Recently sci-fi shows have gone up in my estimation. This could of course be down to me spending way, way too much time in the house or just due to the fact that I have a real soft spot for sci-fi. Whatever the reason, in my opinion, at the moment there are some real gems to get comfy on the sofa to sit back and lose yourself in for an hour or so.

I am not going to go into why you should watch the Walking Dead as I am assuming that you are probably watching it. Though if by some miracle you are not…check it out right now as it is awesome. I am also not going to go into why you should watch Doctor Who, because in all honesty, Doctor Who is not to my taste, so I can’t in good conscience big it up – though I do appreciate (mainly due to its many, many fans) that it is to plenty of other people’s taste and if you are one of Doctor Who’s biggest fans and you feel like adding to this article, why not leave a comment letting everyone know why, in your opinion, the good doctor rocks?

One of the great things about sci-fi shows is that they are a perfect escape from the hum-drum. A break from everyday life and a miniature holiday into worlds where you can really let go and explore to your heart’s content. Sci-Fi is the delicious slice of cake that you sneak in, even when you are not that hungry.

Below are 5 Sci-Fi shows that I think you should be watching: 

 

Lost Girl

Lost Girl is a Canadian supernatural crime drama that follows seductress Bo (Anna Silk), a Succubus who feeds on the sexual energy (sometimes called “chi”) of humans.  Growing up with human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door – until she drained her boyfriend to death in their first sexual encounter. After years of running, Bo discovered she was Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them secretly and in different ways, as they have for millennia. Relieved to find out that she is not alone, yet horrified, Bo decides to take the middle path between the humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin. 

Lost Girl is the kind of show that has a lot going for it. It has awesome action (the main characters are all pretty handy when it comes to getting down to it in a fight), plus there are some awesome powers on offer, from Bo’s chi sucking, to Dyson’s (Kris Holden-Ried) Wolf strength, to Siren Hale’s (K.C. Collins) death whistle.

The majority of the show’s dark comedic edge comes from Bo’s human sidekick Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) who quips more than an 80′s action movie. Love drama is thrown in for good measure in the form of Fae ‘wolf-shifter’, Dyson, and human doctor to the Light Fae, Lauren (Zoie Palmer), which is a bit of a bisexual love-triangle. With Bo being a succubus, there is a fair bit of under-the-covers action making it very much an adult show. However, the ‘sexy-time’ action is nicely balanced out with the adventure, the fights, the magic and the sheer badass nature of the show.

It also has some awesome bad guys, ranging from the leader of the Dark Fae, Evony the Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) who feeds off of human talent, the Morrigan’s kind of second in command, the delightfully naughty and Loki-like Vex (Paul Amos) who is a Mesmer (someone who can control peoples actions against their wills…as in he could, if he wanted, make someone strangle themselves) and there are a few more, but I won’t mention them as it would be too spoilery.

It is dark, it is broody, sexy, funny and exciting. In my opinion it is definitely one to watch. 

 

Haven

Haven is based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King. The series follows the shrewd and confident FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) as she arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine on a routine case. Before long, her natural curiosity lands her in the epicenter of activity in this curious enclave, which turns out to be a longtime refuge for people that are affected by a range of supernatural afflictions (these people are known as ‘the troubled’). The truth about Audrey’s mysterious past (which she can’t fully remember) starts to come out as well. 

As the townspeople’s dormant abilities begin to express themselves, Audrey helps keep these forces at bay while discovering the many secrets of Haven — including one surrounding her own surprising connections to this extraordinary place.

Haven was a little bit of a slow starter  but around a third of the way through Season One it really got going. The strange cases that Audrey (Emily Rose) and her cop partner Nathan (Lucas Bryant) investigate keep the show ticking over and vary vastly from being exciting to mind boggling and occasionally darn right strange. Their partnership works brilliantly extending sometimes to a trio with slightly dodgy, sometimes crook Duke (Eric Balfour) along for the ride. The three leads are very likable and manage to get you emotionally invested into the well being and individual stories of their characters.

The main story line of who Audrey is, and what her connection to Haven is, runs throughout the series and is a compelling and dark tale, full of mystery that keeps you guessing. There is no real big bad as such, but as pretty much 90 percent of the population of the town of Haven are an X-File there is plenty to do. There are also issues between the non-troubled and troubled residents.

This is a show worth investing in, as once you get into the story you never want to leave it. 

 

Grimm

Grimm is a drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales. After Portland Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he’s descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a “Grimm.”

His attempts to shield his fiancée, Juliette Silverton (Bitsie Tulloch), and his partner, Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby), from the hazards of his new life have reached a crisis, leaving Juliette in a mysterious coma and Hank on the verge of a mental breakdown.

With help from his confidants, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) – both reformed Grimm creatures, Nick must help those closest to him while still facing off against all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, the Grimm Brothers. As Nick develops his ability to harness his inner Grimm, he begins to question what he once knew, never more so than when he is reunited with his mother (guest star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), also a Grimm, whom he thought dead for the past 20 years. Reggie Lee and Sasha Roiz also star as Sgt. Wu and Captain Renard, respectively.

Though probably classed more as a fantasy series, rather than sci-fi, Grimm is the type of show that has a very strong character story line that is not only present in every episode, but also enhances the ‘one-off” cases that are investigated each week.

The first season really found its feet about half-way through and since then has been putting its best foot forward and coming in strong. From a host of talented guest stars that, instead of the usual cameo where you spend the whole time thinking…’oh that is so and so from [insert name of show here]‘, manage to immerse themselves in the storyline and make it generally a bit more awesome. Guest star Amy Acker (Fred from Angel) was in particular a  fantastic one episode addition.

I love how Nick’s Grimm is committed to seeing the world of ‘monster-like’ fairy-tale creatures in shades of grey, rather than ‘let’s just chop their heads off’ black and white. It makes for a more interesting exploration.

The buddy camaraderie between Nick and Monroe is a joy to watch as they have a very bromantic relationship.  The special effects are also surprisingly pleasing. It is so easy for shows to cheap out when it comes to special effects, but Grimm is not one of those shows.

Grimm is dark in tone, and full of edge-of-your-seat action. It also has cliffhangers down to a fine art.

 

Falling Skies

Falling Skies opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency against the occupying alien force.

At the center of the series is Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a Boston history professor whose family was torn apart. Tom must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of the Boston-born resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass. Tom will do anything for his sons, including Ben, who was recently rescued from alien control, but is still extremely vulnerable. 

Falling Skies focuses on the resilience of the survivors and their determination to maintain their humanity when all else has been destroyed. It is a tale of endurance, commitment and courage in which everyday people are called upon to become heroes. They may be outmatched, outnumbered and outgunned, but nothing can beat the human spirit. Most of all, the series is about the ties that bind people together in the most difficult of circumstances.

Falling Skies is what I imagine the world would be like after an alien invasion. The characters are all multifaceted and react in the same ways people generally do, making courageous choices, stupid decisions, acts of love and acts of fear and cowardice.

It is a show where the action between the aliens and the humans is not dealt with from afar. It is how it should be, right in your face so you get to feel a part of the action.

The aliens themselves are expertly designed and seriously creepy. The spider-like skitters are particularly chilling.

The human drama is very dialogue led, though there is enough action to keep everyone happy.

Falling Skies is thought provoking drama, with aliens and gun fights. Perfect for a night in with a take-away.

 

Continuum

Continuum is a one-hour police drama centered on Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols), a regular cop from 65 years in the future who finds herself trapped in present day Vancouver. She is alone, a stranger in a strange land, and has eight of the most ruthless criminals from the future, known as Liber8, loose in the city.

Lucky for Kiera, through the use of her CMR (cellular memory recall), a futuristic liquid chip technology implanted in her brain, she connects with Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), a seventeen-year-old tech genius. When Kiera calls and Alec answers, a very unique partnership begins.

Kiera’s first desire is to get “home.” But until she figures out a way to do that, she must survive in our time period and use all the resources available to her to track and capture the terrorists before they alter history enough to change the course of the future. After all, what’s the point of going back if the future isn’t the one you left?

Kiera knows that the eight terrorists will resort to criminal activity to further their goals of taking down the corporations that will one day rule the world. Lives will be lost. Her goal is to kill or capture them before they can turn the world upside down. For Kiera, there’s only one organization that can help her hunt down Liber8, and through clever thinking, manages to work with the Vancouver Police Department. Partnered up with Detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) of the Special Investigations Unit, Kiera positions herself perfectly to hear about Liber8′s activities and hopefully intervene.

I am not going to lie, I found the first couple of episodes of Continuum a little bit blah. Not bad, just blah – but this is mainly because I am a bit of a time-travel nut, and I would have liked for them to explore that aspect a bit further. The rest of the series was pretty good and time-travel plot holes aside (there are a few) it was a series that I definitely got hooked on pretty fast.

Watching Kiera adjust to the world without most of her future tech and her family is fascinating, as is the relationships she develops with her police partner, Carlos, and her tech help, Alec.

I can’t really delve too much into what makes the show great as it would give too much away – but what I will say is this: Contiuum has beautifully choreographed fight scenes and some pretty stunning action, from exploding city blocks, to the after effects of time travel. There is something for everyone.

It is also lacking in romance, which is a bold move for a TV show. This is due to Kiera’s husband living in the future. I actually like that the usual romantic dynamic is missing, though as the series progresses there is more than a hint of something developing in terms of romance. I guess this is something they may explore further in season two.

Continuum is futuristic fun, mixed in with lots of action and drama. It is one to check out and has the potential to develop into something quite special.

 

What do you think? Have you been watching any of these shows? Are their any sci-fi wonders that I have missed out. Chime in on the comments and let me know. 

 

 

Image Source: The Walking Dead, Lost Girl, Haven, Grimm, Falling Skies, Continuum