For the strongest overall picks, start with Pluribus, Severance or Silo; for a more specific mood, try For All Mankind for alternate history, Dark Matter for parallel worlds, or Murderbot for sci-fi comedy. The ranking below runs from the lowest to highest Metacritic score reported by The National in July 2026. It is a dated critical snapshot—not a universal verdict—and the order may not match your taste.
How this worst-to-best ranking works
The National published its ranking of 22 Apple TV sci-fi series on July 1, 2026, and updated it July 3, describing the order as based on Metacritic scores. The list below reverses that order and retains the scores as reported in that article; they are snapshots, not live or timeless ratings. A score cannot account for whether you prefer a tightly contained mystery, a sprawling space opera or a comic take on artificial intelligence.
Apple’s US sci-fi collection is a useful official way to browse, but its genre boundaries and visible selection need not match a third-party ranking. Availability and catalog presentation can also vary by country. This guide uses “sci-fi” broadly for the speculative series in the dated ranking.
Apple TV sci-fi shows ranked from lowest to highest score
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See — 40
In a post-pandemic society where people have lost sight, the birth of children who can see threatens the established order. Jason Momoa anchors a large-scale survival story; choose it for an expansive world and a premise built around what happens when sight returns. The score is the Metacritic figure reported by The National in July 2026.
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Amazing Stories — 51
This five-episode anthology revival offers self-contained stories involving extraordinary events, including time travel and fantasy. Its short, standalone format suits viewers who would rather sample separate premises than commit to a long serialized plot. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Invasion — 53
An alien attack unfolds through people in different parts of the world who do not initially understand how their personal crises connect. It puts family and survivor perspectives ahead of nonstop invasion action, making it a better fit for viewers open to a character-led approach. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Extrapolations — 56
This near-future anthology follows characters at different points in time as they live with the consequences of climate change. Its linked futures and environmental subject make it a distinct choice from a conventional single-protagonist sci-fi drama. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Hello Tomorrow! — 60
In an imagined mid-century America, salesmen pitch lunar timeshares. The retro-futurist setting supports a satire about selling people a promised future, so it is a natural pick for viewers drawn to design, period styling and speculative comedy. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Constellation — 63
After surviving a disaster on the International Space Station, an astronaut returns to a life that seems altered. Space survival gives way to psychological horror and a quantum mystery; its combination is likely to appeal most to patient viewers who enjoy uncertainty. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Dark Matter — 64
Adapted from Blake Crouch’s novel, this series begins when a physicist wakes in an alternate version of his life. The parallel-world premise is anchored in domestic relationships and regret, making it an accessible option for viewers who want a multiverse thriller with personal stakes. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
Rank #2
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Calls — 65
Science fiction told largely through phone conversations, paired with abstract visuals, gives this short-form series the feel of an audio drama with a visual component. Try it if you want an unusual format rather than a conventional, scene-by-scene television story. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — 67
This multigenerational MonsterVerse story connects family secrets with life alongside Godzilla and the Titans. Its draw is the blend of human drama and monster spectacle, rather than a speculative premise kept at intimate scale. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Strange Planet — 68
Adapted from Nathan W. Pyle’s webcomic, this animated comedy reframes everyday experiences through alien language and perspective. It is the list’s lighter choice if you want a comic break from dystopian mysteries and high-stakes thrillers. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Foundation — 68
Based on Isaac Asimov’s novels, Foundation follows efforts to preserve knowledge as a galactic empire declines. Expect dynasties, large-scale world-building and big ideas; choose it for scope rather than a quick, compact plot. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Sunny — 69
Rashida Jones plays a woman in Japan who receives a domestic robot after her family disappears in a plane crash. Grief, mystery, dark comedy and AI companionship meet in a story suited to viewers who want an emotionally grounded robot narrative. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Sugar — 69
Colin Farrell stars as a Los Angeles private investigator in a noir mystery whose larger secret brings science fiction into the story. It is an appealing entry point for viewers who would rather start with detective fiction and encounter the speculative elements along the way. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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The Big Door Prize — 71
A mysterious machine in a small-town grocery store claims to reveal people’s potential. The speculative hook serves a character-focused comedy-drama about life choices, not a science-heavy puzzle. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Murderbot — 71
Adapted from Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries, the series follows an android security unit that has hacked its controls and would prefer watching entertainment to managing people. Its self-protective, anti-social lead makes it a comic alternative to solemn stories about artificial intelligence. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Dr Brain — 71
This Korean-language series combines science fiction, crime, horror and psychological thriller elements. A neuroscientist accesses the memories of the dead, and that unsettling premise is the main reason to try it. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey — 75
Adapted from Walter Mosley’s novel, this intimate drama follows an older man with dementia who receives an experimental treatment that temporarily restores memories. It is the list’s most restrained speculative premise: the emphasis is on memory and personal experience, not futuristic spectacle. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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For All Mankind — 76
This alternate history asks what might have happened if the Soviet Union had reached the Moon first, then follows a space race continuing across decades. It suits viewers who like historical divergence, space exploration and the lasting consequences of decisions made over time. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Silo — 78
Based on Hugh Howey’s novels, Silo follows survivors living underground because they believe the outside world is uninhabitable. Engineer Juliette’s search for answers drives a mix of dystopian mystery, murder investigation and detailed world-building. The books are an optional next step for readers curious about the source material.
Rank #4
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Apple announced that season three premiered July 3, 2026, with ten episodes released weekly through September 4. Apple’s show page lists season four for July 9, 2027, and describes it as the final season. Those are the dates stated in Apple’s June 16, 2026 announcement and show-page listing. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Star City — 80
The National describes this For All Mankind spinoff as shifting the space-race perspective to the Soviet side, following cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers. The article’s July 2026 ranking places it here, but that alone does not establish that episodes were available to watch at that time. Check Apple’s current listing for release status and regional availability before choosing it.
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Severance — 85
Employees undergo a procedure that separates their work memories from their personal-life memories. The workplace identity and corporate-control premise, precise visual style and mystery structure make it a strong choice for viewers who enjoy puzzle-box storytelling. Score: Metacritic, as reported by The National in July 2026.
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Pluribus — 87
Vince Gilligan’s series follows Rhea Seehorn as a romance novelist isolated after humanity enters an unnatural state of happiness. Its unusual apocalypse premise turns a hive-mind mystery into a story about individuality and connection. It tops this score-based order, but that does not make it an automatic match for every sci-fi viewer.
Apple’s US sci-fi collection is available at Apple TV’s sci-fi movies and shows page. For the season dates, see Apple TV Press’s Silo announcement.
Which Apple TV sci-fi show should you watch next?
- For a workplace mystery about identity: Start with Severance.
- For a dystopian puzzle and hidden-world secrets: Choose Silo.
- For alternate history and a long-running space race: Try For All Mankind.
- For parallel worlds and personal stakes: Pick Dark Matter.
- For galactic scale and dynastic conflict: Go with Foundation.
- For alien invasion through everyday lives: Try Invasion.
- For speculative comedy: Choose Murderbot, Strange Planet or The Big Door Prize, depending on whether you want an android lead, animation or small-town character comedy.
- For a different format: Pick Amazing Stories for standalone anthology episodes or Calls for phone-conversation storytelling.
What the scores can—and cannot—tell you
The numbers here come from one Metacritic-based ranking published in July 2026. They are useful for seeing how that source ordered the shows at that time, but they should not be treated as objective quality measurements or compared as if every viewer values the same things. Rotten Tomatoes uses a separate critic-and-audience percentage system; its September 2026 browse page is a different snapshot, not a conversion of these Metacritic figures. A show’s premise, format and pacing are often more useful for choosing what to watch than a small difference in score.
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