10 Underrated Current Sci-Fi TV Shows You Need To Be Watching

Last year was a rollercoaster for the TV and movie industries, yet despite all the scandals, major movements, and business shake-ups, one thing is still apparently clear, Sci-Fi is scorching hot at the moment.

On the big screen, Star Wars continues to break records, but it is on the small screen is where it's really happening. Star Trek is back with its strongest series since Deep Space Nine, Doctor Who has been hitting peak levels, and new kids on the block like The Handmaiden's Tale took the awards scene by storm, while Stranger Things and Outlander became a pop-culture phenomenon. This is a large step considering Sci-Fi TV was niche viewing not too far back.

Yet, with such great quantity comes just as many unsung products, and there are unfortunately plenty of those now too. The recent axing of the undervalued Sci-Fi shows like Dirk Gently: Holistic Detective Agency and Wayward Pines should be taken as a big old red flag of what happens when something worthwhile doesn't find its audience.

So let's give these current shows their due - before it's too late.

With its grey English skies, sci-fi concepts, and a grounded and thoughtful edge, this Channel 4 and AMC co-production feels a lot like an extended episode of pre-Netflix Black Mirror. If that sounds like it’s wearing a sound concept thin, you’d be wrong.

A remake of the Swedish show Real Humans, this is set in a future not far from present day, yet one where humanoid robots are the mainstream household item. The intriguing show initially pulls us into a family drama with awkward consequences - is the husband “cheating” with the maid if she’s not human? - yet ends up expanding into a much deeper and darker spectrum.

With the age-old adage of standard sci-fi thematics (e.g. ‘what makes us human’, etc) all present, it's surprising how the show’s writers manage to overturn and examine these plot points in subversive and fresh ways. Its plausible approach is a big help in this matter, not to mention an impressive roster of UK talent - especially lead android Gemma Chan - doing solid work.

Most likely due to its low-key presentation and refusal to sex up its genre tropes, this series has not received much appreciation from viewers or critics. For those in the mood for their genre stuff explored in a more thoughtful manner, give this one a look.