The Best Sci-Fi TV Shows on Prime Video – CNET [CNET]

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Not just another show about a small town where strange things happen, Tales from the Loop has layers beneath its beautiful surface. Based on a narrative art book by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the series is stunning to look at. Meticulous, symmetrical frames somehow give off a painterly feel. The interconnected townspeople are similarly nuanced, their stories exploring loneliness, aging and the impact of technology.

BBC America

In more ways than one, Orphan Black is the Tatiana Maslany show. Before she becomes a household name thanks to Disney Plus’ upcoming She-Hulk, see her play no fewer than 14 characters in one series, including a hallucinated scorpion. Just let that sink in for a second. Orphan Black sews smart sci-fi concepts into a fast-paced thriller, galloping along with added mystery and comedy in its stride. A must-watch sci-fi series exploring the nature vs. nurture debate.

Amazon Studios

Amazon rescued The Expanse from the realm of canceled TV, bringing the series up to six seasons. Thank goodness it did, because The Expanse is smart sci-fi with realistic characters, high production values and a dash of detective noir. In a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System, a conspiracy threatens to start a cold war between the largest powers. A band of antiheroes find themselves at the center. Look forward to more space western themes in the consistently excellent later seasons.

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The Black Mirror comparisons are inevitable with this British series about technology gone wrong. Set in a futuristic London, The Feed centers on an implant that lets people livestream their lives without needing to press a button on a phone. No, absolutely nothing goes wrong. An impressive cast includes David Thewlis and Michelle Fairley. While it’s not as polished or deep-cutting as Black Mirror, The Feed is still worth a look.

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Humans might not be entirely original, but the assembled parts sing. A British family purchases an artificially intelligent robot called a “synth” to help out with their busy lives. This grounded approach to sentient, possibly dangerous robots is one of Humans’ greatest strengths. At the sweet center: an innocent bond between the family’s youngest daughter and Gemma Chan’s elegant and efficient synth Anita. A mystery draws the family into the origins of the robots, who explore requisite philosophical themes such as humanity, pain, memories and reality.

Elizabeth Sisson

Electric Dreams lives up to its name, each episode of the anthology series a vibrant, polished product whirring on the ideas of its source material: The works of Philip K. Dick. As with most anthologies, some episodes are better than others, but if you’re craving storytelling with Black Mirror-like setups, let this reverie slip over you.

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Counterpart stars J.K. Simmons playing off J.K. Simmons. Get excited about that for a second. Set in Germany during a cold war, the sci-fi thriller follows a lowly office grunt dejected by his grim life. Then one day, he rocks up at work and meets himself, but a better version from a parallel world. Secrets, tense action and a masterful dual-lead performance from Simmons make Counterpart a must-watch.

Amazon Studios

The Man in the High Castle imagines an alternate history where the Axis powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo) win World War II. Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, the series follows characters in the ’60s who live in a parallel universe, where Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan control the US. But there’s impossible newsreel footage surfacing of a world where Germany and Japan lose the war, causing some to rebel. To really hammer home its dystopia credentials, The Man in the High Castle is steered by producer Ridley Scott. Fully realized and with a focused plot, this is gripping TV.