If you like your sci-fi shows a little heavier on the "drama" side of the ledger, Paramount+ is one of the most rewarding streamers to check for those types of series. The catalog is already stacked with recognizable movies, but if you're looking to get your human emotion (but in space) serialized, this platform is the place to be.
Whether you're in the mood for a slow-burn meditation on what makes a person human, an excellent adaptation of one of the most popular shooting games of all time, or the quintessential space exploration series that everyone knows and loves, you're going to want to park it on Paramount+. And wouldn't you know, we've done the work for you so all you have to do is tune in and get lost in a great story.
The best sci-fi dramas are the ones that stick with you long after the credits roll, and we think these picks do just that. Keep reading for three of the best sci-fi dramas on Paramount+ you should absolutely add to your watchlist.
'Battlestar Galactica'
Ronald D. Moore's radical reimagining of the goofy 1970s space opera made for a smart, emotionally punishing tale that's well worth watching. The 12 human colonies have been nearly wiped out by their own creation, a race of robots called Cylons who wear indistinguishable human faces, leaving a fleet of survivors under the command of grizzled Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) to find the lost planet of Earth. Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, Tricia Helfer and James Callis anchor an ensemble cast of robots and everyone caught in between. Close to twenty years on, it's still one of the best achievements in sci-fi TV beyond the 2000s.
Stream now on Paramount+
'Halo'
Paramount+'s live-action adaptation of the popular Xbox franchise finally does what a lot of fans thought was impossible: making a good "Halo" series. Pablo Schreiber stars as Master Chief John-117, the mythic super-soldier at the center of humanity's war with the alien Covenant, forced for the first time to confront the actual person underneath the armor. Whether or not it perfectly matches the games, it works as a legitimately absorbing sci-fi drama on its own terms. And yes, Cortana is there, too.
Stream now on Paramount+
'Star Trek: The Next Generation'
The show that redefined "Star Trek" for a whole new generation and rewired the DNA of prestige sci-fi TV along the way. Patrick Stewart is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the diplomatic commander of the starship Enterprise-D, whose voyages keep bringing him and his crew face-to-face with existential threats, moral dilemmas, and the occasional godlike being with a bone to pick. Add in one of the best crews of the entire "Star Trek" series, and you've got some of the most philosophically ambitious hours in the franchise. Seven seasons, four films and one great big legacy -- nothing comes close to this one.
Stream now on Paramount+
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