If Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day is looking like you’ll be celebrating at home—and this year, who isn’t?—then it’s prime time to start planning how you’ll spend your days. Why not make use of the opportunity to binge watch some shows you may have missed out on or be behind on.
We’re here to help! So in between checking out our indie sci-fi short films that we’ve been curating here for you, take a little time to plan your streaming for the next several weeks. Here are some of our favorite sci-fi series worth streaming in November and December.
The Mandalorian
Where to find it: Disney+
What it’s about: Follow the travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
Why watch it: Talk about the best of both worlds — you get a fix for that craving for more characters like Boba Fett, but you also get more than a movie or two. That creates the opportunity for fantastic stories, great vistas, and plenty of controversy. (Yoda eating frog’s eggs, anyone?)
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Where to find it: CBS All Access
What it’s about: The support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, have to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
Why watch it: If you geek out to Star Trek and haven’t caught this series yet, now’s the time to pony up for CBS All Access. Lower Decks is an animated riot of Star Trek Easter eggs so deep, you might miss some of them. Some are obscure, and some are not, but that plus the engaging humor make this show accessible to hardcore Trekkies and casual fans alike.
Avenue 5
Where to find it: HBO
What it’s about: The troubled crew of Avenue 5, a space cruise ship filled with spoiled, rich, snotty space tourists, must try and keep everyone calm after their ship gets thrown off course into space and ends up needing three years to return to Earth.
Why watch it: Like any comedy, Avenue 5 takes a while to hit its stride. And so does a sci-fi show where you have to learn how the world works. If you’re willing to give the show a little time, it’s worth the investment because it’s fun. Plus, how can anyone not want to watch Hugh Laurie?
Into the Badlands
Where to find it: Netflix
What it’s about: A mighty warrior and a young boy search for enlightenment in a ruthless territory controlled by feudal barons.
Why watch it: A lot of science fiction fans have come to their love of the genre through a love of kung-fu lovies. Into the Badlands delivers fantastically choreographed martial arts fight sequences that give a loving nod to those old films that made people like Bruce Lee famous back in the day.
Fortitude
Where to find it: HBO
What it’s about: Perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now.
Why watch it: Yes, we know it sounds like a traditional thriller, but it’s not. The background weaves in elements of horror and science fiction that’ll truly creep you out, but keep you coming back because the storytelling is so solid. The acting is topnotch, with special roles for people like Stanley Tucci and Dennis Quaid. And you’ll be both awed and intimidated by the foreboding icy landscapes.
Truth Seekers
Where to find it: Amazon
What it’s about: A team of part-time paranormal investigators use homemade gizmos to track the supernatural, sharing their adventures online. As their haunted stake outs become more terrifying they begin to uncover an unimaginable, apocalyptic conspiracy.
Why watch it: Yeah, we know ghosts aren’t sci-fi. But Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are non-negotiables — too funny not to watch. The comedy is quirky and intelligent, with the signature everyman style that Frost and Pegg bring to just about everything they do.
Future Man
Where to find it: Hulu
What it’s about: Josh Futturman, a janitor by day and a gamer by night, is recruited by mysterious visitors to travel through time to prevent the extinction of humanity.
Why watch it: This is one of those shows that’s weird in a good way. It plays with tropes from 1980s sci-fi, drops pop culture references, tells a solid story, and brings about big laughs. Chances are, if you liked Ready Player One, you’ll like Future Man too.