Best-Reviewed TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy 2019
Small towns, missing children, unnatural-seeming happenings, Netflix: Combine, stir, then stream for a high-scoring sci-fi/fantasy TV show. That was the recipe for super-success in this category in 2019, when Netflix’s German series Dark and the hit Duffer Brothers’ show Stranger Things came out on top, with Disney+’s big Star Wars effort, The Mandalorian, not too many light years behind. Rounding out the top five were ABC’s Emergence, which gave former Fargo star Allison Tolman a formidable and compelling network vehicle, and British series A Discovery of Witches, an adaptation of part of Deborah Harkness’s All Souls trilogy of novels.
The order of the rank below reflects the Adjusted Score as of December 31, 2019. Scores might change over time.
Adjusted Score: 101.563%
Critics Consensus: Dark's sumptuous second season descends deeper into the show's meticulously-crafted mythos and cements the series as one of streaming's strongest and strangest science fiction stories.
Synopsis: Jonas finds himself trapped in the future and desperately tries to return to 2020. Meanwhile, his friends Martha, Magnus, and...
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Adjusted Score: 100.02%
Critics Consensus: Stranger Things transforms itself into a riveting -- if familiar -- summer ride that basks in its neon-laden nostalgia without losing sight of the rich relationships that make the series so endearing.
Synopsis: It's 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer's heating up. School's out, there's a brand new mall in town, and the...
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Adjusted Score: 95.182%
Critics Consensus: Action-packed and expertly-crafted -- if at times a bit too withholding -- The Mandalorian is a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe that benefits greatly from the cuteness of its cargo.
Synopsis: After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. "The Mandalorian" is...
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Adjusted Score: 96.005%
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding Allison Tolman, Emergence avoids becoming just another mystery-box mess with strongly-written characters that will keep viewers caring no matter the resolution.
Synopsis: A character-driven genre thriller that centers around a police chief who takes in a young child that she finds near...
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Adjusted Score: 95.828%
Critics Consensus: A Discovery of Witches smartly grounds its flights of fancy with a lived-in authenticity and harnesses the chemistry between its two star-crossed leads to make for a promising foray into the occult.
Synopsis: As Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the secrets of the ancient manuscript, their relationship develops, and...
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