Science fiction shows have been at the core of Apple TV’s programming since the streaming service launched as Apple TV+ in November 2019. Two of the series available on launch day were sci-fi dramas, including one that’s still running today. The genre has evolved into a house specialty in the years since, during which Apple TV has officially dropped the plus sign and built its subscriber base to over 45 million. Apple TV has drawn heavily on the $4 trillion value of its parent company to produce a lineup of excellent sci-fi shows in recent years, using cutting-edge and emerging production techniques to immerse viewers in various strange (and sometimes treacherous) universes.
The series below make Apple TV the current standard bearers for the genre, as well as the best way to maximize the sci-fi bang for your streaming service buck. While Netflix has carved its own niche in the genre with shows like “Stranger Things,” “The Umbrella Academy,” and “Black Mirror,” Apple TV has taken on some of the genre’s most ambitious stories to rousing success. The series below, including “Severance,” “Foundation,” and “For All Mankind,” are typical of Apple TV’s comprehensive and well-executed sci-fi storytelling efforts, and they have racked up an impressive collection of award wins and nominations.
Foundation
We’ll resist making too many puns, but Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series of novels is the bedrock on which many other sci-fi franchises are built. It helped establish the intergalactic empire as a genre staple, and it won a special Hugo Award in 1966 as best sci-fi series to that date. Adapting source material of this scope and notoriety was a tremendous undertaking from the very beginning, and Forbes reported that Apple spent $45 million to produce Season 1. “Foundation” has proven worth the investment, gathering plenty of industry honors in its three seasons to date.
“Foundation” earned a pair of Emmy nominations in production categories in 2022, and Saturn Award nods in 2024 and 2026 as best sci-fi TV show. The visually stunning series has also been nominated for awards by the American, British, and Canadian Societies of Cinematographers, as well as the Art Directors Guild and Visual Effects Society. “Foundation” co-creator David S. Goyer admits he was well aware that bringing Asimov’s books to TV would be a daunting challenge despite a willing partner in Apple TV. He told The Hollywood Reporter that the streamer had been supportive of his team’s aggressive vision for the show.
“Apple, by and large, went for it,” he said. “We do very unusual things … I remember what I said to them was: ‘Don’t note me on the science-fiction. I can handle the science fiction. Note me on the drama, note me on the characters, note me on their relationships. I’ll take care of the other crap.'” Asimov’s novels are jam-packed with storylines that touch on politics, technology, and social ethics, and Apple TV has succeeded in extracting some digestible visible treats out of the epic, sprawling source material.
Murderbot
Rogue robots are nothing new to science fiction, but “Murderbot” puts a delightful twist on the trope. Don’t let the title deceive you, though — “Murderbot” is neither your typical space-laser-shoot-’em-up nor a “Terminator gone bad” scenario. Alexander Skarsgård stars in the title role as a cyborg working security for a scientific team, and his steady internal monologue about free will and behavioral ethics is interrupted by frequent breaks to watch a campy sci-fi TV show. “Murderbot” is a sci-fi lasagna; it layers familiar elements from classics like “Robocop” and “Star Trek” between serious situations and some welcome goofiness.
Season 1 earned a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, and Apple TV+ renewed “Murderbot” for Season 2 while Season 1 was still airing. The series earned a fair amount of awards attention in its rookie season: a Saturn Award nomination, two Hugo nods, and recognition from the Art Directors Guild, Costume Designers Guild, and American Society of Cinematographers. Apple TV’s “Murderbot” is based on the first title in Martha Wells’ seven-book series “The Murderbot Diaries,” meaning there’s plenty more story to tell should the show remain popular.
For All Mankind
“For All Mankind” is Apple TV’s proof that a sci-fi show doesn’t need laser weapons or exotic alien creatures to be captivating and successful. It was one of the streamer’s day-of-launch shows in 2019, and Apple TV just renewed “For All Mankind” for a 6th and final season. “For All Mankind” takes place in an alternate reality where Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov beats NASA’s Neil Armstrong to the moon, and it sits comfortably nearer the “sci” end of the sci-fi spectrum. The show draws viewers in with meticulous attention to detail in everything from haircuts and shoes to NASA’s command centers and spacecraft.
Sarah Jones plays Tracy Stevens in the series, and she appreciates Apple TV’s commitment to patient and thorough storytelling. She told UPI, “What the writers did and what Apple allowed — because ultimately you are at the mercy of the people writing the paychecks — is that the first couple of episodes really take their time … putting people into the world and setting it all up.”
Veteran astronaut Garrett Reisman is a technical consultant on the show and played himself as a space shuttle commander in Season 2. In an interview with CollectSpace, Reisman said the set was a good stand-in for a real shuttle: “Let me put it to you this way: the switches were all in the right place.”
“For All Mankind” currently boasts a 91% Tomatometer score and has earned plenty of awards consideration. It’s been nominated for honors by the Art Directors Guild and Television Critics Association, and it won the 2021 Saturn Award as best fantasy TV series. An interactive special and an augmented reality app also each won juried Emmy Awards for new media, and two episodes have been nominated for Hugo Awards.
Pluribus
“Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” creator Vince Gilligan’s first big TV job was writing for “The X-Files,” and he wanted to dip back into the sci-fi world when his time with Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and associates was through. Studios and streaming outlets were eager to get behind his next idea after “Better Call Saul” wrapped, and Apple’s case was especially convincing. Gilligan told Variety that the “two gifts of trust and time” made Apple the best choice for his new series. He could have included Apple’s trillions as a third factor, considering how lavishly the streamer has spent in support of “Pluribus.”
Apple TV and Gilligan built a cul-de-sac and neighborhood of several houses for “Pluribus” in part so his team could destroy parts of it with fireworks and a hand grenade. Toss in a re-creation of Air Force One, some gourmet on-screen meals, and a filming itinerary that covers multiple continents, and the bill for Season 1 totaled about $15 million per episode.
It’s been money well spent; the series has a 99% Tomatometer score to go with a long list of industry honors. Emmy nominations for the year won’t be announced until July, but “Pluribus” already won the American Film Institute’s award as best TV show of 2026. “Pluribus” also won Satellite and Saturn Awards for best drama or genre series, and Rhea Seehorn and Karolina Wydra each won a Saturn for their performances. Seehorn also took home Golden Globe, Satellite, and Critics Choice Awards for playing fantasy author Carol Sturka.
Severance
Before “Pluribus” came along, “Severance” was probably Apple TV’s flagship sci-fi program. Although it’s only aired 25 episodes and it had a nearly three-year gap between Seasons 1 and 2, the series is an unquestioned cultural phenomenon. Fans turn to the dozens of “Severance” podcasts and countless published articles for help analyzing every frame and word of the series and its bizarre universe, and executive producer Ben Stiller appreciates the chatter that has formed around “Severance.” Stiller told Decider, “The fact that it’s in the conversation, just culturally, it’s really been fun to be a part of.”
The show has a retro, mid-20th-century aesthetic, but the fictional science in “Severance” is futuristic and raises lots of ethical concerns. Variety wrote that the show’s universe was “completely unlike ours and yet terrifyingly similar enough to prove jarring.” Adam Scott’s, Britt Lower’s, Patricia Arquette’s, John Turturro’s, and Zach Cherry’s performances make this bizarre world relatable, and the series has been a smash with critics, fans, and awards organizations.
“Severance” has won an impressive 10 Emmys from 41 nominations in its brief lifespan. Lower won in 2025 as outstanding lead actress in a drama, the same year Scott was nominated as outstanding lead actor. A half-dozen other cast members have earned at least one Emmy nomination in supporting roles: John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and Tramell Tillman. Gwendolyn Christie, Jane Alexander, and Merritt Wever were also nominated for Emmys as guest stars, and the series and its players have earned multiple Hugo, Saturn, and Satellite nominations. “Severance” is the third show on this list with at least a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, coming in at exactly that mark. Apple TV+ renewed “Severance” for Season 3 last year, with production on new episodes set to begin soon.
