There are quite a lot of sci fi and fantasy television shows currently available for streaming, though you may have to do some searching around to find them, and they tend to switch services from time to time. We have compiled a list of well-known sci fi and fantasy shows from the past as well as cult favorites and more recent entries that are available for streaming. You can browse through that at this link and below are ten classic shows that you can binge on one or more of the streaming services. The good thing about many of the classics is that they tend to be very episodic and you can pick them up at any point in their run (though certain seasons tend to be better than others and some of the ones below are more serialized). Here are several classic sci fi TV shows that you might want to sample if you find yourself with some couch time and wanting to do some binge-watching.
Farscape (1999-2003, 4 Seasons Totaling 88 Episodes + 2-Part Mini-Series)
John Crichton gets sent through a wormhole into deep space and joins a group of refugees on the run from the tyrannical Peacekeepers who are fleeing through space in the living ship named Moya. And what a wild ride it is in this series from The Jim Hensen Company that combines animatronic characters from that company’s Creature Shop with human actors. The first (and best) season is mostly episodic, and after that the show would tend to work in arcs that would carry over multiple episodes. The entire series plus The Peacekeeper Wars mini-series is available for streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video. Note that the mini-series is included as part of the fourth season in Amazon’s listings. You can read more about Farscape at this link.
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007, 10 Seasons Totaling 214 Episodes)
This is one of the longest-running science fiction TV shows of all time, and it also counts as one of the best sci fi TV entries. Carrying on from the original movie, the series follows the four-person team of SG-1 as they explore the Stargate and try to keep Earth safe from alien threats. At 214 episodes, it will take a while to work your way through the entire series, but it has plenty of good eps to offer. It is mostly episodic, especially through the first five seasons, so you can feel free to pick and choose the episodes that appear to be of interest (and you might also want to search out some “best of” lists). The entire series is available on both Hulu and Netflix. Hulu also has Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: Universe available for streaming, though not Netflix. The animated series Stargate: Infinity (which is not considered canon) is available for streaming on Tubi TV and the 1994 movie that started it all is available there as well. You can read more about Stargate: SG-1 at this link.
The Twilight Zone (1959-64, 5 Seasons Totaling 156 Episodes)
This sci fi / horror anthology has become a New Year’s staple with Syfy’s annual marathon each year (which began back when the network was called The Sci Fi Channel). But why let somebody else decide which episodes you watch? You can make your own marathon on the streaming services which may include the classics or some of the less-recognized episodes. Hulu has the entire original series available including the fourth season (those are the hour-long episodes) which for some reason is left out of the streaming package on Netflix. The first three seasons have most of the classic eps, but you can find choice picks across the show’s entire five-year run. And if you are looking for more classic sci fi anthology shows, the original Outer Limits is available on the Roku Channel and One Step Beyond is available on Amazon. You can read more about The Twilight Zone at this link.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94, 7 Seasons Totaling 178 Episodes)
This is considered by many to be the best Star Trek series (but the original is really the best) and it follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-D across seven seasons and 178 episodes. The first season is mostly skippable except the premiere episode, “Encounter at Farpoint”, which kicks the show off and introduces alien super-being Q. If you are trying to sample the series, you may want to seek out some “best of” lists and then work your way on from there. This show is available on the big three streaming services Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu as are the original series, Star Trek: DS9, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) also has all entries from the franchise available including the animated series as well as the new shows Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. You can read more about Star Trek: TNG at this link.
Firefly (2002-03, 1 Season Totaling 14 Episodes)
Looking for a show you can finish during a single weekend? Well this space-western from Joss Wheadon is a good choice. Following a group of rebels on the run from the government that has an iron grip over much of the known galaxy, this short-lived series is a celebrated sci fi classic. It will leave you wanting more, and the later feature film Serenity does not quite provide the proper resolution, but it is still worth the ride. All fourteen episodes of the series are streaming on Hulu and Serenity is available on Peacock. Read more about Firefly at this link.
The Prisoner (1967-68, 17 Episodes)
This is another show that you could finish over a weekend, and it seems quite appropriate to today’s rather dubious political climate. A British secret agent resigns and is then placed in custody in a town known as The Village which houses people who know too much. The series is rife with political commentary and allegory as it presents an ongoing conflict of the individual against government/society. It’s pretty heady stuff, but the show still holds up quite well today as it presents challenges and asks hard questions that should resonate with the modern audience. And buckle yourself in for that final episode which will take you on one of the wildest rides ever for a television series. It is available for streaming on Prime Video and Tubi TV. Read more about The Prisoner at this link.
Babylon 5 (1993-98, 5 Seasons Totaling 110 Episodes)
One of the grandest space epics ever told on television this series, which focuses on the space station of the title caught in the middle of a galactic war, is now available for streaming in a remastered version on HBO Max. The first season is more episodic, but by Year 2 the show’s story arc kicks in high gear and carries on for the rest of B5‘s run. You can seek out a list of “best of” episodes (especially for the first season) to get you started, but you will certainly get hooked and want to watch all of Seasons 2 thru 4 at some point. Season 5 is not as essential, and you may want to seek out a list of essential eps from that year, but you will definitely want to watch the finale that wraps everything up. You can read more about Babylon 5 at this link.
The X-Files (1993-2018, 11 Seasons Totaling 218 Episodes)
This show about two FBI agents investigating the paranormal definitely had an over-arching story which carried over its multi-year run, but it also had plenty of good stand-alone episodes. Throughout the first five seasons, you can pick it up just about anywhere without feeling too lost. You may not know how the episode fits into the bigger picture, but the individual stories are usually mostly self-contained. Note that the quality of this show dropped considerably after its sixth season and I really can’t recommend the two revival seasons at all (with the exception of the Season 10 ep “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster”). All eleven seasons are available on Hulu and should offer some creepy fun viewing. You can read more about The X-Files at this link.
Space: 1999 (1975-77, 2 Seasons Totaling 48 Episodes)
The moon gets blasted out of orbit when a stockpile of nuclear waste causes a huge explosion, sending the crew of Moonbase Alpha on a journey across the universe. This series delivered impressive special effects for its time (and they still hold up pretty well today) and visually stunning art direction. But it also played fast and loose with science (starting with its very premise) while shooting for the profundity of 2001: A Space Odyssey. By its second season, the show devolved into a cheesy sci fi action series, but overall it still delivered some enjoyable episodes and counts as somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Both seasons are streaming on Tubi TV and they are also available over at Shout Factory TV. You can read more about Space: 1999 at this link.
>Keep up with the sci fi and fantasy TV shows airing each week with the Weekly Listings
Lost in Space (1965-68, 3 Season Totaling 83 Episode)
For some more cheesy sci fi TV, this is the granddaddy of them all and you can enjoy any part of its three seasons of camp fun. Irwin Allen was the king of the genre during the sixties, and this show has all of his excesses on full display. Giant monsters, space pirates, cosmic hillbillies, and even the devil makes an appearance in the show. If you prefer more straight-forward sci fi, stick to the first half of the first season. But if you just want a bonkers interstellar romp, feel free to sample episodes across all three seasons (and be sure not to miss the Season 3 classic ep “The Great Vegetable Rebellion”). The entire series is available for streaming on Hulu. You can read more about Lost in Space at this link.
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
Farscape will take you for a ride for sure. The character development, arcs and love story are some of the best out there. Down right classic show.
Don’t forget SeaQuest DSV and SeaQuest 2032 available for streaming on Peacock. I’ve been streaming all the seasons. What a shame it didn’t stay true to the original DSV plot and had to reinvent itself in 2032, which is why it was canceled.
Thanks for mentioning that one. Thought I had it on the list, but apparently not. Will get it added.
It worth noting the B5 was recently remastered in HD (in the proper 4:3 format – the DVD 16:9 looked horrible) for the first time. So if you’ve seen it all before or are a B5 virgin it’s a good time to watch one of the all-time classics.
You can get it on Amazon and iTunes.
No Battlestsr Galactica reboot nor the original Outer Limits?
Those are on the list at this link: https://www.cancelledscifi.com/list-of-sci-fi-tv-shows-available-on-streaming/