With several of the most beloved and iconic shows of all time under its belt, science fiction is far and away one of the most prolific and successful genres the small screen has ever seen. Sci-fi series, more on the episodic side, can be absolutely exceptional, but serialized shows that tell one larger overarching story are on a whole other level. There is, however, one pitfall that all serialized sci-fi shows must try to avoid: filler episodes.
Filler content—storylines that don’t necessarily add anything essential to the plot or characters—is to be expected in any TV show, particularly genre series. But an entire episode being filler is another thing altogether. There are a few precious sci-fi masterpieces, however, that have been able to avoid having any filler episodes throughout their runs. From classic landmarks of the genre to modern cult favorites, these are some of the best sci-fi series ever made.
10
‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)
Based on Emily St. John Mandel‘s novel of the same name, HBO Max’s post-apocalyptic dystopian gem Station Eleven is one of the best TV shows that fans of Steven Spielberg could watch. Hugely acclaimed despite not necessarily sticking close to every element of the source material, it’s a slow-burn that proves more methodical pacing can still result in a fascinating show.
Full of incredible performances by the likes of Himesh Patel (who received an Emmy nomination for his performance) and Mackenzie Davies, this thematically sprawling study of the human condition and the meaning of life is what science fiction is all about. Full of mystery and character-driven drama, it’s a show where every episode contributes something essential to the ambitious narrative.
9
’12 Monkeys’ (2015–2018)
Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame, is also one of the most talented surrealist filmmakers working today. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi classic Twelve Monkeys is one of his more relatively straightforward works, and it’s also one of his best. As such, it’s no surprise that it resulted in an adaptation as exceptional as the Syfy cult classic 12 Monkeys, one of the most underrated sci-fi shows that nailed their final season.
The writing during the show’s uneven first season isn’t perfect, but after the tremendous jump in quality of the sophomore season, things only keep getting better. Even during its weaker moments, the show is so constantly focused on delivering unexpected twists and nail-biting thrills that it doesn’t even have the time—or the need—to pad its narrative with any filler episodes.
8
‘Utopia’ (2013–2014)
It takes something truly special to achieve a 100% approval rate from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and special the British cult classic Utopia is indeed. This universally acclaimed conspiracy thriller became highly controversial upon release due to its excessive violence, and partly due to that controversy, viewership struggled. Due to low ratings, the series was canceled after two seasons, and that untimely cancellation is largely what contributed to the resurgence that its cult reception gave it afterward.
One of the myriad reasons why Utopia was—and still is—so beloved is the fact that virtually every single storyline contributes something crucial to the story and to the various character arcs. There’s no filler here, only a stylish dystopian fantasy full of beautiful, tantalizing imagination. It’s an addictive, exquisitely funny masterpiece that has viewers biting their nails and laughing out loud in equal measure.
7
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
Star Wars television is almost as old as the franchise itself, but live-action Star Wars television is only as recent as 2019’s The Mandalorian. Throughout the history of the galaxy far, far away, no show has been truly without any filler episodes. Enter Andor. Tony Gilroy‘s venture into the age of the Empire is not only the best that Star Wars has been since the ’80s, but also far and away the best TV show the franchise has ever put out.
Part of that greatness comes from Andor having no filler episodes, and even barely any filler moments. Every scene and every arc contribute to Gilroy’s nuanced critique of authoritarianism and fascism, including several of the best sci-fi TV moments of 2025. For a series that covers so much ground thematically, narratively, and chronologically, it’s truly admirable that there’s not a single episode here that’s skippable.
6
‘Severance’ (2022–)
On the basis of one of the most creative premises of any 2020s TV show, Severance has become one of the most thrilling sci-fi shows of all time after only two seasons. Its writing is tight, its mysteries are too many to count, and its characters are some of the most fascinating of any ongoing genre series. It’s a “complete package” kind of show, as well as one of the best TV dramas of 2025.
With slow-burning moments and rapid-fire moments in equal measure, Severance keeps bombarding the audience with more and more questions in a way that admirably never becomes overwhelming. There are countless directions in which the story could head next, but the way things are now, every plot point seems to be crucial in understanding whatever is going on under the surface of this enthralling show.
5
‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ (1995–1996)
One of the most acclaimed and groundbreaking anime series of all time, Hideaki Anno‘s apocalyptic mecha drama Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most noteworthy sci-fi series of the ’90s. When it comes to anime shows, this one’s on the more heady side, so beginners should probably steer clear for now, but anime veterans aren’t really true veterans if they’ve never checked out Eva.
Praised as a genius deconstruction of the mecha genre, the show borrows religious imagery and psychoanalytical elements to deal with complex existentialist themes. With only 26 episodes to get through, it’s also not particularly long, so it’s less of a surprise that an auteur as talented as Anno was able to make every second of every episode have something special to say.
4
‘The Expanse’ (2015–2022)
Soon after being tragically canceled by Syfy after three seasons, Amazon picked The Expanse back up for another three. With that, this masterpiece of surprising scientific accuracy became one of the most beloved sci-fi shows of the 21st century. For a series with a whopping six seasons and over sixty episodes, it’s astonishing that The Expanse doesn’t have a single bad episode.
Neither does it have any significant filler. The pacing of some episodes, particularly during the first season, can be quite slow. However, it’s all always in favor of richly layered world-building and intricate plotting, meaning that there’s not a single moment in any episode that would make any true sci-fi fan want to skip ahead.
3
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
There are serialized crime shows that start getting simpler as their plots progress, and then there are others that get more twisted every season. Dark, Netflix’s first German-language show, belongs to the latter group. Time travel in sci-fi stories can be a slippery slope, but not only do Dark‘s time travel and parallel universe narratives make perfect sense: They flawlessly come together to create one of the most complex genre shows of the 21st century.
Indeed, Dark‘s plot and character dynamics are so labyrinthine that you practically need a notebook to keep track of everything and everyone, but the effort is entirely worth it. This is an absolutely riveting sci-fi drama, and while it’s certainly incredibly dense, it never actually feels overstuffed. There’s such a large number of characters and plot lines here that any lesser series might have turned into pointless filler, but in Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese‘s hands, it’s all part of a stunning larger whole.
2
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers‘ sci-fi elements are subtle, but it’s nevertheless hard to argue against the fact that this is a genre show. It’s one of the greatest ever made, too. One of HBO’s most binge-worthy series, this is the kind of drama that only keeps getting better every season. By the time its third and final season comes to an end, The Leftovers has delighted and surprised its audience so often and so well that it’s impossible to consider it anything less than a masterpiece.
As a true prestige HBO gem, The Leftovers has no time or need for filler. Its deep emotional and thematic exploration of grief, loss, and belief is supported by some of the best writing that television saw at any point during the 2010s, with some stunning character work and memorable dialogue. Tight and character-driven, all of its episodes are essential pieces of the puzzle.
1
‘The Prisoner’ (1967–1968)
The 20th century saw episodic sci-fi television in infinitely more abundance than serialized sci-fi television, but there were definitely exceptions, and the British spy-fi psychological drama The Prisoner is one truly glowing exception. Smart, surreal, and Kafkaesque, this highly allegorical cult classic is irrefutable proof that older sci-fi television has more than enough shows that are more than up to the level of today’s masterpieces.
The Prisoner spoke directly to the counterculture movements of the ’60s in a way that had a hard-hitting influence on pop culture. Having influenced series like The X-Files and Twin Peaks, this historic gem is a mind-bending banger where every element and plot line works in perfect conjunction with the others to deliver genuine sci-fi perfection. Sharp, bleak, and surprisingly avant-garde for a ’60s sci-fi show, it’s a genre landmark whose every episode is a tour de force.
The Prisoner
- Release Date
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1967 – 1968-00-00
- Network
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ITV1
- Directors
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Don Chaffey, Pat Jackson, Peter Graham Scott
- Writers
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George Markstein, Anthony Skene, Terence Feely, Vincent Tilsley, Ian Rakoff
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Arthur Gross
Control Room Operator
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Barbara Yu Ling
Taxi driver
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Bartlett Mullins
Committee Chairman
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