Streaming Finds: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.
The Memorial Day weekend is coming up and some of us may find ourselves with some time on our hands to watch TV between barbecues and yard work. The streaming services have produced quite a number of original scripted shows that are worth watching, and many of these you can binge over a three-day weekend, maybe even getting in two or three shows. If you would like to check out some of the originals out there over the holiday, here is a deeper dive beyond The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, and The Man in the High Castle (all of which are worth watching, by the way) into some of the shows that you may not have known about.
3% (Netflix, 2 Seasons Totaling 18 Episodes): This Brazilian-made series has delivered two seasons for Netflix so far with a third on the way next month. It takes place in a future world where most live in poverty but a select number of young people are given a chance to compete to join a Utopian society offshore, with only 3% making the cut. It delivers a decent dystopian tale that continues to build on basic premise, and you should be able to binge through its 18 episodes over the three day weekend.
Between (Netflix, 2 Seasons Totaling 12 Episodes): This virus-outbreak series flew very much under the radar across its two seasons and never delivered the third season that its notably large fanbase wanted (though it was never officially cancelled). It stars Jennette McCurdy, but it is definitely not iCarly meets the post-apocalypse as it delivered more of a Lord of the Flies tale with children living alone in town where all the adults have died from a virus (it could almost be a prequel to another great under-the-radar series Jeremiah). It does wrap up its major storylines at the end of its second season, but then sets up a whole new chapter that was never explored.
Britannia (Amazon, 1 Season Totaling 9 Episodes): This overlooked historical fantasy series landed on Amazon in January 2018 and set out to deliver Game of Thrones in a Celtic setting. And while it may not quite match up to that George R.R. Martin fantasy series, it’s definitely a worth a look, especially for those looking for a good fantasy tale in the vacuum left by GoT wrapping up. The Walking Dead‘s David Morrissey plays a Roman general and he is surrounded by an excellent cast well cut for the epic tale they populate. The first season wrapped up many of the storylines, but the saga continues with a second year on the way at some point.
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Dimension 404 (Hulu, 1 Season Totaling 6 Episodes): This interesting little throwback series showed up on Hulu at the time the anthology revival was getting started, but sadly it never garnered much attention. It has very much an Outer Limits feel to it, with a little bit of The Twilight Zone thrown in as well, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. But some of the episodes do pack a bite, and this one is definitely worth checking out. It does not appear that there are anymore episodes on the way, but I count this as a sleeper sci fi series, and at six episodes you can binge through it pretty quickly.
Missions (Shudder, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes): This French-made sci fi / horror series landed on AMC’s Shudder streaming service back in 2017, and it is one that is definitely worth checking out. It follows a privately funded mission to Mars that runs into trouble on the Red Planet and makes a discovery that could impact our understanding of the origins of the human race. The episodes are less than half an hour each, so you can get through this one pretty quickly. And a second season is supposed to be on the way later this year.
Origin (YouTube, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes): This big-budget series landed on the YouTube premium channel last year and delivers a damn good sci fi tale. Several passengers on a colony ship headed to a new planet wake from suspended animation to find that they have not reached their destination and that something has gone wrong with the mission. This one is Lost meets Lost in Space meets Alien with some bits of Blade Runner and Dark Matter thrown in as well and it has exceptionally good production values. Sadly the show was cancelled after its first season as YouTube has decided to go a different direction with its scripted originals (the producers are still shopping it around, though). Science fiction fans should definitely find plenty to like about this show and hopefully another venue will pick this one up for a second season.
SuperMansion (Crackle, 3 Seasons Totaling 41 Episodes Plus 4 Specials): You may not be able to get all of this series in over the weekend, but it could offer some light-hearted fun between other binges. This stop motion animated superhero parody stars Bryan Cranston as the voice of the aging superhero Titanium Rex who leads the somewhat ragged band of heroes known as The League of Freedom. The episodes are less than thirty minutes each (the specials are a little longer) with mostly stand alone stories, so you can sample episodes across the seasons for some good bang-up (and adult) superhero fun.
The Tick (Amazon, 2 Seasons Totaling 22 Episodes): For a different type of superhero comedy, you could check out Amazon’s live-action reboot of the beloved Ben Edlund character. The Tick is is a well-meaning, super powerful, but somewhat dense hero determined to fight evil in his city. Aiding him in his efforts is his mild-mannered sidekick who takes on the guise of The Moth, as well as other assorted superheroes. Sadly this one was just cancelled by Amazon (Edlund and the producers are shopping the show around), but the twenty-two episodes produced deliver plenty of fun and at less than half an hour each you can get through them pretty quickly.
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