Get lost in another world with these sci-fi binges on Peacock
Get lost in another world with these sci-fi binges on Peacock
We’re talking AI conspiracies, alien invasions, time travel, and even a spaceship that’s literally alive.
There’s something special about getting lost in a great sci-fi show. From space exploration to AI, to aliens, to time travel, sci-fi gives you some of the best “what if?” premises on TV. And that’s what this list hopes to deliver: a bunch of engaging, highly bingeable sci-fi shows on Peacock. All of these shows have at least four seasons, so if you really get into them, you don’t have to worry about having to leave anytime soon. And they’re all complete series with solid endings. Here are my picks for the best binge-worthy sci-fi TV shows streaming on Peacock right now.
Best binge-worthy sci-fi shows streaming on Peacock
Best AI conspiracy binge: ‘Person of Interest’
If you love the premise of the epic Steven Spielberg movie, “Minority Report,” then this one is a must-binge on Peacock. It’s called “Person of Interest” and the show follows John Reese (Jim Caviezel) — a CIA operative who’s presumed dead and then recruited by a billionaire named Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) to help stop violent crimes before they happen. The catch? Finch’s AI surveillance system (called the “Machine”) predicts violent crimes before they happen, but only gives Finch the Social Security number of someone involved. It doesn’t tell him whether they’re the attacker or the victim. So, it’s up to Reese and Finch to figure it out.
What’s fun about bingeing this one is slowly peeling back the onion. The standalone crimes start to connect to government conspiracies, criminal organizations, and eventually a massive AI conflict. And the questions around the Machine keep coming: who really controls it? Is it foolproof? And what happens when it starts thinking for itself? Throw in some great action sequences, covert operations, and cutting-edge tech, along with five complete seasons and a storyline that wraps up properly, and you’ve got a great sci-fi binge waiting for you.
Person of Interest
John Reese, former CIA paramilitary operative, is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special training that Reese has had in Covert Operations and Finch’s genius software inventing mind, the two are a perfect match for the job that they have to complete. With the help of surveillance equipment, they work “outside the law” and get the right criminal behind bars.
Best space adventure binge: ‘Farscape’
I love wormhole stories (“Interstellar” anyone?). And in “Farscape,” a wormhole sends John Crichton (Ben Browder) way out into the universe where he finds himself on Moya, a living spaceship. Yes, the spaceship is alive — technically part of an alien species called Leviathans. And on board are a bunch of escaped prisoners and fugitives running from a military org called the Peacekeepers.
There’s a lot of mythology (it’s kind of like trying to explain “Star Trek”), but basically, the crew is really the hangout/binge factor here. At first, no one trusts one another, and there’s constant infighting. Then eventually, they form this weird, dysfunctional family. The relationship between Crichton and former Peacekeeper soldier Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) becomes the central romantic storyline that is really powerful at times. The world-building is also great, with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop creating elaborate alien puppets and practical creature effects. Now, the final season (four) ends on a cliffhanger, but they made a miniseries called “The Peacekeeper Wars,” to give it a proper ending, so make sure to watch it!
Farscape
A freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults Astronaut John Crichton across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield.
Best sci-fi comedy binge: ‘Resident Alien’
I’ve loved Alan Tudyk since “A Knight’s Tale” — a film that started my love affair with movies. Well, the man’s got range because he’s brilliant in “Resident Alien” too. He plays Harry Vanderspeigle, who’s actually an alien who crash-lands on Earth, kills the real Harry in self-defense, and takes on Harry’s appearance and life. Now he’s a doctor in the mountain town of Patience, Colorado. His mission? Destroy humanity — except he loses the device he needs to accomplish said task, and has to find another way to finish the job.
A few things make this a great binge. First, Alan Tudyk is brilliant because Harry doesn’t understand basic human behavior — emotions, social etiquette; it’s all a mystery to him. His stiff physical comedy is really awesome, too. And then there’s the mayor’s son, Max (Judah Prehn), who’s the only one who can see Harry’s real alien appearance, which starts a strange rivalry between them. But really, the heart of this show is Harry and nurse Asta (Sara Tomko), who becomes his closest human friend. Seeing her kindness and compassion makes him wonder if humanity is really worth destroying. And maybe he’s becoming a little human himself? Four funny seasons and a real wrap give you a great sci-fi comedy binge.
Resident Alien
Crash-landed alien Harry takes on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor. Arriving with a secret mission, he starts off living a simple life…but things get a bit rocky when he’s roped into solving a local murder and realizes he needs to assimilate into his new world. As he does, he begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his mission and asking the big life questions like: “Are human beings worth saving?” and “Why do they fold their pizza before eating it?”
Best time-travel binge: ‘Continuum’
In “Continuum,” the world of 2077 is run by corporations (not so far-fetched?) instead of governments, and they control pretty much everything. Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) works as a police officer when a group of terrorists called Liber8 escapes their execution by time traveling to 2012 Vancouver… except they accidentally bring Kiera with them. From there, she teams up with a present-day detective, Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) to round up Liber8… all while trying to keep her future tech a secret.
The fun here is the time-travel element, where actions taken in 2012 create alternate timelines and different versions of important characters later on. There’s a ton of moral ambiguity here too, especially as Kiera starts to question her corporate-controlled future and the resistance of Liber8, even as she continues to hunt them. And that takes detective work, where Kiera gets to use all this futuristic surveillance technology, augmented abilities, and good old-fashioned detective skills against enemies who know the future as well as she does. There are four seasons, 42 episodes, and a solid ending that wraps up the main story.
Continuum
The series centers on the conflict between a group of rebels from the year 2077 who time-travel to Vancouver, BC, in 2012, and a police officer who accidentally accompanies them. In spite of being many years early, the rebel group decides to continue its violent campaign to stop corporations of the future from replacing governments, while the police officer endeavours to stop them without revealing to anyone that she and the rebels are from the future.
More binge-worthy sci-fi TV shows on Peacock
‘Orphan Black’
Orphan Black
A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
‘Snowpiercer’
Snowpiercer
More than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe as class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
‘Misfits’
Misfits
When five young outsiders on Community Service get caught in a strange storm, they discover that they have developed superpowers.
‘Sliders’
Sliders
In his basement in San Francisco, boy-genius Quinn Mallory unlocks the doorway to an infinite number of Earths. During a test run, Quinn invites co-worker Wade Welles and his teacher Professor Maximillian Arturo to see his new invention. But an increase in power and an early departure leave all three, plus a washed-up soul singer named Rembrandt “Crying Man” Brown, lost in a parallel world. Now they must “slide” from world to world, not only adapting to their changing surroundings, but also trying to get back to their world. Will they ever make it home?