10 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The 2010s

1. Westworld

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HBO

HBO's 2016 series Westworld is the best science-fiction show of the past decade. It's an intricate, mind-blowing masterpiece. Based on the original 1973 film by Michael Crichton, who also wrote Jurassic Park, the Westworld series perfectly adapts the film's premise but dramatically expands on it.

In a nutshell, Westworld is a futuristic Wild-West theme park inhabited by androids whose sole purpose is to serve each guest and fulfill their wildest desires. However, certain android hosts, namely Dolores Abernathy, become conscious and begin to fight back against their creators.

The first and second season of the show stick to the theme park settings, bringing in neighbour parks such as a Japanese Shogun world and a Colonial India world. But, season three breaks the rules and switches setting to the real world, depicting a dystopian Los Angeles ruled by technology.

Westworld is confusing, and at times exhausting, but the rewards are plentiful. Several sci-fi concepts created for the show are fresh and original and the action set-pieces, from the Wild-West to futuristic L.A., are exciting. The show also offers masterful plot twists and time manipulation as well as impressive acting performances from strong female leads.

The first season of Westworld is the most-watched debut season of any HBO series to date, and the show has won a deserved 9 Emmy awards out of 43 nominations.

Add in its mesmerising opening theme song and you have a show that simply must be experienced.

Contributor

Graduate of English Literature and Film Studies from the University of Aberdeen. Avid Film, TV, and Video Game lover!