With an addictive storyline, the series “The 100” has caught the eye of all the science fiction fans out there. For the people who haven’t watched it yet, here is a quick gist. The 100 is a post-apocalyptic science fiction series with six seasons and 84 episodes.
It premiered in 2014 and was developed by Jason Rothenberg based on the book by Kass Morgan. This show follows a group of criminal adolescents and their journey on Earth after surviving a nuclear apocalypse.
Here are some suggestions for you to binge-watch given the current situation. Some might be familiar while some are quite unusual but worth the watch!
The Walking Dead
This show is one of the best in its genre. If you are a fan of horror and apocalyptic series, The Walking Dead is the best recommendation for you. Being on-air for a decade, this show has transformed completely.
This show is built on the comic books of the same name, created by Robert Kirkman. It has ten seasons and the number of characters keeps dwindling with every new season. This is a story of how people survive a worldwide zombie apocalypse, also facing a conflict between extant human communities.
The storyline revolves around Ricki Grimes who is a deputy sheriff. It focuses on how the protagonist leads a group of survivors to sustain the situation and in search of a new home in the city of Atlanta.
It also highlights how the apocalypse brings out the worst in mankind over time due to constant exposure to death. This show is not for the faint-hearted as it is fast-paced and gory.
The screenplay keeps the viewers at the edge of their seats and urges them to watch the next episode to find out what happens next. You can stream this nerve-biting series online on sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+Hotstar.
Fear the Walking Dead
If you are done with The Walking Dead and cannot wait for the next season, Fear the Walking Dead will come to your rescue. This is a prequel to The Walking Dead and premiered on AMC in 2015.
There have been five seasons ever since and the sixth one is on its way! This series revolves around the beginning events that eventually lead to the zombie apocalypse on the West coast. The center of attention is the difficulty two families face to bond while dealing with the breakdown of civilization.
What makes this show interesting for the fans of The Walking Dead is that these events are happening at the same time Rick Grimes is in a coma at the hospital.
The members of the family have to evolve and develop the survival instinct and move on from their past to last during these tough times. With advancing seasons, this shows catches up to the present, the time when Ricky is fighting hard in Atlanta. Exciting switchovers between the shows also await! This show is available on apps like AMC, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Falling Skies
Yet another post-apocalyptic science fiction series is the Falling Skies, created by Robert Rodat. Premiering in 2011, this exciting show has five seasons with 52 episodes in total. This show revolves around the survival following an extraterrestrial invasion. The aliens plan on enslaving the humans to form an army for fighting against another alien race.
Though this is one of the purposes, the rest remains a mystery till the later episodes. As they try to take over earth, a group of survivors called the Second Mass fight back. The main characters are Dan Weaver and Tom Mason who are in charge of the group. The former is a retired United States Army Colonel while the latter is a Boston University history professor.
Over the course of time, the intentions behind the invader’s actions are gradually revealed. New alien races are introduced in due course to maintain the curiosity of the audience. Catch this show on Hulu now!
The Tomorrow People
This TV series is a remake of the original British show of the same name. The Tomorrow People are a group of individuals born with paranormal powers. This genetically advanced race has astonishing psionic abilities of telekinesis, teleportation, telepathic communication, and also temporal manipulation.
With such marvelous powers, do come to some trouble! A paramilitary group of scientists called the Ultra is a genetic cleaning group trying to hunt down the Tomorrow People to strip them of their powers. This group of villains fears the powers of the Tomorrow People to be an existential threat from a rival species.
This forces the protagonists to remain concealed at the subterranean base of operations beneath the streets of Manhattan. Unfortunately, this series has only one season for now with 22 episodes. Premiered in 2013, this show has got mixed reviews from the critics. The general theme of fighting for survival is what makes it similar to the 100.
Another common factor is that both the shows were made for the CW channel. If this interests you, you can catch the show on sites similar to CW Seed, Amazon Prime, etc.
Lost
Lost is an American TV show launched in 2004 and has run for six seasons with a total of 121 episodes. It was created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof. This show centers around the story of a group of survivors from a plane crash. These characters land up in an uninhabited tropical island in the South Pacific Ocean.
Mysterious entities and other creature threaten their existence. Each episode features a primary scene from the current setting and connects it to the past life of each individual.
Fun fact, this show is one of the most expensive on television with the pilot episode costing a whopping $14 million! It is also ranked by critics as one of the best shows to exist in television history.
The proof for this would the awards it has garnered throughout its run. It can be compared with the 100 for the reason that is the main theme of the show being survival. You can purchase Lost from online stores like iTunes and Google Play or stream it on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Revolution
Again, to go with a slightly post-apocalyptic theme, Revolution is a sci-fi show set in the year 2027. This show premiered on NBC in 2012 and ran for two seasons with over 42 episodes in total.
It was created by Eric Kripke who has also worked on shows like Supernatural. Now you know what to expect!To explain this show in a single line, it is about survival and remodeling life in a world with permanent and complete blackout with no electricity. Several areas come under a military rule.
It has been fifteen years since the event but people still haven’t been able to find a solution. The scene where the power goes out is sensational with planes falling from the sky, cars dying and the effect on all other electrical equipment.
This show is about living a simpler life like back in the old times, after getting used to the innovations and technology. The pilot would easily attract anyone making them eager to find out what’s happening next. You can catch this show on NBC.com or on Netflix.
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is a military science fiction TV series which is a reinvention of the 1978 series Battlestar Galactica. This series ran for four seasons with over 76 episodes and garnered a wide range of critical acclaim.
What makes this show fascinating is that it is set in a distant star system. It features a battleship called Galactica which contains survivors of a deadly nuclear attack caused by Cylons. Under the leadership of Commander William Bill Adama and President Laura Roslin, the fleet of survivors go in search of a fabled thirteenth colony called Earth from Twelve Colonies of Kobol.
The Battlestar Galactica is an old but powerful warship. It deals with the apocalyptic fallout of the destruction of the colonies and their choices to save the human race from the machines.
The creator keeps the audience engrossed in the story by adding several twists and turns over the course of four seasons. The show also strives to stick to reality by using actual events from the history in its plot. You can catch this amazing show on Amazon Prime!
Travelers
This is a Canadian-American sci-fi series co-produced by Netflix and Showcase initially. Travelers were created by Brad Wright and has 3 seasons with over 34 episodes in total.
Once again, set in a post-apocalyptic era, operatives known as ‘travelers’ are given the mission of preventing the collapse of civilization. They have been sent back in time and their consciousness transferred into another host. The travelers’ ability to maintain the cover and lead their life as the host is challenging.
The people selected for this mission are those who were about to die anyway. There is also a center director who controls and monitors this mission trying to save the world from a catastrophic event.
The morals of a human being are given great consideration throughout the show. This show stands out significantly from other time travel shows for this very reason. They focus more on the intelligent storyline rather than the CGI effects. This show is available on Netflix as well as Amazon Prime.
Firefly
Firefly is again a space-related Western, American series which ran for a year from 2002 with 14 episodes.With just one season, this show has made this list because it was one of the best sci-fi shows to ever hit the screens. The main setting is futuristic, being set in the year 2517after the humans arrive at a new star system.
The characters in this ensemble are so diverse that the creator Whedon says each one look at the blackness of space and see nine different things. The only two surviving superpowers, the United States and China fuse together to form a government called Alliance.The characters in the show are really well designed to captivate the viewers.
This show has also won a Primetime Emmy Award within the short span it was aired. It has also made it to No.5 on the TV Guide’s ranking for the list of 60 shows that were canceled too soon. But don’t worry! You can still watch this show on Hulu and Amazon Prime. One can also purchase it from the iTunes store.
The Expanse
The Expanse is a science fiction show that takes place hundreds of years into the future. It is based on the novels written by James S A Corey. This series was developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby for the TV.
It premiered in 2015 and ran for 4 seasons with 46 episodes in all. At this time, humans have taken over the solar system. The entire plot revolves around a conspiracy that leads to a war between Earth and Mars.
The protagonist here is Chrisjen Avasarala, a member of the United Nations Security Council. Other important characters are Josephys Miller, a police detective, and James Holden, a ship’s officer.
When James Holden’s ship is destroyed by what seems to be a Martian warship. This increases the tension between the two planets. This just seems to be one part of a conspiracy later on. This show has been highly praised by critics for the visuals and character development. The Expanse is available on Amazon Prime for streaming.
The Leftovers
The Leftovers is known to be similar to the 100 but targeted towards a more mature audience. It falls in the supernatural mystery drama genre and was created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta.
This show is also based on a series of novels with the same name. It was aired on HBO from 2014 to 2017. The highlight of this series is a global event called “Sudden Departure” where 2% of the world’s population disappeared mysteriously. Three years after this terrible incident, a lot of things have changed in the world.
A number of cults have emerged, mainly the Guilty Remnant led by Holy Wayne. The first season is set in the town of Mapleton, second in Jarden, and the third and final season moves between Jarden and Victoria.
There are 28 episodes in total divided over three seasons. This series is often compared with the Lost. They do share the same creator! In case such an event occurs in real life, this is the show you should go to for advice on what could possibly happen. You can watch this show on sites like Hulu or HBO.
Manifest
Manifest is a supernatural drama series that focuses on the survivors who have gone missing for five years of struggling to re-integrate into a society that has changed significantly during their absence. The survivors are the passengers and crew from Montego Air Flight 828 scheduled from Jamaica to New York who gets caught in severe turbulence for over five and a half years.
They start experiencing guiding voices and visions of events that are yet to occur. They also realize that their family and friends have changed while they were gone as they assumed these people to be dead. The survivors now need to learn to adapt to this new situation. This series has aired two seasons with 29 episodes in all.
It was created by Jeff Rake starring Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R.Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, and Matt Long. With a highly intriguing premise, this show might interest you if you are a science fiction/ supernatural fan. Manifest is available on both Netflix as well as Amazon Prime. It can also be watched on NBC and Hulu.
The Last Ship
The Last Ship is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by William Brinkley. This show premiered on TNT in 2014 and concluded after five seasons in 2018. The main genre of the series is post-apocalyptic, action drama.A global virus pandemic wipes out over 80% of the world’s population. Rings a bell? This show is perfect for the current situation.
The only people who survive is this crew of a naval destroyer consisting of 218 people. Rachel Scott is a scientist who is a part of this destroyer called Nathan James. While they are in a research mission in the Arctic, a deadly disease takes down the majority of the population including the President and Vice-President of the United States.
It is in Rachel’s hands to find a vaccine for this disease to prevent the extinction of the human race. They face multiple hindrances in this journey which are elaborated over time in this series. They sail to various parts of the world to find the needed supplies to find the cure. Catch this show on Hulu and Netflix.
Supernatural
Supernatural is a dark fantasy Tv series created by Eric Kripke, the same writer, director, and producer who created Revolution. It follows the story of the two brothers-Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural creatures when they go in search of their father.
It has fifteen seasons with a whooping 320 episodes in total! It is the longest-running American live-action fantasy TV series. It premiered in 2005 and ran till 2019. So, there must be a reason for it right! During this journey, Sam starts to develop paranormal abilities like death visions and visions of people dying before it happens.
These are somehow linked to the demon who killed their mother when they were young. Later they discover that the hunt doesn’t just involve slashing and killing monsters but also deals with many powerful creatures like angels, reapers and even death. With 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.4/10 on IMDb, there is no more convincing needed to watch this show! You can catch it on Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Under the Dome
This show is based on the book “Under the Dome” by Stephen King. I know that just pulled up your expectations! Its premiere in 2013 broke the record as the most-watched summer drama premiere on any network since 1992. It ran for three seasons with a total of 39 episodes.This story is about people who are trapped inside an enormous dome remote from the rest of the world.
This town is called Chester’s Mill and people here are forced to survive on their own with the finite resources available inside this indestructible dome. The powers outside like the Government and Military try to break it down but aren’t very successful with that. Mystery surrounds the reason why the dome fell upon this town, where it came from, and when or if it will be gone.
You have to make it to season 3 to get these answers. The cast, settings and special effects are notable by critics. This show is available on the sites Amazon Prime, CBS, Disney+ and Apple TV+.
Terra Nova
Terra Nova is quite different from the rest of the shows in this article, is set in a prehistoric Earth but the ultimate goal being survival. Created by Kelly Marcel and Craig Silverstein, this show is certainly interesting as it begins with a setting in 2149. It shows the condition of our planet in the future affected by environmental evil.
A mission called “Terra Nova” is created to reestablish colonization in prehistoric times. The main protagonists are a family, with the rest of the colony adapting to the new conditions. There is also another group of individuals eyeing on making a profit of the natural resources.
Though the storyline can be a little overwhelming, once you get an understanding of the subject, you will get consumed in it. The main disappointment is that this show was canceled too early with just one season. But it is worth a go to provide you with an unconventional approach towards a post-apocalyptic universe.
Shadowhunters
Shadowhunters is a supernatural TV show based on the book series The Mortal Instruments. This show was developed by Ed Decter and has three seasons with over 55 episodes in total. It follows the story of a teenage girl, Clary Fray who discovers her unusual lineage on her eighteenth birthday.
She comes from a line of Shadowhunters who are a hybrid between humans and angels and hunt down demons. It calls attention to the struggles of a young girl to calibrate herself to face the demanding situation she has been put in. This refers to the abduction of her mother, Jocelyn by the Circle.
She is then forced to join a group of Shadowhunters to rescue her mother. During this journey, Clary’s unknown powers are brought to light. In addition to this, she also unravels secrets about her past and the future. This main character, Clary is played by Katherine McNamara whom you might have come across in the famous series, Arrow.
According to the critics and reviews, the season does no justice to how the show turns out later on. However, people who have read the books be alarmed as the show quite deviates from the original plot!
If you are a huge fan of the 100, you know that the seventh and concluding season consisting of 16 episodes will premiere soon on The CW. But it will not go on forever. While you wait for your favorite show to return, consider catching up on the above shows to fill the void. We guarantee that they would entertain you as much the 100, or luckily even more. You might end up finding a new favorite!