With an ability to look into timely and important themes through the lens of alternate worlds which excel at being morbidly intriguing, dystopian drama has become an immensely popular range of entertainment throughout the 21st century. This has been particularly true in terms of television series, with everything from post-apocalyptic horrors like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us to cerebral science-fiction thrillers like Westworld dominating the market.

With critical acclaim, commercial success, and immense pop-culture influence, these series have established themselves as some of the best and most important stories of the modern age. Even more than that, many will go on to be regarded as undisputed classics that define the modern era of entertainment media.

15 'Foundation' (2021 - )

Created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman

Based on the novel series of the same name by the esteemed science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, Apple TV+'s ambitious hit series Foundation has already won over critics and fans alike with its sheer magnitude and unparalleled visual effects. Set 10,000 years in the future, it transpires over centuries as people living on planets across the universe try to preserve their livelihoods while living under the Galactic Empire.

While season one was met with some criticism due to its narrative complexity and its heavy exposition, it did set a sturdy platform for the series going forward. The second season received far better reviews, boasting an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes as it earned high praise for how it expanded its story. Foundation has been renewed for a third season at Apple TV+ and is set to only grow stronger with its complex story world well established.

Watch on Apple TV+

14 'Colony' (2016 - 2018)

Created by Carlton Cuse and Ryan J. Condal

When aliens occupy Los Angeles, the Bowman family becomes separated and must tread carefully around the invaders if they hope to keep their family together. Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies) and her husband Will (Josh Holloway) are forced to make complicated decisions in order to rescue their son Bram (Alex Neustaedter), and disagree about many things along the way. Their main goal, however, is a family reunion and safety from the alien invaders.

One of the best series about an alien occupation, Colony depicts a unique take on the concept and does it well. For those looking for a science-fiction dystopian series filled with action and adventure that will also tug on the heartstrings, this series is the perfect choice. As one of the few good alien invasion series, it’s likely that it will one day be considered a classic piece of post-apocalyptic media.

Watch on Roku

13 'All of Us Are Dead' (2022 - )

Created by Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo & Kim Nam-su

Taking place in South Korea, a failed science experiment begins turning high school students into highly dangerous zombies in All of Us Are Dead. After the government cuts off their communication upon learning of the deadly viral outbreak, the students become trapped in the school with no food or water and must battle the ever-increasing hoard of zombies to survive.

While the 12-episode stint was widely viewed to be a touch too long for what the story offered, the series' first season received widespread critical acclaim and has already been renewed for a second season. Combining the main appeal of bloody zombie horror with the awkward charm of coming-of-age narrative, All of Us Are Dead excels as an enjoyable and adrenaline-pumping series that will surely become an international classic if it can continue to deliver.

Watch on Netflix

12 'Humans' (2017 - 2019)

Created by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent

An underrated masterpiece of sci-fi drama television with a thrilling story that invests in timely themes and socio-political allegory surrounding prejudice and the looming age of A.I., Humans earned critical acclaim throughout its three-season run before being abruptly canceled in 2019. Set in a near future where robotic household aids known as "synths" are being implemented into society, Humans explores the impact the dramatic change has, leading to societal, cultural, and psychological fallout.

Within its premise, the show finds a disconcerting eeriness that creates an atmospheric tension while never condemning the robotic characters for their ambitions and goals. The end result is a scintillating British series with magnificent sci-fi intrigue that has the same sort of bleak outlook on the world as series like Black Mirror.

Buy on Amazon

11 'Sweet Tooth' (2021 - )

Created by Jim Mickle and Beth Schwartz

Blending a confronting dystopian world with a strong sense of fantasy, Sweet Tooth has already become an obscure hit series throughout its first two seasons. Its post-apocalyptic world is an imaginative one, with the series being set 10 years after a mysterious illness brought about societal collapse while, around the same time, mute babies started being born with odd mutations that gave them animal body parts.

With survivors unsure of whether or not these mutants brought about the world-ending disease, the hybrids are feared and even hunted in the dystopian landscape, with the story focusing on Gus (Christian Convery), a 10-year-old part-deer hybrid, and Tommy (Nonso Anozie), a reformed hunter who serves as the boy’s protector. An entertaining fantasy drama with a strong emotional core, Sweet Tooth has a distinct young adult allure, but can appeal to any audience member. Netflix has renewed Sweet Tooth for a third and final season.

Watch on Netflix

10 'The Walking Dead' (2010 - 2022)

Created by Frank Darabont

Arguably already a classic dystopian series based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead tells the story of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) who wakes up from a coma in the hospital to find himself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. He then goes on a journey to find his wife and son and teams up with, and leads, many other survivors along the way.

This series has gained a cult following, as well as multiple spin-offs like Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. While its quality could sometimes rise and fall sporadically, The Walking Dead was defined by its heart-stopping drama and the unbelievable intensity which so frequently came about when any number of fan-favorite characters found themselves in peril. As far as dystopian TV drama goes, there is arguably not a single series more emblematic of the genre throughout the 2010s.

Watch on Netflix

9 'Westworld' (2016 - 2022)

Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy

Based on the 1973 film of the same name, Westworld was an astonishing re-invention of an old classic with Jonathan Nolan using the titular amusement park, and later the wider world which abounds beyond it, to explore modern issues surrounding class and prejudice. Season one takes place almost entirely in the eponymous theme park, a lawless open world for wealthy clients where they can indulge in all their darkest fantasies in a Western setting without consequence.

As the series expanded, however, it saw the enslaved robots of the park begin to rebel against their programming as they developed their own consciences and broke out into the technologically advanced real world. The series completely overshadowed the film it was based on, using its central premise to delve into a vast range of socially and politically heavy ideas with grace and intrigue, all while boasting a magnificent cast to boot.

Buy on Apple TV

8 'The Man in the High Castle' (2015 - 2019)

Created by Frank Spotnitz

With Ridley Scott serving as an executive producer, Amazon Prime’s original series The Man in the High Castle is one of the streaming service’s best releases. Loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s novel of the same name, the show takes place in an alternate universe where the Axis were victorious in WWII, and America has been divided between German and Japanese rule with a neutral zone between the two.

The Americans living under tyranny find a new source of hope when they uncover footage from a parallel universe that shows a reality in which the Allies won the Second World War. The Man in the High Castle ran for four seasons and won universal critical appraisal on account of its engrossing plot, dynamic characters, and distinct dystopian tone.

Watch on Amazon Prime

7 'Silo' (2023 - )

Created by Graham Yost

A 2023 series that has become an instant hit, Silo excelled as an Apple TV+ original set in an underground silo in a future world where the people live and die in the shelter as the outside air has become toxic. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who becomes the Sheriff of the community, enabling her to investigate her lingering suspicions that the truth about the environment may not be what the governing body claims.

In addition to its enrapturing sci-fi mystery, Silo also boasted incredible production design, a brilliant script, and commanding performances which heighten the drama and serve as its defining highlight. Among the supporting cast are Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, and Tim Robbins. Silo has already been renewed for a second season.

Watch on Apple TV+

6 'Fringe' (2008 - 2013)

Created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci

In the show Fringe, F.B.I. Agent Olivia (Anna Torv) - has her eyes opened when she gets assigned to the Fringe Division, where she learns about the existence of seemingly dark and dangerous parallel universes. Along with Dr. Bishop (John Noble), Peter (Joshua Jackson), and Junior Agent Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole), she explores these universes and attempts to solve the mysterious cases interconnecting them all. The series’ dystopian elements lie in the parallel universes the team encounters.

Running for five seasons and garnering a cult following, many could argue that the series has already reached classic status. It is also one of the more unique dystopian shows out there, as Fringe focuses on danger lurking in parallel universes rather than the aftermath of a cataclysmic event or the creeping possibilities of technology. Fans of the genre who haven’t seen this show might be pleasantly surprised if they give it a try.

Watch on Max

5 '12 Monkeys' (2015 - 2018)

Created by Travis Fickett and Terry Matalas

Based on the original film starring Bruce Willis, the 12 Monkeys television series focuses on James Cole (Aaron Stanford), a time traveler from 2043 who must travel back to 2015 to stop a deadly virus from being released by the so-called Army of the 12 Monkeys. To save humanity from this plague, he must team up with Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull), a virologist who may be his only hope for stopping the virus.

Another television show that’s perfect for fans of post-apocalyptic media, 12 Monkeys overcame an underwhelming first season and went from strength to strength throughout the rest of the show's four-season run. While it follows the concept of the 1995 film, 12 Monkeys makes plenty of changes to keep audiences on their toes, resulting in a pulsating sci-fi thriller series that has every chance of becoming a revered classic and one of the best dystopian TV shows.

Watch on Hulu

4 'Station Eleven' (2021 - 2022)

Created by Patrick Somerville

Based on the novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven earned critical acclaim as a post-apocalyptic miniseries that analyzes the bleak world of a near-extinct humanity from a captivating and unique perspective. Set 20 years after a flu-ravaged civilization, it follows a small group of traveling entertainers as they cross paths with a dangerous cult whose leader has an unknown history connected to the troupe.

Both heartbreaking and captivating, the criminally underrated series makes the most of its sublime cast who enrich every dramatic moment of the series with their presence and gravitas. The miniseries is perfect for fans of dystopian drama as Station Eleven engages with the despair and violent desperation of a post-apocalyptic world with such bite that it would be a terrible shame if the series were to not become a cherished cult classic.

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3 'The Handmaid's Tale' (2017 - )

Created by Bruce Miller

Based on the Margaret Atwood novel, The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a dystopian United States called Gilead where fertile women are forced into a twisted form of sex trafficking that is meant to produce babies for the wealthy and powerful. The series focuses on one woman named June (Elisabeth Moss) who, while forced into this slavery, is determined to rescue her daughter and return to her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle).

A harrowing masterpiece of dystopian, sci-fi drama, The Handmaid’s Tale is perfect for fans of the genre as it depicts the darkest components of human nature while still having a core focus on crafting complex and interesting characters. The series has earned widespread critical acclaim across its five seasons and will likely be revered as one of the best dystopian shows ever made due to its originality and political relevance.

Watch on Hulu

2 'The Last of Us' (2023 - )

Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman

A series based on the hit video game of the same name, The Last of Us focuses on the hard-shelled smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) who is tasked with the ultimate job - transporting a teenage girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who may hold the key to saving humanity. The two undergo a harrowing journey across a post-apocalyptic America, evading the vicious fungal zombies and other survivors.

Having already broken streaming records for HBO, The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season and will continue to follow the plots of the popular original video games. The Last of Us is a rare highlight of video game adaptation for the screen, using the medium to expand on the source material and immediately establish it as one of the best dystopian series of all time.

Watch on Max

1 'Black Mirror' (2011 - )

Black Mirror, in the vein of The Twilight Zone, is an anthology series that delivers a sharp critique of modern society and its current and potential technological advances. It can be described as techno-dystopia as it focuses on the dark and twisted side of technology and the effects that it can have on people and society as a whole.

This series is particularly brilliant in the way it uses its anthology format to touch on a host of different topics, telling many different stories over the course of its runtime. From celebrities to internet scandals and going viral in the worst way, Black Mirror has every technological nightmare one can dream of, and it would not be at all difficult to argue a case that it has already reached a classic status that it will maintain for years to come.

Watch on Netflix

NEXT: The Best Dystopian Shows of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb