Exploring the realm of sci-fi, some shows gain a cult following through multiple seasons, while others fade after just one. In this list, we delve into 14 intriguing sci-fi series that, despite their brief run, leave us pondering whether they deserve a comeback and redevelopment for today’s audience.
READ: 70+ TV Shows Canceled, Ending, or Removed From Streamers in 2023
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Dr. Miles Hawkins, a brilliant scientist paralyzed after being shot in the spine by a cop, creates the Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter Interception System (M.A.N.T.I.S.) to regain mobility. Using his new abilities, he fights crime and corruption in the fictional city of Port Columbia.
The Event
“The Event” is a suspenseful sci-fi drama that follows Sean Walker as he unravels a government conspiracy while searching for his missing fiancée. The story involves extraterrestrial detainees, a covert government organization, and interconnected events that shape the course of human history and impact both humanity and an alien race.
Firefly
“Firefly” is a space-western TV series set in the aftermath of a galactic civil war. The show follows the renegade crew of the spaceship Serenity as they navigate the fringes of society, taking on various jobs to survive. Led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the diverse crew includes outlaws, fugitives, and others seeking a new start.
Flashforward
“FlashForward” is a sci-fi TV series that explores the aftermath of a mysterious global event. In a sudden blackout, everyone on Earth experiences a simultaneous blackout, during which they have visions of their lives six months into the future. The narrative follows an FBI agent, Mark Benford, and his colleagues as they investigate the cause of the blackout, navigate the repercussions of the glimpses into the future, and unravel a complex conspiracy.
Minority Report
“Minority Report” is a TV series inspired by the 2002 film of the same name. Set in 2065, it explores a society where a specialized police department, the PreCrime Division, uses psychics known as “precogs” to predict and prevent crimes before they happen. The story centers on Dash, a precog who experiences visions of future crimes but is determined to prevent them. Teaming up with a detective named Lara Vega, Dash works outside the system to solve crimes while evading those who want to exploit the precognitive abilities.
Almost Human
“Almost Human” is a sci-fi TV series set in a future where human police officers are partnered with highly advanced androids. The story follows Detective John Kennex, who returns to duty after a traumatic incident, paired with an older-model android, Dorian, designed to understand and relate to human emotions. As they investigate high-tech crimes in a technologically advanced yet divided society, the duo navigates issues of trust, artificial intelligence, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines. “Almost Human” combines action, drama, and futuristic elements to explore the complexities of policing in a world where man and machine work together to maintain order.
4400
Reboot of the former USA Network staple, which explored the travails of 4,400 missing people who all at once returned in a ball of light to Earth.
Watchmen
HBO reclassified “Watchmen” to a limited series, including for “any possible future installments” with the Showrunner confirming he only wanted to do one season. However we definitely see a world in which this series could continue.
Based on the celebrated graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the exciting and dark “Watchmen” takes place in Tulsa, Okla., 34 years after the original story. After a white supremacist attack on the local police department, which leaves only two surviving cops on the beat, laws are passed that allow the cops to hide their identities behind masks. One of these cops, Angela Abar, adopts the identity of Sister Night and fights racists while dealing with the decades-long legacy of the vigilantes.
The Peripheral
A casualty of the 2023 strike, the series was renewed for a second season before that decision was reversed and cancelled.
Set in the future when technology has subtly altered society, a woman discovers a secret connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.
Nightflyers
In 2093, a team of scientists embark on a journey into space aboard an advanced space ship called the Nightflyer; in order to make first contact with alien life-forms. When terrifyingly violent events begin to occur aboard, the team begins to question each other, but come to the realization that there must be something else on board the Nightflyer with them. It is up to the crew to save the ship themselves, to complete their mission.
Threshold
A team of experts is assembled when the U.S. Navy makes a chilling discovery: An extraterrestrial craft has landed in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey is a government contingency analyst whose job is to devise response plans for worst-case scenarios. When her plan (called THRESHOLD) is activated upon the news of the UFO, she and her handpicked team of eclectic specialists get to work deciphering the intention of the craft and preparing for the possibility of a crisis situation — an alien invasion.
Night Stalker
There are things in the dark; adults deny them, but children are right to fear. When a pregnant woman is kidnapped from her home, the city of Los Angeles believes it’s an act of domestic violence. But crime reporter Carl Kolchak suspects that the truth is far more complicated. That’s because 18 months ago, Kolchak’s wife was killed in a bizarre fashion — and he has been the FBI’s No. 1 suspect ever since. Kolchak’s determination to find the truth behind his wife’s mysterious murder has led him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. But he’s trying to piece together a puzzle that keeps changing shape. Who or what is committing these crimes? How are they all related? And why do some victims end up with a strange red mark on their hands in the shape of a snake? With sidekick Perri Reed (a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter) in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer these questions. Will anyone believe him once he discovers the truth?
<2>Defying Gravity
An international crew of eight astronauts — four men and four women — sets off on a mysterious, six-year mission covering billions of miles aboard a ship called the Antares. Inspired by the fictional docudrama “Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets,” the show tells the story of both the astronauts as they explore Venus and the other planets in the solar system, and their supportive and dedicated ground crew. Episodes alternate between the present, on the current mission, and flashbacks to earlier years when the final eight were still in the grueling selection and training process.
<2>Time After Time
Based on the novel and 1979 movie of the same name “Time After Time” follows the adventures of famed science fiction writer H.G. Wells as he pursues one of history’s most well-known serial killers, Jack the Ripper. Using a time machine, the two travel from the late 19th century to end up in modern day Manhattan. Once he arrives in New York, H.G. finds himself in awe of a world he never believed possible, but it’s not only the advancements of the age that catch his eye… the young and beautiful Jane Walker also captivates him.
<2>The Whisperer