There’s a dearth of bona fide sci-fi TV shows with time travel at their core. We’ve got plenty of multiverse content like Apple TV’s Dark Matter, but shows currently airing that are time-travel-related? Few and far between (Doctor Who is on hiatus, after all). If you’re on the hunt for a series that’ll whisk you away to different eras, look no further than the following 10 great sci-fi TV shows with perfect time travel. In my selection process, I chose shows where time travel was a major part of the premise or completely hinged on it. You might have heard of most of these, but I’m hoping you find a few new series to scope out that scratch that time travel itch.
Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve been covering sci-fi and fantasy for almost 10 years as a freelance entertainment journalist, specifically in the realm of TV. My primary coverage for MovieWeb has been focused on those genres, including books and TV shows.
‘Doctor Who’ (2005-2025, 15 Seasons)
Time Travel Is Really the Whole Shebang
Watch This If: I know, I’m omitting the original Doctor Who era, but really, think of this as applying to both the OG run and NuWho. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the time travel series to end all time travel series. That’s the whole premise. In addition to our titular Time Lord traveling across time and space, there’s an added element of unbridled optimism – we view humanity through the lens of this alien whose faith in us seldom wavers, even when we do remarkably stupid things. It’s a series filled to the brim with hope; a reminder that we can be more than we are, that we can leave this world a better place than we found it. The essence of its time travel is the Doctor’s TARDIS. The idea of a phone box that can travel through time is, simply put, fantastic.
Skip This If: You don’t like change. The main character regenerates into a new face every few seasons or so. Not to mention, the series is in limbo right now after the BBC put it out to competitive tender. (That said, this isn’t the first time Whovians have navigated a dry spell.)
‘Loki’ (2021-2023, 2 Seasons)
Filled to the Brim With Glorious Purpose
Watch This If: Who knew that a trickster god imbued with glorious purpose could be such a compelling hero? MCU fan favorite Loki leads the charge in Loki, admittedly one of Marvel’s best Disney+ live-action shows. The time travel aspect is uniquely intertwined with the multiverse, as the Time Variance Authority (TVA) travels through Time Doors activated by TemPads to manage various timeline branches. Loki encounters his own variants throughout his journey, survives Alioth and the Void, and sacrifices himself to hold the multiverse together at the end of Season 2 (spoiler alert). It’s a series of immense growth for him, bolstered by fun visuals, Owen Wilson, and a gripping narrative.
Skip This If: You’re on the hunt for a long binge. You won’t get that there, as the show is only 12 episodes long.
‘Undone’ (2019-2022, 2 Seasons)
A Relationship With Time Forged by Tragedy
Watch This If: Undone deserved better. This innovative Prime Video series utilized rotoscope animation to push the envelope of what’s possible in storytelling, adopting a surrealist approach to the narrative. After surviving a near-fatal car crash, Alma discovers she has a new relationship with time. She uses this time-traveling ability to wind back the clock and delve into her father’s death. What transpires next is a gut-wrenching journey of trauma, grief, accepting death as a natural part of life, and, ultimately, healing. Here, time travel is essentially a superpower, used to put the most painful parts of being human under a microscope.
Skip This If: While labeled as a comedy-drama series, Undone will definitely have you reaching for the tissues. Perhaps avoid this one for now if you’re feeling particularly fragile and save it for a later date.
‘Quantum Leap’ (1989-1993, 5 Seasons)
Because They Knew Him, They Have Been Changed for Good
Watch This If: When Quantum Leap premiered in 1989, it was unlike anything on TV. It most definitely inspired a slew of time travel series in its wake, too. The idea of Sam Beckett “leaping” into spacetime and being forced to travel through time, inhabiting other bodies in perpetuity, is intriguing, to say the least. Like the Doctor, Sam lends a helping hand to whomever he encounters as he hops from era to era, leaving the past better than he found it. Quantum Leap is a delightful blend of comedy, drama, science fiction, and social commentary as Sam travels through history with his hologram buddy, Al Calavicci. The series spawned a revival in 2022 that only ran for two seasons.
Skip This If: I don’t have a reason for you to skip this one. It’s a bona fide classic.
‘The Lazarus Project’ (2022-2024, 2 Seasons)
A Time Travel Series With Unique Rules
Watch This If: The Lazarus Project stands out from its contemporaries, in my humble opinion. Here, time resets every six months, turning back the clock to July 1. Only George seems to notice this, thus opening the door for him to join the eponymous organization that works in the shadows to thwart apocalyptic events by controlling time. The Lazarus Project is enthralling not just because of its solid performances – it pulls you in with a unique take on time travel. I’m still irritated that it was canceled, leaving us on such a tantalizing cliffhanger. There are so few genuine time travel shows on the air nowadays.
Skip This If: Maybe steer clear of this one if you hate incomplete shows or massive cliffhangers. You might just chuck your TV or laptop into the nearest pond if you watch this show’s now-series finale.
‘The Umbrella Academy’ (2019-2024, 4 Seasons)
Superhero Siblings Time Travel to Save the World … What More Could You Want?
Watch This If: The Umbrella Academy isn’t solely about time travel; however, the element itself takes the wheel of the narrative more often than not. The Hargreeves siblings have tried to prevent their fair share of apocalypses, armed to the teeth with their unique superpowers and familial trauma. There’s also the multiverse at play, and the series gets a bit too big for its britches toward the end. The way in which the siblings travel through time, along with the mysterious Commission overseeing the spacetime continuum, is fun, to be sure. I was also on board for the first few seasons, but the series finale left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Skip This If: You don’t like shows that fumble the ending. The Umbrella Academy has a truncated final season, and it deserved more episodes to flesh out a proper goodbye.
‘Timeless’ (2016-2018, 2 Seasons)
Saving ‘Merica One Era at a Time
Watch This If: I’m old enough to remember when fans rallied to save Timeless after NBC canceled it. However, the network reversed that decision a mere three days later, which had to be a record at that time. What happens when you send a history professor, a soldier, and a pilot back through time? No, it’s not the start of a bad bar joke, but it is the start of a wildly entertaining, short-lived adventure as our intrepid trio attempts to thwart a mysterious organization hell-bent on changing the course of history. Timeless was canceled for good after its second season, but if you’re looking for a show where time travel is the plot, look no further than this fun series. Thankfully, it gets a proper conclusion with a two-hour finale episode, and it’s holiday-themed, to boot.
Skip This If: You hate joy? I kid, but Timeless is worth your time, and at least it has an actual ending, unlike many shows canceled before they could wrap up their respective stories.
12 Monkeys (2015-2018, 4 Seasons)
Protecting Humanity From the Plague
Watch This If: This Syfy series loosely adapts the 1995 film of the same name. 12 Monkeys centers on two strangers who must travel through time to stop an evil organization from releasing a deadly virus. If that sends a shiver down your spine after experiencing the COVID pandemic, you’re not alone. The prescient show raises the bar every season and thoroughly entertains, maintaining momentum from start to finish. Of course, this is back when Syfy had an actual slate of great programming before it became a shell of what it was.
Skip This If: Maybe sit this one out if you’re married to the movie. Or if you have some inexplicable grudge against Syfy shows. Truthfully, 12 Monkeys is a fun watch that offers escapism (virus aside) at a time when we need it most.
‘Timewasters’ (2017-2019, 2 Seasons)
A Jazz Band Travels Back in Time in a Hilarious Romp
Watch This If: Timewasters is one of my favorite finds. I don’t know anyone else who’s watched it, although it is a UK import, so perhaps I should amend that statement to, “I don’t know any other American who’s watched it.” This underrated gem follows an all-Black South London jazz quartet as they inadvertently wind up in a time machine, which is actually an elevator (sorry, lift). In the first season, they arrive in the 1920s; in the second season, they land in the 1950s. Like Doctor Who, something you wouldn’t expect to be a time machine, well, is. It’s more comedy than pure sci-fi, but the show is well worth watching for how all these storytelling elements coalesce, along with how it tackles timeless themes like racism and its masterclass in comedic performances.
Skip This If: You don’t want to get too attached to a series that was canceled after two seasons. It definitely deserved a few more seasons under its belt.
‘Dark’ (2017-2020, 3 Seasons)
A Twisty Thriller That Keeps You on the Edge
Watch This If: Netflix’s Dark was the talk of the town back in the day. It’s also not blatantly time-travel-related on the surface. At face value, one might think this thriller series is simply about a child’s disappearance in a German town, but once you peel back those thriller layers, you find dark elements of time travel that span several generations. Dark is well worth
your time, as compelling as it is deeply haunting and audacious in its successful swing for the creative fences.
Skip This If: This is not a happy series about time travel. It can take an emotional and mental toll. It’s a lot. So, be sure you’re in the right headspace for this one.
- Release Date
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2005 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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BBC
- Directors
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Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
