5 Overlooked Sci-Fi TV Masterpieces That Deserve a Second Chance, Ranked by IMDb
These projects either closed too early or just never found their audience.
In the world of science fiction, big franchises like Star Trek, The X-Files, and Westworld are widely admired.
However, the spotlight on popular franchises often obscures lesser-known shows that offer engaging plots, profound philosophical ideas, and unique worlds.
5. 'The Peripheral', 2022
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Flynne Fisher lives in a small town in the near future where technology has become an integral part of her everyday life. One day, her older brother asks her to help him explore the features of a new VR game and something shocking happens.
She plunges into virtual reality and discovers that she is not in a game, but in a dark version of her own future. With each subsequent dive into this world, she learns more about the horrific events that will soon wipe humanity from the face of the earth.
4. 'Station Eleven', 2021-2022
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Young Kirsten witnesses the death of her idol, the lead actor in a renowned theater production. She soon learns that his death is only the beginning of a catastrophe – that same evening, a flu epidemic sweeps the globe, instantly decimating the population.
Twenty years later, Kirsten becomes a warrior and joins a nomadic theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony. She gradually builds a new world around herself using the last gift from her idol, a unique comic book about Station Eleven.
One day, thanks to a chance encounter, Kirsten discovers that she is not the only person guided by this story.
3. 'His Dark Materials', 2019-2022
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
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The series invites viewers to immerse themselves in a world filled with magical creatures, armored bears, witches, and priests. At the heart of the story is an orphaned girl named Lyra Belacqua.
Raised at Jordan College, Oxford from infancy, Lyra dreams of leaving to travel with her only surviving relative, Uncle Asriel.
Lyra has two friends: Roger, who is also an orphan, and a small daemon, which is a piece of her soul. One day, Roger is kidnapped, and Lyra receives a mysterious invitation to London.
2. 'Beforeigners', 2019-2022
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
Life in Norway was peaceful until people from the past emerged from the depths of Bjørvika bay. Dozens of people from various eras were suddenly transported to the present.
While scientists around the world try to understand what's happening and unravel the mystery of time travel, these visitors from the past are studying the new world and incorporating old habits into the new reality.
For example, Alfhildr, who came from the Viking Age, has become a detective – she now works with a police officer named Lars. While investigating a new case, the duo pursues the criminal and makes discoveries of enormous significance for all of humanity.
1. 'Altered Carbon', 2018-2020
IMDb Score: 7.9/10
In the distant future, when consciousness can be transferred from one body to another, and death is merely a technical malfunction, society is divided between the immortal and the mortal.
Takeshi Kovacs, a former soldier and revolutionary, awakens centuries later in a new body to investigate the murder of Laurens Bancroft, one of the richest men on the planet.
Despite being canceled after its second season, Altered Carbon deserves attention – at the very least, it's worth recommending as an excellent cyberpunk action show.
