries on from the Evil Dead movies with Bruce Campbell gleefully reprising his role as the chainsaw armed (pun intended) Ash. Each season is essentially another movie in the franchise stretched across ten episodes, and at about thirty minutes each you should be able to get through the whole series one in a weekend. Watch now with a subscription to Netflix.