Top 10 Best Dystopian TV Shows

1. The 100

   

   The 100 is a post-apocalyptic science fiction drama based on a book by Kass Morgan. The show first aired on March 19, 2014. Set three generations after a nuclear apocalypse, it follows a space station called the Ark, which was formed by combining twelve individual stations. This station is now facing... read more

   One of the best shows on cable. I was truly awed when I finished season two. There's major action, bloodshed, and emotional intensity, and you can't help but fall in love with all the characters. The suspense and screenwriting are phenomenal, and the acting is top-notch.

   This show will keep you on the edge of your seat, making you experience and cry along with everything the characters go through.

   These criminals are kids sent to Earth to see if it's survivable because the Ark, a spaceship that houses the people who left Earth after a catastrophe, will not sustain them much longer. So much unbelievable stuff happens, and all the characters are truly unique. You'll love what they find on the ground.

2. 3%

   

   A Brazilian Netflix series featuring a group of 20-year-olds from the Inland who go through challenges and tests to have a better life at the Offshore. Only 3% of the candidates will make it and prove that they are worthy.

   Amazing show, can't wait for season 2! Very interesting plot. Those who loved movies such as The Hunger Games and Divergent will appreciate this show. It's also a Netflix series, so you know it'll be well-made.

   Easily the best show I've ever watched! It makes you hate some of the characters, but then love them.

3. The Man in the High Castle

   

4. Firefly

   

   Firefly is an American space Western drama television series which ran from 2002 to 2003, created by writer and director Joss Whedon under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. The show is set in the year 2517 and follows the crew of the spaceship Serenity. Despite its short run, it gained a strong cult... read more

   This show is unlike any I've ever watched, in the most positive way possible. It's about a gang of ragtag adults on a spaceship called Firefly, who take on underground and sometimes illegal deliveries and jobs. They constantly run into trouble, leading to lots of edge-of-your-seat action. There's romance, but it's not cliché or sappy - totally bearable for anyone.

   They also meet a brother and sister who are wanted by the Alliance, which mixes things up for the better. The last couple of episodes will leave your jaw on the floor.

   In the year 2517, former members of a rebel political group butt heads with the corrupt interplanetary government known as the Alliance.

5. The Handmaid's Tale

   

   Amazing, gripping, you really connect with the characters. A dystopian America in the future is developed to combat a dwindling population due to infertility.

   This show is amazing. It is so messed up and very scary because it could actually happen. I think everyone should watch it.

   Hands down, one of the best dystopian TV shows. The acting is amazing as well.

6. Tribes of Europa

   

   Capitalism did not allow this incredible series to move forward. Streaming companies are killing promising series.

7. The Twilight Zone

   

   The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling. It aired for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Each episode tells a self-contained story where characters encounter strange or unsettling events, often described as entering "the Twilight Zone."... read more

   Many episodes are set in futuristic and dystopian settings, serving as warnings to viewers about the dangers of certain aspects of modern society or culture.

8. Sisyphus: The Myth

   

9. Black Mirror

   

   Black Mirror is a British science fiction anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Brooker and Annabel Jones served as the showrunners throughout much of the series. The show explores modern society, particularly focusing on the unintended consequences of new technologies.... read more

   This show is amazing! Nothing like I've ever seen before. I recommend it to all of my friends and really anyone who wants to be challenged by a show.

   The first season is amazing, but I'm not sure how I feel about it after the second season. I recommend it strongly though!

   Each episode really makes you think. It's a must-watch if you haven't seen it! It will make you feel all kinds of things.

10. The Barrier

    
The Newcomers
11. ?

    Silo

    
12. ?

    Black Knight

    
The Contenders

13. Dollhouse

    Most of the series is set in the near future, where "dolls" are implanted with personalities and skills for the amusement and therapeutic purposes of the extremely wealthy. The two yearly finales, "Epitaph One" and "Epitaph Two," are set ten years into the future in a dystopian society where the technology has run rampant.

14. The Last of Us

    

15. Snowpiercer

    

16. Avatar: The Last Airbender

    

    Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from 2005 to 2008. It is set in an Asiatic-inspired world where some people can manipulate the classical elements using psychokinetic techniques based on Chinese martial arts, known as "bending."... read more

    I watched this in middle school around four years ago, and I still think about it to this day. I watched every episode in under two months because I got so attached to the characters and the plot. I couldn't help but fall in love with the entire animation.

    The show teaches more about love, forgiveness, acceptance, and patience than any parent could. Anyone of any age can watch this. There's a little romance, lots of action, and it's easy to follow but never predictable. It's truly amazing and cute. I can't help but wish it was all real.

    It is beyond words how high-quality the writing, animation, artwork, and plot of Avatar: The Last Airbender are. Along with its sequel series, The Legend of Korra, ATLA is possibly the greatest cartoon that has ever graced Nickelodeon.

    This Asian-influenced cartoon will keep you on the edge of your seat as you follow a young boy and his friends through a diverse world of unique characters and beautifully animated fight scenes.

17. Doctor Who

    

    Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme follows the adventures of a Time Lord called "the Doctor", an extraterrestrial being from the planet Gallifrey.

    The Doctor travels through time and space in a ship called the TARDIS, which... read more

    In some stories, the technical, social, or political forces that create a dystopia on a planet are central themes - sometimes even parodies of contemporary situations.

18. Jericho

    

    Jericho is an American post-apocalyptic action-drama television series that aired from 2006 to 2008. The show follows the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, as they deal with the aftermath of nuclear attacks on major U.S. cities. The series developed a cult following for its suspenseful... read more

    Good series about a small rural town trying to function normally while surviving after nuclear blasts hit most major U.S. cities. With communications and power down, it is up to the townspeople to find out what happened. In a crisis like this, people will either choose every man for himself or help each other by sharing resources. The show explores how each choice affects the people and the growth of the town.

    The acting is good, but the soundtrack is a bit like a Hallmark movie - mushy and somewhat annoying, but not terrible. It's reminiscent of when grandma would pinch your cheeks. You might recognize one of the main actors, as he currently plays Morgan on The Walking Dead. Like many others, this show was canceled before reaching a proper conclusion. There is a comic book continuation, but I'm not sure if it picks up from the last season or tells a separate story.

19. The Walking Dead

    

    The Walking Dead is an American horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont. It's based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Andrew Lincoln plays the show's lead character, sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to... read more

    The character development is unbelievably amazing. The relationships, the heart-pounding, adrenaline-rush scenes, hoping your favorite character makes it out of a jam, and the heartbreak when someone you loved dies - all of it makes for an emotional rollercoaster.

    You think, "No way, they're not dead," and then the following week, the new episode proves they really are gone. You feel so mad, but that anger is proof that the show has some of the best character development on TV today, and maybe even of all time!

    Thirty times better than any other show on this list!

20. Altered Carbon

    

21. Fringe

    

    Cool show, but I wouldn't call it dystopian since the world isn't torn apart. It's more of a time travel sci-fi type of show with some FBI procedural elements, but the cases are paranormal in nature. There are alternate universes, vortexes, time travel, etc., all connected and pointing toward a tech defense company and a scientist whose previous work seems to be the source of the phenomena.

    Season 5 is set 21 years after the world was invaded by a civilization from the future.

22. Sliders

    A team of three or four people travel ("slide," hence the title) between dimensions, to alternate Earths, where history has taken a slightly different path. Most of these alternate Earths are, in one way or another, dystopian.

23. Hot Skull

    

    I was really hoping for a sequel to this story. The script is original and unusual, maybe even revolutionary, which is likely why the public didn't appreciate it enough. Unfortunately, the end of this curious series came quickly.

    It's one of the most exciting projects produced in Turkey, with impactful aesthetics, but its premature cancellation was inevitable due to streaming's intolerant goals. It deserved just one more season.

24. Resident Evil

    

    One of the most ambitious proposals of 2022, severely interrupted supposedly due to insufficient audience numbers. The abrupt ending of this masterpiece reveals that even epic stories don't survive because of the need to raise funds. It's frustrating!

25. Revolution

    LOVE THIS SHOW! It's amazing how each character evolves throughout the story. It's centered around a family, their friends, enemies, and the many hardships they overcome.

    The story revolves around rebelling against tyranny in what was once the United States after the power goes out. Not only does the power fail, but anything with chemical or mechanical electricity stops working. No cars, no batteries - really great show.

    Amazing show that always keeps you in suspense. Definitely has that dystopian government feel to it. More people should watch it. Once you start, you'll be hooked!

26. Falling Skies

    

    Amazing show. One of the best ever created. I can't wait for season 5.

27. Humans