Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest on the streaming services. Note that streaming availability can change with little to no notice.
Tubi TV is a streaming service that is available for free with ads, and it has built up a notable catalog of television shows and movies. Consider it very similar to the early days of Hulu when that service was still free and had quite a lot of programming available. The ads are not too bad (about a minute or two per break) and they will ask you to create a free account. But that allows you to create a list of favorites and also save your progress if you are watching through one or more TV shows. Note that the interface seems to have changed recently and it is hard to find all the shows that are available by scrolling through the lists. But what you will find will get you started and they will make recommendations on other shows that are available, and before long you will be hooked on this service. Here are five classics that will certainly keep you busy for a while, and you can continue to explore the service from there.
(Click on the links to view the series on Tubi.)
Babylon 5 (1993-98, 5 Seasons totaling 110 Episodes): This epic sci fi series focuses on the space station of the title that acts as a neutral meeting ground for all the races of the known galaxy. It follows the interactions and tensions between the major races which ultimately boil over into intergalactic war while also unleashing an ancient evil. This is J. Michael Straczynski’s masterpiece and an important sci fi TV entry and delivers a grand space opera that covers five full seasons. Note that the movies are not included, but you can follow the entire series without them. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Farscape (1999-2004, 4 Seasons totaling 88 Episodes + a 2-Part Mini-Series): Astronaut John Crichton is launched across the cosmos through a wormhole and he joins a group of renegades traveling on a living ship who flee from the militaristic organization known as the Peacekeepers. This show delivered an anti-Star Trek of sorts with a morally ambiguous crew that was constantly at each others’ throats, and it also brought us some imaginative stories with its mix of human actors and animatronic characters. The full series plus the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series is available (the latter has its own separate entry), so you can enjoy this show from start to finish. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Classic Doctor Who (1963-87, 26 Seasons Totaling ~695 Episodes): The entire classic run of the British time-traveling series Doctor Who is available on Tubi which covers the first seven incarnations of the Doctor played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, John Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Collin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy. That is 26 seasons and quite a number of episodes, and it also includes the animated reproductions of the lost eps. This was a low-budget series and quite cheesy, but it is still seminal sci fi and there are quite a few good stories throughout the show’s classic run. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003, 7 Seasons Totaling 144 Episodes): This supernatural drama follows the teenage Buffy Summers who learns that she is a slayer and must battle the evil forces coming from Hellmouth which is beneath her town of Sunnydale. This show put Joss Whedon on the map, and it transcended its YA roots to turn into an important and inventive genre entry. All seven seasons of this one are available which should keep you quite busy for a while. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Dark Shadows (1966-71, 6 Seasons Totaling 1,225 Episodes): If supernatural dramas are your thing, then why not go back and watch one of the originals in the genre. This show follows the Collins family and their supernatural encounters in and around their gothic manor, and it became a daytime hit when the vampire Barnabas Collins was introduced in its second season. Tubi has the entire run which includes the pre-Barnabas episodes (search for for Dark Shadows: The Beginning to watch those), and since this was a daily soap opera, that is quite a lot of viewing. This was a low-budget production known for descending into camp at times, but at its best, it was also a spooky and engaging series. They also have some interesting documentaries available on the show.
Other Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows of Interest on Tubi: Humans, The Magicians, Lovecraft Country, Krypton, Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda, Highlander: The Series, Space: 1999, and more
Anime Entries of Interest: Ghost in the Shell, Deathnote, Naruto, Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock: Space Pirate, Astro Boy, and more
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