2021 brought us a lot of TV, including many new entries for Science Fiction and Fantasy lovers.
There was plenty of new high-profile Fantasy/Sci-Fi series this year (Wheel of Time, Foundation) that were a pleasure to watch.
On the other side of things, some returning series (Rick and Morty, The Walking Dead) continued their reign of popularity.
Check out the list to see if your favorites (or least favorites!) made it!
As always, please share with us in the comments below what you think should’ve made the list!
Best – Chucky
Chucky doesn’t disappoint, invoking cheer and disgust (only the best kind of disgust!).
Bringing back characters from the film series is a load of treats for fans, and the odd use of Chucky actor Brad Dourif’s real-life daughter is brave and creative.
It’s gore-alicious!
Best – Roswell, New Mexico
After two seasons that were uneven at best, Roswell came back for season 3 and was on top of their game.
They gave us the series’ best villain to date, the deliciously evil Mr. Jones, played to perfection by Nathan Dean, who juggled two very different roles all season long and did it effortlessly.
The season had more sci-fi and more significant action pieces but kept the romance and other little things that fans have come to know and love.
It wasn’t a flawless season, but it was their best season to date, and it has us and fans alike excited to see what’s next.
Worst – Intergalactic
We wanted to love it, but, man, did it get tedious after, say, episode 1.
It held promise and had some crazy characters, but the drama didn’t intrigue.
We hoped for something great, but to say that Intergalactic was a disappointment is an understatement.
Best – Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass brought us some tremendous religious horror, a genre that intrigues and scares.
From the folks who brought us The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor comes Midnight Mass, a genuinely malicious program.
Midnight Mass, though, is more unique than its predecessors and — for those who are adversely affected by frightening TV — more nightmarish.
Worst – Fate: The Winx Saga
We will never get our fill of adaptations. Still, this one disappointed right out of the gate with its questionable casting that had social media in an uproar and the Riverdale-esque dark, gritty, and more adult take on a fun, upbeat series.
Fate: The Winx Saga is bad because it’s boring and unoriginal. The series has way too many characters, barely develops any of them outside of Bloom, and the initial storyline wasn’t captivating.
It was a quick binge, but you forgot everything that you watched by the time it was over. It doesn’t give you any reason to tune back in, which speaks volumes.
Worse yet, the series takes itself too seriously, which makes all the events you’re watching transpire laughable more than intriguing.
Best – Superman & Lois
The CW had a larger budget with this Arrowverse show, and it showed.
With better cinematography and special effects, this version of Superman almost felt like movie quality.
The fight scenes were epic, and we delved into the Kent family dynamics between Clark, Lois, and the boys as Jordan tried to learn how to handle his powers.
Worst – Jupiter’s Legacy
It’s too bad the show’s narrative didn’t match the budget and star-studded cast.
For a series about superheroes in this day and age when they’re a dime a dozen, Jupiter’s Legacy failed to deliver anything of substance, quality, or interest.
They had a lot of action sequences, but overall, the dark take on the plight of superherodom and conflict between different generations wasn’t the least bit compelling.
And the glacial pacing made an eight-episode season feel like a whole 22 episode order, but sadly, not in a good way. Everyone looked pretty in their costumes, though.
Best – Rick & Morty
Dan Harmon and Mark Roiland’s jaw-dropping, eye-popping, dimension-hopping fever dream hit new levels of insanity with its fifth season.
Zany, frantic, and shockingly deep, Rick and Morty are a psychedelic peek into a universe full of magic, horror, and possibilities.
Don’t overthink about it. Just try to keep up and enjoy the ride!
We’re always so excited to see what a new season will bring and cannot wait for the future!
Worst – Day of the Dead
A horrible horror entry that dares to use the same name as George A. Romero’s brilliant 1985 zombie flick, we couldn’t get past episode 1.
This show contains everything that screams cheesy Syfy original movie (cheesy acting, worse effects), just made into a depressing full-length series.
Syfy always cancels their great shows to spit out horrible shows like this (*coughs* Wynonna Earp *coughs*), and we hope that this show sees an early death.
Best – Invincible
Invincible took your typical superhero story and spun it on its head. It’s gory, grotesque, violent head — and we loved it.
Invincible managed to make an animated superhero show one of the most heartfelt stories of the year while also giving us incredible action.
Creating a unique superhero show in an already oversaturated genre is an impressive feat in itself.
Worst – SurrealEstate
Canadian horror/sci-fi series is hit or miss. Wynonna Earp was a hit, and we wanted Tim Rozon and Susan Levy’s latest joint effort to hit the right marks.
While there were building blocks to do things right and a few episodes that tickled the funny bone, the storylines weren’t consistent in facts or entertainment value, and it was something to make fun of instead of delight in.
SurrealEstate could have been so much better, but sadly, it dropped the ball.
Best – A Discovery of Witches
A Discovery of Witches (based on the book series of the same name) never ceases to impress.
Season two saw some amazing twists that we didn’t expect, combined with the growth of the character we love.
We are so excited for the third and final season!
Worst – Chapelwaite
Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire toplining one of the worst shows of the year?
It seems so, and you shouldn’t be surprised since this was yet another Stephen King adaptation that fell flat.
At times seeming to tell multiple different stories — grieving family, an ambitious woman feeding off of newcomers, vampires, immigration/racism in small-town America — it meandered thoughtlessly and never got the heart racing. Too bad.
Best – Black Summer
The best zombie series you aren’t watching is Black Summer, and season two improved on the most entertaining season one.
The second season, set during the apocalypse’s first winter, shows what it’s like living with it for half a year — and the emotions behind losing people on the way.
It’s emotionally powerful and contains some of the best zombie scenes of the year.
We love the performances of all of the actors and hope that we get to see them for at least one more season.
Best – The Expanse
With the second half of season five and two-thirds of the final season airing in 2021, The Expanse made waves with its 6th season. Initially, on SYFY, Amazon picked up the space-opera for seasons 4-6, and the series has taken off (pun intended).
The Expanse is the perfect space opera, and we cannot wait for the series finale in 2022 (even though the last thing we want is for this show to end).
Led by an incredible cast that has been severely overlooked at significant awards, The Expanse will be the Science Fiction Series to remember from this decade.
The most impressive of the latter half of the fifth season came from Dominique Tipper’s stellar portrayal of Naomi Nagata’s fight for her life. Brilliant storytelling combined with her outstanding performance made for an incredible season.
Well, Fanatics, did one of your shows make our list?
Are there any that you’d add? Sound off in the comments below!
There’s so much more genre TV out there right now, and we can’t wait to see where they go from here!
Michael Stack is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.