The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
This series follows Sarah Manning, a street-smart outsider who discovers she is one of several genetically identical clones. As she assumes the identity of a deceased clone, she uncovers a vast conspiracy involving illegal human cloning, shadowy organizations, and a battle for autonomy over their own bodies.
When Did It Air? 2013-17, BBC America, 5 Seasons Totaling 50 Episodes
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard, Michael Mando, Maria Doyle Kennedy
Created By: Graeme Manson, John Fawcett
Cyber Knight & the Hand Puppet Commandos: One woman, seven hand puppets, and the solution to the Fermi Paradox will determine the fate of the Earth. Buy now in eBook and print format
--
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
As scripted programming ramped up during the early Peak TV era, this sleeper sci-fi series premiered on BBC America and gradually built a reputation for itself. Initially, it didn’t garner much attention due to airing on a second-tier network, but over time, it gained an audience and earned high marks from critics. It stood out amid the many Lost clones hitting television at the time and managed to last for five seasons, delivering a smart and engaging genre entry that remains well-regarded more than a decade after its debut.
The show fully embraced its science fiction elements, exploring the implications of cloning along with the ethical questions involved—addressing themes of identity, individuality, bodily autonomy, and free will. This was not just another procedural with a twist, a format that had been done to death by that point. Instead, Orphan Black fully committed to its sci-fi premise and stayed true to its genre roots, maintaining its quality throughout its five-year run.
But most important to this series is the stand-out performance by Tatiana Maslany, playing multiple roles and nailing the performance on each one. She proved up to the challenge by putting her acting chomps on display, and she claimed the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2016, a rare accomplishment for a show on a small cable network. Maslany’s performance along with her supporting cast and the top-notch writing carried the show through to a satisfying conclusion, and this one certainly deserves to be counted as one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time.
Argument Against:
Orphan Black is definitely a notable sci fi TV entry, but ultimately it falls short in the rankings compared to other genre greats. It got off to a good start and the first two seasons were quite solid. But the show started to get inconsistent in its quality after that point as the plots became more complex and convoluted, with some storylines left unresolved and far too many conspiracies to keep up with. The pacing also became an issue as it seemed to plod along at times during its third and fourth seasons then appeared to be rushing things to wrap up in its final year. Tatiana Maslany’s performance remained strong throughout the show’s run, but other characters tended to be underused or they were sidelined without satisfying conclusions. Ultimately, the series seems more like a mid-tier sci fi entry that had its good and bad moments, but that does not quite count in the upper echelon of genre entries.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
I was actually late to the game with Orphan Black, not watching it until the series had ended. But as it turns out, binge-viewing of the show is probably the best way to go with this one. I went through the first two seasons pretty quickly and loved them. From the third season on it was hit or miss, but watching episodes back-to-back made it easier to keep up with the increasingly dense plots. And while this show does suffer some in later seasons, if you stick it out, it proves rewarding in the end. This is a very solid series that explores some interesting science fiction themes while dealing with plenty of moral quandaries, and its run feels just about right at five seasons and fifty episodes. And while I personally may not count it as a Top 10 sci fi TV entry, it should certainly be ranked as one of the better examples of genre shows.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. And all five seasons are available for streaming with a subscription to AMC+.
Do you consider Orphan Black one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows of all time or did it lose its way later in its run? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow us on social media for breaking news and updates: Twitter | Facebook | Mastodon | Blue Sky.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
