Comedies are delightful, and dramas are cathartic, but sometimes you want something with that little extra kick. Maybe it's time travel — or maybe it's space aliens, monsters, or a masked man with a knife — but when you want a story that's going to tap into the far reaches of creativity and get weird with it, you can't do better than a great sci-fi series.
With that in mind, we're running down the best sci-fi TV shows on Hulu right now, from animated gems to '90s classics, along with recent gems. No matter what you're in the mood for, Hulu has a solid lineup of genre series to binge-watch.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best movies and shows on Hulu across all genres.
Editor's note: This article was updated March 2025 to include Paradise.
‘Paradise’ (2025 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Paradise
TV-MA
DramaCrime
Thriller28 9.7/10
- Release Date
- January 26, 2025
- Network
- Hulu
- Directors
- Gandja Monteiro
- Writers
- Jason Wilborn
Cast
-
Sterling K. Brown
Xavier Collins
-
Julianne Nicholson
Samantha 'Sinatra' Redmond
- Creator(s)
- Dan Fogelman
One of the most popular new shows on Hulu, Paradise stars the ever-brilliant Sterling K. Brown as Secret Service agent Xavier Collins, a man investigating the murder of the former President of the United States. However, it seems deceit and secrets lie around every corner, with Xavier unsure who to trust. A powerful, action-packed thrill ride from start to finish, it’s simply no wonder Paradise has caught mainstream attention to this level. Brown is perfect as Collins, with now the best time to jump on the Paradise bandwagon. - Jake Hodges
'Rick and Morty' (2013 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 9.1/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Rick and Morty
TV-MA
Animation AdventureComedy
9/10
- Release Date
- December 2, 2013
- Network
- Cartoon Network
- Showrunner
- Dan Harmon
Cast
-
Spencer Grammer
-
Kari Wahlgren
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
- Creator(s)
- Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon
Rick and Morty is not only one of the most delightfully twisted animated shows on television, it’s actually also one of the most consistently brilliant pieces of sci-fi storytelling in recent memory. Loosely based on the Back to the Future relationship of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, the series revolves around a meek young boy named Morty and his genius, sci-fi-gadget-equipped grandfather Rick. The two go on sci-fi adventures week-in and week-out, with the show consistently delivering wildly compelling science-fiction stories set on different planets or even sometimes different dimensions. While hilarious, the show also has a finger on its self-aware pulse, allowing the characters to behave badly, but not allowing them to go on like it doesn’t affect them and the loved ones around them. The result is this insane—and insanely entertaining—cocktail of humor, heart, philosophy, and sci-fi. – Adam Chitwood Watch on Hulu
'Smallville' (2001 - 2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% | IMDb: 7.5/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Smallville
TV-PG
Romance Adventure Drama10/10
- Release Date
- 2001 - 2010
Cast
-
Sam Jones III
-
Annette O'Toole
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Creator
- Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Smallville is the superhero coming-of-age teen drama that paved the way for the DC CW Arrowverse that would follow soon after this show’s decade-long run. The series tells the story of a young Clark Kent long before his life as the symbol of hope protecting the world and mainly takes place in his small Kansas town during his high school years. Taking on the role of the boy of steel is Tom Welling (The Fog), who does an amazing job portraying the struggle to keep his powers a secret while doing his best to manage the superpowered citizens that have been altered by the meteor shower of radioactive Kryptonian debris that followed him to earth. – Tauri Miller Watch on Hulu
'Extraordinary' (2023 - 2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Extraordinary
TV-MA
Comedy
Superhero6 10
- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023
- Writers
- Emma Moran
Cast
-
Máiréad Tyers
-
Sofia Oxenham
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Creator(s)
- Emma Moran
Extraordinary is a hilarious British science-fiction comedy created by newcomer Emma Moran. Set in an alternate present in the UK, Extraordinary follows a group of twenty-something friends struggling through life in a world where every person develops superpowers. Máiréad Tyers stars as Jen, a young woman who doesn’t have any abilities, alongside the incredibly talented Sofia Oxenham, who plays Carrie, Jen’s best friend and roommate, who has the power to act as a conduit for the dead. The first season of Extraordinary abruptly drops viewers into the playful reality of the series, cleverly allowing the audience to wade through the struggles of the characters. – Yael Tygiel Watch on Hulu
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997 - 2003)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.5/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Comedy
Drama HorrorSupernatural
8.7/10
- Release Date
- 1997 - 2003
- Network
- The WB
- Showrunner
- Joss Whedon
Cast
-
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Buffy Summers
-
Nicholas Brendon
Alexander Harris
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most famous and acclaimed fantasy shows of all time – and for good reason. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in the titular role, the series follows a young woman who is destined to fight evil, supernatural creatures. Though she is reluctant at first, instead wanting a normal life, she ultimately embraces her destiny with the help of her friends: the shy brainiac Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and comedic Xander (Nicholas Brendon). TV was never the same after Buffy aired. Its cultural impact can still be felt today, making it one of the most enjoyable and impactful series to ever hit the small screen. – Taylor Gates Watch on Hulu
'Silverpoint' (2022 - Present)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Silverpoint
Family
Mystery
Science Fiction Drama- Release Date
- March 6, 2022
- Network
- CBBC
- Directors
- Amy Coop
Cast
-
Liam McMahon
Daniel
-
Jordan Adene
Finn
-
Charlie Banks
Kai
-
Katy Byrne
Meg
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Creator(s)
- Lee Walters
Silverpoint is a British series set 23 years after four children disappear from the Silverpoint camp. Starring Claire Goose, Maiya Silveston, Katy Byrne, Krish Misra, Aoife Hughes, and Oliver Cunliffe, Silverpoint is a fascinating mystery wrapped in a cute coming-of-age story. Creator Lee Walters, who is best known for writing and producing children’s content, embraces the family-friendly tone of Silverpoint without patronizing or underestimating the intelligence of the audience. Silverpoint balances suspense and intrigue with clean playfulness that can be described as Disney versions of Netflix’s Stranger Things or Prime Video’s Paper Girls. – Yael Tygiel Watch on Hulu
'The Orville' (2017 - 2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 77% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
The Orville
Comedy
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2021
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Seth MacFarlane
Cast
-
Halston Sage
-
Adrianne Palicki
-
J. Lee
-
Seth MacFarlane
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
The man both behind The Orville and standing front and center of it, Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) has provided science-fiction lovers a quality alternative to the slew of Star Trek shows currently available. The Orville follows the diverse crew of an exploratory ship as they venture through space, meeting and engaging with previously uncharted lifeforms. Each adventure provides some signature MacFarlane comedy, and due to the move to Hulu, the latest seasons should build on MacFarlane’s crude humor. However, episodes often also veer into interesting themes and ethical questions. To balance the comedy, MacFarlane pulled together a hilarious team, including longtime collaborator Scott Grimes (American Dad) and Agents of SHIELD veteran Adrianne Palicki. – Yael Tygiel Watch on Hulu
'Devs' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Devs
TV-MA
Sci-Fi
DramaMystery
- Release Date
- 2020 - 2019
- Network
- FX
- Showrunner
- Alex Garland
Cast
-
Cailee Spaeny
-
Amaya Mizuno-André
-
Alison Pill
-
Stephen McKinley Henderson
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
If you loved what writer/director Alex Garland did with his original science fiction films Ex Machina and Annihilation, you’ll be pleased to know that his first original series continues that trajectory of bold, experimental storytelling. Devs centers on a murder mystery within the tech industry. After her boyfriend is killed on his first day working for the enigmatic tech billionaire Forest (Nick Offerman), the software engineer Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) decides to investigate his company Amaya. She learns that Forest has created technology that can look into both the past and future. Lily (and the viewer) are forced to question the nature of reality. — Liam Gaughan Watch on Hulu
'The Handmaid’s Tale' (2017 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
The Handmaid's Tale
TV-MA
Drama Science Fiction10/10
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2024
- Network
- Hulu
- Showrunner
- Bruce Miller
Cast
-
Elisabeth Moss
June Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph
-
Kristen Gutoskie
Beth
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
Based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian classic of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale follows protagonist June Osbourne, or Offred, and then subsequently Ofjoseph (Elisabeth Moss) as she survives life in near-future Gilead, a cult-like society that has overtaken the United States and enslaved its fertile women in the hopes of combatting rampant infertility. Tormented by her host of captors, Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski), and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) being the most prevalent, June must persevere in finding her daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake), and protecting her new baby, Holly/Nichole, whom she is forced to conceive during her imprisonment. Rapt with hellish imagery and dark extrapolations of where misogyny might lead, The Handmaid’s Tale spins today’s sexism into a grueling and brutal tomorrow. — Rebecca Landman Watch on Hulu
'Lost' (2004 - 2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 8.3/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Lost
TV-14
Adventure DramaMystery
Sci-Fi
Supernatural
9.2/10
- Release Date
- 2004 - 2009
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse
Cast
-
Evangeline Lilly
-
Naveen Andrews
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
Lost is a flawed show. It has plotlines that sometimes go nowhere. The series finale is half-great, half-infuriating. Some characters you don’t really care about, but they’ll get an entire episode about their backstory. And yet despite these flaws, Lost remains one of the greatest shows ever made. What started as a story about survivors of a plane crash landing on a mysterious island quickly revealed itself to be about so much more. While some viewers were looking for concrete answers about the Dharma Initiative or the Numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42), Lost is at its best as a show about the choices we make and the possibility of changing who we are. It’s a show with outstanding production values, but what makes it memorable is that we care about the characters and where they come from. Lost isn’t perfect, but it’s a show you’ll never be able to shake. – Matt Goldberg Watch on Hulu
'The X-Files' (1993 - 2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 8.6/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
The X-Files
- Release Date
- 1993 - 2017
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Chris Carter
- Directors
- Chris Carter
Cast
-
Gillian Anderson
-
David Duchovny
-
Robert Patrick
-
Annabeth Gish
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
The first four seasons of The X-Files includes some of the best science-fiction storytelling to grace television in the wake of the original run of The Twilight Zone. Human-flatworm hybrids, gender-bending Amish men, werewolves, vampires, and, of course, aliens pepper the stories of Agent Mulder and Agent Scully, played by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and often the stories were self-contained within the episode. Certain episodes boil down premises that films would extend for two hours regularly into a rousing, funny, and occasionally scary shot of outlandishly inventive pulp.
As the series went on, the overriding story arc of Mulder's sister, the titular volumes of bizarre cases, and a cigarette-smoking man began to smother out the creativity of the singular episodes, whereas the original seasons never allowed the season-arc to drown out the wild exuberance of the singular episodes. Now, to be fair, the bigger arcs ended up being more involving and refreshing than many series of the ilk would allow, but when I think back to this thrilling, genuinely kooky show, it's more the agents' interactions with the likes of Eugene Tooms, Clyde Bruckman, and Darin Peter Oswald that have kept the series' cult alive, and have paved the road to the imminent Fox revamp of Scully and Mulder's unique, prickly relationship. — Chris Cabin Watch on Hulu
'Futurama' (1999 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 8.5/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Futurama
TV-14
Animation AdventureComedy
- Release Date
- March 28, 1999
- Network
- Comedy Central
- Showrunner
- Matt Groening
Cast
-
Katey Sagal
-
Billy West
-
Lauren Tom
-
Maurice LaMarche
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
There’s no lack for animated programming these days, but in terms of rewatchability and satisfaction, it’s tough to beat just about any of the 140 episodes of Futurama. The show was a huge deal when it premiered in 1999, hailed as the new series from the creator of The Simpsons, and the story possibilities seemed to be endless for a show about a guy who gets frozen in 1999 and wakes up in the year 2999. Buoyed by a fantastic voice cast and whip smart writing, the series is constantly engaging and packed with spot-on humor that never leans too hard on any one element (sci-fi, pop-culture, etc.), instead succeeding on its own merits as simply a great show. – Adam Chitwood Watch on Hulu
'The Last Man on Earth' (2015 - 2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
The Last Man on Earth
Comedy
- Release Date
- 2015 - 2017
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Dan Sterling
- Directors
- Christopher Miller
- Writers
- Christopher Miller
Cast
-
Will Forte
-
Mel Rodriguez
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
Truly one of the most innovative sitcoms of the last few years, The Last Man on Earth got off to a rollicking start with a pilot in which Will Forte is the sole character. The MacGruber star plays the titular last man on Earth (or so he thinks) after a virus decimated the world’s population. Slowly but surely, a ragtag group of survivors assembles, but this is far from The Walking Dead. Instead, Last Man on Earth leans heavily into shenanigans and family-building while not ignoring the dark psychological effects such a situation would have on a human being. The earlier episodes remain the high point of the series as it became a bit too sitcom-y by the show’s end, but if you’re a fan of Forte’s brand of silly humor, The Last Man on Earth will be right up your alley. – Adam Chitwood Watch on Hulu
