Entertainment
10 Most Ambitious Sci-Fi Shows, Ranked
If there’s any genre that perfectly lends itself to high ambitions, it has to be science fiction. Throughout the entire history of sci-fi television, there have been countless shows that have aimed for the stars—whether they met those aspirations or not. From big chapters in huge multimedia franchises to entirely original series that changed the game, these sci-fi shows are proof of the heights that the genre can reach when done with enough passion.
Whether it’s The Mandalorian bringing Star Wars to the world of live-action television or The Leftovers proving that sci-fi and the world of prestige TV can get along wonderfully, these series have shown that determination and big ideas can be all a show in this genre needs to be great. Ambition doesn’t always equal greatness, but in these shows’ case, that’s certainly what it ended up amounting to.
10
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Proving that a new formula for shows properly and fully connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after the downfall of Netflix’s street-level side of the franchise, could work; paying homage to different eras of the American sitcom format through complex and varied visual tones; delivering a metafictional, genre-bending narrative that prioritized character work over traditional superhero action (most of the time, at least). Those are but a few of the things that make WandaVision ambitious.
Had this series not worked, who knows whether the franchise would have built up the confidence to make the jump to more TV series? But as one of the most perfect sci-fi miniseries ever, WandaVision clearly did work, despite an underwhelming finale. Its aesthetics were the cherry on top of what was already one of the MCU’s most ambitious projects to date, and it all paid off wonderfully.
9
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
A show centered on the deuteragonist of a prequel spin-off where he dies at the end, returning to the focus on space politics that made so many people dislike George Lucas‘ prequel trilogy, leveraging a high budget to deliver a gritty, grounded, mature political thriller that prioritizes complex character study over fan service. Those are but a few of the things that make Andor ambitious.
It’s one of the highest-rated prequel shows on IMDb, and for good reason. It’s Star Wars at its best: Politically charged and refreshingly nuanced, packed with thrilling action sequences, and full of emotionally satisfying character arcs that aren’t without their occasional bits of tragedy. It might just be the best that the franchise has been since the ’80s.
8
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
Ever-so-subtle uses of science fiction that keep its plot grounded in reality and character work; refusing to ever fully explain its mysterious central premise, instead focusing on the emotional and philosophical effects that it has on the characters and their world; touching on aspects of the human condition so intellectually challenging that most shows wouldn’t dare touch them with a ten-foot pole. Those are but a few of the things that make The Leftovers ambitious.
The best thing about the series is that all of its philosophical, intellectual, and narrative ambitions pay off. It’s one of the best sci-fi shows with zero filler episodes, an engrossing and emotionally raw drama with some of the most intricate thematic work of any HBO show. It’s a modern classic that sometimes doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves, and though it may not be all that technically ambitious, its narrative aspirations are sky-high.
7
‘The Last of Us’ (2023–Present)
Adapting both one of the most acclaimed video games in history and its sequel, one of the most divisive video games of all time; expanding the games’ lore and changing key aspects, trying not to upset fans in the process (sometimes successfully, sometimes not); and translating the many ambitions of both of its pieces of source material into a televisual language. Those are but a few of the things that make The Last of Us ambitious.
For the longest time, video game adaptations on both the big and small screens had a track record bordering on embarrassing. At some point during this century, though, creatives seemed to start figuring things out. By this point, video game adaptations seem to have found in television their ideal home, and few shows prove that better than The Last of Us. It can be scary, it can be exciting, it can be emotionally devastating, and it never fails to be entertaining. Even in the face of a disappointing second season, fans are still hoping for a return to form, so this will likely continue being one of the most-watched HBO shows ever.
6
‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993–1999)
Constantly breaking the established Star Trek formula to deliver a more serialized, morally grey story; bringing Gene Roddenberry‘s romantic and optimistic view of humanity into question throughout its whole run; making it so that all actions had far more permanent consequences than in any show the franchise had seen before. Those are but a few of the things that make Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ambitious.
The Star Trek franchise as a whole is one of the most ambitious multimedia sci-fi franchises in history, and all of its television installments have made sure to aim for the stars. But even though it may not be the most popular Trek show, Deep Space Nine is one of the only installments in the franchise mainly known precisely for being ambitious. Its commitment to giving the Star Trek franchise and all the traditions it had built up a refreshing spin remains admirable almost three decades after its conclusion, and it always made it so that this was one of those sci-fi shows that gets better every season.
5
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
Diving deep into a tale about time travel and parallel universes in a way so layered that viewers practically need a notebook to keep up; telling a pre-planned three-season story while always remaining true to the original thematic and tonal vision; having to pay far more meticulous attention to detail than most sci-fi series, lest a plot hole seep in through the cracks and bring the whole house of cards crashing down. Those are but a few of the things that make Dark ambitious.
For the mere fact that it was Netflix’s first-ever German-language show alone, Dark could have already been labeled ambitious. But on top of that, there’s everything that makes it one of the most nearly-perfect sci-fi shows ever: Profoundly intricate plotting, several jaw-dropping twists, satisfying character arcs, and flawless production values. It’s an entirely unique masterpiece of a show.
4
‘The Mandalorian’ (2019–Present)
Being the very first live-action TV show in Star Wars history, after 42 years of the franchise’s existence; bridging the gap between the beloved original trilogy and the divisive sequel trilogy; giving fans Easter eggs to be excited by while establishing new characters (some of which ended up being among the best Star Wars TV show characters ever); and revolutionizing the visual effects industry with the introduction of StageCraft, a.k.a. “The Volume.” Those are but a few of the things that make The Mandalorian ambitious.
Underwhelming third season notwithstanding, The Mandalorian ended up being one of the best things that Disney has done for Star Wars since their purchase of Lucasfilm, expanding the lore and world-building of the galaxy far, far away in all sorts of thrilling ways. It would have been very easy for the House of Mouse to just haphazardly put a cash-grab together and call it a day, but instead, they allowed Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni to aim as high as they wanted.
3
‘Lost’ (2004–2010)
Breaking the conventions of network television by blending a high-budget cinematic aesthetic with a complex, serialized mystery structure, having an ensemble of more characters than one can count, while giving each one of them their fair share of time under the spotlight, and constantly aiming higher and higher with its fractured narrative structure and “mystery box” storytelling. Those are but a few of the things that make Lost ambitious.
Throughout the show’s run, it felt like everyone and their grandmother were watching Lost and talking about it. And if its divisive finale achieved anything, it was at least ensuring that the series would remain a part of the pop-culture conversation for many more years. It’s one of the most ambitious drama shows ever, and regardless of whether it stuck the landing in the end or not, the fact that it never stopped swinging for the fences is worthy of props.
2
‘Doctor Who’ (1963–Present)
Constantly refreshing itself by allowing its main character to change their appearance and personality every time they die; finding ways not to run out of creative ideas after over 60 years on the air (hiatus not counted); transforming itself as society has changed over the years since 1963. Those are but a few of the things that make Doctor Who ambitious.
Technically, Doctor Who consists of the original show and two revivals, all three shows having different pages on IMDb; but with the series holding a Guinness World Record as the longest-running sci-fi TV show ever, it can all be considered a single iconic show. There has probably never been a television series better at reinventing itself than Doctor Who, which was originally devised as an educational show for children, but has since evolved into one of the biggest pillars of sci-fi pop culture ever. It’s one of the best sci-fi shows with over five seasons, perfect for fans of the genre looking for a long commitment.
1
‘Babylon 5’ (1993–1998)
Revolutionizing American broadcast television by telling a serialized pre-planned five-year story arc at a time when such a thing was virtually unprecedented; being the first-ever TV show to use CGI as its primary method for VFX; covering a wide range of themes far more complex than what most sci-fi shows were tackling at the time; and doing all this with a fraction of the budget of most of its contemporaries. Those are but a few of the things that make Babylon 5 the most ambitious sci-fi show in television history.
Saying that Babylon 5 broke the mold would be an understatement. Sci-fi television would probably not be what it is today without it, and the world certainly would be a far sadder place. Not all of its elements have aged gracefully, as can be expected from a mid-budget ’90s sci-fi show, but that has never been a problem for fans. Babylon 5 was, and still is, utterly historic.