The seven best sci-fi series of all-time according to Rotten Tomatoes
It’s officially Star Wars Day, and there’s no better day than May the 4th to take a deep dive into some science fiction.
When you’re looking to escape to another time, world or dimension through your screens, sci-fi is the genre to take you there.
Over the decades shows like Star Trek, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica have picked up loyal audiences.
In more recent years other popular sci-fi programmes that have stood out include Star Wars: Andor, Stranger Things, Westworld, Black Mirror and The Last of Us.
Although some have been critically acclaimed, others have flown under the radar.
There’s no shortage of other shows in the genre to settle into but if you’ve been wondering what to watch next, here’s some ideas based on shows with 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
Star Wars: Andor (Disney Plus)
RT score: 96%
After a long three-year wait, Andor has returned for a second season with new episodes every Wednesday Disney+.
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the thief turned spy, is back after a stellar firstseason, which was met with adoration from fans and critics alike with a much more mature take on a galaxy far, far away.
We first met him during the events of the 2016 film Rogue One, and now season two has been met with a roar of approval from critics, and it’s already being hailed one of the best of 2025.
Supacell (Netflix)
RT score: 100%
Released last year, this British superhero series created and written by Rapman was set in modern-day South London and followed a group of five ordinary black people linked by a family history of sickle cell disease.
They then ‘unexpectedly develop superpowers and are pursued by a secret organisation who intends to control them’.
The six-part series, which fans called ‘superb’, also explored themes of knife crime, racial profiling, poverty, the exploitation of black bodies, and sickle cell disease.
Travelers (Netflix)
RT score: 100%
Running for three seasons between 2016 to 2018, Travelers starred Eric McCormack, Mackenzie Porter, Jared Abrahamson, Nesta Cooper, Reilly Dolman, and Patrick Gilmore.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, thousands of special operatives – ‘travelers’ – ae tasked with preventing the collapse of society. They all have their consciousnesses sent back in time and transferred into the ‘host’ body of present-day individuals who are about to die, which then minimises unexpected impact on the future.
‘Gorgeously made and menacing in tone from the get-go, it’s actually more speculative than sci-fi, a portrait of our time, seen through the eyes of people in the future,’ the Globe and Mail wrote of the first season.
Counterpart (Amazon Prime Video)
RT score: 100%
J. K. Simmons starred in this sci-fi thriller as Howard Silk, a low-level agent whose career is winding down at a United Nations spy agency, who discovers his organisation is harbouring a secret gateway to a parallel dimension.
He then ‘becomes immersed in a mysterious world of espionage, intrigue, and government conspiracies’.
The series ran for two seasons in 2017 and 2019.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Disney Plus)
RT score: 100%
This animated Star Wars spin-off series consists of six shorts that explore different characters from the Star Wars franchise.
The first, Tales of the Jedi, explores Jedi from the prequel trilogy era, while the second, Tales of the Empire, explores characters related to the Galactic Empire.
First hitting screens in 2022, it received critical acclaim, while fans called it a ‘very welcome instalment to the Star Wars universe’.
Torchwood (BBC iPlayer)
RT score: 98%
In 2006 Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood hit screens.
Created by Russell T Davies, it aired from 2006 until wrapping up in 2011.
It followed a small team of alien-hunters who make up the Cardiff-based, fictional Torchwood Institute, which deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials, lead by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an immortal con-man from the distant future who originally appeared in Doctor Who in 2005.
Thunderbirds (ITVX)
RT score: 100%
Airing in 1965, Thunderbirds involved the use of electronic marionette puppets to tell the story of exploits of International Rescue, a life-saving organisation with a secret base on an island in the Pacific Ocean.
Set in the 2060s, main characters was the leader of International Rescue, ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, and his five adult sons, who pilot the Thunderbirds.
It was met with acclaim by critics and audiences and is widely considered one of the best sci-fi shows of all time and has been followed by several spin-off series’ and movies.
The Lazarus Project (Now)
RT score: 100%
Paapa Essiedu starred in The Lazarus Project, which ran from two seasons in 2022 and 2023.
He played George, who kept awaking on the same date every six months. After being approached by a mysterious woman who invites him to the secret office of the Lazarus Project, he learns that he is one of only 0.000001% of the population with a mutant gene and starts working to help by preventing apocalyptic threats.
‘It’s basically a groundhog day sci-fi action drama with the unexpected comedic moment that will make you laugh in amongst the drama. I can’t say too much without ruining the story, but it’s really well done with a lot of unexpected twists and turns,’ one fan posted on X.
A version of this article was first published on March 20, 2025.
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