Slow buildups and long talks about scientific concepts are great, but insci-fi, sometimes viewers just want to jump on a roller-coaster and keep going. For that reason, this list will ignore shows likeThe ExpanseandStargate SG-1,where there are notable action sequences, but viewers have to bear with long periods of doctorate-level scientific discourse first. Let’s leave the heavy theory to the professors.
Action-packed sci-fi shows are always great bets for networks and streaming services since they are likely to appeal to both hardcore genre fans and casual viewers. Thanks to the endless action sequences, it’s always possible for the latter category of television lovers to have a great time without fully comprehending everything. Kids never feel left out either.
Need to see punches, shootouts, and chases right from the opening minutes to the series finale (or the latest episode)? Here are 10 sci-fi shows that are full of action from start to finish.
10’Twisted Metal' (2023 – Present)
PlayStation’s classic vehicular combat game was made into a colorful, action-packed, and hilarious TV show thatbroke viewership records on Peacock. As is the case in the game, events inTwisted Metaloccur ina future where the world was destroyed by a large-scale cyberattack. Major cities are now walled fortresses, and criminals have been exiled to live in lawless areas.A few people now work as “milkmen” (deliverymen tasked with transporting goods between cities).One of them is the motor-mouthed John Doe (Anthony Mackie).
Twisted Metalhas so much mayhem, you’ll be calling for a water break.Stay tuned for the seven-minute vehicular battle scene in the Season 1 finale. The characters areMad Max-like, while the vehicles are likeFast & FuriousmeetsPimp My Ride.One villain drives an armored ice cream truck, while our protagonist has EV3L1N (Evelyn), a turbocharged, AI-assisted, orange 2002 Subaru WRX, that even gets jealous when he starts spending too much time elsewhere.Anthony Mackie’s familiarity with sci-fi projects is also a great boost for the show. He looks comfortable here.
9’Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' (2008 – 2009)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chroniclesdisregards the events of the critically panned film,Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and picks up right where James Cameron’sTerminator 2left off. This time, Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker) work around the clock toprevent the creation of an early version of Skynet (the sentient A.I. computer system destined to destroy humanity in the future).
Schwarzenegger Isn’t Back, But That’s Not a Problem
Hasta la vista to Arnold Scharzenneger and Linda Hamilton. It would have been great for them to be here, buttheir absence isn’t an issue. Arny’sstolen bootsare filled quite well by Lena Headey, who keeps heading in the direction of gunfire without a care in the world. Garret Dillahunt also portrays Cromartie, a T-888 sent back in time to kill John, to loathsome effect.Shot with blockbuster-style immediacy, this 2000s gem still makes for stark, powerful viewing, suggesting to us the outrageous moves we should be making to prevent us from being at the mercy of AI in the future.
8’Sense8' (2015 – 2018)
OutsideThe Matrix, The Washowskis’ catalog has more misses than hits, but the reputation of the directors should be greater on the strength ofSense8alone. The show introduces us toseveral dutiful individuals from several parts of the globe who are mentally connected. It’s all good, but the fickle nature of the members of the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO) won’t let the matter rest, forcing the protagonists to unite and take a stand against them.
Should Never Have Ended
No doubt one of the coolestshows made by film directors,Sense 8isa great story of gifted individuals battling to save themselves from corporate meddling. You won’t forget the Nairobi bus chase or the warehouse gunfight in Berlin.Each character is also developed properly, their woes clearly outlined, so every punch they throw feels justified. So good is the show that its cancellation triggered a #RenewSense8 hashtag, forcing Netflix to order a two-hour special to wrap up the events properly.
7’Nowhere Man' (1995 – 1996)
One day, photojournalist Thomas Veil (Bruce Greenwood), fromNowhere Man,steps out and realizes no one knows who he is. His wife has even moved on with another man, and his studio is now being occupied by another person. Worse still, his credit cards no longer work. What the hell? This could be related to a photo he took of American servicemen torturing citizens, right? Well, the show has interesting answers.
A Long Search for Answers
Think ofNowhere ManasThe Fugitiverather thanDie Hard. Moments such as the bar fight in the pilot or the train yard chase all lean towards a realistic and clumsy “Average Joe” style rather than the clean “ex-operative/cop” kind. Nonetheless, you’ll find this very refreshing. The fact that thesci-fi elements are immediately laid out in the open is also commendable. They only pop up via twists. And the showrunner deserves all the praise for being bold enough to call out improper military practices. A beautiful compositional musical sense and an occasional traditional flute score complement the series’riveting meditation on identity, power, and justice.
6’Orphan Black' (2013 – 2017)
Tatiana Maslany stars inOrphan Blackas Sarah Manning, adrifter who discovers she is one of several genetically identical clones, each with distinct lives. As she and her “sisters” try to puzzle out a way to end the madness, the more they become enmeshed in a potentially noxious conspiracy. Along the way, they learn gruff, heavy lessons in loyalty and the clever, evolving art of subterfuge.
No Peace Between Lookalikes
Orphan Blackmay not match many ofTatiana Maslany’s other worksin sheer virtuosity and thematic complexity, butit’s more fun, largely because of the scenery-chewing, and the inherently bizarre contrast between the clean, polished clones and their unkempt “sisters.”Even better, they don’t always get along, so the fighting never stops. Overall, the showexcels by extensively examining human fertility, eugenics, and the ethical implications of cloning. So good is Maslany here that her Emmy snub led to an online revolt.
5’RoboCop: The Series' (1994)
RoboCop: The Series— reworked from a discardedRoboCop 2screenplay — was eclipsed by the two blockbuster live-action movie sequels that were released in the early ‘90s, but it shouldn’t be missed. Like the movies,the show follows the titular cyborg police officer as he slowly points his gun at both under-experienced and experienced hoodlums in his city.
You… Are… Under… Arrrrrrest
The show is silly… way sillier than the movies, but it’s a lot of fun. Here, RoboCop takes plenty of punishment, and it somehow never messes up with the engineering of his body. But whenever he is in the mood, he makes the villains pay. Muchcredit goes to lead actor Richard Eden, who came out of soap opera hits likeSanta BarbaraandFalcon Crestto portray a man who can’t kiss. His RoboCop has a No-Kill rule, so viewers get to see lots of cool recurring antagonists. Bottom line: In this version, our favorite copdemonstrates more than a black and white perspective on law enforcement, and we love him more for that.
4’The Six Million Dollar Man' (1973 – 1978)
All is not lost for USAF astronaut Colonel Steve Austin (Lee Majors) when he gets seriously injured during a NASA test flight crash inThe Six Million Dollar Man. Somewhat like Robocop, hisbody is rebuilt with complex, expensive bionic implants, giving him superhuman strength. The government thenhires him as a secret agent.
Steve the Iron Bender
Based on Martin Caidin’s 1972 novel Cyborg, which was the show’s working title during pre-production, thisgripping tale of fate, baddassery, and enduranceis widely regarded as a ‘70s masterpiece. It’s also credited with predicting the use of advanced bionic implants in humans. Overall,the action is spectacular, often featuring slow-motion sceneswhere Steve Austin performs extraordinary feats. He lifts cars, bends steel bars, and everything imaginable. Pure fun!
3’The Mandalorian' (2019 - 2023)
Set afterReturn of the Jedi, The Mandalorianfollowslone bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) as he tries to protect the Force-sensitive child, Grogu, from nefarious Imperial forces. It’s the first live-action series in theStar Warsfranchise. A feature film,The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will act as a sequel to the show, is also scheduled for release in May 2026.
Magnificently Produced, Well-Acted
The Mandalorianhas such an overabundance of great action sequences that it’s hard to single out specific ones as superior. And you can see it all coming when Din and IG-11 first team up in that iconic circular shootout in the series premiere. Filmed in gorgeous shades of color, the show isthe consummate expression of the franchise’s primary theme: the suffering of noble-hearted characters and speciesacross the galaxy.Elegant camera moments, powerful acting, and engaging twist-of-fate subplotsculminate in explosive action sequences that underscore the series' meditative, basic humanistic premise: “Without caring for the weak, we are all nothing."
2’Knight Rider' (1982 – 1986)
InKnight Rider,undercover detective Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) isrecruited to a private law enforcement unit known as the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). He isprovided with an AI-powered Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Known as KITT, it is programmed to protect itself and its driver and to think on its own. Through the new job, Knight witnesses the rot and injustice at the heart of society.
Like a Tesla From 2050
Though not an easy watch in 2025,Knight Riderisan enjoyable outing for open-minded souls willing to ignore the dated CGI. Through Knight’s impressionable eyes and the all-seeing vehicle (with its easily bruised ego), we get to see all the demeaning ways criminals treat people. Better yet, weget to see them punished for it via well-choreographed action sequences. Watch out for the villain with the Peterbilt 352 Pacemaker semi-truck that is packed with rockets to destroy police cars.
1’Firefly' (2002)
Fireflydrops us in 2517, when humans have figured out this entire space exploration business and occupied a new star system.The crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship, travels across the universe and faces all kinds of nasty characters.The show’s main characters are revealed to have fought on different sides of a civil war that resulted in two surviving superpowers, the United States and China. Interestingly, the two united to form a federal government: The Alliance.
A Fun Amalgamation of Space Opera and Western Genres
The critically acclaimed sci-fi show isfull of spectacle and conflict. No wonder Joss Whedon was picked up by the MCU years later. Whether it’s the tense escape sequence in the premiere or the rooftop train heist, the memorable moments keep coming. It’s a shame there’s only a single season. Thankfully, the filmSerenitywraps up the tale brilliantly. Even though Whedon is now a pariah in Hollywood, it would be great to see a revival, perhaps with a different showrunner, but with the same tone and dialogue. We are here for thosewisecracks and Mandarin curses.
