The Best Syfy Series You’re Probably Not Watching

What are the best Syfy series?

Syfy isn’t the network it once was. Long gone are the days of bad, no-budget series with one-dimensional backdrops. No more (mostly) must we suffer through a slew of no-name actors who can’t act but get by on their physical measurements. These days, Syfy is all aboard the quality programming train. And it's pushing out content that people actually want to see before 2 a.m. You know, when they’ve spent six hours drinking themselves stupid before stopping to get Taco Bell they’ll 1,000 percent regret in the morning. Regret like the regret we’re sure Syfy execs felt throughout most of the ‘90s. But no more. Here are the very best Syfy series of all time (that you probably aren’t even watching).

Sliders (Hulu)

The premise: A group of people travel — or “slide” (clever, clever) — between different parallel Earths in hopes of making it back to their original home, which they somehow can’t find the coordinates to.

So technically, Syfy only had the series for its final two seasons, but two seasons is long enough to make it count. If you can get past the cheesy graphics and Kari Wuhrer’s horrendous attempt at acting, Sliders is popcorn television at its finest.

Helix

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: CDC researchers investigating a zombie-like outbreak in the Arctic discover a conspiracy to control the population, led by a group of immortals.

Zombies. Immortals. Government conspiracies. Helix is like a sci-fi mashup of every horror trope out there, and it’s worth every second.

Krypton

The premise: 200 years before the birth of Kal-El (Superman), his grandfather, Seg-El, attempts to redeem his family’s honor and keep Krypton from falling into chaos.

How Syfy managed to steal a DC property away from the CW, we’ll probably never know. But Krypton isn’t your typical Justice League prelude. Since it takes place 200 years before Superman was ever a thing, you won’t have to worry about it being another rehash of what it’s like for an alien to grow up on a Kansas farm. Which, thank God, because haven’t we had enough of those?

Channel Zero

The premise: A horror anthology series based on popular creepypastas, each season is self-contained as its own story.

If you aren’t familiar with the concept of a creepypasta, 1. which internet have you been using for the last decade? and 2. look that shit up, because you’re missing out if you don’t. Channel Zero may not have the highest production quality, but it does demonstrate Syfy’s marked improvement in the storytelling department since it started (remember Black Scorpion? Of course you don’t).

Paranormal Witness

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: Real life paranormal experiences are told through first-person testimony and re-enactments.

Ghost stories are cool. True ghost stories are even cooler. Paranormal Witness brings actual horror that’s affected a few unfortunate Americans to the small screen for the rest of us to watch and be thankful that we don’t have to deal with a dead old man in our attic.

Blood Drive

The premise: In a dystopian alternate 1999, an LAPD officer and a femme fatale team up to take part in a death race where the cars run on human blood.

Blood Drive is grindhouse for the small screen. It’s pulpy, sexy, bloody, and everything in between. And if you’re a fan of ‘70s and ‘80s schlock, you’ll most definitely be a fan of this.

Dark Matter (Netflix)

The premise: In the 27th century, six people wake up on board a spaceship with no memory of who they are or how they got there.

Series creators Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie also happen to be the co-creators of the comic book the show is based on. Which was actually initially intended to be a TV show, but was adapted into a comic series instead. And then adapted back into a TV show. Hollywood is a fickle mistress.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (one season, Netflix)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: A human test subject imprisoned aboard the spacecraft Satellite of Love along with his robots is forced to watch an endless stream of shitty movies.

Netflix rebooted this series (which debuted in 1988) last year, bringing in Patton Oswalt and Felicia Day as the mad scientists studying said human test subject. But back in the day, MST3K made for prime rainy day afternoon bingeing — where else were you going to be able to catch The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, along with a healthy serving of snark?

12 Monkeys

The premise: In 2043, a man is recruited by a team of scientists to travel back in time to 2015, in order to stop the release of a virus that would result in the deaths of seven billion people by 2017.

12 Monkeys is a remake of sorts of the 1995 Terry Gilliam film starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. Because it’s a series with 13-ish episodes per season, a lot more attention is paid to backstory and character development. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Lost Girl (Netflix)

The premise: A bisexual succubus must learn to control her powers while she searches for answers regarding her own origins.

Lost Girl is kind of the TV equivalent of adolescent growth. If 1997’s Lexx was Syfy as a child, Lost Girl would be the network as a college kid. Not quite mature enough to do its own taxes, but definitely past that horrific blue eyeshadow phase.

Killjoys

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: A trio of bounty hunters attempt to remain neutral as they hunt down people and property in a planetary system known as the Quad.

If you were to take Joss Whedon’s Firefly and throw it in a TV blender with Orphan Black, you would wind up with something close to Killjoys. The series actually comes from the producers of Orphan Black, which is one of the best things to hit the small screen in a decade, so, you know, if you have any desire to watch some well-done original content… No pressure or anything.

Haven (Netflix)

The premise: An FBI agent travels to Maine to investigate a series of supernatural afflictions that plague the town folk of Haven.

Haven is based on the Stephen King novel The Colorado Kid, which means we can draw a couple of conclusions here. The first is that this adaptation is either really terrible or really phenomenal, as there is no in-between with King’s works (luckily, it’s the latter). And the second is that it’s just one more reason to hold off on planning that family vacation to Maine (as if you really needed one more).

Stargate SG-1 (Hulu)

The premise: The events of the series begin a year after the conclusion of the 1994 film Stargate, in which a military team from Earth travel to distant planets using an alien portal.

Stargate the film is one of those sci-fi gems that you can’t help but fall in love with once you see it for the first time. The show, which stars MacGyver himself, expands upon the universe first introduced on the big screen and brings to life a ton of new characters and locations. Plus, the entire series and its spinoffs make up over a decade’s worth of material, so you have to figure they’re doing something right.

Battlestar Galactica

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: The crew of an aged Galactica carry what’s left of humanity toward a fabled Earth colony following a devastating attack by a sentient robotic race known as Cylons.

Syfy had done space operas in the past — 1999’s Farscape comes to mind — but in 2004 we got the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, which essentially changed the entire TV game for the network. The show is beyond addictive: the Cylons are both sympathetic and incredibly frightening, and a number of actors play dual (or triple or more) roles, making it one of those properties that continually keeps you guessing.

The Expanse

The premise: 200 years into the future, in a fully-colonized solar system, a police detective in search of a missing young woman uncovers a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

The Expanse is basically Syfy’s poster child for good TV. The first novel in the series it’s based on was nominated for both a Hugo Award and a Locus Award. The writers of the book series are also writers on the show. And in spite of its budget and “restrictive distribution arrangements” leading to its cancellation after only two seasons, there’s a high probability the show is going to be picked up by another — probably larger — network.

Con Man

The premise: The series follows cult science fiction actor Wray Nerely as he tours the convention circuit.

Remember Alan Tudyk? You know, the guy from Firefly? And also A Knight’s Tale? He created a web series loosely based on his own experiences at nerd conventions. Take a deep dive into the ultimate geek setting, if you dare.

Being Human (Netflix)

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: A vampire, a werewolf and a ghost navigate the world of the supernatural as roommates.

It sounds like the tagline for a comedy series, but it really isn’t. Sure, Being Human has its funny moments, but mostly it’s about the day to day struggles of being an adult. Just, you know, a monster-type adult.

Face Off

The premise: A group of prosthetic makeup artists compete against each other to create sci-fi, horror, and fantasy makeup looks.

There are plenty of reasons to watch Face Off. Each season’s batch of contestants seems to be better than the last. Ve Neill, one of the show’s three judges, is an Academy Award winner with an adorable hippie soul. But f— it all if you aren’t watching this for Glenn Hetrick (of Buffy the Vampire fame) and his weekly venture into punk goth couture.

Happy!

The premise: A disgraced police detective teams up with an imaginary blue unicorn to save his estranged daughter from a deranged man dressed as Santa Claus.

So… did you read the premise? Because if that’s not going to sell you on Happy!, we aren’t sure what will. Oh, maybe it’s the fact that the comic series it’s based on is written by Grant Morrison (of Batman fame). Or maybe former SVU detective Elliot Stabler, aka Christopher Meloni, will sway your opinion?

The Magicians

[dx_custom_adunit desktop_id="RTK_K67O" mobile_id="RTK_5yk0"] The premise: A young magician enrolls in a magical university, where he discovers his favorite childhood books are real — and much darker than he imagined.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The Magicians is the sexiest goddam show on TV right now. Forget the fact that it takes place in a magical world akin to Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s clever, well-written, incredibly acted, and you’d be doing yourself an immense disservice by not tuning in.