dimensional travel tv shows

14 Multiverse Movies And TV Shows To Watch After Doctor Strange 2 And Everything Everywhere All At Once

Watch every one of these everywhere you can, but not all at once.

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once

In 2021, the Marvel Multiverse was officially introduced as canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Disney+ series, Loki, the animated anthology, What If…?, and the blockbuster event, Spider-Man: No Way Home . Since then, it appears that the world has gone crazy for the Multiverse lately, with movies like Daniels’ astonishingly inventive comedic thriller , Everything Everywhere All At Once , and the newest Marvel movie , Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , coming out in such close proximity.

However, this trend is really nothing new in Hollywood, as several popular titles and hidden gems alike have explored the bizarre and intriguing concept of alternate realities, whether that has meant, literally, sending characters into another dimension, experimenting with story structure from a different perspective, or the complexities of cause and effect. See for yourself by checking out these cool Multiverse movies and TV shows below - starting with another Marvel movie that pre-dates the MCU’s exploration of inter-dimensional travel.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

After a radioactive spider bite gives a teenager (Shameik Moore) extraordinary abilities, an accident involving a strange machine brings him face-to-face with other beings like him, but from alternate realities.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Before Spider-Man: No Way Home brought three cinematic Peter Parkers together, various, increasingly unusual variations of the webslinger from the comics (including Spider-Gwen and a pig named Spider-Ham) shared the screen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - an Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature that spawned two upcoming sequels which will explore the Multiverse concept ever further.

Rent (or buy) Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse on Amazon .

The Flash running in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Barry Allen ( Justin Chambers ) struggles to return to his world after waking up in another in which he has no powers, Bruce Wayne’s father ( Kevin McKidd ) is Batman, Superman (Sam Daly) is a government prisoner, and his mother (Grey DeLisle-Griffn) is still alive.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Another great animated superhero movie about alternate realities is Justice League : The Flashpoint Paradox - the first feature-length adaptation of the famous comic book arc in which the speedster accidentally creates an alternate timeline, before the upcoming DC movie , The Flash , used it for inspiration.

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Stream Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox on HBO Max . Rent (or buy) Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox on Amazon .

Crisis On Infinite Earths (2019-2020)

Supergirl ( Melissa Benoist ), Batwoman ( Ruby Rose ), The Flash ( Grant Gustin ), Green Arrow ( Stephen Amell ), and others must team up with heroes from other realities to save the Multiverse.

Why it’s a great Multiverse TV event: The CW’s The Flash TV series actually did their own version of Flashpoint , too, before the Arrowverse adapted one of the the most iconic cross-dimensional comic book events of all time, Crisis on Infinite Earths , which was told in five-parts - each one being an episode of a different series from the shared universe.

Stream Supergirl Season 5, Episode 9 on Netflix . Buy Batwoman Season 1, Episode 9 on Amazon . Stream The Flash Season 6, Episode 9 on Netflix . Stream Arrow Season 8, Episode 8 on Netflix . Stream Legends of Tomorrow Season 5, Episode 1 on Netflix .

Community - Season 3, Episode 4 (2011)

At a housewarming party, Jeff ( Joel McHale ) decides to choose who will bring up the pizza from downstairs by rolling a die, despite Abed’s ( Danny Pudi ) warning that it will create six different timelines .

Why it’s a great Multiverse TV episode: Another iconic TV event exploring alternate realities is “Remedial Chaos Theory” - one of the best Community episodes for how it cleverly (and often darkly) imagines how the simplest of decisions can result in a vast variety of different outcomes.

Stream Community - Season 3, Episode 4 on Netflix . Stream Community - Season 3, Episode 4 on Amazon Prime . Stream Community - Season 3, Episode 4 on Hulu .

Sliders (1995-2000)

A young science prodigy (Jerry O’Connell) accidentally creates a portal that sends him and others on a journey through multiple parallel universes, hoping that the next slide is the slide home.

Why it’s a great Multiverse TV show: A TV series that specialized in cross-dimensional travel on a weekly basis was Sliders - a fun, unique sci-fi adventure from co-creators Tracy Tormé and Robert K. Weiss.

Stream Sliders on Peacock . Buy Sliders on Amazon .

Altered States (1980)

A science professor (William Hurt) experiments with rare hallucinogenic drugs while floating in a sensory-deprivation tank and experiences startling visions of other worlds that begin to affect him both mentally and, supposedly, also physically.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: If experiencing life in another dimension sounds fun to you, you may think again when you see director Ken Russell’s Altered States - one of William Hurt’s best movies and one of most surreal horror movies ever made.

Rent (or buy) Altered States on Amazon .

John Dies At The End (2012)

Two young slackers (Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes) become the only hope for humanity when a drug known as “Soy Sauce” sends users into alternate dimensions, but often with grotesque and deadly results.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Multiversal travel by way of mind-altering and body-transforming substances is also the main concept behind John Dies at the End - a fun adaptation of David Wong’s inventive horror-comedy novel, from Phantasm director Don Coscarelli, that also stars Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown .

Stream John Dies At The End on HBO Max . Rent (or buy) John Dies At The End on Amazon .

Peter Weller in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984)

A rock star (Peter Weller) with a few other talents up his sleeve and his team race to prevent Earth from suffering an impending invasion by an alien race from a bizarre parallel universe.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Another fun sci-fi movie about inter-dimensional travel starring Clancy Brown is The Adventure of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension - a delightfully zany, quirky, and visually arresting cult favorite from director W.D. Richter.

Stream The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension on Pluto TV . Rent (or buy) The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension on Amazon .

The One (2001)

A cop (Jet Li) goes head to head with his doppelgänger from another universe, who is hunting down every last alternate version of himself after learning he grows stronger with each kill.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Another action-packed, but more earnest (in tone, at least), dimension-spanning adventure is The One - which then-retired actor Ke Huy Quan worked on as a stunt rigger more than two decades before starring in another thriller about a homicidal multiverse traveler - Everything Everywhere All At Once .

Stream The One on Netflix . Rent (or buy) The One on Amazon .

Mr. Nobody (2009)

In a futuristic utopia in which agelessness has been achieved and made universally common, a journalist (Daniel Mays) interviews the world’s last mortal man (Academy Award winner Jared Leto), but grows puzzled at which one of three life stories he tells is the truth.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Another unique sci-fi flick about someone at war with his alternate selves (but less violently so) is Mr. Nobody - writer and director Jaco Van Dormael’s thought-provoking, visually astonishing, and inspiring meditation on the power of decision and consequence that is also, quite simply, one of the weirdest freaking movies I have ever seen.

Stream Mr. Nobody on Hoopla . Rent (or buy) Mr. Nobody on Amazon .

Sliding Doors (1998)

The destiny of a young woman from London (Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow), especially the outcome of her love life, hangs in the balance because of whether or not she manages to catch a train on time.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: A more grounded meditation on the power of decision and consequence whose exploration of alternate realities is more of an experiment in story structure is Sliding Doors - a romantic dramedy from writer and director Peter Howitt.

Stream Sliding Doors on HBO Max . Stream Sliding Doors on Amazon Prime .

Run Lola Run (1998)

The lives of a young woman from Germany (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend (Moritz Bleibtreau) hang in the balance because of whether or not she manages to collect a large of sum of money within 20 minutes.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Another (somewhat) grounded movie released in 1998 that experiments with story structure by exploring the concept of alternate timelines is Run Lola Run - a high-adrenaline instant classic from writer, director, and composer Tom Tykwer that is technically three films in one.

Stream Run Lola Run on Showtime . Rent (or buy) Run Lola Run on Amazon .

Yesterday (2019)

After a power outage hits London, a young, struggling musician (Himesh Patel) finds himself in a world where The Beatles never existed ( among other pop culture phenomena ) and uses his knowledge of their music to better his career.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: Other than Sliding Doors , perhaps the most lighthearted title on our list of multiverse movies would have to be writer Richard Curtis and director Danny Boyle’s romantic musical dramedy, Yesterday - which, unlike Sliding Doors , is more of a straight-up fantasy, but with, otherwise, grounded and relatable themes of losing one’s self to ambition.

Rent (or buy) Yesterday on Amazon .

Coherence (2013)

A suburban dinner party takes a sour turn when a comet passes overhead, somehow causing an unusual situation that puts old friends at odds with one another and with their own selves.

Why it’s a great Multiverse movie: I am actually not at liberty to say anything else about Coherence because, just by including it on this list, I have already given away more about director James Ward Byrkit’s refreshingly clever, thoroughly haunting, and partially improvised brainteaser than I would like to.

Stream Coherence on Amazon Prime . Stream Coherence on Tubi .

I actually think that any film or TV show that deals with themes of alternate universes is best experienced with a clear mind. It makes me wonder if there is another reality in which a variant of myself has never seen or heard of the titles above, and gets to watch them all with a clean slate and for the first time. If anything could make me envious of an alternate me, it would certainly be that.

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

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10 Best Alternate Dimensions Movie and TV Shows

With ‘Stranger Things’ reopening the gate to excellent alternate dimension storytelling, we dig into some of the other best examples!

“Children, somewhere in South Park, something has created a door to the evil, parallel universe!”

Stranger Things is a love letter to ‘80s hard sci-fi in the best possible way. While it wags influences like John Carpenter and Stephen King in your face like a roving tentacle, it also decides to fulfill a very specific sect of science fiction. Stranger Things tells the story of a missing boy and the appearance of a mysterious girl, but it’s ultimately a series about alternate dimensions, more specifically, when doorways to those alternate dimensions open up in our own backyard.

Now just to delineate what is specifically being looked at here, these are not films or TV shows dealing with parallel realities, some what if? sort of exercise, or dalliances with alternate history. These are specifically instances where a rift appears in our universe and it’s a gateway into another dimension (meaning something like The Matrix would fail to qualify). There are far too many alternate universe stories otherwise, with this very specific qualifier being crucial here because it’s the sort of alternate dimension being depicted in Stranger Things. With Stranger Things delivering an immensely satisfying alternate dimension narrative, we thought we would explore some of the other more satisfying instances of alternate dimensions coming into play in horror. In no particular order:

10. Star Trek

Arguably one of the most beloved alternate dimensions out there, Star Trek’s “Mirror Universe” is Parallel Universe 101. This dimension is your basic swap job where the level-headed, pacifistic crew of the Enterprise are bloodthirsty, villainous conquerors in the “Mirror Universe.” Oh, and certain characters have a goatee because what better way to delineate that someone is evil? Star Trek’s original series opens up this can of mirror-worms, but it’s a concept that grew so popular with fans that it became a staple on Deep Space Nine, cropped up on Enterprise, and has invaded all sorts of other Star Trek media.

Now, I know that Star Trek isn’t horror, but I’m going to do some crazy dot connecting here and you’re going to go along with it because you trust me. South Park’s Halloween installment, “Spookyfish,” features killer animals, not to mention a goateed version of the cast , all of which come from this same “Mirror Universe.” This episode is full of some over the top deaths, not to mention the great gag that Mirror Universe Cartman is actually nice . Anyways, horror . There. Point proven!

Before Joss Whedon was creating superhero blockbusters that printed money, he was working on some criminally powerful television. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is rightfully heralded as the influential TV show that it was, but I daresay that its spin-off, Angel, is ultimately the better program. The vampire detective series’ second season chose to close things off with a three-parter that saw Angel Investigations traveling to the demon world of Pylea. Rather than some standard parallel universe, Pylea is the universe that Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan—otherwise known as “Lorne”—hails from; a medieval-esque dimension where humans are filthy slaves. Complete with its own vocabulary, Pylea’s differences are mostly played for laughs, but the series not only gains a lot of mileage out of the universe hop, they also acquire a new cast member out of the detour. Pylea might never be returned to in Angel, but its presence is felt through the rest of the series in the form of Fred and Lorne (and sure, Groosalugg too, why not).

8. Rick and Morty

When it comes to passing between alternate dimensions, Rick and Morty has very welcome become the preeminent master on the topic. Hell, it’s a concept so fundamental to the series that it’s even copiously depicted in the series’ opening credits . Largely aided by the fact that Rick wields a portal gun that opens up gateways to random alternate dimensions, this is a show that has shown off a lot of neighboring dimensions. This show covers so much dimensional ground it even checks in with C-list universes like a dimension where every proper pronoun begins with “schm-.” The series gets so invested in all of the ridiculous alternate dimensions that are out there that they’ve even made a yearly tradition out of an episode that is purely television from other dimensions. And it’s the greatest.

Again, maybe you’re getting all snooty and being like, Rick and Morty is comedy and sci-fi comedy at that! What in Universe R-221 God’s name is going on here! Well, Rick and Morty has happily dipped into the horror well a number of times (including a planet that’s a huge riff on The Purge ), but additionally, Rick and Morty also “Cronenberg” their universe before jumping into the one that they currently inhabit. That’s got to get some sort of horror points. This cross-dimension interplay eventually becomes crucial to the series, with a Council of Ricks from various dimensions (our Rick and Morty are from universe C-137) making up a Time Lord-ish board of officials. It’s worth mentioning that Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon is no stranger to alternate dimensions, with Community and its “darkest timeline” only being absent from this list because we don’t actually see traveling between universes.

7. The Mist

Stemming from one of Stephen King’s strongest short stories, The Mist is not only top notch alternate dimension fare, it’s also claustrophobic, boiled down narrative at its finest. The film (directed by a very on-point Frank Darabont) sees a number of individuals get cornered into a supermarket together as a strange mist takes over their community. Mist would be one thing, but this troublesome vapor brings with it a heap of monsters that are a whole lot more menacing than condensation. While monsters are a considerable threat, The Mist delves just as deep into paranoia and the fracturing group dynamics of the survivors. It’s not long before dissent is bubbling up.

One of the best things about The Mist is that it’s not clear that this is an alternate dimension story until towards the end (and The Mist is pretty much the poster child for pessimistic, bleak endings). The film amps up the mystery and uses the reveal of other worlds as a build up to the gut punch conclusion. It couldn’t be more startling. Here the rift between dimensions is a result of scientists experimenting too much and “breaking” reality, a trajectory that Stranger Things and a number of series explore. With an upcoming Mist television series currently filming, hopefully it will nail the same otherworldly mystique and danger that the film captures so well (and doesn’t end up turning into another Under the Dome …)

6. In the Mouth of Madness

In the Mouth of Madness is John Carpenter’s delirious love letter to H.P. Lovecraft, and it’s a thoroughly entertaining film, for better and worse. The film sees a beleaguered Sam Neill trying to figure out why people seem to be losing their minds after reading the latest horror novel by Sutter Cane. It’s not long before this insanity is spreading to pandemic levels and the film bringing into question if all of this is just an extension of Cane’s writing. There’s a lot to love in this movie, but the final act introduces the idea that Cane is receiving his power from some otherworldly Gods, which are all too eager to invade our world. The “tearing” scene is some of Carpenter’s best work, with the tastes of this demon world being incredible. The perfect conclusion tops all of this off too, with the reveal that these monsters have taken over the world and brought about the End of Times.

In the Mouth of Madness also forms one-third of Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy” along with The Thing and Prince of Darkness, and it’s certainly the craziest of the bunch. Sure, the thing in The Thing is a gross delight, but getting that glimpse of the carnage that’s on the other side of the dimensional opening is terrifying in a whole different kind of way. It’s like a Thing family reunion going on over there.

5. South Park

So South Park might have had made a cameo of sorts earlier on while helping represent Star Trek’s “Mirror Universe,” but the long-running animated series also explores other dimensions in an entirely different way, too. While a lot of the choices here dig into an alternate dimension that offers up some slight variation on the “prime-universe,” South Park provides something different here. Instead, Imaginationland—aptly enough—is more a cobbling together of all the pop culture and fiction on Earth and throwing it together into one playground. South Park’s Imaginationland trilogy (which was originally set out to be the series’ second film) is some of the show’s strongest work and unsurprisingly turns this multi-dimensional tale into a biting parable about losing our originality.

The sheer amount of carnage that goes on in Imaginationland makes it feel like a selection that fits in just fine on this horror list. Besides, in all of the pop culture mash-up mayhem that’s going on, certain horror icons like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhes even show up. While the children of South Park might get to the dimension of Imaginationland organically, that doesn’t stop the government from trying to crack this science and build a gateway that allows them access to this world. This gate into Imaginationland might bear more than a few resemblances to the sort of dimensional tech that’s seen in Stargate, but they’re the first ones to bring up the fact (and that’s the most discussion you’re going to see here on Stargate —I’ll leave my Stars suited for Wars and Treks, thank you very much).

4. Silent Hill

The original Silent Hill film doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves (it’s largely ignored, surprised-it-exists sequel is overlooked exactly as much as it should be). Christophe Gans’ adaptation of Konami’s popular survival horror series is clearly a labor of love on the director’s part, with the film lovingly pulling from aspects from the first four games in the series, rather than just doing a straight adaptation of the original game. This mix-and match approach retains crucial aspects of the series like a parent’s quest for their missing child, unsettling religious cults, and body-horror embracing monsters, while simultaneously having the liberty to indulge in the franchise’s most upsetting creations.

Silent Hill is another tried and true situation of “all the freaky shit is courtesy of an interdimensional rift” but the film is less about the trappings of this creepy town, but rather the haunting atmosphere that permeates through it all. The game’s aching feeling of dread is effortlessly recreated in Gans’ film and is only strengthened by the fact that the town’s alternate dimension is sneaking up on you. The “darkness” as it is referred to in the film switches on and off, taking the residents into the cursed version of reality. A complicated backstory on the town dealing with a history of witch burnings and rituals that distill the pure and evil essence of someone are ultimately responsible for the tear that plagues the town. This tragic history birthing a fracture in reality is a welcome dynamic to explore, with the one-way mirror-esque ending adding to the multiple dimension concept in an enriching way. Sometimes you can be staring directly at an alternate dimension and not even realize it.

3. Under the Skin

So Under the Skin might be a bit of a cheat—we never exactly see Scarlett Johansson’s alien surrogate cross through dimensions into her world of black—but this is just such a unique, masterful piece of cinema that it deserves some extra attention (and if you’ve yet to see this film, stop your reading and begin your movie watching!). Jonathan Glazer’s quiet, methodical film is different than any of the other horror on this list. The film operates with such a Kubrickian energy. Dialogue is sparse. Cinematography is sprawling. And Johansson gives the performance of her career as an alien that is trying to feed—but really, just make sense of this planet and survive. What follows is such an engaging experience with Glazer embracing naturalist filmmaking to a crazy degree (all of Johansson’s “passengers” in the film are non-actor, everyday Irishmen from the area).

Under the Skin has a lot to say, but its scenes that take place in its alternate dimension are frightening on such a gut level. This isn’t a world marked by an apocalypse, monsters, or giant slices of anthropomorphic pizza, it’s just a void of black that Johansson is in complete control of. It’s almost like this alternate dimension is her feeding tool. What follows are some of the most evocative images to come out of horror in the past few years.

2. “Parallel Monsters” from V/H/S: Viral

Say what you will about V/H/S: Viral, but Nacho Vigalondo’s ( Timecrimes ) impeccable dimension-crossing segment is worth the price of admission alone. “Parallel Monsters” is the very best sort of short that begins with such excitable glee and concludes with paralyzing terror. The short depicts a budding inventor perfecting the science between creating a doorway to another dimension. Not just any other dimension however, but rather one that seems to be parallel to our own. The inventor even sees a duplicate version of himself waiting on the other side. Naturally, the curiosity of these two seemingly identical scientists gets the better of them and they decide to swap worlds in a bizarre sci-fi take on The Prince and the Pauper.

There’s such an efficient simplicity with watching this outsider slowly explore this new world. With each passing moment of something in this new world seeming identical to our own, the anxiety gets higher over when the differences are going to begin. “Parallel Monsters” paces itself well and when those differences do rear their heads you couldn’t be more surprised over how these dimensions are different. The phrase “genital monsters” might not spell out the entire picture, but it’s at least a commendable start…

Fringe is a series that is constantly amazing and whenever I merely think of the show I’m filled with a feeling of joy. Here is a series that for all intents and purposes reinvented The X-Files, while managing to arguably do a more satisfying, consistent job at the same time. It’s the most efficient series I can think of in terms of perfectly marrying together standalone episodes with larger mythology fare and each of its gamechanging five seasons completely stick the landing.

There’s a lot to unpack with Fringe and simply classifying it as satisfying monster-of-the-week fare would be an injustice to the intricate, larger story at hand. While I implore you to dig into every nook and cranny that Fringe has to offer, in the end this comes down to a series about a father and son and how one’s inability to let go of the other causes a steady destruction of two worlds.

You see, yes there are monsters, anomalies, and “fringe science” events that keep happening here, and it’s all because one man traveling between parallel dimensions and upsetting the balance has led to a steady chain reaction of instability between these two worlds. This idea that is merely hinted at originally eventually becomes so crucial that large spans of season are spent within this Earth-2. In fact, you full out begin to empathize and care about all of the Earth-2 counterparts of the show’s main cast. With the series progressively spending more time in Earth-2, it’s surprising how much enjoyment is gained from charting the simple differences between worlds. Earth-2 has an Eric Stoltz starring Back to the Future, 9/11’s tragedy involved the White House and not the World Trade Center, and coffee is a priceless rarity. Yes, there’s a lot of science to explore with the show’s alternate dimensions, but there’s also just as much fun to be had. Seeing the differences between Earth-1 and Earth-2 characters never ceases to be entertaining (and something that is currently seeing a lot of success as The Flash wallows in similar territory currently).

Fringe more or less turns into a war between Earth-1 and Earth-2, with the losing dimension being destroyed in the process. Believe it or not, this development becomes even more complicated as time goes on, with even more realities and dimensions being thrown into the mix. Fringe brilliantly begins to signal which universe its episodes are taking place in depending on whether the episode’s opening credits are presented in “red” or “blue.” As the show continues though, a wealth of alternate title sequences and accompanying dimensions start to be sorted through. The credits even act as an efficient way of informing you which universe this episode is taking place in.

All of the selections on this list deal with alternate dimensions in creative ways, but Fringe truly bakes it into its DNA and uses it as a storytelling device. It’s a love letter and the standard to follow moving forward.

With Stranger Things not only reopening this sub-genre in a very exciting way, but also showing that it can connect on a mainstream level, it should be interesting to see if more pieces of fiction tackle the topic. Stranger Things is also only getting started, so who knows what a possible second season could hold on the topic of a rift between worlds. But what say you, intrepid readers? What are some of your favorite examples of when a hole between universes appears? AND YEAH, YEAH, I KNOW ABOUT SLIDERS, IT JUST FELT A LITTLE ON THE NOSE. IN SOME OTHER UNIVERSE, THIS LIST WRITTEN BY DANIEL KURLAND CR-47 ONLY HAS SLIDERS ON IT, SO YA’ HAPPY? GO TO EARTH CR-47 AND LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT SLIDERS WILL YA’!?

Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

“Friday the 13th: The Series” Didn’t Need Jason Voorhees to Be an Entertaining Horror Show [TV Terrors]

For this month’s installment of “TV Terrors” we revisit “ Friday the 13th: The Series ,” which aired from 1987 to 1990 – and did not feature Jason Voorhees in a single episode.

One of the best memories of my childhood involves five year old me, my four year old brother and my mom hunkering down in front of the TV on a Saturday with some jelly cookies, and putting on channel 11 to watch “Friday the 13th: The Series.” Since my mom’s idea of winding down is watching anything horror oriented, we were more than happy to oblige, and “Friday the 13th: The Series” offered up the proper level of scares to keep me invested but never frightened. The series debuted in October of 1987, and stars Canadian pop star and model Robey as Micki Foster, a young woman who inherits the antique store “Vendredi’s Antique’s” from her Uncle Lewis.

But this is no ordinary antique shop…

Lewis made a deal with the devil, you see, in exchange for material wealth, powers, and immortality, to sell cursed antiques to unfortunate collectors and consumers. Micki inherits the store alongside her estranged cousin, the affable Ryan (played by John LeMay ). They partner with the older, and wiser Jack (as played by Chris Wiggins ), a retired magician who takes on the duty with his cohorts to travel around the world recovering the cursed antiques. Developed by Frank Mancuso Jr. and Larry B. Williams , “Friday the 13th” was a great series that leaned heavily into horror and the occult, often relying on a serialized, case of the week format that worked quite well.

The series injected a truly charming mysticism about it where every episode creatively spawned a new menacing antique that always led back to Micki trying to comprehend the true scope of her uncle’s ill-fated deal with the devil. The trio of Robey, LeMay, and Wiggins allowed for a great chemistry that made them empathetic heroes we often rooted for, always working with the deck stacked against them; eventually, LeMay was replaced in Season 3 with the less interesting Johnny Ventura ( Steve Monarque ). “Friday the 13th: The Series” established an interesting mythology and world akin to “Kolchak” and “X-Files,” easily sucking in viewers at the time.

Some of my favorite episodes includes Season One’s “Tales of the Undead,” in which Ryan witnesses an attack by a character from his favorite comic book. Ryan eventually tracks down the comic’s creator, a bitter man named Jay Star who has a violent agenda against his former business partners that stole his character for fame and fortune. “Vanity’s Mirror” is a sad episode centered on nerdy girl Helen who steals a gold magic compact mirror. The reflection of the mirror puts men under her love spell, and she uses it to lure and murder her male tormentors. “Eye of Death” from Season Two finds a rival antique dealer who uses a magic lantern to travel back to the Civil War where he steals artifacts off the battlefields to resell them in modern times.

‘Friday the 13th: The Series” – The Inheritance

“Face of Evil” is the sequel to “Vanity’s Mirror,” now focused on aging super model Tabitha Robbins, who finds the gold compact. Now the compact bears the power to grant its user eternal youth, at the cost of other people’s lives, and Tabitha becomes desperate when the group tracks her down. “Scarlet Cinema” is another top five episode centered on a film student with a love for werewolf films who uses a cursed movie camera to bring the monster to life. Eventually he becomes a werewolf himself, terrorizing various people. It’s a great episode celebrating classic horror.

“Hate on Your Dial” centers on young Ray who is sold a cursed car radio by Johnny; said radio can allow him to travel to the past. A proud racist, Ray uses the device to find his father who is a powerful Klansman and hopes to find a way to prevent him from a murder conviction. “Night Prey” centers on a vampire hunter who steals a golden cross that can kill vampires. He uses the cross to track down his wife who was turned by a powerful vampire in hopes of turning her back. It’s a good episode albeit one that feels very unlike the series’ typical content.

Although the series did often watch like an anthology, “Friday the 13th: The Series” felt a lot like a classic horror based movie serial with our group of antique dealers going on various hunts for these cursed items. The fact this was all before technological advances like the internet, GPS, or cell phones helped inject so much more urgency and tension.

But “Friday the 13th: The Series,” despite its good ratings, was abruptly cancelled in the middle of its third season, amounting to a smaller episode count, and no official series finale.

It’s tough to discuss the series without tackling the elephant in the room. One of the more common questions that horror fans have asked for decades is if the series is meant to be a spinoff of the slasher movie series of the same name. The title certainly implied it was, but the in-name-only series (originally titled “The 13th Hour”) makes no reference to the movies. There were some rumors that they were planning to feature Jason’s mask as a cursed antique in the final scene of the series, or as a prop in the background, but those were never really confirmed.

After (and in spite of) its cancellation, the series thankfully flourished in syndication for many years, and continues to pop up on TV to this day. It re-aired constantly on network television and in cable syndication for almost two decades on places like The Sci-fi Channel, and the now defunct Chiller TV. It has most recently been airing on Comet TV. The series was never revived, nor did we ever get an official finale. However, in 2009 we did get what many consider a spiritual sequel, “Warehouse 13.”

This sci-fi/adventure leaning series was essentially the same premise with a group of agents hired by the government to investigate and track down ancient cursed artifacts that are said to hold special powers. At their peril they travel around the world retrieving the artifacts and bringing them back to the warehouse for safe keeping. The series was a hit and lasted five seasons on the Syfy channel in America; it is also considered by many fans as an unofficial successor that carried on the concept without fail.

Whether or not it’s ever been officially canonical to the slasher movie series continues to be a never ending point of discussion among horror fans, but there’s no denying that “Friday the 13th: The Series” is a quality horror show that’s always worthy of re-discovery.

Where Can I Watch It? The complete series is still widely available on DVD, and as of this writing, “Friday the 13th: The Series” still airs often on Comet TV on cable television.

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The 32 Best TV Shows About Time Travel

Time traveling is a popular topic when it comes to all types of entertainment from books to films. But in recent years time travel has also become a popular theme in TV.

So let’s take a look at this list of the best time traveling TV shows and find out how each of them handles time travel and all the history that comes with it.

Doctor Who, BBC One (1963 – 1989, 2005 – present)

When it comes to time traveling and TV, probably the most notable name in this niche is Doctor Who because this time travel series has been around for 39 seasons and is still going strong.

Hailing from British television channel BBC One, Doctor Who tells the tale of the Time Lord aka The Doctor, and his companions as they travel to different times and try to prevent evil forces from changing history and hurting innocent lives.

Once the Time Lord gets hurt beyond healing, he can transform into a new body and continue saving the world. Hence why at this point 13 (soon to be 14) different actors have played The Doctor.

Doctor Who is not only a huge part of the fabric of British popular culture but by now this time travel show has found its way into the hearts of many people all over the world.

It has inspired many spin-offs in the form of TV shows, comic books, movies, novels, you name it. But more than that, by now it has become an industry standard both when it comes to science-fiction television series and shows about time travel.

No wonder that Doctor Who continues to be successful after countless actor changes and plot twists.

Where to watch Doctor Who:

Timeless, nbc (2016 – 2018).

Another time travel TV series that has already become a cult classic and is adored by fans all over the world is NBC’s Timeless . And despite the turmoil that this show has gone through, it still is time traveling at its best.

Starring Malcolm Barrett, Matt Lanter, and Abigail Spencer as Rufus, Wyatt, and Lucy, Timeless details the trio traveling to different times in an effort to stop their adversaries from rewriting history.

But as it later turns out, the conspiracy goes deeper than them just changing history. Since the people who our trio is chasing are traveling through time to take down a dangerous and all-powerful organization. The same one that helped build the time machine that Rufus, Wyatt, and Lucy are using.

And although Timeless went on for just two seasons (and a two-hour wrap-up movie), you should still check out the show because it’s not only entertaining but will make you think and want to know more about the events that each episode is exploring.

Where to watch Timeless:

Dc’s legends of tomorrow, the cw (2016 – present).

If you are a fan of superhero TV shows, then you will probably have heard about DC’s Legends of Tomorrow . It is a show that is a huge part of The CW’s Arrowverse. And has crossed over with shows like Arrow , The Flash , and Supergirl multiple times now.

And even if you don’t like the rest of the superhero series but do enjoy a good old time travel TV show, then I suggest you still give Legends of Tomorrow a watch.

The plot of this show is based around a team of superheroes that are traveling through time in their time machine christened the Waverider to prevent different catastrophes from happening. Both ones made by others and those created by the team’s previous adventures.

At the forefront, there are well-known DC heroes like Rip Hunter, Firestorm, The Atom, Kid Flash, Steel, and Vixen. Joined by some original characters like Caity Lotz’s White Canary among others.

One of the defining characteristics of Legends of Tomorrow is how fun it is. Because adjectives like unapologetic, witty, and entertaining are frequently used to describe this time travel series.

However, more than that, it adds an interesting layer to the whole Arrowverse universe. And above all, it is just a hoot to watch.

Where to watch Legends of Tomorrow:

12 monkeys, syfy (2015 – 2018).

Then there also is SyFy’s 12 Monkeys , which is a little darker take on time traveling. One that comes with mystery, drama, and apocalyptic stakes. But that doesn’t lessen how good this time travel TV series is.

Split between two timelines, 12 Monkeys centers on Aaron Stanford’s James Cole, who is tasked to travel back in time and stop the distribution of a virus that has the ability to end the human race as we know it.

In Cole’s real timeline, the year is 2043 and people are struggling to survive because of the terrible mutations caused by the virus. So Cole travels back to 2015 to find virologist Cassie Railly, played by Amanda Schull, that can help him stop the release of the virus and the organization that is behind it called The Army of the 12 Monkeys.

If you think about it, the post-apocalyptic setting and time travel really do go hand in hand. Because if you can go back in time to stop history from being changed, why not go back to change it if it prevents something terrible from happening?

And that is what this show explores. Beautifully combining elements of mystery, drama, and science fiction, to form a great TV show.

Where to watch 12 Monkeys:

Outlander, starz (2014 – present).

Want another show that mixes time travel with historical events and does it flawlessly? Then you should put Outlander on your must-watch TV show list!

The show starts in the 1940s when a combat nurse Claire Randall visits Inverness, Scotland as part of her second honeymoon with her husband Frank. Claire accidentally happens upon the standing stones at Craigh na Dun which transport her back in time to 1743.

To return to her own time she first has to survive 18th-century Scotland. And she does so by joining a group of rebel Highlanders from Clan MacKenzie and marrying one of the Highlanders, Jamie Fraser. But eventually, she falls in love with her new husband and aids the clan in evading British redcoats that are pursuing them.

Over the five seasons of Outlander that are currently out (with the sixth coming soon), we see Claire jump back and forth between the 20th and 18th centuries and her two families as she faces two pregnancies, wars, and much more. But eventually, Claire finds her way back to Jamie.

Where to watch Outlander:

Travelers, showcase (2016 – 2018).

Then we have Travelers , a joint venture between Netflix and Canada’s Showcase that will tick all of your time travel TV show boxes.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world , this show depicts the adventures of travelers – operatives who go back in time to prevent the collapse of society.

These travelers are transferred into the bodies of our current-day humans, who otherwise would die, to blend in with twenty-first-century people. And with the help of their artificial intelligence boss from the future, travelers carry out missions in order to stop many catastrophic events from happening.

Travelers is a great mix of sci-fi and drama, featuring a great cast and spine-tingling storylines. So if you love all that and love a good time-travel series, then look no further than Travelers .

Where to watch Travelers:

Dark, netflix (2017 – 2020).

Netflix’s first German original series was the science fiction series Dark , which mixes in some mystery drama with sci-fi: time travel, the apocalypse, wormholes, and parallel worlds.

Dark takes place in Winden, a fictional German town, and begins in 2019 after children begin to disappear from the town. As the show progresses, however, timelines jump drastically between as early as 1921 to as late as 2053.

As four families in Winden investigate the disappearances to reunite with their lost loved ones, they discover a wormhole beneath the local powerplant that allows them to travel between timelines, thus uncovering a generations-long conspiracy involving the town and their families.

Where to watch Dark:

The umbrella academy, netflix (2019 – present).

Netflix brings another to the list with The Umbrella Academy .

On October 1, 1989, 43 infants were suddenly born from unsuspecting women despite them not even being pregnant the day before.

7 of them were raised together as the Hargreeve siblings and trained in their respective abilities until their relationship became strained as teenagers and they drifted apart.

Now, as adults, they’re brought back together by the death of their adoptive father – and the threat of the end of the world, of course.

They’re forced to travel back in time but end up in different times and places, and must find each other again to stop the nuclear apocalypse.

Where to watch The Umbrella Academy:

Seven days, upn (1998 – 2001).

We know that the National Security Agency has its share of secrets, but what if one of those secrets was a time-traveling machine?

In UPN’s Seven Days , the plot centers on one such device made from alien technology found at Roswell.

The Chronosphere, as it’s called, can only be used in times when national security is at risk – the limited capacity of the device allows for just one human to go back in time by seven days in order to avert disasters.

Thus, when the White House is attacked, the NSA employs former Navy SEAL and CIA operative Frank Parker to go back and prevent it from happening.

Where to watch Seven Days:

Loki, disney+ (2021 – present).

Yes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the greatest gifts to the cinema of our time. Now, the MCU has expanded even further into the television medium and we’ve got a few series to accompany it!

One of those is Loki , which of course, centers on the God of Thunder’s mischievous adopted brother.

After the events in Avengers: Endgame , particularly his stealing of the Tesseract, Loki inadvertently creates another timeline that began in 2012, making him a “time variant” version of himself.

When confronted by the authorities, Loki is given two choices: face punishment and cease to exist, or travel through time to fix his own mess and the threat that has emerged.

Where to watch Loki:

Making history, fox (2017).

The thing about traveling back in time is, you have to be very careful that your actions in the past won’t affect the future (which is essentially your actual present).

Most of the time, that’s something you wouldn’t know until you go back to your time. In Making History , however, Dan Chambers travels back in time to right before the American Revolution and sets off a series of events that seriously mess up the future.

Being able to constantly travel between time periods, Dan recruits the help of history professor Chis Parrish to travel with him and ensure that the American Revolution still takes place.

Where to watch Making History:

Quantum leap, nbc (1989 – 1993).

The title of NBC’s sci-fi comedy-drama Quantum Leap is also the name of the time travel machine that accidentally sends its creator, physicist Dr. Sam Beckett, back into the past.

Now, he’s stuck – and not as himself, either!

Sam discovers that he jumped into the body of a stranger and because he’s still himself, doesn’t know all the details of his current identity.

With the help of his friend Al, who appears as a hologram only he can see, he must fix something that went wrong so he can jump in time again and eventually get back to his own body.

Where to watch Quantum Leap:

Quantum leap, nbc (2022 – present).

Speaking of Quantum Leap , in 2022 NBC revived the 1989 series into a more modern take on the cult classic.

In this new Quantum Leap , thirty years have passed since Dr. Sam Beckett vanished into the Quantum Leap accelerator, and the Quantum Leap project was put to rest.

Now the project is restarted with a new team, who tries to puzzle together the mysteries behind Beckett and his time-traveling machine.

So, we follow Ben Song, the lead physicist of the Quantum Leap time travel project, who gets lost in the past after leaping back in time.

As he tries to return to the present he is helped by his fiancée Addison Augustine, who appears to him as a hologram during each leap, and the team back in the present time.

Where to watch Quantum Leap reboot:

The way home, hallmark channel (2023 – present).

Among the newest time travel shows on this list is Hallmark’s The Way Home which has already been renewed for a second season.

The Way Home follows three generations of Landry women who learn that they can time travel after discovering a magic pond on their family’s farm in Port Haven.

When Kat and her daughter Alice return to Port Haven and are forced to move in with Alice’s estranged mother Del, the three women use time travel to uncover their family history, including what really happened to Kat’s little brother Jacob and whether they can prevent his disappearance.

Where to watch The Way Home:

Russian doll, netflix (2019 – 2022).

Netflix’s Russian Doll deviates from the traditional time travel theme of a willing traveler in one specific timeline because Russian Doll’s protagonist Nadia Vulvokov not only has absolutely no choice or control over her so-called time traveling, but hers is also a time loop.

She wakes up every day having to relive the day of her 36th birthday party in New York City; every time, she dies and comes back to the exact same moment.

Every time, Nadia scrambles to figure out what happens to her and tries to prevent her death, leading her to find Alan, a man who is experiencing the same time loop.

Where to watch Russian Doll:

Undone, prime video (2019 – present).

Undone may be an animated series, but it certainly isn’t geared toward younger audiences; though there is a touch of comedy, the series leans more towards the psychological drama genre and “explores the elastic nature of reality”.

The series follows Alma Winograd-Diaz right after she gets into a near-fatal car accident.

Right before the crash, she has a strange vision of her dead father, and right after it, she finds that she now has the ability to manipulate and move through time.

Using this newfound power, she travels between time periods to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her father’s death.

Where to watch Undone:

Voyagers, nbc (1982 – 1983).

Premiering back in the early 1980s, NBC’s Voyagers! Is set in a world where time travel already exists.

In fact, there’s already a secret society in place that trains its members, called Voyagers, to go back in time and make sure that historical events happen exactly the way they’re supposed to – otherwise it could affect the present in unexpected ways.

One such Voyager is Phineas Bogg, although he isn’t exactly the best at the job.

During an accidental trip to 1982, he meets the young Jeffrey Jones and ends up bringing him along on one of his missions.

Having lost his Guidebook, Phineas now needs to rely on the extremely smart Jeffrey to get history right.

Where to watch Voyagers!:

Fringe, fox (2008 – 2013).

Fox’s Fringe is a series that was well into the science fiction genre, with parallel universes, supernatural abilities, biotechnology, doomsday predictions, and of course, time travel.

The title is taken from fringe science, which is a branch that deals with scientific theories riddled with skepticism or even having been disproven already.

In Fringe , Special Agent Olivia Dunham is assigned to oversee the FBI ’s Fringe Division, which is run by Peter Bishop and his father Walter.

Together, the team uses both fringe science and Olivia’s knowledge in investigative techniques to explore the unexplained.

In the process, they discover a larger mystery involving parallel universes and alternate timelines .

Where to watch Fringe:

Time after time, abc (2017).

ABC’s Time After Time is based on the novel of the same name written by Kevin Williamson in 1979.

In addition to that, each episode takes its title from a line in Cyndi Lauper’s song, which was inspired by the film (and subsequently, the same book!).

In Time After Time , we are taken to H.G. Wells’ home in 1893.

During a dinner party, he reveals his time machine – right before his guest John Stevenson is arrested for actually being Jack the Ripper .

John escapes through the time machine and Wells follows him straight into the present: 2017. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse game as John attempts to gain control of the machine.

Where to watch Time After Time:

11.22.63, hulu (2016).

When you have anything with Stephen King involved, you know it’s going to be great.

Hulu’s eight-episode miniseries 11.22.63 is based on King’s novel 11/22/63 and is a science fiction thriller like no other.

Starring James Franco in the lead role, 11.22.63 follows Jake Epping, an English teacher from Maine .

His best friend Al reveals a time travel machine and asks him to take over the mission he’s been working on: to travel to the 60s and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Will Jake be successful in changing a past that simply refuses to be changed?

Where to watch 11.22.63:

The 4400, usa network/sky one (2004 – 2007).

The 4400 is yet another slightly different take on the idea of time travel, in that there has been just one (fairly significant) shift forward in time, to the present.

Beginning in 1946, individuals who were easily overlooked or marginalized by society slowly began disappearing through beams of green light.

Now, all 4400 of them (hence the title) have been returned to the present day – without having aged a day and in some cases, even manifesting supernatural abilities like telekinesis, healing, and telepathy.

Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris are assigned to investigate the phenomenon and find out why the 4400 have returned.

NOTE: For a fresher take on the show, you can also check out the reboot of the original series which is currently airing on The CW.

Where to watch The 4400:

Somewhere between, abc (2017).

When tragedy strikes our lives, we always wish there was something we could’ve done to prevent it.

In ABC’s Somewhere Between we meet Laura Price, a successful news producer with a great career, a loving husband who’s a district attorney, and a beautiful daughter named Serena.

However, her life changes when the serial killer she is helping the cops to catch kills Serena.

Distraught with grief , Laura attempts to complete suicide but is unsuccessful, instead waking up having time-traveled to a week before Serena’s death.

She teams up with Nico, a former SFPD detective who experienced the same reset and wants to find the real killer to change his brother’s fate as well.

Where to watch Somewhere Between:

Terra nova, fox (2011).

Terra Nova takes its viewers to both extremes of the time-traveling timeline.

The present-day is 2149, where overpopulation has threatened to deplete the Earth’s resources.

In an attempt to save Earth and mankind, scientists have found a way to travel back in time, sending groups of humans back to the Cretaceous Period to set up colonies.

Terra Nova focuses primarily on Elisabeth and Jim Shannon, and their three children, who have joined the 10th pilgrimage to Terra Nova.

They offer their expertise as a trauma surgeon and former narcotics detective and help those in charge with stopping those whose intentions go against the greater good.

Where to watch Terra Nova:

Frequency, the cw (2016 – 2017).

One concept in time travel is known as “the butterfly effect”, wherein one small change in time may have great effects elsewhere.

Frequency demonstrates this concept perfectly.

Raimy Sullivan is an NYPD detective who, after a strange weather phenomenon, discovers that she can communicate with her dead father through his old ham radio.

Believing he was a corrupt cop, she learns the truth and warns him of his murder, thus saving his life.

However, this has profound effects on the future – Raimy’s present.

Now, they must work together across time to save her father and preserve the present.

Where to watch Frequency:

Life on mars, bbc one (2006).

In many of the shows on the list so far, the protagonists experience a time loop that’s triggered at the point of their death.

It’s no different for Sam Tyler, the main character in the British series Life on Mars .

Sam is a Detective Chief Inspector with the Greater Manchester Police, but one day he accidentally gets hit by a car.

When he awakens, he’s in 1973 and working at one rank lower than he was: Detective Inspector.

The selling point of Life on Mars , however, is that we’re left unsure if Sam’s predicament is due to his actual death, a comatose, or time travel.

Where to watch Life on Mars:

Always a witch, netflix (2019 – 2020).

Always A Witch (or Siempre Bruja in its original Spanish title) is a Colombian series that is set in both present-day Colombia and the 17th century .

The series follows Carmen Eguiliuz, a young 19-year-old witch who, after committing the crime of falling in love with a white man in 1646 colonial Colombia, is scheduled to be burned at the stake.

She gets a chance to escape to a new life when the mysterious wizard Aldemar makes a deal with her: he will save the man she loves if she travels into the future to find the woman who can break his curse.

Where to watch Always a Witch:

Beforeigners, hbo (2019 – present).

HBO’s Beforeigners is a Norwegian sci-fi crime drama series and the first Norwegian original from HBO Europe.

The title is a clever play on words centered on the general plot: a group of “foreigners” has suddenly shown up at a neighborhood in Oslo, and they are all from “before” times, or several different time periods in history.

Whether from the Viking period , the Stone Age, or the more recent 19th century , each of these ‘Beforeigners’ tries to integrate in modern-day Norwegian society.

One of them even partners with a detective to investigate first a murdered Stone Age woman, then a series of murderers tied to Jack the Ripper.

Where to watch Beforeigners:

Alice, sbs tv (2020).

Alice was a South Korean sci-fi series that aired in late 2020.

In the lead-up to the main plot, the show’s background is explained to its viewers.

Set in 2050, time travel is monitored by an agency called Alice, which sends its clients to the past to help find closure with deceased loved ones.

Alice one day sends two agents to 1992 in order to find the Book of Prophecy, but one of them disappears with the book and her unborn child.

In 2020, the child becomes a detective and in his investigation into his mother’s death in 2010, discovers the existence of Alice and time travel.

Where to watch Alice:

Live up to your name, tvn (2017).

Yet another South Korean time travel series , Live Up to Your Name initially takes its viewers some 400 years into the past, right in the middle of the Joseon dynasty.

There we meet Heo Im, a doctor of traditional Korean medicine who also specializes in acupuncture.

On one of his treatments of the king’s migraines, he made a mistake and was charged with treason.

Chased by the king’s soldiers, he’s shot with an arrow and presumed dead when he falls into the river – except he ends up waking up in present-day Seoul instead, where he meets cardiothoracic surgeon Choi Yeon-kyung.

Where to watch Live Up to Your Name:

My only love song, netflix (2017).

Our third South Korean series is Netflix’s My Only Love Song , which aired in 2017.

We start off in modern-day Korea where we meet Soo-jung, a talented and top-level actress.

However, it seems that the fame may have gotten to her head as she’s arrogant, and believes fame and money make the world go round.

When things don’t go her way on her new show, she winds up in a time-traveling van that takes her to the 6th century.

There, she meets a man much like herself in terms of arrogance, but his hidden soft spot and generosity towards the poor changes her perspective on her own life and self.

Where to watch My Only Love Song:

Signal, tvn (2016).

Signal is based on the 2000 American film Frequency , but another thing that sets this South Korean series apart from others is that the cases investigated in the series are also based on real-life crimes in the country.

Signal follows a cold case profiler from 2015 and a detective from 1989 simultaneously; they discover they’re able to communicate with each other through an old walkie-talkie.

Using this unique ability to provide much-needed foresight in investigations, they team up to both solve and in some cases, even prevent these horrific crimes.

Where to watch Signal:

Rooftop prince, sbs (2012).

Last but not least, South Korea brings its last time-traveling series to the table with Rooftop Prince , a comedy-drama filled with intrigue, mixed identities, and possible reincarnations.

Crown Prince Lee Gak from the Joseon dynasty accidentally time travels to 2012 with three others from his entourage, and their lives are thrown into a whirlwind.

He crosses paths with Se-na, who looks exactly like his recently deceased wife.

In the hopes of getting answers about his wife’s mysterious drowning, he assumes the identity of another man who he also looks exactly like and attempts to marry Se-na in this timeline as well.

Where to watch Rooftop Prince:

11 comments.

Tomorrow people cw

You forgot The Time Tunnel, an Irwin Allen sci-fi show (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost In Space, Land of The Giants), all classic 60s sci-fi

Journeyman should also be on this list. It was only half a season on NBC but it wraps up to a satisfying conclusion.

Fantastic acting and interesting characters.

Glad someone else watched Journeyman. I thought I’d was a great spiritual successor to Quantum Leap.

Journeyman is one of the good shows u can watch but qunatum leap i watched and didnt like

Where is The Time Tunnel?????

Another show for your list is “Being Erica” (CBC, 2009-2011). Excellent writing, and very unique.

i was looking for this comment. such an underrated show

I concur. This was definitely a great one. It certainly provides a lot of food for thought.

Some of the information in the Doctor Who one is wrong. It started in 1963, it was only revived in 2005 (you put 2006), and it’s been going for 39 seasons, as of June 2022

Thanks for letting me know! I updated the article accordingly.

Screen Rant

10 great tv shows that re-write time & reality.

The video game ‘Life is Strange’ follows a girl that can rewind time and make changes in her life - much like these 10 reality-altering TV shows.

Easily one of science fiction's most unstable can of worms, time travel also serves as the foundation for many of the genre's best stories - as heroes and villains attempt to alter the present by meddling in the past and (slightly less often) the future. Time travel and alternate realities have been a staple of novels, movies, and TV series for decades; however, recent years have seen the subject matter taken to new heights through the interactive video game medium - where players don't just travel back in time, they make unique decisions that can impact future events.

Recently, Dontnod Entertainment and Square Enix partnered to release Life is Strange - in which the game's protagonist, Max Caulfield, has the ability to travel in time and re-write her future. Of course, in spite of the benefits, Caulfield quickly realizes that even her most selfless attempts to change the past can still result in dire outcomes for the future. The game features plenty of the genre's most interesting moral and thematic touchstones - while forcing players to live with their decisions (and subsequent future realities), whether good or bad.

That got us thinking about our favorite time travel and alternate reality stories that were told on the TV screen? Our choices lie ahead. Note: our list has been organized by date of release - not countdown-style priority.

Of course, our list is not all-inclusive, so feel free to share your favorite TV series that center on time travel and/or alternate realities in the comment section. It goes without saying, this post may contain SPOILERS for all of the TV shows we've included in the list.

Doctor Who (1963-Present)

The Premise : A time-traveling alien (who looks human) adventures across space and time inside his ship, the TARDIS (permanently disguised/stuck as a blue police box). Along the way The Doctor visits ancient earth civilizations and advanced future worlds, among other sci-fi locales, in order to sate his curiosity, protect innocent lives, and impress his human friends (his companions).

Why Doctor Who is Great: Doctor Who was created with an extremely flexible premise - one that, week to week, featured entirely different settings (in time and space) and, year to year, fresh faces in both the companion and lead Doctor roles. Initial episodes of the series were intended to be educational, for young viewers, but over half-a-century later the show has developed into a mind-bending adventure story that kids and adults can both enjoy. Without question, there have been plenty of silly time-travel stories over the years, along with some genuinely great ones, but the show's sharp writing and heavy emphasis on regeneration (behind the scenes and on camera) ensure that Doctor Who can grow and evolve with the times. BBC's recent move from hipster-like hunks in the starring role to an older, more stern, version of the Doctor exemplify what is so great about the series - it is ever-changing (and always toying with expectations).

Quantum Leap (1989-1993)

The Premise : Fearful that his experiment will be shut down, physicist Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) enters his experimental time-machine, the Quantum Leap accelerator, only to become stuck in the past - inside the body of a doomed jet pilot. With the help of his friend, in the future, Rear Admiral Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell), Sam determines that righting the wrongs of the past is the only way for him to get back to his own time. Every time that Sam "leaps" he is faced with a new place and time, as well as a new person to save, with the ongoing hope that his next leap will return his consciousness home.

Why Quantum Leap is Great: Similar to Doctor Who , Quantum Leap was designed with a flexible premise - one that allows the same character to explore key moments in the past (and future) as well as gently alter reality for the better. However, while the show provided straightforward procedural entertainment, the series' greatest success was its ability to push boundaries in how viewers perceive the human condition - both good and bad - through outright showing what it is like to walk in another person's skin. The setup was most effective and apparent in episodes that saw Sam leap into the body of a black man in the segregated south or a dock worker with down syndrome, among other estranged members of society.

LOST (2004-2010)

The Premise : In the aftermath of a plane crash, the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 begin to explore a seemingly uninhabited island in the middle of the pacific ocean - setting up shelters and securing provisions to keep the group alive until rescue arrives However, within a few episodes of the show's premiere, it becomes apparent that the Island is home to mysterious forces and inhabitants - capable of aiding and/or harming the survivors.

Why LOST is Great: While LOST did not center solely on time-travel or alternate reality, it dabbled heavily in both by the time the series ended. The introduction of Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) and Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies), especially, led to some genuinely high-brow sci-fi storytelling in primetime - as the LOST characters (and subsequently their audience) tried to unpack mind-bending time-travel traits and theories (course-correction and the constant, among others). The time-shifting elements came full circle when Ben Linus (Michel Emerson) "moved" the island - which not only made for an interesting story arc, it also provided the framework for LOST 's writing team to layer new context into past events on the island. Additionally, while not outright time travel, the flashback/flashforward/flashsideways format of the program, which juxtaposed on-island character struggles with corresponding storylines that occurred in the past, present, and future, was instrumental in developing nuanced arcs within the core cast over time.

FlashForward (2009-2010)

The Premise : When nearly everyone on earth blacks out for exactly 137 seconds, most (not all) are given an unexplainable glimpse six months into their future. As each person struggles to make sense of their own future, especially as it relates to their current circumstances, a Los Angeles branch of the FBI is assigned to investigate the blackout's cause. At the center of the investigation is Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) whose flash-forward included out of context glimpses at a case board - which the agents attempt to reassemble piece by piece in order to solve the central question: if/when will another black out occur?

Why FlashForward is Great: Riding the wave of high concept science-fiction shows on primetime, following the success of LOST , FlashForward only lasted for one season. Yet, despite a number of shortcomings, the series presented a fascinating, and largely unexplored, concept to network TV viewers: how personal knowledge of the future could destroy present contentment or give conviction to those in need of direction. With only brief out-of-context flashes to guide them, the characters of FlashForward were challenged to chase or deter their previewed futures - providing intriguing insight into how we, often, take the present for granted in fear/hope of what is to come. The series ultimately failed in its effort to be a "must watch" primetime show but, those that stuck with FlashForward until the end were treated to an ambitious sci-fi concept that raised interesting questions - though it often struggled to turn those concepts into cohesive narrative TV viewing.

Continuum (2012-Present)

The Premise : After a massive terrorist attack, targeting the North American Union, kills thousands of innocent lives in the year 2077, the perpetrators of the attack (known as Liber8 ) escape capital punishment - by escaping into the past (via a time travel device). However, City Protective Services officer Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is inadvertently caught in the device's reach - transporting her, along with the terrorist group, back to the year 2012. With the help of Vancouver police detectives, Kiera tracks down the escaped convicts - who, led by Edouard Kagame (Tony Amendola), are actively attempting to change the future and prevent the corporatocratic control of world governments.

Why Continuum is Great: Even though Continuum riffs heavily on ideas that have been explored in numerous time travel stories across a wide variety of mediums (example: the ability to change the future by altering past events), the Canadian series also includes several thought-provoking twists and insights - along with engaging performances from the main cast. It might not be the most original time travel story ever told but Continuum successfully builds on a solid foundation laid by earlier/similar premises - while differentiating its narrative and characters in a variety of interesting ways. Those looking for a brain-twisting tale of time travel and its potential consequences may not find a ton of new ideas in the series but viewers who tuned in week after week have been rewarded with an entertaining cast, slick production, heartfelt storylines, and thought-provoking sci-fi quandaries.

NEXT PAGE: TV's Best Mind-Bending Alternate Realities

Sliders (1995–2000).

The Premise : When Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell) refines vortex technology, allowing humans to "slide" between parallel universes, the budding physicist, along with his friend, Wade Wells (Sabrina Lloyd) and singer Rembrandt "Cryin' Man" Brown (Cleavant Derricks), as well as mentor, Professor Maximillian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies), are pulled into the subsequent wormhole - and stranded in an ongoing parade of alternate Earths (with drastically varying circumstances, terrains, and inhabitants). After each slide, the group must race against the clock to learn about a new variation of Earth and solve any obstacles that would prevent them from re-entering the vortex. Should they fail, they'll be stuck for 29.7 years in the new universe; should they succeed, they'll be one slide closer to (hopefully) returning to their Earth home.

Why Sliders is Great: Like Quantum Leap before it, the biggest strength of Sliders (in addition to a likable cast) was the show's ability to reflect aspects of modern culture - by heightening reality through science fiction scenarios (via parallel realities). While there were plenty of silly episodes, designed to highlight just how different Earth could be, given minor differences in the past that resulted in enormous ramifications on the future (dinosaurs avoided extinction or the British defeated America in the Revolutionary War), the show's most poignant installments managed to communicate universal truths about the human condition. To that end, some of the most engaging (and memorable) episodes of the series actually featured variations of Earth that were closely aligned with our reality - albeit a few key differences (men are considered the weaker sex and, as a result, Hillary Clinton was President in 1995 not Bill).

Life on Mars (BBC: 2006-2007 & ABC: 2008-2009)

The Premise : After being hit by a car in the present (2006/2009) lawman Sam Tyler awakens to find himself in the exact same spot over thirty years in the past - specifically 1973. While Tyler is aware of the abrupt shift in time, he awakens with a 1970s police badge, wearing period clothing, and driving a retro Chevrolet Chevelle. Unsure of what is actually happening to him (is he dead, a time traveler, or going crazy?), Tyler assumes the role of a police transfer and, in between solving cases, begins investigating his unexplainable situation.

Why Life on Mars is Great: While both the BBC and ABC Life on Mars TV series share a similar premise, there are some key differences: lead actor (John Simm/Jason O'Mara), location (Manchester/New York), present date (2006/2009), and the final explanation for Tyler's time hop, among others. Nevertheless, both series provided an interesting twist on the police procedural sub-genre - while, by their respective conclusions, toyed with heady sci-fi ideas (that had been supplanted into the mix from the very beginning). Most viewers agree that ABC's Life on Mars ultimately fell short with an unsatisfying explanation - despite success in executing the core 1970s procedural storyline; whereas, BBC managed to provide viewers with some genuinely brainy (and heartfelt) concepts to ponder in its finale. In fact, the BBC series was successful enough in blending drama and alternate reality rumination that the network greenlit a sequel series, Ashes to Ashes , which added further insight into the true nature of Tyler's circumstances.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

The Premise : Continuing where Terminator 2: Judgement Day left off, The Sarah Connor Chronicles follows the ongoing adventures of Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her future freed0m fighter son, John (Thomas Dekker), as they attempt to stay alive - in spite of a never-ending string of homicidal cyborgs sent back to kill them. Tracing the same lines as previous Terminator films, the Connors are joined in their fight by allies both human, Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green) and Terminator, Cameron (Summer Glau), among others - on a quest to survive and destroy a pre-SkyNet AI computer system.

Why Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is Great: While The Sarah Connor Chronicles doesn't outright feature multiple parallel universes, rewriting reality is (and has always been) the main plot of the franchise. To that end, The Sarah Connor Chronicles is no exception - taking Kyle Reese's original claim that " the future is not set. There is no fate but what we make " while presenting the Connors (and humanity's future) with bigger and more threatening dangers (especially in the form of Garret Dillahunt's T-888). Unfortunately, the series only lasted two seasons, and ended on an unresolved cliffhanger that (mostly) compromises the show's place in the larger Terminator continuity; still, thanks to some Battlestar Galactica -like twists (specifically Terminators hidden in plain sight), The Sarah Connor Chronicles provides an engaging standalone time-travel story as well as a worthwhile chapter in the larger tale of SkyNet attempting to re-write reality (via altering past events).

Fringe (2008-2013)

The Premise : Following the death of her partner (and lover), Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is recruited by the FBI's Fringe Division - charged with investigating (and studying) crimes that cannot be explained by conventional forensics. With the help of a genius (but often unstable) research scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Olivia is pulled into a world filled with monsters, biological weapons, alternate timelines, and parallel universes. Together, the Fringe Division team works toward eliminating threats to our Earth - be they terrestrial or from another dimension.

Why Fringe is Great: Initially Fringe started out its run as a relatively straightforward procedural - albeit one that relied heavily upon brainy science fiction ideas. Even as a straightforward show, with a case of the week, the series was an entertaining watch; however, the show's season 1 finale cracked the Fringe world wide open - when Olivia visits a parallel universe version of Manhattan (and eventually encounters alternate versions of the main cast). At times, the series' reach overextended its grasp but, over the course of several seasons, the show delivered genuinely fresh sci-fi ideas (and thoughtful drama) to primetime TV - painting the Fringe world(s) as a place of quirky characters and grey morality (much like the process of scientific discovery). Thanks to the parallel universe setup, along with its inhabitants, Fringe characters could look into the eyes of their doppelgänger to understand how past experiences and choices influenced the people they became (for better or worse).

Awake (2012)

The Premise : After LAPD detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) and his family are injured in a car accident, the detective awakens from a coma and is faced with two competing realities: one where his son survived the wreck (and his wife died); the other, where his wife lived (but his son was killed). However, due to the hyper-realistic nature of each world, Britten is unable to determine which one is real life and which is a dream. Every time he goes to sleep, he wakes up in the other reality; while counselors in each reality attempt to prove their side is the actual one, Britten becomes increasingly dependent on the shared existence - knowing that if he ever figures out what is real and what is a dream, he'll be forced into a final goodbye with either his son or his wife.

Why Awake is Great: Even though it received mostly positive praise, Awake was limited by the network to 13 episodes - which, thankfully, complete Britten's story. As a result, the show provides an engaging and heartfelt storyline that is easily digestible over a few days of binge watching. At times, the show struggled in its efforts to weave cop show storylines between both realities (where events in one led to revelations in the other); however, Awake succeeds in its chief endeavor: making smart use of its central premise while also delivering some genuinely impactful human drama. The show commits to its premise - forcing Britten to overcome unique obstacles in both realities (the loss of a child and the affect it has on a marriage in one, the loss of a partner and the challenges of single parenthood in the other). To that end, even when the procedural elements of the show are heavy-handed, Isaacs' portrayal of a man torn between two worlds (and loved ones) supplies an ambitious and sincere viewing experience.

Honorable Mentions

There are plenty of TV shows filled with time travel and alternate realities but here are few more that we wanted to highlight:

Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Day Break (2006)
Primeval (2007-2011)
Journeyman (2007-Present)
Hindsight (2015-Present)

MORE: 10 Time Travel Movies We’d Never Want To Experience

As mentioned, our list is not all-inclusive, and we're interested to hear which time travel/alternate reality TV shows are your favorites. Share your picks in the comments!

If you wish to experience Life is Strange (and its blend of satisfying, guilt-free cruelty and second chances) yourself, episode 1 and 2 of the game are available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Check out a trailer for the game below, and for more information head to its official website :

20 Best Time-Travel Shows Ranked

If you could travel back and forth through time, where would you go? What would you do? Who would you talk to? Even better, if you were writing a book, making a movie, or working on a television show about time travel, what would you include? The best TV shows about time travel all feature characters who visit other eras for various compelling (or even life-threatening) reasons. Maybe it's to prevent a coming apocalypse, maybe it's just to save one person's life — but as many of these shows teach, small changes can have big effects, and many of these characters learn that their time-traveling can change the world.

Now, there are some great time travel-adjacent shows that don't quite fit this list. A fun romp like "Early Edition," for example, utilizes a time-traveling newspaper and potentially a time-traveling cat, but doesn't in and of itself feature a lot of time travel. Likewise, something like "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is rooted in a time travel premise, but stays mostly in one time. With all that said, here's a look at our choices for the 20 best time travel shows on TV.

Save the cheerleader, save the world. That's what future Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) tells present-day Hiro when he appears to him from the future, and that's what establishes "Heroes" as way more than just a superhero show.

The NBC series follows a group of regular people who develop special powers, not unlike mutants in the "X-Men" series, after a mysterious worldwide eclipse. Each character gains their own individual abilities. Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) develops the ability to heal from any injury. Senator Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) gains the ability to fly, while his brother Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) can temporarily absorb others' powers. Still, few of these characters have cooler abilities than Hiro, who can influence the space-time continuum. This means he can teleport, slow down time — and, of course, time travel.

Understandably, Hiro's power set becomes a serious asset throughout the series, and his path to perfect his abilities is one of "Heroes'" strongest story arcs. The first few times he travels through time don't go as planned, and throughout the series, things can get in the way of him ending up where he wants to go or when he wants to be. While Hiro's time-traveling is just one part of the larger story, it's definitely one of the show's highlights – especially since Oka is so darn charming as the character.

19. 11.22.63

One of the best Stephen King TV series out there, the eight-episode "11.22.63" follows a man named Jake Epping (James Franco). He's a relatively normal guy who receives a chance to change history when his friend Al (Chris Cooper) tells him he's found a way to travel back in time. Al tells Jake that the portal he's discovered goes back to the year 1960 and that he's been working on a plan to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Al's age and advancing cancer diagnosis prevent him from following through on the plan, however, and he asks Jake to take over for him. Jake agrees, but soon his quest is met with pushback from a mysterious source. As it turns out, the past doesn't want to be changed, and every step Jake takes toward preventing JFK's assassination leads to more cracks in the timeline.

A charming and exciting time travel drama, "11.22.63" is a well-executed, twisty tale that only ranks so low on this list because it's in such great company. If you're looking for a quick, self-contained time travel miniseries that revolves around one of modern America's most notable events, this show is well worth a watch.

When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crash lands on a deserted island, wacky and scary things start happening to the survivors. ABC's "Lost" deals with flashbacks, flash-forwards, mysterious groups that already have a presence on the island, a black smoke monster — and, as it turns out, an ancient battle between good and evil. One of the great appointment television shows before streaming broke through, "Lost" had fans talking about it and theorizing about its mysteries on a weekly basis.

The sci-fi drama captivated viewers for six seasons, and though time travel is referenced throughout the entire series run, it plays the biggest role in Season 4. As the island itself leaps from place to place and from time to time, the main group of characters jumps with it, encountering previous versions of themselves and island events that occurred in the past, and suffering from the effects of temporal displacement. The most beloved episode dealing with time travel is undoubtedly "The Constant," in which fan-favorite Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) figures out a way to stop his consciousness from jumping through time by finding his constant — his true love, Penny (Sonya Walger).

Of course, "Lost" is not just a time travel show, and famously covers such a wide variety of mysteries and sci-fi concepts that viewers might find it hard to keep up. As such, it ends up with this relatively low ranking.

Like "Lost", "Fringe" is considered one of the most binge-worthy sci-fi shows of all time but the fact that it isn't exclusively about time travel means it lands near the tail end of this particular list. The ABC show revolves around a science-fiction conglomerate that dabbles with interdimensional travel, wormholes, and alternate realities. Anna Torv stars as FBI Agent Olivia Dunham, who heads up the bureau's Fringe Division. With the help of "mad scientist" Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), his estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson), and their lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth (Jakisa Nicole), Dunham explores cases involving fringe science — be they about time travel, mind control, experiments gone wrong or any other strange and obscure criminal activity.

Time travel is more of a looming presence early in "Fringe," particularly present in the character of the Observer (Michael Cerveris), a bald, pale, genetically advanced human from the future. While Season 1 and Season 2 deal with the battle between two dimensions and realities, time travel really becomes an element in Season 3. Seasons 4 and 5 then deal with alternate timelines and the Observers that infiltrate the world from the future, intent on wiping out humanity. As you might expect, things can get a bit confusing, but the show sure is fun.

16. The Umbrella Academy

You have to respect a show that's so high-concept that time travel doesn't even get top billing. "The Umbrella Academy" boasts mysterious events, family drama, dance numbers, a talking chimpanzee, some of the cleverest superpowers in superhero shows, and a robot mom — and that's just scratching the surface. Based on "The Umbrella Academy" comics created by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame, the Netflix show is a saga that exploits everything from the butterfly effect to the grandfather paradox for emotional and comedic impact.

The central Hargreeves family consists of a group of kids all born on the same day, adopted by the same eccentric billionaire (Colm Feore). He has trained them to protect the world with their various superpowers, but they aren't particularly great at it, and their strict upbringing has left them with a wide array of issues and deep rifts between them. The dysfunctional bunch starts out fairly estranged, but slowly bonds to save humanity from an apocalyptic event ... only to cause another potential apocalyptic event by sprinkling themselves across time.

In between the tears in the space-time continuum, "The Umbrella Academy" is ultimately an ensemble story about found (and re-found) family, as well as a truly unique superhero show where personal failure and the side-effects of costumed crimefighter life play a huge role. However, since Season 1 largely approaches time travel through Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) and the Temps Aeternalis agency, and much of Season 3 focuses on a present-day alternate reality, only the 1960s-themed Season 2 goes truly all in on the concept of sending all main characters to a different era.

15. Sliders

"Sliders" is a 1990s sci-fi adventure series that features Jerry O'Connell and friends getting lost across the multiverse. O'Connell ("Stand By Me") plays boy genius Quinn Mallory, inventor of the Timer — a device that lets him and his friends "slide" through a wormhole vortex into different versions of Earth. The thing about wormhole vortexes, though, is that they like to misbehave, meaning Quinn and his buds never know where they're headed next on their adventures. This makes their quest to get back home to their own Earth a tricky one.

"Sliders" starts off fun and strong, and is at its best when having bonkers fun — like when Rembrandt (Cleavant Derricks) discovers a world where he could have been Elvis-level famous — and when it's exploring real-world issues in a high-concept dimension, like when the crew visits an Earth that treats men worse than women. Even if you've seen it before, it's definitely worth a re-watch, because "Sliders" is one TV show that's better than you remember.

14. Continuum

On "Continuum," Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is a Protector – think futuristic government agent from even more futuristic equipment — from the year 2077. She gets transported to the year 2012 along with a group of murderous terrorists, forcing Kiera to remain in the past as she chases them down. Fortunately, her gadgets and knowledge of the past soon come in handy and she finds loyal allies. Unfortunately, her enemies also know their history and plan on altering it for their own gain.

"Continuum" milks the premise for all it's worth, while avoiding the pitfall of becoming a run-in-the-mill procedural with an unchanging status quo. While Kiera does handle her share of case-of-the-week story arcs, they're often connected to the group she pursues, and she never lets go of her primary target of stopping the terrorists. In order to avoid disrupting the timeline, she also has to go to great lengths to avoid revealing that either she or her targets are time travelers — and when their actions inevitably end up changing the future, she has to deal with the consequences.

13. Timeless

If ever there was a time travel show that was canceled too soon, it's Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan's "Timeless." The NBC sci-fi series stars Abigail Spencer as the historian Lucy, Matt Lanter as the soldier Wyatt, and Malcolm Barrett as Rufus, a scientist who makes up a team trying to prevent a mysterious organization from altering the courses of history through time travel. They're up againsts Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić), who travels throughout history intending to influence major events like the Hindenburg disaster. However, the team soon realizes that the villain they thought they were fighting is much larger and infiltrates the historical timeline in ways they never imagined.

Instead of focusing on the usual historical suspects, "Timeless" often highlights forgotten people of color, women, and lesser-known historical figures, giving them their due and celebrating their contributions to society. This element of the show can be seen in the way Rufus, for instance, is reluctant to join the team because he knows how Black people are treated in the eras they visit.

Despite its intriguing concept, the show was canceled after Season 1, but fans caused such an uproar that NBC reversed the decision of canceling "Timeless" and renewed it for another season. After Season 2, NBC pulled the plug once more, and again, the fans cried foul. In a kind of compromise, NBC greenlit a special two-hour series finale that ties up loose ends and gives much-needed closure to the story.

12. 12 Monkeys

The "12 Monkeys" SyFy series is based on the 1995 film of the same name that stars Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt — though the series makes a fair few changes to stretch the plot into a four-season sci-fi drama. The series stars Aaron Sanford as James Cole, a scavenger from the year 2024 who's tasked with traveling to 2015 in order to stop the release of a biological weapon. In the movie, James is helped by a psychologist named Kathryn Railly played by Madeleine Stowe, but here, he befriends a virologist named Dr. Cassandra "Cassie" Railly (Amanda Schull). Pitt's character, Jeffrey Goines, is also gender-swapped here, with Emily Hampshire playing Jennifer Goines.

Like the movie, the series deals with the Cassandra Complex, the idea that we have a hard time believing concerns about the future, no matter how likely and provable they are. It also deals with circular time and the idea that past events can be affected by future ones. If those aspects of the film lift your time travel antennae, the four-season show dives even deeper.

11. Paper Girls

"Paper Girls" is a brilliant time travel show that was canceled way ahead of its time. Based on the comics by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, this Amazon series tells the story of a group of 1990s tween girls who get attacked by futuristic invaders. They manage to escape into the future, where one of the girls, Erin (Riley Lai Nelet ), meets her adult self (Ali Wong).

The show dispenses with grandfather paradox hand-wringing and instead uses the concept of the girls confronting their past and future selves, to brutally honest and hilarious effect. Young Erin is horrified to find out how much of herself she's abandoned by the time she turns into Old Erin, and refuses to let life work out that way. It motivates Erin to want to return to her home time even more — this kid has a clock to beat. However, there are two sides to the coin, and Old Erin is also able to care for her young self in ways she never felt able to when she was younger. It's a beautiful and potent visual metaphor that other characters also make good on.

All in all, "Paper Girls" is a feast for the eyes as much as its ensemble cast is a feast for the soul. Plus, Jason Mantzoukas playfully chewing scenery as the ominous Grand Father? This show could have lasted until the end of time — or at least until Season 2.

10. Timewasters

"Timewasters" is a time travel comedy about a Black British jazz band that accidentally time-slips back to 1920s London, among other timelines. The quartet stumbles into an earlier time perod via a disgusting elevator that, yes, doubles as a time machine. Once the crew shows up in the past, they're treated like freaks, but they gain some measure of success as musicians. While the crew eventually tries to return to the present, they also have a "Back to the Future" moment when they seemingly get stuck in the 1950s.

"Timewasters" is full of funny jokes and great music, and it's a groundbreaking show in a number of ways. "People like us never get to time travel — it's what white people do, like skiing or brunch," creator Daniel Lawrence Taylor told the Royal Television Society . "For me, race is so important." Taylor also stars in "Timewasters," along with Kadiff Kirwan ("Slow Horses"), Adelayo Adedayo ("Some Girls"), and Samson Kayo ("Our Flag Means Death"). The show is also an excellent destination if you're into spotting a variety of British actors and comedians ... including Joseph Quinn, who went on to rise to fame as Eddie Munson on "Stranger Things."

9. Outlander

Based on the series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, Starz's "Outlander" follows the story of a World War II nurse named Claire (Caitriona Balfe) who finds herself thrown back in time after visiting a circle of mysterious Druid stones. She arrives in 18th Century Scotland and, after being taken in by a band of gruff Scots, she marries the dashing young Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) in order to avoid being taken prisoner by her real husband's (Tobias Menzies) apparent evil ancestor, Black Jack Randall (Menzies). Claire lives through a time of great upheaval in Scotland when tensions with British control are rising and history-making battles loom in the near future. Despite being initially reluctant to stay, she and Jamie fall deeply in love, and their romance remains the backbone of the series.

The entire "Outlander" timeline takes some time to explain, what with several 20th-century characters taking the trip to the 18th century and the show covering versions of notable real-world historical events. Without further spoilers, all there is to say is that if you enjoy time travel shows that lean heavily toward historical drama, "Outlander" is where it's at. Also, if you view Tobias Menzies as an incorrigible dweeb due to his performance as Edmure Tully on "Game of Thrones," his monstrous "Outlander" villain is guaranteed to erase that image.

8. Quantum Leap

"Quantum Leap" stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who invents a way to travel through time. When the corporation funding his project threatens to shut it down, Sam uses himself as a guinea pig to test out the method. He finds himself thrown back in time, but in another person's body. The only other entity aware of his 'leap" is a hologram of his colleague and best friend, Admiral Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell). Al tells Sam that he must correct things that went wrong in the past before being allowed to leap back to his own time and body, and can only use the resources of the project's supercomputer, Ziggy.

With Sam leaping back and forth into different bodies at different times, the show uses a variant of the traditional procedural set up. New characters turn up to guest star and Sam gets to save the day, have a fling, and learn something new before leaping to the next destination, which just might be home one of these days.

The series ran on NBC from 1989 to 1993, but its combination of time travel and case-of-the-week antics has proved enduring enough that "Quantum Leap" even gets a shout-out in "Avengers: Endgame." Despite being over three decades old, it remains a cool time travel series worth checking out.

7. The 4400

In the opening scenes of "The 4400," an enormous ball of light drops 4,400 people at the foot of Mount Rainier in Washington. They soon realize that they were all taken from some other point in time and deposited into the year 2004, unaged and without any memories of where they'd been. At first, everyone assumes that these people have been abducted by aliens. However, it soon turns out that the truth is far more time travel-related.

The returned people soon start developing "Heroes"-style powers that range from telekinesis to telepathy and super-strength, which people from the future have entrusted with to prevent various catastrophic events that they want to avoid in their timeline. Unfortunately, the 2004 government considers the powered folks a threat, and inhibits their powers with a neurological drug.

The stories that unfold from this setup are exactly as complex and entertaining as you'd imagine, with various members of the titular group treating their powers in different ways and society having a hard time dealing with them. Unfortunately, "The 4400" ended abruptly after four seasons on a somewhat ambiguous note, but even so, it's a fun show to revisit.

6. Travelers

In Netflix's "Travelers," time-traveling operatives from a post-apocalyptic future are tasked with preventing certain events that have led to the downfall of society in their own present day of 2018. The travelers' consciousness takes over a person in the desired time who's just about to die, and the operative then lives out the rest of that person's days though with the mission in mind ... and a strict set of rules they must follow. Apart from a list of ways they're not allowed to interact with the past, they're also strictly forbidden from communicating with other known travelers outside their team, save for special circumstances dictated by the Director, who communicates by temporarily taking over children.

It's a unique and complex premise, and the way the travelers scope out potential targets for takeover and learn to live as them is as timely as it comes — they use social media, GPS locations, and other readily available online information for their time-travel tricks. This adds a layer of present-day dread to the show's fascinating take on time travel.

Loki Laufeyson (Tom Hiddleston) meets his match when he comes up against the Time Variance Authority in one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most ambitious Disney+ shows, "Loki." The TVA is so dedicated to maintaining a particular sacred timeline that they purge all alternate realities where someone made a choice they deem wrong, which might not always make sense, but precision isn't the point here. It's the idea of playfulness versus control.

The Loki we see here is an alternate-timeline variant of the one the audiences are familiar with, and thus starts the show in full "The Avengers" villain mode before life — and time — starts grinding him down. Working with TVA agent Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson), he starts redeeming himself by tracking down an apparently evil version of himself, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) ... and ultimately tackling the biggest challenges time can offer.

The God of Mischief's surprisingly human path of reckoning is the heart of a show that's deliciously stylish, silly, and sometimes scary. "Loki" takes a cops-and-robbers crime caper into time travel territory and explores hefty themes with a light touch, from mindless compliance to self-serving overseers to criminalizing anyone deemed different. "Loki" isn't just a time travel show — it's a show about everything time can offer and more, with characters dancing between eras as you might step from room to room. Also, it has Alligator Loki, who's objectively the best Loki of all.

If "Loki" is too light-hearted for you, Netflix's "Dark" might be your jam ... provided you can make sense of its incredibly convoluted time travel storyline. Four families weave a tangled web of time travel in this German-language psychological thriller about missing kids, a rotten town, and how almost all of our secrets come out in time. In other words, it's a good time travel show, but it's definitely not a feel-good time travel show.

"Dark" follows its many characters over the course of their lifetimes and, at one point, has three timelines going at once. Part of the intrigue and challenge of watching the show is trying to understand how (and when) each timeline threads into the other. If you decide to watch it, it's best to have an evidence board and plenty of red yarn ready to chart the relationships and betrayals the town of Winden sees over the years.

While "Dark" is as much a show about human connection and how frayed it can become as it is about time travel, it's also the MVP of using as many time travel paradoxes as possible during its three-season run. "Dark" is also an innovator in the field of wormhole placement. Wormholes are already not to be trusted, but a wormhole underneath a nuclear power plant? No, thank you.

3. Beforeigners

What happens when a bunch of Viking-era warriors, 19th-century figures, and Stone Age people pop up in modern-day Oslo? "Beforeigners" attempts to answer that question while navigating twisty murder mysteries with such efficiency that the Norwegian series may be best described as "crime travel." Adding to the intrigue is the way it focuses more on the present-day relationship between the time refugees and their modern counterparts than on how they showed up in the first place.

"Beforeigners" centers around the odd-couple partnership between hardened police detective Lars Haaland (Nicolai Cleve Broch) and eager new Viking police recruit Alfhildr Enginnsdóttir (Krista Kosonen), who investigate things like the murder of a Stone Age victim and even look into crimes with possible ties to Jack the Ripper.

The metaphor of time migration is an apt one for immigration, and this sci-fi show explores tricky real-life issues with plenty of scope. Creators Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin got their start in comedy writing, and their commitment to the bit is evident in the show, including the language used. "Early on, I contacted researchers, professors who helped us. We also constructed the language that Stone Age people spoke, and even with the language from the 19th century: We worked on it to make it sound right," Bjørnstad told Variety . "Why not invest in language, which is such a big part of a person's identity?"

2. Russian Doll

"Russian Doll" could be pitched as "Natasha Lyonne's 'Groundhog Day,'" but that still wouldn't hint at half of the show's charm and emotion. This Netflix offering is a mind-bending time loop dramedy that's a stylish and surreal exploration of life, death, and all the trauma in between. Season 1 of "Russian Doll" features Nadia (Lyonne) stuck reliving her 36th birthday until she inevitably dies and resets back to her friend's bathroom. Later in the season, she discovers a fellow time traveler (Charlie Barnett). They quickly realize that the way out of their dead ends and into a new life is through helping each other.

Season 2 takes some departures from the recursive reality set up in the first season, bending viewers' minds even more thoroughly. "Russian Doll" goes deep, but keeps a sense of humor even as it twists the knife in its characters' hearts — and their timelines. The show keeps audiences just oriented enough by linking its time loops to recognizable spaces and sound cues. You will never look at the subway the same way again, and you will probably never get Harry Nilsson's "Gotta Get Up" out of your head.

1. Doctor Who

Really, could any other show top a list like this? The untold history of "Doctor Who" goes all the way back to 1963, when the show premiered on the BBC. The series follows the adventures of a Time Lord who calls themselves the Doctor — an alien being from the planet Gallifrey who travels through space and time on a craft called the TARDIS, which is charmingly disguised as an old-fashioned British police call box and is famously bigger on the inside. Every Doctor has their own companions – humans who follow the Doctor throughout space and time, helping people, battling new and recurring villains, and dealing with the assorted wibbly-wobbly stuff on the Doctor's timeline .

The original series ran from 1963 through 1989 and established the neat trick of recasting the Doctor every few years or so, thanks to the premise that the character has multiple lives and can reincarnate himself into different physical bodies. The modern series was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, and talented actors like David Tennant (twice), Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whitaker, and Ncuti Gatwa have followed in his footsteps. Even without the fact that no other show has time travel quite as integrated into its very premise as "Doctor Who," the show's sheer longevity and cultural impact are more than enough to make it the king of the time travel hill.

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Interdimensional Travel Device

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A device that allows travel between dimensions/alternate universes/planes of existence/etc . This device could be anything, from a machine in science fiction to a magical item or spell in fantasy, as long as it allows travel between these dimensions or realities. It could even be a human (or, at the very least, a sentient being), if they have the power to go to these other "places".

There may be lots of Fridge Logic involved, depending on the nature of the device in question. For example, in the version shown in the image, where you open up a portal that doesn't need to be attached to the surface of a flat object, how do you ensure that the other end is always exactly at the surface of the desired planet (as opposed to high in the air or deep underground), and perpendicular to the ground? And if you decide to go exploring universes you've never been to prior (and thus have no data on what things are in it and where), how do you avoid, say, destroying your home planet by accidentally opening the other end in the interior of a sun? And even if you decide to be cautious about it, how do you gather data on said universe without actually opening a portal and sending a drone or probe in first?

Compare Time Machine and Inn Between the Worlds . If the device is bladed, it's a Dimensional Cutter .

See also Dimensional Traveler for someone who tends to use these.

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Bleach : There are three methods to travel between worlds. Shinigami use Senkaimon, a highly regulated gate which provides direct travel between the Human World and Soul Society. To use it, one must follow a special butterfly called Jigokucho, or else they will be thrown to Dangai, the Void Between the Worlds . Traveling through Dangai can eventually lead someone into either world, but they have to be extremely careful not to stick themselves to a current is inescapable or face a being that is unbeatable. The third method is to use Garganta, which cracks open the dimensional fabric and is associated with Hollows. Garganta is the only way to access Hueco Mundo.
This is one of the Jewel Pod's (from the Jewelpet franchise) many functions.
The Lyrical Nanoha franchise has Casual Inter-Dimensional Travel , with various Magitek starships allowing those who can't perform sufficient magic to go travel to different dimensions. Supplementary material set after Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's Portable : The Gears of Destiny also had the Eltria group discovering a piece of Lost Technology that allowed them to move people from one Alternate Multiverse to another, a function they learned after some irresponsible handling of the newly discovered artifact caused it to pull in The Movie continuity version of Nanoha and Fate.
Negima! Magister Negi Magi 's Chao Lingshen eventually will has developed one of these, allowing characters to hop from one time-travel-created timeline to the next.
Phantasy Star Online 2 has the titular Phantasy Star Online 2 , which serves as a link between Earth and the dimension that the video game that the anime is based off of takes place in. It's also a Stealth Prequel .
Red Ash: Gearworld has the parallel machine, which is a huge device propped up on three legs that fires a beam sending hunters to parallel worlds. Said hunters must be under the machine when it fires, since it fires downward.
In Yugioh Arc V having as a main plot an interdimensional war has several of them are around, from the duel disks of the Fusion and Xyz dimensions inhabitants, and after Reiji got ahold of Yuto's duel disk he was able to implement the same feature on the Lancers (Standard) disks using cards to set up coordinates also during the first season it was already known that Yuzu's bracelet note It's unknown if the other bracelets have a similar feature could warp people away, but during the Battle Royale it warped her and Yugo to the Synchro Dimension and in the same vein the Yugo's Clear Wing Synchro Dragon has been doing that to him for a while now, its implied that the four Dimensional Dragons have the same power as well, because they are drawn to each other .
Naruto : This is Obito Uchiha's main Mangekyo Sharingan ability, Kamui. Both of his eyes can send something to a Pocket Dimension . His right eye is a defense mechanism, being used so Obito can travel to the dimension at will. He can even send parts of his body when in danger so he could dodge at the last second, giving the illusion that he is an Intangible Man . His left eye, which was given to Kakashi Hatake, is the offensive version of the same ability. Namely, it can teleport someone or something to the pocket dimension.
SD Gundam Force has the Zakurello Gate, which is primarily used by the Dark Axis to invade Neotopia's dimension. The SDG spends most of the series trying to build their own device, but ultimately just use the Zakurello Gate after the main invasion.
Magic 's original villains, the Phyrexians, had devices called Ambulators which created portals to any plane.
The Talon Gates were created in the aftermath of the first Planeswalker Duel on Dominaria, from the loser's corpse. It allowed planar travel to some extent, but there aren't many details on exactly how it functioned. It's beleived to at least have allowed consistent travel between Dominaria and Kamigawa .
After the Mending, all previous Planeshifting devices stopped working. The only new device developed since the Mending was Rashmi's Planar Bridge, and that can't transport living matter unless it's a planeswalker anyway. As it turns out, Nicol Bolas only needed it to transport an army of the dead from Amonkhet to Ravnica . After the War of the Spark ended, it currently remains in the hands of Tezzeret.
RASL : Dr. Robert Joseph Johnson jumps between parallel worlds using an immersion suit, a device that looks like 4 airplane turbines strapped to his shoulders and legs with an African mask covering his face.
Atari Force : The ship Scanner One is equipped with a Multiverse warp drive that allows its passengers to travel through both normal space and multiple alternate dimensions.
The Dark Judges possess orbs that allow travel between dimensions, which they stole from a group of aliens who made the mistake of visiting their world. Justice Department later reverse engineers the technology to create their own dimensional teleporters. In the "Helter Skelter" story they're forced to destroy their own D-jump technology after a nearly successful invasion by Dredd's enemies from other dimensions.
Even earlier the Sov Mega-Cities developed Apocalypse Warp technology, which during the early stages of the Apocalypse War enabled them to redirect Mega-City One's nuclear counter-attack to another dimension, which was promptly destroyed . However, unlike the orbs brought over by the Dark Judges, it seems that the Apocalypse Warp could not be focused and only worked at random.
Marvel Comics ' features plenty of casual multiversal travel - such technology is common in a technologically advanced universes, and from there it gets spread throughout the rest. Entire series such as Exiles and Web Warriors are built on the use of this trope, as are many other storylines such as The Avengers (Jonathan Hickman) , Spider-Verse and Contest of Champions (2015) .
The Flash has the Cosmic Treadmill, which was first constructed when Barry Allen was trapped in the "real world" analogue called Earth-Prime and needed to return to Earth-1. It also appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths a few times when the superheroes needed to bridge dimensional barriers between worlds.
Monica's Gang : Marina's pencil allows her to travel to other worlds. Other characters stealing the pencil for themselves is what insigates various crossovers, a prominent example being Glu accidentally drawing a portal to Garfield 's universe in Turma da Mônica e Garfield: O Lápis Mágico .
In the Thor / Being Human crossover series, Housemates , Dr. Strange devises one for Coulson's and Mitchell's universe hopping in the form of a smart phone app .
In the Empath: The Luckiest Smurf story "Smurfed Behind: The Other Side Of The Mirror", a Magic Mirror known as the Janus Mirror transports Empath and his friend Polaris Psyche into a Mirror Universe version of their world, where they find an identical mirror which requires a magic spell to open so they could return to their own world.
Metal Gear: Green : The HPSC gives Night Owl the green light for interdimensional exploration as they see it as a massive profit binge. Nine years later, and the only reason it isn't discontinued isn't because Night Owl's interdimensional explorations did bear some fruit ( he did teleport the MSF into the MHA world ), but because if it came out that they had Izuku as a battery, the HPSC would not only be dissolved on the spot, but most of the top brass would be executed as well.
The Mountain and the Wolf : The Seafang (the Wolf's longship) is able to sail the Warp by opening a hole into it, going from universe to universe (or different areas of the same universe) with relative ease (relative applying to its crew, who are only protected from the daemons of the Warp by the efforts of the warriors fending them off) and can even tow ships behind it. It can also fly, negating the need to land in water. All in all, it behaves more like a Warhammer 40,000 starship than the original version , which was only implied to fly rather than shown and spews fog until it's surrounded by mists and daemons, then the fog (eventually) lifts and finds itself back in the real world.
PMD: Another Perspective : Team Rocket has invented a machine that creates a portal to a world where only Pokemon exist. They plan on using it to abduct rare Pokemon from the other world and sell them for profit.
In Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension the Other Dimension-inator is used by Heinz Doofenshmirtz to go to the second dimension, as the title suggests.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has the Dimensional Travel Watch, which were invented by Miguel O'Hara and are used by countless Spider-Mans to travel to different dimensions. It also prevents them from glitching while they’re visiting a dimension that they’re not from. Miles spends the first half of the movie trying to get one for himself, but Miguel refuses to give him one since Miles himself is a dimensional anomaly. The spider that he was bitten by was accidentally leaked into his dimension, thus Miles was never supposed to become a Spider-Man.
The One has a quantum tunneling device which allows the interdimensional police to track criminals and, obviously, allows them to travel to different universes.
Crossworlds has a staff which can get the main characters from the odd world from which the staff comes and back to what appears to be our Earth.
Parallels has an entire derelict building that shunts people about randomly through the Multiverse . Best guess so far is that it was built by some sort of awesomely advanced version of humanity that's either forgotten about it or doesn't much care about the havoc it's wreaking across hundreds of alternate Earths.
In the movie Cool World , the Spike of Power created by Dr. Vincent Whiskers. It can breach the boundary between the real world and the cartoon Cool World. It is, however, a potential Artifact of Doom in that it can actually tear down the walls between worlds completely, leading to the Roger Rabbit Effect on a massive scale — and not in a fun way.
In the Paratime series by H. Beam Piper , the means of traveling through timelines is a conveyor using the Ghaldron-Hesthor field-generator. Conveyors are fixed in place, which means that as they travel through timelines, they may end up inside nuclear reactors or other hazards or be caught in warfare (a common activity on at least one timeline in nearly every trip, Paratimers note). Weakening of the transposition field is a concern of Paratimers.
In The Number of the Beast , Professor Jacob Burroughs creates a device that allows travel between dimensions. It's installed in a vehicle and allows the protagonists to go on a series of adventures.
The Dark Tower series has doors that allow the characters to travel between different timelines and alternate universes, including one in which they meet the author, Stephen King .
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe : has a wardrobe that allows travel between Earth and Narnia — sometimes.
Susan's horn has the power to summon help to the user, which includes help that just happens to be in another dimension, as shown in Prince Caspian .
The Magician's Nephew has the green and yellow rings, which allow one to enter the Wood between the Worlds and leave there for any number of worlds. The rings are mentioned again in The Last Battle.
The Transition Of Titus Crow has a clock that allows Titus Crow to travel to different dimensions.
His Dark Materials has items that allow for interdimensional travel.
The Kadingir series has the titular Kadingir technology, which opens portals to connect Earth with a parallel dimension. Ishtar activates one such devices by accident, thinking it was a Game Boy, and gets lost in planet Ki as a result.
Myth Adventures has the D-Hopper which is used throughout the series to get to different universes.
The Incomplete Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt introduced the Syllogismobile which attuned the practitioners' minds to a selected alternate universe strongly enough to shift them into it.
In Parallax Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer, decoherence created by a quantum computer sends the neanderthal Ponter to a universe very similar to our own.
The Aleph from Spectral Stalkers , which can send the user from one random dimension to another. It's the only way to escape from the dreaded Spectral Stalkers, after all.
In Philip José Farmer 's World of Tiers novels, people can travel between the artificial universes of the setting by using gates. Gates can be activated by various means, including tokens and playing music on a special horn.
The Wheel of Time has Portal Stones which, among other things, will let people travel between parallel realities.
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Interdimensional travel is performed by the use of a Stepper, the designs for which appeared online one day. Its components are common enough to be bought from the local shops, and it's apparently powered by a potato-battery. Also unique is the fact that, unlike most other examples where parallel universes may diverge in recent history but are still recognisably similar to our own Earth, the parallel universes of the Long Earth are wildernesses devoid of human life (although not necessarily of intelligent life). Only our own Earth evolved humans.
The titular carnelian cube in The Carnelian Cube sends one into a parallel world based on their desires at the time one sleeps with it beneath their pillow. In order to leave to another world one must find its counterpart in that particular world.
In Down The Bright Way by Robert Reed , Pre Cursors left behind The Bright, a one-dimensional path of travel between different planes of reality. The Wanderers use it to travel to different Earths, which diverged millenia prior; exploring, teaching, stabilizing, or mourning the dead worlds . The Bright's travel mechanisms are powered by a planet that has been converted into a massive fusion reactor , and the Wanderers state that the Bright is so energy expensive to operate that comparatively, colonizing the Milky Way in any one plane would be a much easier task despite the lack of Faster-Than-Light Travel .
The Lord of the Rings : The One Ring can actually be reckoned as one. Gandalf states as much when he says the Ring (making the bearer invisible) serves as this, because the bearer then is carried into the realm of the unseen, although without taking the bearer anywhere physically. The "unseen" realm is juxtaposed right on top of the regular world. Frodo, while wounded by the Morgul knife, is able to see both worlds.
Borgel : Borgel's car can travel though time-space-and-the-other, and they use it to travel through dimensions. An essential device for any time tourist.
Isaac Asimov 's " Living Space ": This Earth developed dimensional travel technology instead of Casual Interstellar Travel , because the technology was too difficult. Homes are built on alternate Earths that never developed life as we know it . Devices are keyed to work with the front door and what is effectively the garage. A unique 'probability pattern' is used to describe each Earth.
Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute : The Silver Key from the Cthulhu Mythos creates a gateway for physical travel to the Dreamlands . However, it requires the mind of someone who has seen Things Man Was Not Meant To Know , transforming them bodily into the Gate and hopefully killing them in the process.
Alice mainly uses Power Tattoos to travel between dimensions, but Naga also gives her some beads that do the same thing without some of the unpleasant side-effects.
Johrlac Hive Minds use cosmic equations to open holes in reality, though this usually destroys the world they're leaving.
In Craig Shaw Gardner's Cineverse Cycle, you can get to and travel between the worlds of the Cineverse by turning the dial of a Captain Crusader Decoder Ring and saying "See you in the funny papers!".
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England : The whole premise of the setting is that there are infinite alternative dimensions that can be reached through portals.
A number of metahumans are capable of opening breaches between parallel worlds. These include people with "vibe" powers (Cisco, his Earth-2 double, Gypsy) and speedsters. Eventually, Cisco manages to create a small device that can open a breach between Earth-38 and Earth-1, just in case Kara wants to visit Barry . In a crossover episode, Music Meister uses the device to get to Barry, although it's implied he doesn't actually need it and merely wants Mon-El to follow him there.
In the Crisis Crossover event Crisis on Earth-X , the resistance on Earth-X creates a portal machine which will enable them to recruit help from other realities to overthrow the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, the Nazis discover the project and seize control of it, planning on using it to conquer other Earths as they did their own.
Thirdspace introduced an ancient Vorlon artifact that turned out to be a jumpgate to yet another dimension unimaginatively described as "Thirdspace." It turns out this is not a good place to open doors to and they destroy the artifact in order to close the door again.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel had at least one of these, Angel used it to travel to Jasmine's old home. And another was used to travel to Skip's holding dimension where Billy was being kept. The 'verse's portal books probably count as well.
The Time Lords did this on a regular basis before the Time War.
In "Inferno" , the TARDIS console transports the Doctor to a parallel universe where Britain is governed by Fascists.
In the same episode, the Dalek-built Void Ship (that created the tear between realities) was designed to traverse the void, or the extradimensional space between universes. When it was in void transit mode, it was visible, but otherwise didn't exist (scans reported it as having no mass or dimension), and was described as creepy to look at. When the void transit functionality was switched off (just prior to the Daleks emerging), it "became" a normal vehicle with normal mass/etc.
There are several "techniques" of universe-crossing in Fringe : Walter's portal, which causes both universes to begin collapsing; William Bell's technique by which he pulled Olivia into the AU (usually only works on hybrid Super Soldiers who are designed to survive the crossing; it worked on Olivia because of her Cortexiphan-enhanced physiology); and the natural way, which is achieved by groups of Cortexiphan Kids being guided by Walter (and of the three, is clearly the least dangerous, to dimensions and dimension-crossers, but not without its kinks). Besides crossing, Peter is able to use the device created to only work with his genetics to bridge the to universes creating an Inn Between the Worlds . This unlike the other devices such as Walter's portal device has no know negative side effects. Another less used method is the harmonic rods which create an equilateral triangle enveloping the subject on both sides, and have the rods vibrate at the same frequency, and two objects of approximately equal mass will exchange places in space-time. There are many ways to mess this up though, such as only placing the rods in one universe.
The Man in the High Castle : Throughout the series, various characters are able to visit parallel universe through some form of meditation, causing the film reels showing these worlds to spread. In season 3, the Nazis build an interdimensional travel device through technological means in an abandoned mine, the Nebenwelt project, in order to conquer other worlds.
In The Monkees 1997 ABC special, Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees , we learn that Mike had turned the Monkeemobile into a dimension machine (AND lowrider, of all things). It's even capable of transporting them back to The '60s .
The Cyber Museum from MythQuest lets Alex and Cleo select a historical artifact and enter a myth associated with the culture it came from.
Jefferson's hat in Once Upon a Time can be used to travel between the different worlds.
Come Power Rangers Ninja Steel and the series' 25th Anniversary episode, it seems other Rangers have been developing a dimension-hopper of their own, called a Transportal Device, capable of traversing between variant timelines. Such a device, as pointed out in History of Power Rangers , makes future team-ups all the more simple from a meta-perspective, since the writers won't have any reason not to have the Rangers use it.
"Parallel Universe" had the Holly Hop Drive bring them there after a calculation error.
"Backwards" had a time hole bring them to a universe where time runs backwards.
"Dimension Jump" introduced Ace Rimmer and his ship that could travel through dimensions.
"Only The Good..." had a prisim laser that lead to a mirror universe.
"Back To Earth" had a dimension cutter that employed the use of the ink from a dimension traveling monster that lead to a Real-World Episode . Only not, as much of the three-parter was an illusion and they never left the ship .
"Skipper" had Kryten invent the Quantum Skipper, a dimension travel device based on information salvaged from a science lab they previously visited, which Rimmer then uses to find a universe where he thinks he'll be happier.
There's the "Timer", several of which were actually used by the main characters (the original until about the midpoint of the series, the one from Egyptian World that they'd use until the end, and Colonel Rickman's Timer, important for season three's endgame). The Timer's job was to open wormholes between universes, and also to malfunction or get stolen , providing half the series' plots .
The Kromaggs have a more advanced version, which they use to conquer human worlds. In their first episode, they use a device taken by one of the Sliders to track them down on another world. However, it turns out that they didn't invent sliding technology. It was given to them by Quinn's double (the one from the pilot) to escape from their Earth, where they were fighting with humans. Later on, they try to use human brains to build instantaneous portals that work on a different principle than sliding tech in order to bypass the Slidecage.
The sequel series to Spellbinder has the Trans-Dimensional Bamboo Boat, made from some kind of woody material. It looks like a boat, and travels across dimensions.
There's the "quantum mirror", which makes a few appearances in early episodes before being destroyed offscreen, on O'Neill's orders. In one episode, Daniel accidentally uses it to travel to another universe; in a later episode, alternate-universe versions of Carter and Kowalski come back through it, looking for refuge from the Go'a'uld invasion fleet that just arrived on Earth in their universe.
A later episode has a strange phenomenon that causes hundreds of SG-1 teams from alternate realities to start popping up in the "main" SGC. It turns out that the phenomenon was caused by the first alternate SG-1 team to arrive, who wanted to steal the "main" reality's ZPM .
An alternate McKay builds an "alternate reality drive" which has this function. The only problem is, it doesn't have an off switch or any way to control which reality it jumps into. This leads to one universe's worth of main characters being stranded in the wrong reality and another universe's worth dying of starvation before they can figure it out, before the actual main characters bootstrap on their research and discover a way to make it backtrack through the realities it came from (so they can at least get home, if not actually exploit the drive).
Another episode has McKay try to use a device to generate unlimited energy by getting it from an alternate reality. Unfortunately, this ends up nearly destroying an inhabited universe, so the alternate McKay uses the "bridge" to cross over into the "main" reality. At the end of the episode, they send him back.
In Star Trek , transporters under the right circumstances can be used to travel between dimensions. One way is to add a device to the transporter that reconfigures it for this use.
Some theories suggest black holes, or rather wormholes within them, could act as this sending whatever fell into them often to another Universe. These ideas, however, have been put into doubt by later ones that state that either said wormhole would be unstable and close inmediately, so no interdimensional travel of any kind, or that said behavior is just a failure of our current understanding.
The Amulet of the Planes is a powerful Magical Accessory that lets the wearer transport themself and others to any other Plane of existence. There's no limit on its use, but it requires an Intelligence test each time to target the correct destination.
The Cubic Gate is a rare magic item that is keyed to six Planes of existence and can manifest a portal to any one of them at a time.
Various editions have no shortage of Portal Doors and like devices, such as disguised Magic Mirrors , that transport their users across Planes. Some are "always on" while others onlly activate when a certain combination of objects (a "portal key") are presented to them.
Module Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits . A temple in a Drow city has a mural of a starry sky. If the PCs pass through an image of Lolth and touch it, they will be transferred to the level of the Abyss where Lolth's Demonweb exists. Once there they can find doorways to alternate Prime Material Planes as well as the Abyssal level where Lolth's spider ship awaits them.
Module X2 Castle Amber . The Gate of the Silver Keys takes the PCs from Glantri in the Known World to the dimension where the country of Averoigne exists.
Pathfinder has magic items called planar keystones that allow the user to plane shift to a specific location on another plane. The book on planar adventures also outlines the material components of the plane shift spell as planar tuning forks and has alternative rules for them if the DM wishes to restrict travel between dimensions, or at least make it more difficult for the players..
Paranoia had the Transdimensional Collapsatron, which allowed travel between dimensions in several adventures.
One of the campaign settings for GURPS has the PCs as interdimensional travelers, using a variety of devices ranging from handhelds to gates to vehicles.
Champions adventure The Great Supervillain Contest . The Crimson Claw's base had the power of interdimensional teleportation. It was originally a dimensional exploration ship: when it entered his home dimension, the Claw drained the Life Energy of the crew and stole it.
One plot hook in Rocket Age involves a man going missing from his private room, with the only object of interest being a large wardrobe . His name? C. S. Lewis !
The "chronoscooters" in Timemaster were time machines that could also move between different time lines.
In BIONICLE , the Olmak can do this.
In Chrono Cross , Serge uses Kid's astral amulet to travel between his world and the other world which was created 10 years ago due to a universal split where Serge is alive in one universe and dead in the other. See Schrödinger's Cat
In Crash Twinsanity , the psychetron created by Dr. Neo Cortex can travel between Crash's world and the 10th dimension and most of the game is based around gathering the power crystals needed to power the device so Crash Bandicoot can get to the 10th dimension to save his world.
The "ancient ruins" that are the goal of Touhou Yumejikuu ~ Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream turn out to be a Hyperprobability Space Vessel used by Yumemi and Chiyuri to travel from their own world to Gensokyo in search of the secrets of magic.
While not a device, there are two main methods shown in The Longest Journey and Dreamfall that allow travel between the various worlds. Shifters are people who physically travel via portal they themselves open. Normally they can only travel between Stark (the world of technology) and Arcadia (the world of magic). April actually had to fly into space in Stark in order to get to the Guardian's Realm via a wormhole of some sort. The sequel also introduces Dreamers, people who fall asleep in one world and project a physical double into another one. The reason both types of people are able to cross between worlds is because all these worlds used to be one until they were split up by powerful wizards and scientists with the help from some space dragons in order to keep the world from the being destroyed.
In Total Distortion , alien teleporters randomly show up on Earth, which turn out to allow travel between millions of different dimensional planes, many of them based on Earth pop culture. Unusually, the people of Earth first use these machines to teleport freight around the world , since teleporting a human puts them in a 6-week coma, along with the fact that larger objects cost more energy to be transmitted.
The Yamato Perpetual Reactor in Shin Megami Tensei IV . With just the correct push, it can also serve as a handy multiverse-crushing black hole-creating machine.
In Ratchet & Clank . The Dimensionator. Created by the Lombaxes to end the Great War against the Cragmites, they allow its user to open portals to any dimension merely by telling the device what to find.
In Phantasy Star Online 2 , Phantasy Star Online 2 serves as this, linking the dimension that hosts Oracle and ARKS to that of Earth.
The titular book of Rakenzarn Tales , which can transport whoever reads the appropriate incantation contained within between their home world and the world of Rakenzarn.
Legendary Pokémon of Pokémon Sun and Moon , Solgaleo and Lunala can open up a wormhole inbetween an unknown amount of dimensions. The first stage evolution, Cosmog, can also do this.
The Realmwalkers of Rakenzarn Frontier Story possess a teleporter system in the record hall of their HQ which can send people to any world, provided they have the book that documents that world's history and can set the proper coordinates. Later, Makoto gains an app for his phone that allows him to teleport directly to the Chamber of Rakenzarn at any time.
Kingdom Hearts features various means to travel between worlds, some riskier than others. The safest option is to use a Gummi Ship, although this becomes harder after the Gummi blocks that constitute the walls protecting all worlds are restored after the first game, as people now have to rely on Keyblade wielders to open hidden pathways called Gates. Another safe option is to cross special pathways called Lanes Between, but this is exclusive to Keyblade wielders. A less cumbersome but more riskier option is to use the Corridors of Darkness. While only people with control of darkness can conjure them, anyone can use them after that. However, exposing oneself to darkness without wearing a black cloak will lead to unfortunate side effects.
Parodied in the Henry Stickmin Series game "Infiltrating the Airship". One of the options available in the game is the Transdimensionalizer. When Henry flips the switch, it transports him to the 1st Dimension (aka a single straight horizontal line in mathematics). And he can't return either since the switch flips up and down.
Chapter 2, Season 5 of Fortnite : Battle Royale sees Agent Jones use a portal device to recruit hunters from different realities onto the Island, in order to prevent any of the locals from breaking out of the "Groundhog Day" Loop that they're trapped on.
In Dragon Ball Multiverse , some guys called the Vargas have one; it drives the plot, as they're able to cross between universes (timelines). They come from a different universe than the one the protagonists live in, and they offer them a chance to participate in a tournament among fighters from different universes. One of them is hijacked by King Vegeta and the Saiyans of Universe 10 in a coup d'état. But this part of the plot is in a galaxy far, far away... and only discussed in the novelization.
In Problem Sleuth , there two ways to travel between the real world and the world of imagination: Either climbing through a window, or entering a fort and imagining really hard (booze helps with the latter).
Homestuck features fenestrated walls. Normally they're used to observe faraway places, but smashing through the wall allows one to travel to the location. Andrew Hussie breaks through one of these walls to get from his house in Real Life to Doc Scratch's house in the trolls' universe. Later, Jade and John use another of these walls to escape a universe that's being written out of existence .
In Sluggy Freelance Riff invented the Dimensional Flux Agitator (DFA), originally to blast Bun- -bun into a random alternate universe. He and Torg ended up standing on the wrong side and sent themselves instead . He later built a remote allowing people to come back. In theory .
In Blackbird's Aniverse setting, the hammerspace drive, which can fit in a character's pocket and allows travel into hammerspace , which connects various zones in different dimensions. For example, in the " Kawaii " dimension, there's a Happy Bunny Forest zone, which is an entire universe filled with Exactly What It Says on the Tin . In the "Boring" dimension, there's Tokyo Prime, a universe where Tokyo is the center of everything, but nothing ever happens there, and so on.
The various dimension-spanning organizations in The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids have different means of crossing the barriers between world, but the most common are small ships with traverse the Void on their way to their destination. This includes the Cupids' own vehicles, the Fog Ships, which are stated to be top-of-the-line when it comes to interdimensional vehicle, although that might just be the Cupids' own propaganda.
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake : Prismo's remote normally lets him view anything in the multiverse from the Time Room, however he modifies it into a dimension-hopping device and gives it to Fionna. Simon also puts a gem from a destroyed copy of the Ice King's crown in it so that it can take them to universes where the crown exists.
Family Guy , Stewie invents a remote control that can travel to many universes, including one where Meg is hot, but still ugly compared to everyone else.
Futurama : Professor Hubert Farnsworth accidentally creates a box that contains another universe where the outcome of every coin flip is reversed. The other universe's Farnsworth created a box containing the main universe. The two Farnsworths wind up creating a ton more of such boxes during the episode.
On Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , the Turtles use the transdimensional portal, a technology that allows travel to alternate universes. It is most commonly used in the 1987 cartoon series. Another approach is used in Turtles Forever ; the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles use a dimensional portal stick to go to the 1987 universe.
W.I.T.C.H. has several magical items that allow travel through dimensions, with the Seal of Phobos (and later the Heart of Kandrakar after it absorbs the seal) being the first example shown, and the Mage's ring and the Tonga Tooth necklace in the second season. Elyon, the Heart of Meridian, can open Folds with her power and jokingly laments that she doesn't get any new jewelry like the others.
Rick Sanchez of Rick and Morty has a handheld portal gun that shoots out a portal to a dimension of his choosing.
Star vs. the Forces of Evil : Many characters use dimensional scissors which cut open portals to other universes. They seem to be very common in most dimensions. Star isn't supposed to have any, but her friend Pony Head loans her a pair... which turn out to have been stolen from Hekapoo, the one who forges all dimensional scissors. Marco has to undergo a trial to earn his own pair; it takes him sixteen years to succeed. Even considering the hefty time difference (the trial only took eight minutes from the perspective of everyone else), it's unclear if everyone else who owns a pair of dimensional scissors went through a similar trial.
Dr. Dimensionpants : The eponymous dimension pants allow the wearer to travel between dimensions.
What's only known as the Calamity Box from Amphibia transported the protagonist and her two girlfriends to the titular universe where sapient, anthropomorphic amphibians live in a rather dangerous swamp world of monstrous predators. Season 2 has their king reveal that the device was created by his ancestors to traverse various alternate universes, and it needs to be taken to three temples they built to recharge it for another trip. Which is a lie. The Calamity Stones are the actual source of power, and their powers were transferred to the three girls when they first used the box. The temples are actually intended to transfer the power back from the girls to the gems, which the king intends to use to become a Multiversal Conqueror .
The Owl House has Eda's portal door, which is the only reliable method of passing between Earth and the Demon Realm (the only other way being the Reality Bleeds that cause human junk to wash up on the shores of the Boiling Isles). She mostly uses it to steal human junk to sell at her store , though her posession of it, its history, and how it was made are incredibly important to the show's Myth Arc . The portal gets destroyed in the end, but The Collector has the ability to generate wormholes, and one such wormhole was made between the Boiling Isles and Earth that is stabilized by a new device .

Video Example(s):

The portalizer.

The Portalizer is Nefarious's latest invention; a portal gun that reaches into other dimensions.

Alternative Title(s): Transdimensional Ship

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11,241--> Report

Português do Brasil

Dimensional Travel

View history

The power to travel between different dimensions . Combination of Dimensional Manipulation and Teleportation .

1 Also Called
2 Capabilities
3 Applications
4 Variations
5 Associations
6 Limitations
7.1 Anime/Manga/Manhwa
7.2 Cartoons
7.5 Literature
7.6 Live Television
7.9 Video Games
7.10 Web Comics/Original/Series
8.1 Anime/Manga/Manhwa
8.2 Cartoons/Comics
8.3 Live Television/Movies
8.4 Literature
8.5 Video Games
8.6 Web Animation/Comic/Original/Series
9.1 Anime/Manga/Manhwa
9.2 Cartoons/Comics
9.3 Live Television/Movies
9.5 Video Games
9.6 Web Comics

Also Called [ ]

Cross-Time Jump/Jumping/Teleportation/Transportation/Travel/Traveling
Dimension/Realm Hopping/Jumping/Travel/Traveling
Dimensional/Universal Jump/Jumping/Teleportation/Transportation/Travel/Traveling
Interdimensional/Inter-Reality Jump/Jumping/Teleportation/Transportation/Travel/Traveling
Parallel World/Universe/Reality Jump/Jumping/Teleportation/Transportation/Travel/Traveling

Capabilities [ ]

The user can travel between different dimensions and universes, and cross over different planes of existence or travel across various forms of reality.

The user can travel to alternate universe/other earths and/or even (pocket) dimensions.

Applications [ ]

4th Wall Breaching
Afterlife Traveling
Alternate Reality Traveling
Alternate Timeline Traveling
Beforelife Traveling
Book Jumping
Chronoskimming
Dimensioskimming
Dimensional Transformation
Fantasy Travelling
Fiction Travel
Instant Transmission
Multiversal Travel
Reality Crossroads
Reality Shifting
Realm Connection
Spatial Travel
Time Travel
Time-Window Alteration
Black Hole / White Hole Creation
Fissure Creation
Dimensional Storage
Portal Attacks
Absolute Attack
Mass Teleportation
Partial Teleportation
Tactile Teleportation
Warping Teleportation

Variations [ ]

Planeswalking ; Mystical version

Associations [ ]

Powerful Objects
Alien Physiology
Dimensional Manipulation
Dimension Shifting
Distance Manipulation
Planes Dreaming
Speedster Physiology
Teleportation
Unbound Soul

Limitations [ ]

May not have control over when they travel between worlds.
Initiating the transportation may take time or have other specific recommendations.
May only be able to travel to a specific dimension.
Can still be affected by Warp Travel Unravel and Warp Travel Interaction .
Can be unable to enter worlds that are restricted from access.

Known Users [ ]

Anime/Manga/Manhwa [ ]

Drago ( Bakugan: Battle Brawlers )
Wavern ( Bakugan: Battle Brawlers )
Mechtogans ( Bakugan: Battle Brawlers )
Skull Knight ( Berserk )
Griffith/Femto ( Berserk )
Conrad Leto ( Black Clover )
Shinigami ( Bleach ); via "Senkaimon"
Hollows & Arrancar ( Bleach ); via "Garganta"
Quincy ( Bleach ); via "Shadow"
Shinobu Negero ( Buso Renkin )
Road Kamelot ( D.Gray-man )
All Spirits ( Date A Live )
Mastemon ( Digimon )
Quantumon ( Digimon )
Sorcerers ( Dorohedoro )
Supreme Kais
Touka ( Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest)
Faris ( Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest)
Selene ( Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest)
Misaki ( Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest)
Road Dopant ( Futo Detective ) via using high-temperature heat and high speed
Gods ( In Another World with my Smartphone )
Endymion ( In Another World with my Smartphone )
Velgrynd ( That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime )
King Ghidorah ( Godzilla: The Planet Eater )
Guido-Hyun ( The Haunted House/Shinbi Apartment )
Kibi ( The Haunted House/Shinbi Apartment )
Funny Valentine ( JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part VII: Steel Ball Run ); via Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/D4C
Vanilla Ice ( JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part III: Stardust Crusaders ); via Cream
Dimension ÄRM users ( Marchen Awakens Romance )
IV (Vier) ( Marchen Awakens Romance )
Pandora ( Monster Strike )
Users of Kamui ( Naruto )
Users of Yomotsu Hirasaka ( Naruto )
Sasuke Uchiha ( Naruto )
Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki ( Naruto )
Nue ( Boruto: Naruto Next Generations )
Users of Kama Rift ( Boruto: Naruto Next Generations )
Users of Claw Mark ( Boruto: Naruto Next Generations )
Blueno ( One Piece ); via Doa Doa no Mi
Blast ( One-Punch Man )
Gemini Saga ( Saint Seiya )
Sideways ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
Galvatron ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
Soundwave ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
Vector Prime ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
'Emperor' Starscream ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
Anyone with the Omega Lock. ( Transformers Unicron Trilogy )
Mokona ( Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle )
Itsuki ( Yu Yu Hakusho )
Kazuma Kuwabara ( Yu Yu Hakusho )
Users of Interdimensional Travel Technology ( Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V )
Yubel ( Yu-Gi-Oh GX )
Gorm ( Zatch Bell! )
Mirage ( Aladdin: The Animated Series )
Gwen Tennyson
Verdona Tennyson
Maltruant ( Ben 10: Omniverse )
Diagon ( Ben 10: Ultimate Alien )
Eon ( Ben 10 Series )
Flame Keepers' Circle Soldiers ( Ben 10: Ultimate Alien )
Professor Paradox ( Ben 10 Series )
Vilgax ( Ben 10: Ultimate Alien ); temporally???
Alya Césaire/Ubiquity ( Miraculous World: Paris )
Monrach/Gabriel Agreste
Marinette dupain-Chang/Ladybug/Ladybiquity ( Miraculous ladybug )
Brutaka ( Bionicle ); via Kanohi Olmak
Vezon ( Bionicle ); via Kanohi Olmak
Catbug ( Bravest Warriors )
Dr. Dimensionpants ( Dr. Dimensionpants )
Four-dimensional space whales ( Futurama )
Breach ( Generator Rex )
Bill Cipher ( Gravity Falls ); only through people’s imagination/mind
Fiddleford Hadron McGucket ( Gravity Falls )
Grim ( The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy )
Invisible Dragon ( Invisible Dragon )
Te Xuan Ze ( The Life & Times of Juniper Lee )
Doomagedoon ( League of Super Evil )
Mot ( Mot )
Rick Sanchez ( Rick and Morty ); via portal gun
Star Butterfly ( Star vs. the Forces of Evil ); in butterfly form
Hekapoo ( Star vs. the Forces of Evil )
Cyborg ( Teen Titans Go! )
Primus ( Transformers )
Unicron ( Transformers )
Skywarp ( G1 Transformers )
The Sorcerer
The Sorceress
Uncle Grandpa ( Uncle Grandpa )
Black Hat ( Villainous )
Eliotropes ( Wakfu )
Sirenix Fairies ( Winx Club ); to Infinite Ocean
Mythix Fairies ( Winx Club ); to Legendarium World
Tynix Fairies ( Winx Club ); to MiniWorlds
Onyrix Fairies ( World of Winx ); to World of Dreams
Blunk ( W.I.T.C.H ); via Tooth of the Tonga
Elyon Brown ( W.I.T.C.H. )
The Mage ( W.I.T.C.H ); via her Ring
Nerissa ( W.I.T.C.H )
Will Vandom ( W.I.T.C.H )
Cosmic Owl ( Adventure Time )
Cosmo and Wanda ( Fairly Odd Parents )
Fat Chance ( The Venture Bros )
Master of Games ( Teen Titans )
Ixis Naugus ( Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog )
Zone Cops ( Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog )
Users of the Speed Force ( DC Comics )
Kryptonians ( DC Comics ); via yellow sun radiation
The Herald ( DC Comics ); via Gabriel's Horn
Monarch ( DC Comics )
Raven ( DC Comics )
Grail ( DC Comics )
New Gods ( DC Comics ); via Mother Box that can generate Boom Tubes
Sideways ( DC Comics )
Supernova ( DC Comics )
Vibe ( DC Comics )
Breacher ( DC Comics )
The Anti-Monitor ( DC Comics )
The Batman Who Laughs ( DC Comics )
The Phantom Stranger ( DC Comics )
Superboy-Prime ( DC Comics )
Alexander Luther Jr ( DC Comics )
Metron ( DC Comics )
Mr Mxlylplx
Zauriel ( DC Comics ); via Michael's Sword
Folding Man ( DC Comics )
The Endless ( DC/Vertigo Comics )
Starbreaker ( DC Comics )
The Carrier ( Wildstorm/DC Comics )
Spawn ( Image Comics )
Angstrom Levy ( Image Comics )
Beyonders ( Marvel Comics )
Captain Britain Corps ( Marvel Comics )
The Exiles ( Marvel Comics )
Loki Laufeyson ( Marvel Comics )
Thor Odinson ( Marvel Comics ); via Mjolnir
Doctor Stephen Strange ( Marvel Comics )
Ancient One ( Marvel Comics )
Doctor Victor Von Doom ( Marvel Comics )
Magik ( Marvel Comics )
Lockjaw ( Marvel Comics )
Great Weaver ( Marvel Comics )
Inheritors ( Marvel Comics )
Onslaught ( Marvel Comics )
Pathway ( Marvel Comics )
Quasar ( Marvel Comics )
Mojo ( Marvel Comics )
Spiral ( Marvel Comics )
Shatterstar ( Marvel Comics )
Rachel Summers ( Marvel Comics )
Nate Grey/X-Man ( Marvel Comics )
Wiccan ( Marvel Comics )
America Chavez ( Marvel Comics )
The Impossible Man ( Marvel Comics )
Combo Man ( Marvel Comics )
Mother ( Marvel Comics )
Access ( Marvel/DC/Amalgam Comics )
Omni-Viewer ( Sonic the Comic )
Voyd ( The Incredibles 2 )
Jack Jack Parr ( The Incredibles )
Malevolent Mame ( The Chase 3: Great Minds Think Alike )
John Constantine ( Constantine )
Joe Talbot ( Crossworlds )
Stygian demons ( Dogma )
The Tall Man ( Phantasm )
Spot ( Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse )
Demogorgons ( Stranger Things )
Fallen/Megatronus Prime ( Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen )
Jetfire ( Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen )
Sentinel Prime ( Transformers: Dark of the Moon ); via Space Bridge technology
Ancient Primes ( Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen )
Ransack ( Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen )
Seekers ( Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen )
Fortress ( Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen )
Initiates of the Pattern, the Logrus, and of Broken Patterns; some demons ( The Chronicles of Amber )
Hoid ( Cosmere )
Nac Mac Feegle ( Discworld series )
Ragnor Fell ( The Mortal Instruments )
Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern ( The Mortal Instruments )
Oswald Bastable, Una Persson ( A Nomad of the Time Streams )
Travelers ( Pendragon )
Red & Randy Dorakeen ( Roadmarks )
Ciri ( The Witcher )
Cthulhu ( Cthulhu Mythos )
Mr. Munshun/Lord Malshun ( Black House )

Live Television [ ]

Tobias Ford ( Agents of SHIELD )
The Beast ( Angel )
Illyria ( Angel )
Mistress Meerna ( Angel )
Willow Rosenberg ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
D'Hoffryn ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
Mok'tagar Demon ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
Elders ( Charmed )
Tyler Michaels ( Charmed )
The Source of All Evil ( Charmed )
Whitelighters ( Charmed )
Omega ( Doctor Who )
Anala ( The Elephant Princess )
Louie Preston ( The Haunted Hathaways ); via to Portal Creation / Door Projection
Olivia Dunham ( Fringe )
Kelli Wheaton ( Heroes )
Jefferson ( Once Upon a Time )
Chunky Chicken ( Mighty Morphin Power Rangers )
Nighlok ( Power Rangers Samurai )
Goldwinger ( Power Rangers Ninja Storm )
Danny ( Tripped )
Quinn Mallory ( Sliders ); via Timer
Wade Welles ( Sliders ); via Timer
Rembrandt Brown ( Sliders ); via Timer
Maximillian Arturo ( Sliders ); via Timer
Maggie Beckett ( Sliders ); via Timer
Angus Rickman ( Sliders ); via Timer
Colin Mallory ( Sliders ); via Timer
Quinn "Mallory" Mallory ( Sliders ); via Timer
Diana Davis ( Sliders ); via Timer
Kromaggs ( Sliders )
Demogorgon ( Stranger Things )
Alex Russo ( Wizards of Waverly Place )
Terrible-Monsters/Choju ( Ultraman series )
Mechagiras ( Ultraman 80 )
Galactron ( Ultraman series )
Ultraman Zero ( Ultraman series )
Etelgar ( Ultraman Ginga S The Movie: Showdown! The 10 Ultra Warriors! ); via Dimensional Castle
Barry Allen/The Flash
Eobard Thawne/The Reverse Flash
Hunter Zolomon/Zoom
Cisco Ramon/Vibe
Mar Novu/The Monitor ( Arrowverse )
The Music Meister ( Arrowverse )
Plastoid ( Arrowverse )
Edwin Gauss/Folded Man ( Arrowverse )
Clifford DeVoe/The Thinker ( Arrowverse/The Flash 2014 )
Tsukasa Kadoya ( Kamen Rider Decade/Zi-O )
Daiki Kaito ( Kamen Rider Decade/Zi-O )
Narutaki ( Kamen Rider Decade )
DJ Sagara ( Kamen Rider Gaim )
Ra’jah O’Hara ( Rupaul’s Drag Race ); as I'Siya Queen through dancing.
Witches ( The Vampire Diaries/The Originals/Legacies ) via spells
Ziltoid the Omniscient ( Devin Townsend Project )
Choerry/Choi Yerim ( LOOΠΔ Kpop Girl Group)
The Planeswalkers ( Magic the Gathering )
Neo the Magic Swordsman ( Yu-Gi-Oh! )

Video Games [ ]

Player ( Pixel Worlds )
Shadow Man ( Call of Duty )
The Baker ( Cookie Clicker )
Morrigan Aensland ( Darkstalkers )
Dante ( Devil May Cry/DmC )
Arkham ( Devil May Cry )
Mundus ( Devil May Cry )
Vergil ( Devil May Cry )
Azimuth ( Legacy of Kain )
Kain as Scion of Balance ( Legacy of Kain )
Raziel ( Legacy of Kain )
Divayth Fyr ( The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind )
Gilgamesh ( Final Fantasy V )
The Gods ( Genshin Impact )
Celestial Twins ( Genshin Impact )
Riku/Riku-Ansem ( Kingdom Hearts ); via darkness
Elfilin (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)
Kassadin ( League of Legends )
Croire ( Hyperdimension Neptunia )
Ganondorf ( The Legend of Zelda )
Midna ( The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess )
Major Sybil Tan/Kestrel ( Marvel Strike Force )
IDPD - the Interdimensional Police Department ( Nuclear Throne )
Palkia ( Pokémon )
Giratina ( Pokémon )
Time Eater ( Sonic Generations )
Mephiles the Dark ( Sonic the Hedgehog )
Shadow the Hedgehog ( Sonic the Hedgehog )
Sonic the Hedgehog ( Sonic the Hedgehog )
Erwin Reanna Schrodinger ( Honkai Impact 3rd )
Lord Vortech ( LEGO Dimensions )
All Playable Characters ( LEGO Dimensions )
Anne von Blyssen ( Starshine Legacy )
Culex ( Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars )
Count Bleck ( Super Paper Mario )
Dimentio ( Super Paper Mario )
Turok ( Turok: Dinosaur Hunter )
Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg ( TYPE-MOON )
Dream Phantom ( Valkyrie Crusade )
Dimension Hacker ( Valkyrie Crusade )
Various Magic Users ( Warcraft series )
Elizabeth Comstock ( Bioshock Infinite )
Boys of silence ( Bioshock infinite )
Add ( Elsword )
Aisha ( Elsword )
Yabusame Houlen ( Len'en Project )
Jesse Faden ( Control ); via Slide Projector
Dylan Faden ( Control ); via Slide Projector
Polaris ( Control ); via Slide Projector
The Hiss ( Control ); via Slide Projector
Robloxians ( ROBLOX )
Herrscher Of The Void ( Honkai impact 3rd )
Lucifer ( Helltaker )
Boyfriend ( Friday Night Funkin )
Girlfriend ( Friday Night Funkin )
Steve/Alex/Player ( Minecraft ); via Nether Portal or End Portal
The Ink Demon ( Bendy and the Ink Machine/Dark Revival )
Roblox Players ( Roblox )
The Traveler ( Just Dance )

Web Comics/Original/Series [ ]

Baron von Mouse ( Dog Cat Mouse )
Everywhere ( Jenny Everywhere )
Various Characters ( Order of the Stick )
The Entity ( AT4W )
Scion/Zion ( Worm )
Eden (Worm)
Mechakara ( AT4W )
Lord Vyce ( AT4W )
Dr. Linksano ( AT4W )
Dr. Insano ( The Spoony Experiment )
Nox Decious ( Stupid Mario Brothers )
Mecha Sonic ( Super Mario Bros. Z )
The G-Man ( Half-Life Series )
Noclippers ( The Backrooms )
Calvin Lucien/O5-1 ( SCP Foundation ); via Dr. Wondertainment’s Interdimensional Line and Lure
The Fifth Overseer/O5-5 ( SCP Foundation )
The Brothers Death ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-001 - Tufto's Proposal - The Scarlet King ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-507 - Reluctant Dimension Hopper ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-993 - Bobble The Clown ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-3022 - Hooked on a Feeling ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-3167 - Character Assassin ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-3319 - The Clusterfuckalypse ( SCP Foundation )
SCP-3396 - The Empyrean Parasite ( SCP Foundation )
Mortimer J. Denning Von Kronecker ( SCP Foundation )
Cartoon Cat
Yoru ( Valorant )
Wraith ( Apex Legends )
Error Sans ( Errortale )
Salad Fingers ( Salad Fingers ); via Puddles

Known Objects [ ]

See Also: Interdimensional Travel Device

Anime/Manga/Manhwa

Gatekeeper Pierrot ( Marchen Awakens Romance )
Yamato ( Devil May Cry )
Nebula Chain ( Saint Seiya )
Mao's Magic Mirror ( Shining Tears x Wind )
Dungeon Keys ( Solo Leveling )
Road Memory ( Futo Detective )
Portal to Sonic's world ( Sonic X ); only between Earth and Sonic's world
Gogoukanda ( Twelve Kingdoms )

Cartoons/Comics

Enchiridion ( Adventure Time )
Prismo’s Remote ( Adventure Time )
Portal Spell ( American Dragon: Jake Long )
Calamity Box ( Amphibia )
Null Void Projector ( Ben 10 )
Gabriel's Horn ( DC Comics )
Mother Box ( DC Comics )
Mobius Chair ( DC Comics )
Infi-Map ( Danny Phantom )
Fenton Ghost Portal ( Danny Phantom )
Zandora's Box ( Dungeons & Dragons: The Animation )
The Super-Collider ( Into the Spider-Verse )
Realm Crystal ( Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu )
Traveler's Tea ( Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu )
Dimensional Travel Watch ( Marvel Comics )
Mjolnir ( Marvel Comics )
Multisect ( Marvel Comics )
Siege Perilous ( Marvel Comics )
Space Gem ( Marvel Comics )
Nexus of All Realities ( Marvel Comics )
Crystal Mirror/Statue portal ( My Little Pony: Equestria Girls )
Titan's Blood ( The Owl House )
Portal Gun ( Rick and Morty )
Heart of Etheria ( She-Ra and the Princesses of Power )
Youtube Remote ( SMG4 )
Dimensional Scissors ( Star vs. the Forces of Evil )
Grim's Scythe ( The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy )
Interdimensional Portal & Porta-Portal ( The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour III: The Jerkinators! )
Recall Potion ( Wakfu )
Magic Watches ( Winx Club )
Heart of Kandrakar ( W.I.T.C.H )
Parallel Universe Box ( Futurama )
Yin Yang Yoyo ( Xiaolin Showdown )
Stanford’s portal ( Gravity Falls )
Interdimensional Rift ( Gravity Falls )
Closet doors ( Monsters, Inc. ); only between the Monster World and Human World
The Second Star to the Right ( Disney's Peter Pan ); only between Earth and Neverland
Magical Box ( We Baby Bears )

Live Television/Movies

Breaches ( Arrowverse )
Pylean Book ( Angel )
Sling Rings ( Marvel Cinematic Universe )
Tesseract ( Marvel Cinematic Universe )
The Tardis ( Doctor Who )
The Thinker’s Hoverchair ( Arrowverse/The Flash )
Timer ( Sliders )
Wishing Well ( Enchanted )
Rings ( Sonic the Hedgehog Movie )
Crystal Elevator ( Thea Stilton )
Wardrobe ( The Chronicles of Narnia )

Video Games

Lor Starcutter ( Kirby )
Phantom Ruby ( Sonic the Hedgehog )
Mirror Of Twilight ( The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess )
Nether Portal ( Minecraft )
End Portal ( Minecraft )
Slideshow Projector ( Control )
Voyagers ( What Lies in the Multiverse )

Web Animation/Comic/Original/Series

Dr. Wondertainment's Interdimensional Line and Lure ( SCP Foundation )
Backroom Keys ( The Backrooms )

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80 of the Best Entertaining Time Travel TV Shows You Need To Watch

With romance, adventure, and fun plot twists, these time travel TV shows are sure to entertain.

The time travel trope is quintessentially romantic, with different themes and elements giving it a desperate, romantic air. There is the lone time traveler, bouncing across time in search of lost love. Or a group of travelers unable to return home due to a rift in the space/time continuum. Better yet, the star-crossed lovers fated only to get snatches of time together. Swoon . There is so much to love about time travel TV shows!

Time Travel TV shows featured image with collage of shows.

At The Silver Petticoat Review , we love time travel TV shows so much that we thought a list of binge-worthy shows was necessary.

Depending on your taste in time travel stories, below are 21 binge-worthy dramas, romantic comedies, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy stories (plus 59 bonus recommendations at the end). Not all are traditional versions of the trope, but each one includes an element of time travel.

Get ready! Your watch list is about to become longer!

Note: Availability for the “Where to Watch” sections are for the US and are subject to change at any time. It was last updated in December 2022.

BINGE-WORTHY TIME TRAVEL TV SHOWS (#1-21)

(in no particular order).

#1 Timeless *

Synopsis: With history threatened by an evil consortium, a historian, soldier, and scientist join forces to travel through time to save history.

Their adventures take them across history, where they cross paths with some famous and lesser-known figures in history. Yet, each time they save history, they risk changing the future.

Where to Watch: The NBC series is available on Hulu or to buy on Digital and DVD.

* Timeless is one of my favorite time travel shows! A lovely, action-adventure romance with time travel!

#2 Doctor Who

Synopsis: Doctor Who follows the trials of an extraterrestrial Time Lord. Known as the Doctor, he/she travels through time to solve problems and battle injustice across the universe.

Using the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space) to travel, the Doctor recruits companions to assist him/her. With various incarnations, Doctor Who is a sweeping adventure in space and time.

Note: There are many iterations of Doctor Who . Any would make our list of time travel series. Pick your favorite! The newer Doctors include Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker. The new Doctor will be Ncuti Gatwa in 2023.

Where to Watch: You can stream the classic series on Britbox and the 2005 revival on HBO Max. Both series are available to buy digitally and on DVD.

#3 DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Synopsis: Time-traveler Rip Hunter sets out to save the world with the timeline in catastrophic danger.

Rip brings together an unlikely group of heroes and villains previously seen in Arrow and The Flash.

These heroes and villains must come together before they can save the planet. But can they put their differences aside before time runs out?

See our review of Legends of Tomorrow .

Where to Watch: Stream on Netflix or buy digitally and on DVD.

#4 12 Monkeys *

Synopsis: Cole travels from a post-apocalyptic future to save the world from a lethal plague. He meets Dr. Cassandra Railly, a virologist, who joins him in his crusade.

It’s a race against time, as they trace the epidemic to its source and discover that appearances are deceiving and time itself is an enemy.

Where to Watch: Stream on Hulu or buy digitally and on DVD.

Related Post Romantic Moment of the Week: 12 Monkeys: Cassie and Cole

*Another personal favorite! When it comes to time travel shows, 12 Monkeys hits all the right notes!

#5 El Ministerio del Tiempo (The Department of Time)

El Ministerio del Tiempo (The Department of Time); time travel TV shows

Synopsis: A secret government agency recruits three people from different eras to protect Spain’s history.

They bounce through time, chasing time-traveling intruders bent on manipulating history for their own purposes.

Where to Watch: Stream on Pantaya or buy on DVD.

#6 Travelers

Synopsis: Several hundred years into the future, the last humans discover a way to send their consciousness back in time. These “travelers” assume the lives of random individuals.

With only their knowledge of history and social media profiles to guide their way, the travelers quickly discover that experience in the 21st Century is as challenging as their mission.

Content Warning: Rated TV-MA, the show has strong language, violence, and implied nudity.

#7 Scarlet Heart / Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

Scarlet Heart; 21 Time Travel TV Shows You Need to Binge-Watch

Synopsis of Scarlet Heart : A near-fatal accident sends Zhang Xiao, a 21st Century woman, back in time to the Qing Dynasty. It is Kangxi Emperor’s reign, and Xiao is now the teenage daughter of a Manchu general.

Known as Ma’ertai Roux, Xiao attempts to return to the future. Navigating new relationships and love, Xiao adjusts to her new life until, one day, it disappears.

Where to Watch: Stream on Viki .

Note: There is also a Korean version of Scarlet Heart called Scarlet Heart: Ryeo . Read our review here . It is only available to buy on DVD.

#8 Making History

Making History; 21 Time Travel TV Shows You Need to Binge-Watch

Synopsis: Misunderstood college facilities manager Dan Chambers discovers time travel, using pop culture to become a beloved 18th Century figure. However, Dan fails to realize the impact time travel has on the present.

When Dan causes Paul Revere to delay his famous ride, he alters the events of the American Revolution. Dan then recruits well-liked history professor Chris Parish for help in correcting history.

Where to Watch: Rent on Amazon Video or buy Digital.

#9 Sleepy Hollow

Synopsis: Ichabod Crane comes back to life 250 years in the future, where he must solve a mystery going back to the time of the founding fathers.

However, he is not alone. Due to a blood curse, the headless horseman also returns to the living. The headless horseman begins a slaying spree in present-day Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod realizes that the headless horseman is the first of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Enter Detective Abbie Mills. Familiar with the supernatural, Abbie joins forces with Crane to stop the evil infecting Sleepy Hollow.

Where to Watch: Stream Sleepy Hollow on Hulu, the CW app, CW Seed, and Tubi. You can also buy the series on Digital and DVD.

#10 Torchwood

Synopsis: Former time agent, Captain Jack Harkness, leads the Torchwood Three to investigate unexplained extraterrestrial events on Earth.

The group, part of a covert agency called the Torchwood Institute, battles supernatural threats outside the protection of the British government and law enforcement.

Where to Watch: Stream on HBO Max or buy on Digital and DVD.

Content Warning: The series is TV-MA for strong language in a few episodes. It also includes occasional explicit sensuality, suggestive content, and violence.

#11 Being Erica *

Synopsis: During therapy, Erica Strange shares her list of regrets with her therapist. In a twist in treatment, Erica goes back in time to those moments with a chance to make different decisions.

Faced with rewriting her past or leaving things as they are, Erica faces each moment with humor and a new appreciation for her choices.

Where to Watch: Stream on Hulu, Roku, Hoopla, Plex, and Crackle, and buy digitally and on DVD.

*The writing in this show is fantastic!

Content Warning: Rated TV-14, it is, at times, TV-MA. There is sensual content, as well as nudity and some bad language.

#12 Heroes

Synopsis: Around the world, a group of ordinary people is discovering they have superpowers. One man wants their powers for himself.

To protect themselves, they must learn to help each other before he destroys them all.

Where to Watch: Stream the superhero series on Peacock or buy digitally and on DVD.

#13 The Librarians *

Synopsis: Based on popular TV movies, The Librarians are a group of people who protect magical items throughout time.

Consisting of an art historian, a thief, a mathematician, and a warrior, they travel through time to find supernatural objects and bring them under the protection of the Library.

Related: Read our romantic moment between Eve and Flynn from The Librarians .

Where to Watch: Stream on Hulu, Hoopla, and Amazon’s Freevee. You can also buy it digitally and on DVD.

#14 Early Edition *

Synopsis: Having lost his job and his marriage, Gary Hobson wakes up one morning to find a cat sitting on a newspaper bearing the next day’s date.

Gary quickly learns that this early edition allows him 24 hours to try and save many people’s lives.

Where to Watch: All seasons are available for DVD purchase on Amazon Prime.

*This one is an outlier when it comes to time travel TV shows. The only thing that travels in time is the newspaper. Still, it’s Kyle Chandler….. swoon!

#15 Erased

Synopsis: Satoru goes back 18 years to prevent the passing of his mother and three classmates.

Where to Watch: Netflix

#16 Outlander

Synopsis: British Army Nurse Claire Randall is on her second honeymoon and looking forward to a career as an Oxford historian. Suddenly transported back to 1742, Claire finds her freedom and life are in danger.

RELATED: ‘Midnight at the Pera Palace’ Review: The Time Travel Romance is Irresistibly Good

To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser. An unexpected passionate relationship develops, and Claire becomes caught between two very different men in two very different lives.

See our review of Outlander .

Where to Watch: Stream on Netflix and STARZ or buy on Digital and DVD.

Content Warning: TV-MA with explicit sensual content, nudity, assaults, and graphic violence.

#17 The Eternal Love

Synopsis: Unhappy with a forced marriage, Qu Tan Er attempts to end her life. She awakens from her failed attempt with the spirit of another woman inside her body. The modern Xiao Tan is Tan Er’s opposite.

Stuck in the past world, she cannot return to the present day. Whenever one of the women lies, the other person takes control. Soon, complications in love arise as the differing women fall in love with two different men.

What will become of the foursome? And will Xiao Tan be able to find her way back to her own time?

Where to Watch: Viki

#18 Lost in Austen *

Synopsis: This smart take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice finds modern, working girl Amanda Price trading places with Elizabeth Bennet.

Unable to return to her time, Amanda must try her best to fit in among the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys. Yet, her presence in the lives of these beloved characters sets changes to the course of the classic tale.

See our Lost in Austen review .

Where to Watch: Stream on Britbox Amazon Channel, Freevee, and Pluto TV, and buy digitally on Amazon or DVD.

#19 Continuum

Synopsis: Detective Kiera Cameron, a cop from the year 2077, and a group of dangerous criminals called Liber8 are trapped in present-day Vancouver. Kiera must stop Liber8 before they destroy the corporate world, altering the future as she knows it. She enlists the help of tech genius Alec Sadler to find a way back home.

In the meantime, Kiera takes a job with the Vancouver Police Department. With help from her partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra, they keep tabs on Liber8. Different beliefs and backgrounds lead to suspicion, but slowly, Kiera and Carlos learn to trust each other.

Where to Watch: Buy digitally from the Microsoft Store or on DVD.

#20 Frequency

Synopsis: Detective Raimy Sullivan has lived with the pain and resentment of her father’s passing for 20 years. She believes her father, NYPD Officer Frank Sullivan, was corrupt, resulting in his passing. However, everything changes when she hears his voice coming from an old ham radio.

With Raimy’s warning in his ears, Frank survives the attempt on his life. Yet, the change in the past ends in tragedy for the future. Separated by time, connected by an old radio, the two detectives work together to find a way to rewrite the past without losing the ones they love.

Where to Watch: Stream on the CW app and CW seed.

#21 Seven Days

Synopsis: CIA Agent Frank Parker receives a special assignment from the NSA. He must travel back in time to prevent current-day catastrophes.

Yet, there is a catch – he must do so within seven days. Using a time machine built from alien technology, Frank races against time in the past to save the future.

Where to Watch: Buy on DVD.

Whether you are a fan of pure romance or romantic comedies or love the adventure of time travel, there is something for everyone on our list of binge-worthy time travel TV shows. So dip in and travel back in time with some of the most swoon-worthy characters out there.

*Denotes a personal favorite of mine.

EVEN MORE TIME TRAVEL TV SHOWS TO WATCH (#22-80)

This section was updated in 2022 by Amber and Autumn (co-owners and editors of The Silver Petticoat Review ).

Numerous time travel TV series exist, and you can never have enough to watch! So, we thought adding a lot more to the list would be fun.

Enjoy! We included a *star next to our personal favorites.

#22: 356: REPEAT THE YEAR (2020) – Korean Drama about ten people traveling back in time one year.
#23: * THE 4400 (2004; 2021) – We recommend the original series over the reboot. Both shows have 4400 people appearing in the present day from different time periods, not having aged a day since they originally disappeared.
#24: * AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013) – The later seasons of this fun Marvel series are all about time travel – and they are marvelous! The love story between Daisy and Daniel Sousa is perfect.
#25: ALCATRAZ (2012) – Prisoners from Alcatraz disappeared in 1963 – only to reappear in the present day. The short-lived drama lasted only one season.
#26: ALICE (2022) – A new time travel romance TV series on Kocowa and Viki.
#27: ALWAYS A WITCH (2019) – A time-traveling witch in this Colombian series ends up in the present day.
#28: * CHARMED (1998; 2018) – The original and new series about three sisters (and witches) include time travel episodes. Both shows are entertaining – but the original is superior.
#29: THE CROSSING (2018) – Refugees from the future travel back in time to seek asylum.
#30: DARK (2017) (TV-MA) – The German sci-fi thriller series deals with a time travel conspiracy in this hugely popular Netflix drama.

RELATED: 50 of the Best Romantic Period Drama TV Series of All Time to Watch

A Discovery of Witches Season 2 - Diana and Matthew in Elizabethan London

#31: DIRK GENTLY/DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY (2010; 2016) – Time travel is involved in these two versions of the story about a detective investigating supernatural cases.
#32: * A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES (2018) (TV-MA – mild) – A witch and a vampire fall in love while trying to unravel the secrets of witches, vampires, and demons. She can time travel and much of Season 2 takes place in Elizabethan times.
#33: FAITH (2012) – Lee Min-ho stars in this time travel Korean series.
#34: * FELICITY (1998) – The coming-of-age romance drama from J.J. Abrams ends with a time travel twist.
#35: FIND ME IN PARIS (2018) – A children’s show about an Edwardian ballet dancer who transports into the future with a mystical necklace.
#36: THE FLASH (AND OTHER ARROWVERSE SHOWS) (2014) – The CW superhero show is fun, likable, and regularly has time-travel storylines.
#37: FLASHFORWARD (2009) – Joseph Fiennes stars in this canceled too-soon series about people having visions of their future.
#38: * FRINGE (2008) – An FBI agent explores unexplained fringe science with a scientist and his son in this brilliant sci-fi series.
#39: JOURNEYMAN (2007) – Kevin McKidd stars in this show about a time traveler who helps people.
#40: KAIROS (2020) – The fantasy thriller K-drama series is available to stream on Viki and Kocowa.

#41: LA BREA (2021) – A sinkhole in Los Angeles sends a group of people to an ancient world. Soon, a family becomes enmeshed in a time-travel conspiracy. It’s super fun (if illogical) and crazy – especially by Season 2.
#42: LEGION (2017) (TV-MA) – Dan Stevens stars in this bizarre Marvel series about a man with abilities. Time travel becomes a significant element in Season 3.
#43: * LIFE ON MARS/ASHES TO ASHES (2006; 2008) (TV-MA – mild) – DCI Sam Tyler wakes up in 1973 after being in a car accident. The spinoff series Ashes to Ashes is about another Detective who wakes up in 1981.
#44: LIVE UP TO YOUR NAME (2017) – It’s a rom-com time travel K-drama series about a Joseon doctor transported into the present day.
#45: * LOST (2004) – Survivors of a plane disaster discover they’re stranded on a mysterious island. Time travel plays an essential role in the brilliant romantic series .
#46: * LOKI (2021) – Loki ends up at the Time Variance Authority – agents who stop time variants and monitor the timeline. Loki soon must fight for his survival as he travels through time.
#47: * MANIFEST (2018) – The mystery genre series begins when a missing airplane reappears five years later – and no one has aged.
#48: MY ONLY LOVE SONG (2017) – An actress time travels to the past in a magical van in this historical fantasy romance show.
#49: NINE: NINE TIMES TIME TRAVEL (2013) – A TV anchorman tries to change his past in this romantic K-drama.
#50: THE OUTER LIMITS (1963; 1995) – The sci-fi show includes episodes about time travel.

RELATED: 10 Romantic Time Travel Movies to Binge Watch: I’ll Love You to the End of Time

#51: * PRIMEVAL/PRIMEVAL: NEW WORLD (2007; 2012) – Primeval and its spinoff (not nearly as good) follow a team of agents and scientists capturing prehistoric creatures traveling to the present day through mysterious anomalies. Doctor Who fans should like this one.
#52: * QUEEN IN-HYUN’S MAN (2012) – A scholar travels into the future and connects with an actress in this charming Korean fantasy rom-com.
#53: QUANTUM LEAP (1989; 2022) – A scientist (Scott Bakula) becomes trapped in the past and must leap between bodies and various times. The original show is superior to the new one, but the revival is still entertaining.
#54: THE PERIPHERAL (2022) (TV-MA for violence and profanity) – Chloë Grace Moretz stars in this new science fiction series with an original time travel twist.
#55: ROOFTOP PRINCE (2012) – The popular fantasy rom-com Korean drama follows a Crown Prince from the past transported to the present day.
#56: *ROSWELL (1999) – Two episodes of the iconic paranormal romance series deal with time travel.
#57: RUSSIAN DOLL (2019) (TV-MA for lots of profanity and some explicit content) – A woman from NYC finds herself stuck in a time loop in this Emmy-winning series.
#58: *THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES (2007) – The Doctor Who spinoff is a teen series with fantastic writing about the Doctor’s former companion, journalist Sarah Jane Smith, and her adventures with a group of teens.
#59: SHINING GIRLS (2022) (TV-MA) – Time travel plays into this mystery/crime drama starring Elisabeth Moss. The ending could have been better, but it’s an intriguing, well-acted series.
#60: SIGNAL (2016) – This is South Korea’s version of Frequency .

#61: SISYPHUS: THE MYTH (2021) – A woman from a war-torn future journeys to the past to change future events.
#62: SLIDERS (1995) – A group of friends travels into parallel worlds.
#63: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN (2017) – A woman relives a week to stop tragic events from happening.
#64: *SPLASH SPLASH LOVE (2015) – This adorable rom-com miniseries follows a teenage girl as she travels back in time to the Joseon Era.
#65: *STARGATE: SG-1 (1997) – A military team and scientists are part of a secret group that travels to other planets and occasionally different times through Stargates.
#66: *STAR TREK TV SHOWS (INCLUDING THE NEW SHOWS, PICARD, AND STAR TREK: DISCOVERY) (Some series are TV-MA) – Time travel plays an essential role in the Star Trek universe.
#67: STEINS;GATE (2011) – An animated series about time travel.
#68: *TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES ( 2008) – This is an underrated romantic sci-fi series starring Lena Headey.
#69: TERRA NOVA (2011) – A family from a dying future is transported to the prehistoric era to a colony of humans trying to survive.
#70: THE KING: ETERNAL MONARCH (2020) – A romantic K-drama series about two parallel worlds where time travel plays a part.

RELATED: The Day of the Doctor – An Impossible Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Theory

#71: THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE (2022) (TV-MA) – Steven Moffat’s new (but short-lived) romance series is about a married couple dealing with the problems of time travel.
#72: TIME AFTER TIME (2017) – A short but sweet romantic series about a young H.G. Wells.
#73: THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1959) – The iconic classic series includes episodes about time travel.
#74: TOMORROW, WITH YOU (2017) – A man can time travel with a subway and tries to avoid his future fate while also falling in love.
#75: TUNNEL (2017) – A detective travels 30 years into the future when chasing a suspect through a tunnel.
#76: *TRU CALLING (2003) – A medical grad student develops an ability to relive the previous day and help people.
#77: *THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (2019) – The quirky series follows former child heroes as they try to save the world.
#78: VOYAGERS! (1982) – The classic family series follows a young boy and a team of time travelers as they fix history.
#79: 11.22.63 (TV-MA for violence and profanity) – James Franco stars in this mystery series based on the novel by Stephen King about a teacher who travels back in time to stop the JFK assassination.
#80: MR. QUEEN (2020) – A chef is transported to the Joseon Era into the body of a queen in this Korean Comedy series.

What are your favorite time travel TV shows? What do you think is the best time travel show of all time? Drop me a line below!

Featured image credit: Doctor Who (BBC), Continuum (Showcase), 12 Monkeys (NBCUniversal Television Distribution), Torchwood (BBC), and Timeless (Universal Television/Sony Pictures Television/NBC).

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Catherine is an avid reader and a self-declared professional binge watcher. It's not uncommon to find her re-watching a series or movie for the umpteenth time and still be crying into a box of tissues. When she's not hiding in her closet to read or watch a show or movie, Catherine is a wife, mother, and, in her spare time, a lawyer.

26 thoughts on “80 of the Best Entertaining Time Travel TV Shows You Need To Watch”

thank you – have beeen looking forever for timetravel— y r we soooo fascinated– et me out of here i do not belon in this time — beeen this wy sincei ws 9 and read a book of a little boy being sent to mars after climbing a tree—- love fairies also — ok i am an old fashioned girl they used to call my pollyanna – then i became an out law—- my son in law does not beleive in annnnnythin but $$$$ and power– borrrrrring give me a gooood romance to live in.. oxoxoxoxoxoxox

This is a great list! I love the Korean drama Time Travel series. My favorites are Faith, Rooftop Prince, I love Lee Tae Ri, Signal and Tunnel.

Have you ever seen “Voyagers!”? It was like a predecessor to Quantum Leap and lasted 1 season on NBC. It stared one of the most beautiful men to ever grace television, the late Jon-Erik Hexum. He’s a roguish time-traveling pirate, Phineas Bogg, a Voyager that travels throughout time with a smart young boy and they have to fix moments where history’s gone wrong. It was a fun show. It’s definitely binge-worthy and Hexum was such a charming young actor. Although it was made with kids and education in mind, (Co-Produced by Scholastic) there’s plenty of romantic moments for Bogg!

He and Meeno Peluce (the boy, Jeffrey Jones) made a great team. I run a fansite and FB page for the series. You can watch it on Amazon Prime, and it’s currently free on NBC.com.

I own the series and I was heartbroken when Jon died. I recently bought the 30 episode tv show from the 60’s The Time Tunnel…. Now this was where most time travel shows spawned from. Especially Quantum Leap.

Nice list! Back to the Future made me a sucker for time travel plots. So would the cartoon count as one?

How can Outlander be #16?

You NEED TO READ – It clearly states that the shows are in No Particular Order!

You forgot ‘The Time tunnel’ – The first American time travel show

Goodnight Sweetheart is THE ultimate time travel show!

Maybe you guys can help me….. I’m looking for a series perhaps a movie….. not sure. only saw a piece of it and have been searching ever since. I even looked trough all the male actors to cross reference, nothing. It seem to involve time travel an attempt to shift history. Almost achieve the goal by manipulating the son of the leader – I know its horribly vague…. but he ends up speaking to his son. He explains the situation from a watchmakers point of view- His hobby is watchmaking….the comparison he draws between ‘leading’ or directing humans where they need to be is similar to the watchmaker making a clock. its been almost two years…. but so far no luck finding this series. Help 🙂

think you may be thinking of inception (link removed)

How could you not have Netflix’s Dark on this list?

I agree. Dark is a pretty good series (3 seasons on Netflix). It’s a German show so you have to up with English lip syncing, but once you get used to it, it’s a good show.

Absolutely the best time travel show ever made imo

It is on the list (#30).

12 Monkeys needs to be #1 … Pretty sure it’s the only show that properly does time travel and causality! Love it

Continuum seems to be right on the money as we see a few corporations [e.g., Amazon] displacing small business, and taking over government. Science Fiction frequently becomes Science.

Looks like Continuum is no longer on Amazon Prime (unless you want to buy it. Is it anywhere else?

It looks like it’s only available to buy on Digital and DVD/Blu-ray now.

Netflix’s DARK is the best Time Travel show ever made. Never believe anything else!

Timeslip UK kids show from 60`s predates all these and deals with past , future, global cooling(remember that) and cloning.

I’ve never heard of it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

It’s a indian movie named Time

Brødrene Dal og Spektralsteinene and Brødrene Dal og Mysteriet om Karl XIIs Gamasjer both have time travel as a key element. I prefer the former but both are pretty well planned out, although only the latter seems to remember concequences.

Thanks for the recommendations! 🙂

I like some others am trying to find a “Time Travel” movie that’s kind of like “If Only” Where a mans’ wife (Possibly Girlfriend) is killed in an auto accident an he keeps traveling back to that time to make her avoid it. He finds every time that it is avoided she is killed in another way. After so many attempts he goes back and gets in the car with her and they both die. So sort of like “If Only “ and sort of like the first part of “The Time Machine”(2002). I think the movie time-line was between 1970 and 2000 only guessing. I didn’t see the start of the movie. Always wanted to see it but the same accident happens or is averted only to have a new death.

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Time travel tv shows

Movies or TV
IMDb Rating
In Theaters
Release Year

1. Timeless (2016–2018)

TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

An unlikely trio travels through time to battle unknown criminals and protect history as we know it.

Stars: Abigail Spencer , Matt Lanter , Malcolm Barrett , Paterson Joseph

Votes: 46,969

2. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022)

TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter must recruit a ragtag team of heroes and villains to help prevent an apocalypse that could impact not only Earth, but all of time.

Stars: Caity Lotz , Amy Louise Pemberton , Dominic Purcell , Nick Zano

Votes: 109,896

3. Doctor Who (2005–2022)

TV-PG | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

The further adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor and his companions from planet Earth.

Stars: Jodie Whittaker , Peter Capaldi , Pearl Mackie , Matt Smith

Votes: 245,951

4. Continuum (I) (2012–2015)

TV-14 | 45 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A detective from the year 2077 finds herself trapped in present-day Vancouver and searching for ruthless criminals from the future.

Stars: Rachel Nichols , Victor Webster , Erik Knudsen , Stephen Lobo

Votes: 63,455

5. Time After Time (2017)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi

The adventures of young H.G. Wells and his time machine.

Stars: Freddie Stroma , Josh Bowman , Will Chase , Genesis Rodriguez

Votes: 3,973

6. Travelers (2016–2018)

TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Hundreds of years from now, surviving humans discover how to send consciousness back through time, into people of the 21st century, while attempting to change the path of humanity.

Stars: Eric McCormack , MacKenzie Porter , Nesta Cooper , Jared Abrahamson

Votes: 64,115

7. Tru Calling (2003–2005)

TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

A university graduate working in the city morgue is able to repeat the same day over again to prevent murders or other disasters.

Stars: Eliza Dushku , Shawn Reaves , Zach Galifianakis , A.J. Cook

Votes: 17,244

8. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)

TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy

Set after the events in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sarah Connor and her son, John, try to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.

Stars: Lena Headey , Thomas Dekker , Summer Glau , Richard T. Jones

Votes: 62,734

9. Outlander (2014– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse in World War II, mysteriously goes back in time to Scotland in 1743. There, she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets drawn into an epic rebellion.

Stars: Caitríona Balfe , Sam Heughan , Sophie Skelton , Richard Rankin

Votes: 178,590

10. 12 Monkeys (2015–2018)

TV-14 | 42 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

Follows the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will nearly destroy the human race.

Stars: Aaron Stanford , Amanda Schull , Noah Bean , Barbara Sukowa

Votes: 48,570

11. 11.22.63 (2016)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance

Jake Epping, a teacher, gets a chance to travel back in time to avert the death of John F. Kennedy. However, history's aversion to alteration and his love for the era and a woman endanger him.

Stars: James Franco , Sarah Gadon , George MacKay , Chris Cooper

Votes: 98,838

12. Doctor Who (1963–1989)

TV-PG | 25 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

The adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.

Stars: William Hartnell , Patrick Troughton , Jon Pertwee , Tom Baker

Votes: 39,450

13. Quantum Leap (1989–1993)

TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

During an experiment into time travel, a scientist finds himself trapped in the past, "leaping" into the lives of different people, sorting out their problems and changing history in hopes of getting back to his own life in the present.

Stars: Scott Bakula , Dean Stockwell , Deborah Pratt , Dennis Wolfberg

Votes: 36,366

14. Terra Nova (2011)

TV-14 | 46 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

Centers on the Shannons, an ordinary family from 2149 when the planet is dying, who are transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth where they join Terra Nova, a colony of humans with a second chance to build a civilization.

Stars: Jason O'Mara , Shelley Conn , Christine Adams , Allison Miller

Votes: 85,977

15. Frequency (2016–2017)

TV-MA | 42 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

A police detective in 2016 discovers that she is able to communicate with her father via a ham radio, despite the fact that he died in 1996.

Stars: Peyton List , Riley Smith , Devin Kelley , Mekhi Phifer

Votes: 14,357

16. Primeval (2007–2011)

When strange anomalies start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team must track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past and near future.

Stars: Andrew Lee Potts , Hannah Spearritt , Ben Miller , Juliet Aubrey

Votes: 15,400

17. Life on Mars (2006–2007)

TV-14 | 959 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

After a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.

Stars: John Simm , Philip Glenister , Liz White , Dean Andrews

Votes: 32,275

18. Flashforward (2009–2010)

TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A special task force in the FBI investigates after every person on Earth simultaneously blacks out and awakens with a short vision of their future.

Stars: Courtney B. Vance , Joseph Fiennes , Jack Davenport , Zachary Knighton

Votes: 62,048

19. Being Erica (2009–2011)

TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

"Therapist" Dr. Tom - who is constantly spouting famous and not so famous historical quotes - is Erica Strange's savior and worst enemy.

Stars: Erin Karpluk , Reagan Pasternak , Michael Riley , Kathleen Laskey

Votes: 10,191

20. The Crossing (2018)

TV-PG | 42 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Refugees from a war-torn country 180 years in the future start showing up in the present to seek asylum in an American town.

Stars: Steve Zahn , Natalie Martinez , Tommy Bastow , Rob Campbell

Votes: 10,172

21. Alcatraz (2012)

TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama

In 1963, all the prisoners and guards mysteriously disappear from Alcatraz. In the present day, they resurface and a secret agency are tasked with re-capturing them.

Stars: Sarah Jones , Jorge Garcia , Jonny Coyne , Parminder Nagra

Votes: 40,255

22. Phil of the Future (2004–2006)

TV-G | 25 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

A family from 2121 is stuck in 2004, trying desperately to fit in.

Stars: Raviv Ullman , Amy Bruckner , Craig Anton , Lise Simms

Votes: 7,974

23. Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010)

TV-MA | 1,320 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy

After being shot in 2008 while investigating DCI Sam Tyler, DI Alex Drake wakes up in 1981.

Stars: Philip Glenister , Keeley Hawes , Dean Andrews , Marshall Lancaster

Votes: 11,033

24. Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–2016)

Not Rated | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

British sitcom in which an unhappily married man discovers he can time travel back to 1940s war-torn London where he masquerades as an MI5 agent and part-time songwriter whilst courting the local barmaid.

Stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst , Victor McGuire , Christopher Ettridge , Elizabeth Carling

Votes: 3,323

25. The Time Tunnel (1966–1967)

TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Two scientists with a secret time travel project find themselves trapped in the time stream and appearing in notable periods of history.

Stars: James Darren , Robert Colbert , Whit Bissell , John Zaremba

Votes: 4,219

26. Making History (2017)

21 min | Adventure, Comedy, History

Making History follows three friends from two different centuries as they try to balance the thrill of time travel with the mundane concerns of their present-day lives.

Stars: Adam Pally , Leighton Meester , Yassir Lester , John Gemberling

Votes: 2,611

27. Life on Mars (2008–2009)

TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A present day car accident mysteriously sends a detective back to the 1970s.

Stars: Jason O'Mara , Michael Imperioli , Gretchen Mol , Jonathan Murphy

Votes: 10,711

28. Primeval: New World (2012–2013)

Canadian spin-off of Primeval (2007). A new team of scientists from the Cross Photonics company in Vancouver track down dangerous creatures emerging through anomalies in time.

Stars: Niall Matter , Sara Canning , Danny Rahim , Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe

Votes: 4,860

29. Seven Days (1998–2001)

42 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

An ex-CIA is the point man for a government organization dedicated to time traveling to correct errors that occurred in the previous week.

Stars: Jonathan LaPaglia , Don Franklin , Justina Vail , Nick Searcy

Votes: 3,941

30. New Amsterdam (2008)

TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi

A New York homicide detective is cursed with immortality.

Stars: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Zuleikha Robinson , Alexie Gilmore , Stephen McKinley Henderson

Votes: 7,426

31. Voyagers! (1982–1983)

TV-G | 60 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi

A member of a league of time travelers and a boy travel through time repairing errors in world history.

Stars: Jon-Erik Hexum , Meeno Peluce , David Cadiente , Stephen Liska

Votes: 1,749

32. It's About Time (1966–1967)

30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi

Two astronauts traveling faster than light go back in time to prehistoric Earth. Unable to return, they make friends with the "natives".

Stars: Frank Aletter , Jack Mullaney , Imogene Coca , Joe E. Ross

33. Journeyman (2007)

45 min | Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

A San Francisco journalist mysteriously travels to the past and alters the path of people's lives. When his travels reunite him with his long-lost fiancée Livia, life with his present-day wife gets very interesting.

Stars: Kevin McKidd , Gretchen Egolf , Moon Bloodgood , Reed Diamond

Votes: 9,611

34. Time Traveling Bong (2016)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi

Centers on two cousins who discover a time-traveling bong and ride high as they blaze through time.

Stars: Ilana Glazer , Paul W. Downs , Kevin Heffernan , Jerry G. Angelo

Votes: 1,707

35. Strange Days at Blake Holsey High (2002–2006)

TV-Y7 | 30 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

When Josie Trent is sent to the private prep school, she comes face-to-face with paranormal things that cannot be explained. But with the help of her friends and one science teacher, maybe surviving school won't be that hard.

Stars: Emma Taylor-Isherwood , Shadia Simmons , Michael Seater , Noah Reid

Votes: 1,482

36. Odyssey 5 (2002–2004)

After witnessing the sudden implosion of Earth from orbit, a group of five Odyssey astronauts is sent five years back in time by an alien force to find the cause and prevent the disaster. A vast conspiracy stands in their way.

Stars: Peter Weller , Sebastian Roché , Christopher Gorham , Leslie Silva

Votes: 3,156

37. Time Trax (1993–1994)

60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime

A cop from the future is sent back to contemporary times to track down fugitives hiding in the past.

Stars: Dale Midkiff , Elizabeth Alexander , Peter Donat , Malcolm Cork

Votes: 1,541

38. Twice in a Lifetime (1999–2001)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, History

Prematurely deceased people are given the opportunity to correct something that went wrong in their lives and thus change them for the better.

Stars: Al Waxman , Gordie Brown , Paul Popowich , Kim Schraner

39. 5ive Days to Midnight (2004)

210 min | Action, Drama, Mystery

When college professor J.T. Neumeyer discovers a police file that outlines the details of his murder - which is to take place five days in the future - he wastes no time trying to save his own life.

Stars: Timothy Hutton , Randy Quaid , Kari Matchett , Hamish Linklater

Votes: 2,803

40. The Girl from Tomorrow (1991–1992)

23 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

Alana, a teenage girl from the year 3000, finds herself trapped in 1990 with a criminal from the year 2500. Alone, and confused, she befriends a spirited girl named Jenny Kelly. Together ... See full summary »

Stars: Katharine Cullen , Melissa Marshall , James Findlay , Andrew Clarke

Votes: 1,309

41. Startling by Each Step (2011– )

TV-14 | 46 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

After a car accident plunges a woman into the dreamy Chinese past that gave the whole life in the Beijing imperial palace after that she returns to her life in the modern world.

Stars: Kei Gambit , ShiShi Liu , Nicky Wu , Kevin Cheng

42. Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013)

52 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

A TV anchorman discovers that a mysterious bundle of incense has the power to send him back in time, where he has the opportunity to alter the past.

Stars: Lee Jin-wook , Jo Yun-hie , Jeon No-min , Hie-ryeong Kim

43. Mirror Mirror (2018– )

A "diversity expert" is given a career opportunity when she is hired to clean up a major corporation rife with sexual harassment. However, she soon finds herself struggling to avoid being ... See full summary »

Stars: Jennifer Betit Yen , Timothy J. Scanlin Jr. , Stephen Lin , Joe Tex

44. Dr. Jin (2012)

TV-Y | 65 min | Fantasy

A surgeon treats a mysterious patient who has a human-shaped tumor in his head, only to discover himself time-travelling to the year 1861.

Stars: Song Seung-heon , Park Min-Young , Lee Beom-su , Jae-Joong Kim

45. Captain Z-Ro (1955–1956)

30 min | Sci-Fi

From his secret laboratory, Captain Z-Ro and his associates use their time machine, the ZX-99, to learn from the past and plan for the future.

Stars: Roy Steffens , Bruce Haynes , Jack Cahill , Richard Glyer

46. Love Through a Millennium (2015)

Fantasy, Romance

A rich party boy from 2016 switches body with a legendary chef from 1936. He may have to spend the next 80 years finding a way back to his time period.

Stars: Yizi Yi , Im Jin-Ah , Shuang Zheng , Boran Jing

48. Palace (2011– )

Drama, Romance

Modern woman travels back in time to Chinese Imperial court. Drama ensues.

Stars: Kei Gambit , Toby Jialin Ding , Mi Yang , Shaofeng Feng

49. Back to Sherwood (1999– )

25 min | Adventure, Fantasy

The adventures of a teen descendent of Robin Hood who regularly travels back in time to help in the fight against her ancestor's enemies.

Stars: Alexa Devine , Aimée Castle , Larry Day , Angela Galuppo

50. Dark (2017–2020)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families.

Stars: Louis Hofmann , Karoline Eichhorn , Lisa Vicari , Maja Schöne

Votes: 441,617

51. The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)

TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

A family of former child heroes, now grown apart, must reunite to continue to protect the world.

Stars: Aidan Gallagher , Elliot Page , Tom Hopper , David Castañeda

Votes: 274,245

52. Future Man (2017–2020)

TV-MA | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

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.

Stars: Josh Hutcherson , Eliza Coupe , Derek Wilson , Haley Joel Osment

Votes: 28,629

53. Legion (2017–2019)

TV-MA | 1,316 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

David Haller is a troubled young man diagnosed as schizophrenic, but after a strange encounter he discovers special powers that will change his life forever.

Stars: Dan Stevens , Rachel Keller , Aubrey Plaza , Bill Irwin

Votes: 96,989

54. Krypton (2018–2019)

TV-14 | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

The untold story of Superman's grandfather as he fights for justice on his home planet.

Stars: Cameron Cuffe , Georgina Campbell , Shaun Sipos , Ann Ogbomo

Votes: 17,671

55. The Signal (2014)

PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness - only to find himself in a waking nightmare.

Director: William Eubank | Stars: Brenton Thwaites , Olivia Cooke , Beau Knapp , Laurence Fishburne

Votes: 69,185 | Gross: $0.60M

56. Fringe (2008–2013)

TV-14 | 46 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

An F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.

Stars: Anna Torv , Joshua Jackson , John Noble , Jasika Nicole

Votes: 257,064

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