10 Scariest Sci-Fi TV Shows Of All Time

Science fiction often features big scares, which dominates some sci-fi series more than others.

Fringe show
Warner Bros.

Science fiction is a much bigger umbrella than people think it is. It can be smart or silly, funny or scary, but it's always interesting. But some sci-fi series are at their absolute best when they lean into the scary side of the line. Well, they are fear inducing at the very least. It gives old science fiction tropes new life.

Being scary doesn't necessarily equal horror, though that certainly doesn't hurt. Watching a movie like Event Horizon can give you a clear idea of what it looks like when horror and science fiction cross paths. That movie was like Hellraiser and Star Trek had a baby, specifically Rosemary's baby. They get weird and freaky quite quickly, and not always in an expected way.

Scary science fiction has taken a lot of forms on TV over the years, from unsettling all the way to outright fear inducing. No matter what, these series still had engaging characters and addictive stories. Oddly enough, the scary moments make the science fiction aspects of each series pop that much more. Combining scares and sci-fi can sure make things different.

10. Utopia

Fringe show
Channel 4

British TV series being adapted into American versions have become so commonplace that American fans have just started assuming new shows originally aired in the UK. This was certainly the case with Utopia, which took a few years to be translated for American and Australian audiences.

A group of friends believe that a graphic novel predicted several catastrophes, and have gone in search of the script for the second volume. They find it, then find themselves being hunted by The Network. This group chases the friends, tearing their lives apart to protect their own plans and secrets.

The current version of Utopia debuted during the pandemic, which is either excellent or terrible timing depending on your point of view. Being that Utopia is largely about a conspiracy revolving around a pandemic, it really ended up with a "too real" vibe to it, which just made it that much freakier to watch.

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Ian Goodwillie is a freelance writer based out of Saskatoon, SK, Canada. He has a BA in English Literature from the University of Saskatchewan and completed the Writing Program at Vancouver Film School. More importantly, Ian is also a wrestling fan, comic book reader, video game player and photographer. He loves to write and writes about what he loves. Ian's also an unrepentant, unapologetic Cougar Town fan, a show he will defend until the day he dies.