Space & sci-fi TV Series

Space, aliens and grand-scale science fiction.

Ranked by how defining this tag is for each show · 122 series

10/10 means the show is a defining example. Shows scoring below 7/10 don't make the list.

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Genres

Genres as assigned by IMDb. Selecting several means a show must match all of them.

Action 68 Adult 0 Adventure 84 Animation 34 Biography 0 Comedy 11 Crime 0 Documentary 2 Drama 66 Family 5 Fantasy 6 Game-Show 0 History 0 Horror 6 Music 0 Musical 0 Mystery 13 News 0 Reality-TV 0 Romance 0 Sci-Fi 49 Short 1 Sport 0 Talk-Show 0 Thriller 5 War 0 Western 0

Decades

By first-air year. Several selections widen the range; a specific year narrows within its decade.

2020s 28 2010s 32 2000s 23 1990s 17 1980s 10 1970s 7 1960s 5 1950s 0 1940s 0 1930s 0 1920s 0 1900s 0

Specific year

2026 2 2025 2 2024 3 2023 5 2022 5 2021 6 2020 5 2019 5 2018 5 2017 3 2016 2 2015 7 2014 5 2013 2 2012 1 2011 1 2010 1 2009 3 2008 3 2007 2 2006 1 2005 2 2004 3 2003 4 2002 1 2001 1 2000 3 1999 3 1998 3 1997 2 1996 1 1995 4 1994 2 1993 2 1988 2 1987 1 1986 1 1985 1 1984 2 1983 1 1981 1 1980 1 1979 2 1978 2 1975 1 1973 1 1970 1 1967 1 1966 1 1965 1 1963 2

Tags

Rating patterns, computed from IMDb episode-rating trajectories. Deliberately strict: only shows with an unmistakable pattern carry one, so expect small numbers.

Rating patterns

Fumbled the Finale 4 Stuck the Landing 5 Grew the Beard 5 Rock Solid 0 Past Its Prime 0 Roller Coaster 2

Taste tags, judged by our AI taste model. They cover the 5,000 most-rated shows.

Tone & mood

Bleak 3 Gritty 1 Dark tone 10 Feel-good 0 Cozy 0 Wholesome 0 Melancholic 0 Tense 15 Unsettling 9 Whimsical 4 Campy 4 Cynical 2 Hopeful 11 Sentimental 0 Nostalgic 5 Bittersweet 4 Chaotic energy 5 Deadpan cool 1

Pacing & structure

Slow burn 5 Fast-paced 2 Episodic 27 Serialized 32 Procedural 0 Mystery box 12 Anthology 6 Cliffhanger-driven 2 Sprawling saga 11 Tight limited run 14 Puzzle plot 2 Vignette style 0

Humor style

Dry humor 3 Absurdist 6 Satirical 4 Cringe comedy 0 Slapstick 0 Witty banter 3 Dark comedy 2 Warm humor 3 Raunchy 0 Parody 1 Ironic & meta 2

Themes & subject matter

Criminal underworld 0 Detective mystery 0 True crime 0 Heists & cons 0 Legal 0 Medical 0 Political intrigue 11 Espionage 0 War & military 18 Family saga 1 Coming of age 5 Workplace 2 School & campus 1 Love story 1 Friendship 2 Found family 15 Survival 12 Post-apocalyptic 4 Dystopia 2 Supernatural 0 Space & sci-fi 122 Near-future tech 4 Time travel 3 High fantasy 0 Urban fantasy 0 Monster horror 1 Psychological horror 2 Addiction & vice 0 Mental health 0 Faith & religion 2 Sports 1 Music scene 0 Food & cooking 0 Nature & science 4 Real history 1 Royalty & aristocracy 2 Small town 0 Big city life 0 Rural & frontier 0 Suburban underbelly 0 Class divide 1 Immigrant experience 0 Queer stories 0 Female perspective 1 Social commentary 3 Philosophical 13 Existential dread 6 Revenge 1 Redemption 0 Secrets & lies 7

Characters & perspective

Antihero lead 3 Morally gray 7 Villain's POV 1 Ensemble cast 34 Central duo 1 Strong female lead 4 Child's perspective 0 Outsider lead 4 Genius lead 3 Working class 1 Elites & privilege 0 Unreliable narrator 0 Character study 3 Banter chemistry 1

Emotional payoff

Tearjerker 1 Adrenaline 20 Intellectual challenge 3 Comfort rewatch 3 Romantic yearning 0 Cathartic 0 Wonder & awe 17 Mounting dread 3 Warm glow 0 Gut punch 1

Craft & style

Dialogue-driven 1 Visually striking 17 Stylized direction 6 Naturalistic 0 Big-budget spectacle 13 Lo-fi charm 7 Atmospheric 12 Distinctive score 3 Experimental 3 Deep worldbuilding 34 Tight writing 1

Format & audience

Sitcom 1 Adult animation 6 Anime 10 Kids & family 12 Young adult 2 Soap & telenovela 0 Event miniseries 9 Reality competition 0 Lifestyle reality 0 Docuseries 2 Sketch & variety 0 Game & quiz show 0 Talk & panel 0 Period piece 0 Contemporary life 0 Long-runner 3 Built to binge 0

Viewing-culture clusters