german sci fi time travel

Dark: How Time Travel Works in the Netflix Series

Netflix's Dark is heavily focused on time travel across three eras: 1953, 1986 and 2019. Here's how all of those temporal trips are possible.

Netflix's German sci-fi drama Dark relies on the mind-bending concept, "The beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning," a mantra that permeates the series as it focuses on how time travel has affected the small town of Winden. Season 1 kicks into high gear in 2019 with a kid, Mikkel, going missing at a cave in the nearby woods, leading to the mysterious Stranger offering clues to Jonas -- one of the teens involved in the incident -- to solve the case.

What ensues is Jonas discovering key families in Winden have been part of a closed time loop, all tied back to the suicide of Michael (Jonas' father), months before Mikkel's disappearance. With the Stranger's guidance, he decides to harness the temporal ability of the cave to rescue Mikkel, figure out his own past and set things right. However, there are a few other time travel methods in the show, so let's break them all down in detail.

THE TEMPORAL CAVE

The main plot tool for time travel is, as mentioned, this haunting cave in Winden's forest. The Winden Nuclear Facility covered up a disaster in 1986, in which a leak spewed radiation that affected the main tunnel connecting the compound to the cave. As a result of the unique nuclear material the Germans were experimenting on in the wake of Chernobyl, a wormhole was inadvertently created in the cave.

RELATED: Dark: The Apocalypse Can't Be Stopped in Season 2 Trailer

Certain mini-tunnels in the cave turned into "doors" that led to different timelines. However, each passageway offered the user the ability to travel forward or backward 33 years in time according to which one he/she took. The show hints this is also linked to a cosmic alignment that has supernatural ties to numbers such as "33" and "66," figures the series' occultists believe have a deeper meaning as to why folks can time-slide.

The entire cave becomes active every 33 years when the same stars align, which means the cave is rendered inert after this period. To traverse these pathways, users like Jonas and the Stranger have created a network of strings to guide them along their desired route. In the season finale, these secrets were revealed by the Stranger, who turned out to be Jonas from a dystopian future. He had to provide insight to his younger self on how the cave worked before plunging the teen forward to 2052, putting him on the path to becoming this Stranger.

THE TIME BOX

The Stranger's main mode of time-sliding, however, comes via the Box, although it's not clarified if this Box can be activated at any time or if it's just during the activity period of the cave. As for its design, it basically looks like the inside of a clock with old-school gears. We first get insight into its inner-workings when the Stranger travels to meet H.G. Tannhaus, a clockmaker and engineer in 1953, and leaves him with the initial blueprints. At this point, the unsuspecting Tannhaus is caught off-guard by news he'll be the one to design the Box.

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Using this knowledge, Tannhaus is able to perfect his old schematics and create the Box, which the Stranger will then get in the future, thus firming up the show's closed loop. Tannhaus also gets another version of the Box from Claudia (an old lady time-traveling with a Box just like the Stranger) so he can complete his design, which of course, is passed down to her years later as well. Tannhaus also receives a copy of "A Journey Through Time" from the Stranger -- a book he wrote decades later, which also guides him in finalizing this device. In other words, he gets his  book from the future to help him with his Box in the past.

To complete the first working design of the Box, Tannhaus also used a cell phone brought from the future by Mikkel's dad, Ulrich, who used the cave in 2019 to try to find his kid, not realizing he was going to get stuck in 1953. The electromagnetic field from the phone, and lastly, radioactive material Claudia left with Tannhaus from 2019, would allow the clockmaker to create this portable wormhole generator. As for how it operates, it sucks you up into a black hole and transports you to wherever you set the timer in accordance with the 33-year rule. In short, everything Tannhaus would use to make this Box work in the past was based on material brought to him from the future.

NOAH'S 'ARK'

The main antagonist in Season 1 is Noah, the head priest of a mysterious occult group. He's the reason kids have gone missing from Winden in the past and why their dead bodies are popping up over three eras (1953, 1986 and 2019) near the cave. It turns out in 1986 he began using a torture chamber-esque time machine, strapping kids into it to conduct experiments in order to see how they'd traverse the timestream.

Sadly, this burnt their eyes out and threw their corpses through the temporal gateways uncontrollably, leaving Noah to log data he simply didn't understand because of his lack of a scientific background. However, he appears in all the timelines without having aged a day so it could be that he learned how to use the machine on himself, or secretly got his hands on a separate Box.

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That said, we never really see how the technical aspects of the chamber function. It's hinted, though, that Noah's machine could be mystically powered as there's no radioactive fuel opening up a wormhole. Given the biblical passages tattooed on his back, and from his own beliefs about heaven and hell, it could be that his arcane machine actually uses the souls of children as its temporal fuel.

Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark stars Oliver Masucci, Karoline Eichhorn and Jördis Triebel. Season 2 arrives Friday on Netflix.

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How German sci-fi Dark deftly mixes time travel with melodrama

Credit: Netflix

"What if everything that came from the past was influenced by the future?"

Clockmaker and author of the fictitious A Journey Through Time , H. G. Tannhaus (Christian Steyer) asks this in the opening monologue of Dark's fourth episode. The German science-fiction series is about to air its third and final season on Netflix (landing June 27), which will hopefully answer some existence-defining questions for the residents of Winden. One of the most ambitious TV shows dealing with the concept of time travel, Dark manages to serve up quantum mechanics and existentialist dilemmas while dishing out soap opera-level twists and relationship melodrama.

Greek mythology, teen angst, and time travel intersect via the tale of Ariadne's red thread while references to The Matrix , thrash metal band Kreator, and Harry Houdini are all relevant to the narrative. In this family saga, creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar carefully balance jaw-dropping twists without dumbing down the scientific or philosophical propositions.

Credit: Netflix 

H.G. Wells coined the term "time machine" in his 1895 novella The Time Machine , but the concept of traveling to a different year goes back even further. Memoirs of the Twentieth Century was written in 1733 by Samuel Madden, which tells the story of a guardian angel who has letters from 1997 and 1998. There are now a vast array of time machines littering pop culture, whether a DeLorean car, ancient stones, or the TARDIS. Each time travel narrative has its own rules dictating what periods can be accessed and who you can interact with.

For most, it is imperative to avoid changing too much because the side effects could wipe someone out of existence. Back to the Future 's disappearing family photograph is an iconic image, the result of Marty McFly's (Michael J. Fox) mother unknowingly getting the hots for her own son. However, if you think this sounds weird, just wait for the familial dynamics and twists that Dark has already dished out in its first two seasons.

Spoilers for Dark Seasons 1 and 2 ahead

the first episode of Dark opens on an Albert Einstein quote — "The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion" — which emphasizes the central conceit before the notion of time travel has even been suggested. The first episode has the eerie small-town quality of Twin Peaks coupled with the underbelly of secrets that both British crime drama and Nordic Noir excel at.

Affairs, teen crushes, and complex dynamics between characters who have lived in Winden their entire lives (and the two generations before them) add to the unsettling vibe, even before young Mikkel Nielsen (Daan Lennard Liebrenz) vanishes into thin air. He is the second child to disappear in weeks and his uncle met the same unexplained fate 33 years beforehand. A mysterious cave, a nuclear plant that is going to be decommissioned in a week, and a body of a different unidentified child all add to the creepy atmosphere.

Mikkel loves magic — he wants to be the next Harry Houdini. When explaining a trick to his police detective father Ulrich Nielsen (Oliver Masucci), Mikkel tells him, "Dad, the question isn't how, the question is when." A line of thought that will become more pertinent with each passing episode. Mixing quotes from Einstein with theories about loopholes, black matter, and debates centering on the nature of man, the mystery of Dark unfolds at a rapid pace.

Relationship conflicts and illicit love affairs are just as vital to the alchemy of this gripping story as the time travel that further complicates matters of the heart. These families who have grown up alongside each other share roots reaching further than any of them could ever possible fathom — well, aside from the few keeping the deep dark secrets. You thought Back to the Future delivered a family dilemma for the ages? Well imagine if you found out your father is the kid who went missing in 2019.

Yellow raincoat-wearing Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann) has regular teen issues to deal with, including a precarious romance with the girl who is now dating his best friend. A girl he hooked up with during the summer, just before events took a turn for the tragic. The day after Jonas' encounter with Martha Nielsen (Lisa Vicari), his father Michael (who is Mikkel) died by suicide, and the frayed edges of this community began to unravel.

When Mikkel disappeared on that fated November 2019 night, he ended up in the same cave but in 1986. His father still lives in the same house — a lot of the Winden residents live where they grew up — but he is a teenager who has no time for this kid he doesn't recognize. Considering the lengths older Ulrich will go to while searching for his son, finding out he was there all along is quite the cosmic gut-punch. Other mind-frazzling relationship twists include Jonas' mother being in love with Ulrich from when she was 14 years old and having an affair with him in the present, unaware that her husband is her lover's son. Oh, and Martha? She is Mikkel's sister, so Jonas is in love with his aunt. How very Game of Thrones .

There aren't any dragons, but the apocalypse is nigh, and so far every attempt to stop an event has only caused it. This includes Ulrich beating a child's head in with a rock in 1953 because he thinks this will stop the events in 1986 and 2019. Essentially, he is pulling a micro version of the "killing baby Hitler" ethical debate. Instead, Ulrich's violent attack on young Helge Doppler (Tom Philipp) facilitates the tragic chain reaction that results in the death and disappearance of the children — including his brother and son, 33 years apart.

"Winden is like a festering wound. And we're all part of it," Ulrich's wife Katharina (Jördis Triebel), announces on a local radio call-in about the recent events. An emotionally charged assessment of this supposed tight-knit community carefully nails the deception that seeps into every home. Secrets poison the generations that stayed to work in a town bolstered by nuclear power, which in and of itself has been detrimental to the environment. Relationship entanglements and romances date back to 1921 and leap forward to 2052, which includes those frequently traveling through the caves to these dates. Talk about long-distance love that defies time and space.

The roots of these family trees intersect in ways that will make you furrow your brow in confusion; however, the second season takes this first mind-bending reveal and laughs in its face. Ulrich's partner Charlotte Doppler (Karoline Eichhorn) has only just found out her father is one of the people traveling through time, she doesn't yet know that her youngest daughter Elisabeth (Carlotta von Falkenhayn) is also her mother. Quite the heavy bombshell, which even most daytime soaps would not be able to pull off.

Five different periods feature characters at different ages, but some figures freely move between the fixed points separated by 33 years. Antagonists with Biblical names like Adam (Dietrich Hollinderbäumer) and Noah (Mark Waschke) seemingly pull all the strings across the ages. Personifying time so it becomes akin to God is part of this discussion centering on human existence and free will (or the lack thereof), Adam explains, "In short, the God mankind has prayed to for thousands of years, the God that everything is bound with, this God exists as nothing other than time itself." However, they have strong competition from women with deep ties to this location who are also serving as puppet masters dictating how this war will play out. Noah's sister Agnes Nielsen (Antje Traue) — and Ulrich's grandmother — and Claudia Tiedemann are just as influential as the men at the helm. Claudia was once in charge of the power plant and now she has earned herself quite the nickname: the White Devil.

One Latin phrase is etched onto gateways and repeated throughout also represents the society of travelers. "Sic Mundus Creatus Est" means "Thus, the world was created" and it is central to this notion of looping cycles that cannot be altered. Never say never, as the Season 2 finale threw down a multi-verse cliffhanger.

The mind-bending narrative has long suggested the world is split into three, "Nothing is complete without the third dimension. There isn't just only going up and down. There's a center as well. When describing the Time-Space continuum, Einstein and Rosen overlooked something," explains Tannhaus in the first season. "A wormhole connects not just two, but three different dimensions. It connects the past, present, and future." Light and dark is one battle, but the finale's introduction of another Martha separate to the one lying dead on Jonas' kitchen floor could be the key to breaking the cycle.

So many of the main players have motives pertaining to the apocalypse, but one person who is slyly impacting events has zero desire to control time. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean her actions haven't had a huge influence on the Winden landscape. Jonas' mother Hannah Kahnwald (Maja Schöne) is a villain fit for a melodrama. She lies and schemes with self-interest as the driving force. It is fascinating to see how much power she wields, especially as she is first presented as a lover turned Fatal Attraction -style obsessed ex. Fed up with how she is being treated in her own time, she heads back to the 1950s to enact her revenge, opting to stay in the mid-century. It is unclear how much influence or damage she will have over events in Season 3 but don't underestimate her will.

Each point in the past represents a historical fracture, as well as ruptures in personal dynamics. Two of the periods are not long after a World War this country lost, which sees them trying to rebuild for a better future. In the case of the '50s, this West German town is embracing the fuel of the Cold War that is being sold as a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, it becomes the festering wound that Chernobyl symbolizes — acid rain from this incident is referenced in 1986.

When Dark returns for Season 3 on the date the apocalypse will hit Winden (June 27, 2020), the fight for existence is on, but so is the fight for family, no matter where in time they currently are. This is a so-called "good" community where nothing bad happens — aside from child murders littering those specific years. Deftly blending genres, Dark tells a mind-bending story while also serving up a relatable examination of relationships. It is possible to tell a family saga within the framework of quantum mechanics and to do so without dumbing down the science or forfeiting the high drama. Matters of the heart are given as much weight as the meaning of life — what could be more human than that?

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A complete timeline of major events in 'Dark'

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for all three seasons of "Dark."
• Netflix's German sci-fi series "Dark" follows an extremely complicated series of events.
• Insider has charted all the major events in chronological order, following Jonas, Martha, Claudia, and the other characters as they weave in and out of different decades. 
• See the complete timeline, following 1888 to 2053 in all three seasons, below.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Netflix's "Dark" premiered its third and final season on June 27, leaving fans with an overload of new revelations about the time-traveling cast of characters. Not only were new decades and time-twists introduced, but we learned that there were two whole other worlds with their own knots of events. 

To give people a closer look at the chronology of "Dark," Insider has made a timeline spanning from 1888 to 2053. 

Below you'll find four separate mini-timelines, breaking up the events of "Dark" from 1888 to 1954, then 1971 to 1987, next 2019 to June 27, 2020 (the day of the apocalypse), and finally everything else from September 2020 to 2053. 

The timeline shows events from what we're calling " world one," or Jonas' world, where he controls the Sic Mundus group as his alter-ego Adam . Then there's "world two," or Martha's world , where she controls the Erit Lux group as her alter-ego Eva .

Finally there's the  origin world , which is the world where H.G. Tannhaus' family died in a car accident, leading him to invent time travel and accidentally split his world into the two corrupted world's where Jonas and Martha existed. 

Since we see most of the characters as teenagers, adults, and elderly, we've specified when a character was "young" or "old." Where needed, we've also specified if a character from Martha's world crossed over into Jonas' world by marking them with the number two (e.g. Martha-2). 

The first timeline: 1888 to 1954

We begin in this chronology with 1888 — the year Stranger-Jonas, Bartosz, Franziska, and Magnus arrived in the past.

"Stranger-Jonas" refers to the middle-aged Jonas who had been working with Claudia for decades (in season one, he was referred to as "The Stranger" before it was revealed that he was really Jonas). Anytime you see just "Jonas," the timeline is referring to Jonas as a teenager. 

This section of the timeline also refers to multiple versions of Martha. "Martha-2" is the Martha from world two who rescued Jonas from the apocalypse in world one, working on behalf of Adam until he eventually killed her. "Martha-3" is the Martha from world two who didn't rescue Jonas, but instead was intercepted by the Erit Lux group and gew up to become Eva. 

Eva's unnamed son, who time-travels in a group with the young, adult, and old versions of himself, is simply called the Unknown. 

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If you need a refresher on the other character names, read our full character guide here .

The second timeline: 1971 to 1987

This section of the timeline introduces events from the origin world and world two. 

In the origin world, we have multiple realities layered into the same world. In the first reality, Tannhaus' family dies. In the second reality, Jonas and Martha-2 (who was herself splintered into a yet different reality) save the family and therefore stop Tannhaus from ever inventing time-travel.

This is also a period of time in which the three Unknowns, who split apart temporarily, go into world one and world two and trigger the nuclear power plant malfunction that leads to the God Particle's creation. 

The third timeline: 2019 to 2020 (the day of the apocalypse)

At the start of this section, we've marked that the final scene in "Dark" season three happens sometime in 2019 in the origin world. This is working off the fact that Hannah, Katharina, and the rest of those characters appear to be the same age they were in Jonas' world in 2019. 

At the very end of this section is when quantum entanglement kicks in. Just as the apocalypse was happening in world one, time stood still for a fraction of a second.

In that moment, multiple realities were created in the same world:

• In the first reality, Martha-2 saves Jonas and brings him to world two. Then she travels back to 1888 and eventually is killed by Adam in 2053.
• In the second reality, Martha-2 is intercepted by Bartosz-2 (the Bartosz from world two) and brought to Eva. That is the reality in which Jonas will eventually become Stranger-Jonas. 
• In the third reality, Adam returns and saves Jonas himself. That's the reality in which Jonas and Martha-2 are able to save the Tannhaus family.

The fourth timeline: Post-apocalypse in 2020 to 2053

The final stretch of time shown below starts in world one on September 22, 2020. This is where season three picked up with Claudia, the dying Regina, and other Winden residents who survived the apocalypse. We follow more of Claudia as she meets her world two self (Claudia-2), and chart how Jonas and Martha-2 traveled into the future in Eva's world. 

Our timeline ends when Adam travels back to 2020 for a final time, leading to the end of both Jonas and Martha's worlds. 

For more deep dives into "Dark," read our breakdown of the best foreshadowing, references, and other details you might have overlooked in the whole series.

• 59 details you might have missed in all 3 seasons of 'Dark'
• How the final scene of Netflix's 'Dark' brings the mind-melting story full circle
• A quick guide to every major character in 'Dark'

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

Watch: How to take full advantage of the iPhone's new dark mode

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‘Dark’ Season 3 Review: Brilliant Netflix Sci-Fi Series Gets a Masterful Farewell Season Remix

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[Note: The following review contains mild spoilers for Season 3 of “ Dark .”]

The greatest trick nested within “Dark” is what it manages to make inevitable. Even before the third and final season of the German-language Netflix sci-fi time travel epic, each new wrinkle has arrived with a shock, but also with the storytelling confidence that this is always how it would unfold. Juggling a dizzying amount of causal loops and concurrent timelines and logical paradoxes, “Dark” has always operated with a combination of precision and patience required to make each new successive detail feel earned. In telling the story of the unassuming town of Winden, the construction of that story has felt, fittingly, like that of a ticking clock.

The giant gambit at the end of last season was that not only were Jonas (Louis Hofmann) and Martha (Lisa Vicari) destined to experience their tragic love story across increasingly stratified generations, they would have an entire new reality to contend with. Season 3 wouldn’t just be adding to either end of the 1921/1954/1987/2020/2053 web filled in even more clearly in the preceding seasons. It would be stacking on top of it.

This new season opens with a blisteringly sly reworking of the Winden that viewers may have just finished wrapping their heads around over the series’ first 18 chapters. Without the troubling set of circumstances that sent young Mikkel Nielsen (Daan Lennard Liebrenz) back in time to become Jonas’ father Michael Kahnwald, the ripple effects are both noticeable and manageable. Ulrich (Oliver Masucci) and Katharina’s (Jördis Triebel) immediate family is seemingly the same, but without the former trapped in time himself in pursuit of the missing Mikkel, it’s illuminating to see where all that extra energy gets funneled. It’s a community-wide case of both reflection and refraction.

Part “It’s a Wonderful Life,” part flash sideways, “Dark” Season 3 indulges in the curiosities of this alternate timeline for just long enough before taking an even wider view of those consequences. Co-creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar wisely recognize that for all the theorizing about certain fates and cross-generational dot-connecting, the core of the series’ success is in its attention to character. When intricate narrative puzzles treat its moving elements as pieces rather than people, that’s when a mystery can gobble up everything around it. Though Season 3’s most significant new character comes closest to that idea, “Dark” offers each of the established Winden mainstays their own chance to reckon with their part in this ever-expanding moral quandary.

Where most of the first two seasons felt like an operatic battle between fate and free will, the ongoing tussle of Season 3 finds even more clearly defined figureheads than before. There’s a pendulum swing between these sides that threatens to get repetitive — a few episode-capping cliffhangers in this final collection feature some surprising reappearances and confusing allegiances. And for anyone who may have grown tired of the push-pull between a character trying to avoid their fate, only to lay the foundation for it in the process, there’s certainly more of that to be found here, too.

But when taken in full, those philosophical questions keep recurring to a specific end. What emerges from the cross-reality tug-of-war inherent in Season 3 is the choice between all or nothing. Is generational pain worth the offsetting joys interspersed between? And if not, is erasing entire timelines from existence really the only recourse? Those competing questions eventually gather entire groups with opposing answers. Watching each player in this drama slowly sift through the implications of each side is what makes this season worth spending so much time examining that grey area in between.

All of those lofty ideas would be for nought without some of the most meticulous craft of any show on TV. For as jarring as the time-hopping sometimes gets, Odar and cinematographer Nikolaus Summerer’s palette for each new world keeps all the timespace hopscotch from being too muddled. There’s a relative simplicity in each set. Whether it’s the entrance to the cave that serves as the tunnel between decades, the interior of Jonas’ childhood home, or an unassuming bus stop, there’s no clutter to distract from the narrative task at hand. Even the aerial view of the tree-dotted Winden is a clear indication of where in time we happen to be, depending on the absence, inclusion, or destruction of the nuclear power plant that comes to be an instrument of the apocalypse.

That’s all in line with one of the impressive, consistent elements of the “Dark” approach: being hyperfocused on each passing moment without losing track of the series’ overarching trajectory. When characters come face-to-face with their older or younger selves, there’s room to live in that bizarreness, to see how the confusion of one version is met by the terror of the other. “Dark” uses its characters’ journey to mirror the audience’s as much as it can, with certain memories flickering across their consciousness like little details that bubble up from the earliest episodes.

Even though it’s certainly something that’s been part of the “Dark” conversation since the opening season, it really can’t be overstated how breathtaking the casting on this series continues to be. It’s a truly incredible feat from casting director Simone Bär to have assembled a time-traveling ensemble that always feels as if it were made of performers from a similar set of intertwined families. Characters we’ve only seen as teenagers arrive as adults, played by a completely different performer, and there’s never a doubt as to who (and what) this new arrival is supposed to represent. It’s impossible to imagine this or either of the other seasons being as potent with any less of a believable family tree.

Combining all of those swirling elements, Season 3 also feels like a logical extension of the ethical and psychological dilemmas that Friese and her co-writers have been wrestling with from the outset. With so many competing motivations and diabolical schemes being maneuvered in real time, “Dark” finds connective tissue in the idea that it’s understandable to want to do what’s best for the ones we love. Even when presented with generations of evidence, or the literal nuclear-blasted remains of a hollowed-out world, it’s hard to square the idea that fighting for your soulmate or saving a child could somehow be an incorrect choice. The most effective villain of “Dark” is the cruelty in a logic that somehow punishes people for trying to correct their mistakes.

So while the season and the series move toward an ending that seems more and more destined as the full scope of this philosophical struggle comes into view, there’s still something thrilling about seeing these dozens of people fling themselves into the unknown. That goes for the travelers from the future unsure about what they leave out of their reports to their younger versions. It goes for the petrified teenager grabbing the hand of cross-dimensional messenger insisting that they follow. And it goes for every character in this saga who, when presented with proof of the impossible, responds with something other than outright rejection. Even with all that uncertainty, “Dark” has maintained that highwire act for three of the most thrilling sci-fi TV seasons ever made. To see it make it across the chasm with its ambitions and technique intact is certainly something worth remembering.

“Dark” Season 3 is now available to stream on Netflix. 

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5 Reasons Why You Should Be Watching ‘Dark,’ Netflix’s New Twisty German Time Travel Show

“Dark” can be one of the most rewarding TV experiences of the year, if you let it

In the era of peak TV, it often feels next to impossible to actually keep up with the shows you already watch, much less try to start new ones. I get it. I watch TV for a living and even I can’t keep up with as many shows as I would like.

So with that in mind, I’m gonna pitch you on “Dark,” the extremely heady new time travel show that just landed on Netflix. It’s going a bit under the radar right now, sandwiched between “The Punisher” and the second season of “The Crown.” Also it’s in German rather than English, which may put you off. But having watched its 10-episode first season twice now, I can confirm it’s worth your time.

“Dark” takes us to the small town of Winden, Germany, a place full of fun personal melodrama — and also children who have gone missing without a trace. It centers on a handful of families that have lived there for a long time and are prominent in the community. The time travel conceit does more than give us a window into how these families have evolved over many decades — it’s brings a whole new meaning to “things are not quite what they seem here.”

I’m going to stop there with the description. I’m not usually one to be overly concerned about spoilers, but “Dark” is such a weird and twisty thing that It’s tough to talk about it much without delving into a place that even I would call spoiler territory. “Dark” is a show best discovered with the bare minimum of information about its premise. That being said, I’m going to, without spoilers, explain why I like the show below, if you need more encouragement.

1. It’s a little bit “Stranger Things,” a little bit “Twin Peaks,” a little bit “Lost” and a whole bunch of doing its own thing

“Dark” is the kind of show where, early on before you really get to know it, you can feel the vibes of shows that came before. The stories that influenced “Dark” are ones that deal with people who are wrestling with extra-natural forces that are just beyond their understanding. But it’s certainly not a show that wears those influences on its sleeve — series creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese have crafted a fiercely original piece of fiction that is one of the most thoughtful and unique TV shows of 2017.

2. It’s one of the rare on-screen time travel stories with airtight time travel logic

Time travel is hard, OK. It’s inherently illogical and can’t follow the rules of reality as we know them in the real world. So the foundation of any good time travel story has to be the rules. You can set whatever time travel rules you want, so long as you stick with them — if you don’t, the story falls apart. It’s a whole extra thing the writers of a story have to deal with, in addition to simply trying to write a good story in the usual sense. So it’s easy to mess that up, because it requires basically double the work.

“Dark” is one of the ones that doesn’t mess that up. It was actually kind of startling when I realized that, because it’s a very complicated story arranged in a complicated way — a way that I was worried midway through was constructed to hide the show playing fast and loose with its rules. But by the time it was over I realized I had worried in vain, because it ultimately does not stray from the time travel framework it set up early . I did have a few nagging questions after it was over, but that’s inevitable since this is a TV show with plans for multiple seasons. Rest assured, this is the type of heady, smart time travel story that really does work on its most fundamental level. It’s kind of a puzzle, so you will have to put some brainpower into it — but that’s a good thing.

3. It’s also a super compelling personal drama

There’s one major character, Ulrich (Oliver Masucci), who I’ve been really fascinated by since I watched the series. “Dark” puts Ulrich at the center of things for a while, and successfully made me care about him even though he’s really kind of a terrible and not particularly likable person the whole way through. What makes him work as a character is how truly human he feels, and Ulrich is representative of how Odar and Friese treat all their characters. There isn’t a single major character on “Dark” who you can’t empathize with on some level, which makes all their myriad interactions and conflicts all the more engrossing.

4. It uses time travel as a religious metaphor

Without delving into the particulars, “Dark” takes a sort of existential angle with its time travel shenanigans, with characters talking about time as if it were God — and who talk about time travel is if it were a means to exert power over God. It’s a fascinatingly weird angle for a time travel story, and one that worked like gangbusters on me since I come from an extremely religious part of the U.S. That Friese and Odar would even think to take the story this way is demonstrative of how “Dark” goes to places you find anywhere else in the realm of television this year.

5. It’s just extremely cool looking, with a stellar score to boot

Aside from simply being an excellent show, “Dark” also manages to be one of the more visually striking shows around. It’s up there, in fact, with “Westworld,” the new “Twin Peaks,” and “Hannibal.” And it’s got a score to match, simple and booming and dread-fueled. “Dark” would probably still be very good were these elements not working on this level, but that they do elevates the show into a truly complete package.

Suggestions

‘Dark’: The German Sci-Fi Show You Have to See

So, after the disaster with “ Altered Carbon,” I needed a new show to make up for the 10 hours of my life I permanently lost. Up next on my list of what to watch next was “Dark,” another sci-fi television show.

I was hesitant at first to start another show because I was not sure if I was prepared for another cringy disaster, but the trailer looked like a mysterious thriller, and since I did not get the thrill from “Altered Carbon” that I was looking for, I thought “Dark” might appease my craving.

OMG. This show is freaking amazing . When two children go missing in a small German town, its sinful past is exposed along with the double lives and fractured relationships that exist among four families as they search for the kids. The story also includes supernatural elements that tie back to the same town in 1986. Yup, it is bad—s.

The mystery-drama series introduces an intricate puzzle filled with twists that include a web of curious characters, all of whom have a connection to the town’s troubled history, whether they know it or not. The writers do a remarkable job of character building, because from the first episode alone, we know who the characters are, their jobs, their personalities and their relationships to one another. This show is a perfect example for aspiring screenwriters to reference.

As the show progresses, we slowly see the unwinding of the characters. Eventually we are left with characters who are falling apart, finding themselves or revealing their true selves. I believe “Dark” is best known for its writing because the plot thickens at a steady pace, and it is one of the those shows you feel like you have been watching forever (which I think are the best shows), but really you are only on Episode 3 of Season 1.

“Dark” reminds me of “Black Mirror” when it used to be good (i.e. the first two, maybe three, seasons).

Originally airing on Netflix in 2017, the show’s second season premiered this year in June. After seeing the trailer for Season 2, I could tell there was going to be so much more mystery and many more time warps, which I cannot wait to watch tonight.

What is even more thrilling than watching the second season is that there will be a third and final season next year. Normally, I like to wait for a show to finish completely before I binge the entire series in one go, but “Dark” is one of those rare cases where I must watch each new season that comes out immediately. The only other time this urgency to watch a show happened for me was when the latest season of “Narcos” came out.

Anyway, besides the incredible writing, another reason why you must see “Dark” is because of the overall theme. The show shrouds itself in blue somber colors, colors that represent nature and muted bright colors that elevate the feeling of terror. The music also increases the feeling of fear in the show. Throughout each episode, there is a dramatic horn sound that usually indicates some crazy s—t is about to happen.

Essentially what you have is a show that is like the movie “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.”

Even though the show has superb writing, great color schemes and thematic music, what is most remarkable is the characterization of time travel. Time travel is a continuous mystery that scientists are trying to solve. “Dark” embraces the science about time travel, but only subtly.

If they had added the technicalities of time travel, they would have detracted from the mystery-thriller. The writers somehow do a splendid job of adding the science behind time travel without actually talking about it. I guess, in a way, they dramatize the science to where it fits in with the rest of the show. Note: The context of the previous sentence is not supposed to be taken in a negative way; rather, it should only increase your desire to watch the show even more.

In addition to the concept of time travel, I love that all the characters in the show are connected throughout three generations. It really makes me wonder how such a small town can have literally everyone connected, but hey, apparently it is doable. “Dark” is packed full of plot twists, betrayal, drama, love, suspense, mystery and the unknown.

If the reasons I listed above were not enough to convince you of this show’s amazingness, then let me explain my favorite topic: acting. When watching movies or shows, I love to analyze the acting (and of course other elements as well; it all comes with being an English major).

Maja Schone, who portrays Hannah Kahnwald, is by far one of the best actors on the show, mainly for the reason that her character is screwed in the head. Yeah, she has a ton of problems and I hate her, but that just makes her the best actress in the show. She sells her character as if she really did have those problems. Another star actor is Katharina Niewald, played by Jordis Triebel . Triebel is one of the few actresses that has fooled me, since the intensity of her emotions evoked through her acting makes you think she was really experiencing them.

My cravings for a sci-fi show have now been satiated. I look forward to watching Season 2, and I absolutely recommend this show for the reason that it is simply amazing. As a reminder, the show can be found on Netflix . The identifiably excellent writing of “Dark” paired with time travel and expressive actors that can fool you give you a one-in-a-million show that will be remembered for a long time.

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Mela Lozano, University of Texas at San Antonio

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The 10 Best TV Shows About Time Travel, Ranked

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Time travel has fascinated audiences since H. G. Wells published his groundbreaking book The Time Machine in 1895. Today, time travel is more popular than ever—so much so that it's cliché.

Why is time travel so popular? Perhaps because, now more than ever, people want to escape the chaos and stress of their daily lives with a show that ponders the possibility of changing one's fate via time.

Shows about time travel are wildly different from one another, of course. Some tackle this issue with levity and humor while others explore complex philosophical questions.

But every TV show about time travel seems to share one thing in common: they all deal with the potential consequences of change, and how even small changes can have huge effects in the grand scheme of things.

Here are my personal picks for the greatest TV shows about time travel and what they did right when most have failed.

10. The Umbrella Academy (2019)

The Umbrella Academy is a superhero TV show based on the comic book of the same name written by Gerard Way. (Yeah, the very same lead vocalist of My Chemical Romance!)

The series follows a group of seven adopted superhero siblings who reunite to investigate their father's sudden death. But when they travel back in time, they all end up in different time periods, and chaos ensues as they try to find their way back to each other.

If you want a series with a lovable dysfunctional family, interesting character development, entertaining action, and imaginative time-traveling shenanigans, then this is the show for you.

9. Russian Doll (2019)

Russian Doll is a comedy-drama TV show created by Amy Poehler ( Parks and Recreation ), Natasha Lyonne ( Orange is the New Black ), and Leslye Headland ( Sleeping With Other People ). And yes, the series is as impressive as the creative team behind it!

The show follows Nadie Vulvokov, a young woman who finds herself trapped in a time loop after she unexpectedly dies at a party.

As she tries to figure out what happened to her, she finds another man who's going through the same thing. With both of them stuck in a time loop, together they must find a way out of it.

Even though the premise might feel familiar, Russian Doll manages to feel fresh and innovative through its creative use of time travel, interesting main characters, and successful blending of different genres.

8. Erased (2017)

Erased is a Japanese fantasy show based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe.

The story follows Satoru, a struggling manga artist who has the ability to travel back in time, to moments right before life-threatening incidents.

When Satoru witnesses the murder of his mother, he accidentally travels back in time 18 years to his childhood. This gives him the opportunity to not only save his mother but also to prevent an incident that killed three of his childhood friends.

This is a highly imaginative, character-driven show which explores the consequences and ethical responsibilities of time travel. Definitely a must-watch for fans of these types of stories!

7. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow is a superhero TV series that's part of The CW's Arrowverse, featuring characters originally introduced in Arrow and The Flash , plus some new characters.

But even if you've never seen the Arrowverse shows, it's okay. DC's Legends of Tomorrow is an enjoyable watch. The show follows the superheroes who travel through time to prevent disasters from happening.

It might sound like a familiar premise, but this show manages to stand out thanks to its light tone, witty humor, fun character dynamics, and entertaining superhero action.

6. Quantum Leap (1989)

Quantum Leap is a science fiction TV series that originally aired between 1989 to 1993. It stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who invents a way to travel through time—by temporarily taking the place of other people in the past.

The show also stars Dean Stockwell as Admiral Al Calavicci, a colleague of Dr. Beckett who guides him through his travels. Despite being one of the oldest TV shows on this list, it still holds up today!

Its groundbreaking take on time travel and innovative use of technology inspired numerous TV shows and movies, including Avengers: Endgame , which referenced the show when the characters tried to explain their time travel technology.

5. Outlander (2014)

Outlander is a historical drama TV series based on the romance novels of the same name by Diana Gabaldon.

The show follows Claire Randall, a military nurse who accidentally travels back in time from 1945 to 1743. There she ends up marrying a handsome man named Jamie Fraser to avoid being taken prisoner.

While trying to get back to her time, she starts to fall in love with Jamie, all while being caught in the middle of a Scottish uprising.

Want something unique to watch? This might be the show for you. It has steamy romance, time travel fantasy, and wartime drama.

4. Timeless (2016)

Timeless is a sci-fi TV show about a group of people who attempt to stop a mysterious organization from changing the course of history.

The story involves a history professor, a soldier, and an engineer as they try to track down the people who stole an experimental time machine to rewrite American history.

The interesting part of Timeless is that it steers clear of the usual historical figures—like Benjamin Franklin or George Washington—and instead shines a light on lesser-known historical subjects, including historical women and people of color.

If you're looking for an interesting, entertaining, and even educational show, then Timeless is the time travel TV series for you.

3. 12 Monkeys (2015)

12 Monkeys is a sci-fi mystery show based on the 1995 movie of the same name. The series stars Aaron Stanford as James Cole, a scavenger who's recruited to travel back in time from 2043 to 2015 in order to stop a deadly virus from wiping out most of the planet's population.

Across four seasons of thrilling mystery and character development, the show ends up surpassing its big-screen predecessor and delivers a top-class story about time travel, complete with explorations of philosophical conundrums plus epic romance.

It's definitely worth watching, not jus tas one of the best time travel shows but as one of the best sci-fi shows of the 21st century.

2. Dark (2017)

Dark is a German sci-fi series created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. Not only is it the first German show created by Netflix, but it's also one of the most critically acclaimed series on the platform.

Dark focuses on multiple generations of four interconnected families living in the fictional town of Winden, Germany. In the aftermath of a child's disappearance, they manage to unravel a time-traveling conspiracy that spans several decades.

This is a cerebral show that demands 100% attention while watching. All the little details matter and you'll be solidly rewarded for your focus.

Between its remarkable narrative, crazy visuals, and complex themes, Dark is one of the best TV shows of the streaming era.

1. Doctor Who (2005)

Any discussion about time travel has to include mention of Doctor Who . And when it comes to TV shows with time travel? It reigns as king.

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi TV show about a time-traveling alien known as the Doctor who travels to different times to prevent evil forces from changing history and hurting innocent lives.

Whenever the Doctor is hurt beyond healing, he can transform into a new body, which is why there have been 14 different actors so far who have portrayed the titular character of the series.

The show originally premiered in 1963 and ran until 1989, then was relaunched in 2005 and has been running ever since. For its influence and longevity, it's no stretch to call Doctor Who the most successful and most important TV show about time travel.

Doctor Who is now an integral part of British pop culture and science fiction history. Its innovative use of time travel, its lovable main characters, and its iconic production design make it a must-see show if you're a fan of time travel and science fiction.

Screen Rant

10 tv shows with time travel that actually makes sense.

Time travel is a fun element of sci-fi, but it needs to be done right. These series utilize time travel in a way that makes sense and abides by rules.

• Shows like Dark and 12 Monkeys establish strict rules for time travel that contribute to a more satisfying and grounded storytelling experience.
• Doctor Who maintains consistency in its portrayal of time travel, carefully balancing major events that cannot be altered with the Doctor's interventions in minor events.
• The Lazarus Project and Steins;Gate offer unique and intriguing approaches to time travel, exploring concepts like time loops and using unconventional methods like a malfunctioning microwave.

Time travel can be a really fun element in sci-fi shows when properly utilized, but when it's handled poorly, it can spoil a series. There are TV shows that only use time travel to add a complicated sci-fi element while paying little to no attention to how it functions or impacts established events. However, some shows put a big effort into making sure the time travel elements are grounded in some sort of scientific principle, or that it has lasting effects on the rest of time, raising the story's stakes instead of erasing them.

Obviously, due to the near-impossible nature of time travel, it's unrealistic to assume that any show can authentically employ time travel, but it helps to know that time and effort went into using it. Shows which have strict time travel rules for how it can work and what happens to timelines once time travel is used are far more satisfying. Similarly, fantasy shows that take time to create a magic system with rules are usually more popular than shows that have no clear limits and use magic as an easy out.

10 Dark (2017-2020)

Wormhole connecting generations.

Dark is a German science-fiction show which ran for three seasons on Netflix. The show follows four families across generations that find themselves connected thanks to a wormhole in a cave below the town of Winden. The show affirms that time is established and cannot be changed, regardless of what happens in the past, present, or future. Instead, time and the events that occur within it are established, regardless of whether these individuals move out of their own time, as it was always meant to be. The show also goes to great lengths to explain the technicalities behind how this works.

9 12 Monkeys (2015-2018)

Launched through time.

12 Monkeys is a series loosely adapted from the 1995 movie of the same name. After a deadly virus decimated the population , a group of survivors in the future attempt to use the newly developed practice of time travel to change the past and save billions of lives. However, the show doesn't let the characters off the hook that easily, and time travel proves to be more complex than those using it initially thought. Rather than finding a way to change the past, it reveals that the timeline is solid and the events of traveling into the past are not a new branch, but simply reinforce the past and present as they have always been.

Related: 10 Movies Where Everything Comes Full Circle By The End, According To Ranker

8 Doctor Who (1963-1989, 1996, 2005 - Present)

Aliens exploring time and space.

Doctor Who can occasionally stray from its established pattern of how time travel works, but by and large, the show that has been going on for more than 60 years appears mostly consistent with how it works. Some events throughout history are firmly in place and cannot be altered. This can be major events that see new technologies created, or the death of someone too early in their timeline. While other minor events can be inconsequential, and thanks to the Doctor's extensive knowledge of time and his training as a Time Lord, he is aware of where and when he can intervene, and when he needs to let events play out.

The Doctor also uses an incredibly advanced machine, known as a TARDIS, or time and relative dimensions in space , which naturally grows on his planet. The close relationship between Time Lords, TARDIS' and the planet Gallifrey in general is largely due to the ability to harness and study the Untempered Schism . This hole in the fabric of reality gave the people of Gallifrey abilities over time, and changed the world around them, potentially contributing to the growth of the TARDIS'.

7 Loki (2021-2023)

Slipping through branches of time.

Marvel Studios established a pattern for how time travel worked in Avengers: Endgame , asserting that simply going back in time couldn't change established timelines. Instead, it creates new branches of time. Loki largely continues this narrative and provides an answer to how accidental branches and the variants that caused them are handled by the TVA or Time Variance Authority. In season 1, time is seen as rigid, and a sacred timeline is actively preserved while new branches are avoided and pruned by the TVA.

In Loki season 2 , as a result of killing He Who Remains, who actively preserved the Sacred Timeline, time begins to fragment at an alarming rate. Loki learns to harness an unusual ability he develops, time slipping, which sees him move backward and forward along his timeline. Gaining incredible control over time, Loki even learns to harness, stop, and reverse time at will . The concepts are wild, but in a show focused on a god from ancient mythology, at least it is consistent, and the show has remarkably satisfying payoffs with an incredible circular narrative emphasizing the fragility of time.

Related: Loki Season 2 Ending Explained

6 Travelers (2016-2018)

Mind transfers through time.

Travelers follows a group of time travelers from the distant future who have been sent back in time to save the future. The method of travel requires individuals to have their consciousness transferred back in time and assume the body of someone else in the target time. This also results in branching timelines with each occurrence. While this is a departure from some of the more common time travel structures, the series establishes rules such as only being able to send consciousness back in time, only being able to travel to the past, and a ripple effect where people sent further back created more waves in the future and branched timelines.

5 The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)

Superpowered time travel.

Although The Umbrella Academy is not about time travel and is more focused on a group of superpowered young people, one of the central elements that shift each season is time itself. Thanks to Number Five, one of the seven Hargreeves siblings with powers, the Umbrellas travel through time in a repeated effort to stop the apocalypse . For much of Five's lengthy life, he has traveled through time, preserving events as they should be, but when his family gets entangled in the mess, time gets complicated. Changes to the past drastically alter the future and the family must carefully work to try and restore time to its original course.

4 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020)

Alien-powered time travel.

Although the Marvel show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. initially ran parallel to events in the main MCU, season 5 saw the series move in a very different direction. In season 5, and again in season 7, AoS adopts a form of time travel that exists along a single line. Events that happen in the past affect and alter the timeline in the future if the occurrence is significant enough. Small ripples in time will not alter the timeline significantly, but there isn't a concept of branching timelines as with the MCU. They also use alien technology, such as Monoliths, to achieve the desired effect of traveling forward and back through time, as well as by traveling with the alien race of Chronicoms.

3 The Lazarus Project (2022-Present)

Time looping reset.

The Lazarus Project season 1 employs a unique approach to time travel in that they rely on time loops. The secret government operation that is the namesake of the show has found a way to harness a time loop, which is capable of resetting time to the most recent July 1st . For most people, these resets go unnoticed, but a select few have received an injection that allows them to retain their memories. In addition, some others can naturally recall the resets. The strict rules on how time travel operates and the concept of a reset make it interesting as regardless of present-day training, any physical changes will be reset, and only memories retained.

Related: 20 Cool Time Loop Movies, Ranked

2 Steins;Gate (2011-2015)

Malfunctioning microwave black hole.

Steins;Gate is an anime series that has just 26 episodes, but manages to deliver a unique and clever take on time travel. By using a malfunctioning microwave, in combination with a phone and a television, the main characters create a micro-black hole . Through this, they send messages and data back in time to assist the past versions of themselves to change events and try to stop an evil organization from taking over. The concept is unique and well-executed and will appeal to any fan of sci-fi and anime.

1 11.22.63 (2016)

A portal to 1960.

Based on the novel by Stephen King , 11.22.63 details the story of a man who travels back in time to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Upon discovering a time portal that can transport Jake Epping (James Franco) from 2016 back to 1960, he is tasked with saving the life of President John F. Kennedy. However, this requires spending significant time in the past to get to late 1963, and Epping struggles to alter time when it doesn't want to be changed . Time resisting changes and the reality of needing to live through the past to get to the desired point give this compelling series a degree of realism.

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.

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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!

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)

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

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  

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

• #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.

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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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11 of the best time travel movies to watch on streaming

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Thirty years after their last time travel adventure, Bill and Ted are back in their most excellent journey yet. Bill and Ted Face the Music , starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in their iconic slacker-metalhead roles, is out in theaters and on VOD now.

As a genre, time-travel movies can encompass a lot of different styles. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a silly, fluffy time-jumping adventure, which stands in stark juxtaposition to the hard sci-fi 12 Monkeys or the melancholy, contemplative About Time . What they all have in common is time travel as a major plot point, whether the creators do their best to explain the science or just kind of hand wave. (A time travel movie is different from a time loop movie, though, which is why you won’t find Groundhog Day , Happy Death Day , or Palm Springs — all excellent films — on this list.)

Below, we’ve rounded up 11 of our favorite time travel narratives you can watch on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max right now. Party on, dudes.

If you can stomach a narrative about a viral pandemic knocking out most of humanity, Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is a compelling adaptation of Chris Marker’s legendary short film, La Jetée (which you can stream on Criterion Channel ). The feature remake is mostly notable for its incredible performances — Bruce Willis! Christopher Plummer! An Oscar nomination for Brad Pitt! Willis stars as James Cole, one of the pandemic’s survivors, who’s sent back to 1996 to track down the origins of virus. He overshoots and ends up in 1990, where he’s involuntarily committed to a mental institution. Pitt plays his fellow inmate who, Cole discovers back in the future, may or may not be responsible for the virus.

As far as time travel movies go, 12 Monkeys is firmly in the grim, twist-y, hard sci-fi camp. If that’s your thing, it’s an excellent watch.

12 Monkeys is streaming on HBO Max .

All of the marketing around About Time made it seem like a fun, fluffy rom-com in which Domhnall Gleeson uses his magical time traveling abilities to woo Rachel McAdams. But master of the British rom-com, Richard Curtis ( Love Actually , Bridget Jones’ Diary , Knotting Hill , Four Weddings and a Funeral ), makes About Time a lot deeper. I won’t spoil the twist that throws a wrench into the time travel mechanics, but I’ll just say that it’s more about the anxieties of parenthood than getting a fairy tale ending.

About Time is streaming on Netflix .

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame satisfyingly wraps up its core characters arcs and made room for the next chapter while also balancing humor, emotional weight, and huge choreographed set pieces. It also features a surprisingly well executed time travel storyline! If you haven’t seen this one since last summer, dive back into its mind-bending middle act.

Avengers: Endgame is streaming on Disney Plus .

Back to the Future trilogy

The story of Marty McFly’s (Michael J. Fox) travels through time in a souped-up DeLorean, aided by his friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), is a classic for good reason. The first movie, in which Marty has to make sure his parents fall in love lest he be erased from existence, is always a hit, but it’s especially fun to revisit Back to the Future Part II just to see what people in 1989 thought 2015 would look like.

Back to the Future , Back to the Future Part II, and Back to the Future Part III are streaming on Netflix .

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure was one of those movies that, if you grew up in the ’90s or early 2000s, you’d catch in bits and pieces because it aired constantly on cable. The format was perfect for that kind of disjointed viewing, since it mostly consists of silly scenes in which Bill and Ted get into historical hijinks strung together to form a tiny thread of narrative. But what Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure lacks in plot, it makes up for in heart. The core ethos of Bill and Ted is “Be excellent to each other,” a philosophy that the boys consistently embody. It’s just nice, okay ?

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is streaming on Starz .

Hot Tub Time Machine

If you’re the type of person who hears a title like Hot Tub Time Machine and thinks, “Ugh, that sounds stupid,” Hot Tub Time Machine is probably not for you. But if you’re the type of person who hears a title like Hot Tub Time Machine and thinks, “Hell yeah, that sounds stupid,” you’re gonna have a good time.

Hot Tub Time Machine is streaming on Hulu with Live TV .

If you only know Rian Johnson from Star Wars: The Last Jedi and/or Knives Out , it’s worth going back through his filmography before he helmed one of the biggest franchises in the world. Looper , his last film before The Last Jedi, stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as two different versions of the same man, a time-traveling assassin, known as a “looper,” named Joe. It’s both a compelling time travel narrative and a slick action movie with neat visual effects. In the wise words of Elijah Wood, long live Rian Johnson .

Looper is streaming on FuboTV .

Safety Not Guaranteed

Before he helmed the Jurassic World franchise, gave us the fascinating flop that is The Book of Henry , and was booted from Star Wars: Episode 9, Colin Trevorrow directed Safety Not Guaranteed. The indie comedy stars Mark Duplass as Kenneth, a paranoid, lonely guy who places a classified ad looking for a partner to join him on a time travel mission. He finds that partner in Darius (Aubrey Plaza) who, unbeknownst to him, is a newspaper intern working on a story about him. Duplass excels at playing these kind of weirdos who live on the border between sad and creepy, and it’s an energy that works well with Plaza’s disaffected schtick. Whether or not Kenneth actually built a working time machine is simultaneously the key to the story and also not really the point, and Trevorrow leaves us hanging until the very end.

Safety Not Guaranteed is streaming on Netflix .

Years before directing his breakout English-language feature Colossal with Anne Hathaway, Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo made this thriller about a man who uses a short-span time travel device to discover the identity of a masked attacker. Small-scale and twisty, Timecrimes revels in disorientation and has the dark comedic edge that has come to devine Vigalondo’s films. A whodunnit for the seasoned time-travel movie-watcher.

Timecrimes is streaming for free on Tubi TV with ads.

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• Entertainment

The Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time

T he science fiction genre is every bit as expansive as the worlds, galaxies, alternate realities, timelines, pasts, and futures that it explores on screen. TV shows in the genre have been made on almost every budget tier, often appeal to everyone from mainstream viewers to the most niche subcultures, and evoke tones from playful to thoughtful to downright disturbing.

Selecting a definitive best from such a wide range of worthy contenders is an almost impossible mission. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching copious amounts of sci-fi TV, it’s that the journey is at least as important as the destination—and there’s always value in trying. 

So with a method that admittedly leans more toward artistic subjectivity than scientific objectivity, we sought out the most qualified candidates by posing a number of qualifying questions: Does it say something interesting about the world in which it was created? Does it say something interesting about humanity in general? Has it added something unique to the genre? Has it changed the way people make TV? Has it changed the way people watch TV? Does it make us laugh, cry, think, have nightmares, or otherwise engage our minds and emotions? Could we reliably use it to convince alien invaders that there’s something about humanity worth saving?

In honor of a strong potential contender for future lists, 3 Body Problem , premiering on Netflix, here are the results of that effort to name the best sci-fi TV shows.

Read more: The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

Lexx (1997-2002)

If science fiction truly is about all that humanity is and and all that we are capable of becoming, then you have to leave a little room for perverts and trash connoisseurs. At a time when Canadian TV was ripe with competent and tasteful co-productions like Earth: Final Conflict and Highlander: The Raven, this Canadian and German collaboration, in which a motley crew of underlings, an undead assassin and a lovesick robot set out to combat an evil religious cult, injected some much needed unapologetic shlock with a clever edge into the proceedings. 

Stream it on Prime Video .

Æon Flux (1991-1995)

This Liquid Television animated staple about a sexy secret agent with nebulous motives and morals was so stylish, strange, and entrancing that it managed to convince a pre- X Files -pilled MTV generation that sci-fi could be cool. That cache was strong enough to inspire a video game, comics, and a big-budget live action movie adaptation starring Charlize Theron. And also strong enough to survive the more polarizing reception those spinoffs received. 

Stream it on Paramount+ .

Severance (2022-present)

Building on the uncanny nature of real-life office spaces and adding a lightly speculative spin on work/life balance, Dan Erickson’s Apple TV+ series , which counts Ben Stiller as a director and Adam Scott as a lead, paints a deliciously nightmarish portrait of corporate culture. While it’s still too early to tell where this show is going to take us—we’re still waiting for a release date for the second season—it has the potential to be an all-time mundane dystopian classic.

Stream it on Apple TV+.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)

A TV show so groundbreaking that it managed to change both what we watch and how we watch it. At the height of the Cold War, Gene Roddenberry and crew gave viewers an optimistic glimpse into a future that included equality, adventure, compassionate and thoughtful conflict resolution, and a dash of sexiness. They also took the occasional concrete step toward making such a future possible, like producing one of the first interracial kisses broadcast on television . The show’s viewers responded by helping to establish some of the more wholesome hallmarks of current fandom culture, including write-in campaigns, conventions, fanfiction in general and slash in particular.

Farscape (1999-2003)

The foundational show from SyFy (f.k.a. Sci-Fi Channel), courtesy of The Jim Henson Company, mixed snappy dialogue and dark themes as seamlessly as it blended its human and puppet cast. In true cult classic fashion, it went on to leave its undeniable mark on a number of more widely known successors, most notably James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films . It also transformed how certain pockets of the internet swore for a good decade or so.

Stream it on Peacock .

Firefly (2002-2003)

Given what we know now (the massive abuse allegations against creator Joss Whedon , some of which he has denied and some of which he has said he should have handled differently) and what more fans really should have recognized at the time (that worldbuilding a future in which Chinese language and culture are pervasive but very few Chinese people appear to exist is a failure of both representation and imagination), it’s probably more accurate to classify this one-season wonder from Fox as more of a (truly) guilty pleasure than the widely beloved cult classic it once was. But it didn’t seem accurate to completely ignore the impact that the space Western had on its passionate fanbase and the next generation of sci-fi writers. And that is to say nothing of the greatness of Gina Torres as Zoe Washburne.

Stream it on Hulu .

Andor (2022-present)

The Disney+ prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , led by Diego Luna, is proving to be a welcome expansion to the greater Star Wars universe, both in terms of characters outside the usual suspects and darker, meatier thematic territory.

Stream it on Disney+.

V: The Original Miniseries (1983)

Kenneth Johnson’s sobering parable about encroaching fascism, featuring not so subtly Nazi-coded lizard aliens, is unfortunately even more relevant today than it was when it first aired on NBC in 1983. 

Buy it on Apple or Amazon .

The Expanse (2015-2022)

There’s a lot that you can learn about people through their hopes and fears for the future, and the best sci-fi shows give us valuable insights into the eras in which they were made. In that sense, this complex Syfy turned Amazon Prime Video space opera about humanity trying to navigate the politics of a colonized solar system hundreds of years from now has established itself as the defining sci-fi series of the millennium so far. Half a century removed from space-race optimism and Cold-War paranoia, it offers a more realistic—and chilling—exploration of what could come next: What if humanity continues almost exactly as we are now, having learned nothing but the ability to take our problems further into the universe? 

Sense8 (2015-2018)

An early high mark in Netflix’s original programming (and one of the earliest and most heartbreaking victims of Netflix’s capricious cancellations), The Wachowski sisters’ supernatural spin on interconnectedness and empathy was bold and creative enough to envision a fictional universe that was at least as diverse as ours.

Stream it on Netflix .

Lost (2004-2010)

In light of Maureen Ryan’s meticulous and sobering reporting on the set’s toxic culture , this one has become another problematic fave. But the flagship series of J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof’s collective mystery box show oeuvre, Lost combined deeply human interpersonal drama, non-linear narrative flourishes, slowly but meticulously assembling puzzle pieces, and a touch of the unknown to make one of the most compulsively watchable series of the 2000s. It also made stars—or even bigger stars—out of the likes of Naveen Andrews, Evangeline Lilly, Daniel Dae Kim, Harold Perrineau, Lance Reddick, and many, many more.

The X-Files (1993-2002)

The sheer breadth of what this seminal Fox series accomplished both within the show and in the greater pop-culture universe is almost an otherworldly phenomenon itself. Led by indelible performances from Gillian Anderson and David Duchovy as agents Scully and Mulder, it smoothly blended episodic and serialized storytelling, juggled ever deepening (and occasionally well-crafted) conspiracy plots with slow burning romance, and had the ability to effortlessly shift from broad comedy to existential terror to skin-crawling horror. It left its mark on everything from the shifting demographics of sci-fi fandom, to primetime serialized TV narratives, to dorm room decorations , and catchy alt rock songs from underrated Welsh bands.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)

It’s almost impossible to explain the unsettling genius of this classic anime series about giant robots combatting giant bug-like aliens in a disaster-ravaged Tokyo, or the power of its impact, without sounding hyperbolic to the uninitiated. Yes, it really did play a major role in the revitalization of the anime industry and evolution of the mecha genre. The range of religious, psychological, philosophical and pop-culture influences that informed its exploration of the individual vs. collective consciousness really was that incredibly wide and multifaceted. And yes, the ending is probably going to mess with your head for a while. 

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

With a mix of respect for the 1978 original series, and a willingness to take those characters and concepts in bold new directions, Battlestar Galactica launched its series proper with one of the most breathless and anxiety-inducing (in a fun way) 45 minutes of TV ever broadcast. The show spent the next 4.5 seasons unraveling intrigue after intrigue, sinking its teeth into the nature vs. nurture debate, and giving Edward James “Martin Castillo” Almos a well-taken opportunity to add another iconic TV role to his legendary arsenal while the rest of the talented cast kept up with him as well as anyone could. Sure, people will be debating the ending for as long as people are talking about science fiction at all, but what great sci-fi show finale didn’t polarize and confound its audience at least a little?

Doctor Who (1963-present)

Sixty years in—minus a six-year hiatus and another nine-year hiatus briefly broken up by a canonical if not universally beloved run by Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor—the BBC stalwart is starting to resemble its titular character: a significantly longer lifespan than most of the similar-looking creatures that surround it, an endless fascination with human beings and how they work, and an impressive albeit imperfect ability to adapt to the times. And if you’re willing to tag along, it will take you on one hell of a journey. This May will see the 15th Doctor, Sex Education ’s Ncuti Gatwa, continue his brilliant turn in the franchise, which kicked off at the end of last year.

Stream it on Britbox or buy it on Amazon or Apple .

The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Six decades ago, the first big—and still the best—sci-fi and fantasy-tinged anthology series gave the world 156 episodes’ worth of expertly crafted stories, clever twists, morality plays, ironic repercussions, and nightmare fodder. Neither television nor viewers’ psyches have been the same since.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Every addition to the Star Trek franchise has contributed something new and valuable to that universe, and you could make a solid case for almost any of the series appearing on this list. What gives DS9 the edge here is just how much it expanded the themes and concepts that Trek could tackle. It was fascinating to watch the optimism and relatively straightforward moralism of the original series and The Next Generation forced to grapple with fundamentally more complex intergalactic conflicts and moral gray areas that couldn’t be solved over the course of an episode, or even a multi-series arc. Plus this show gave us whatever was going on with Garak and Bashir.

Stream it on Paramount+.

Fringe (2008-2013)

A mystery box show co-created by J. J. Abrams in the 2000s, Fringe was like Lost’ s nerdier, weirder kid sister (meant in a completely complimentary sense). Over the course of five seasons, it blossomed from an intriguing mystery-of-the-week production into a timeline- and alternate universe-spanning story that grappled with questions of family, identity, and ethics augmented by career-defining performances by Anna Torv, John Noble, Joshua Jackson, and Jasika Nicole. It also pulled off one of the most satisfying conclusions in sci-fi television history by weaving all of its wide-ranging threads together in a way that remained true to its characters, themes, and overarching narrative. 

Stream it on Max .

Red Dwarf (1988-1999)

This beloved British comedy doesn’t dig too deeply into the science part of the sci-fi equation. All of the space stuff is mostly an excuse to develop the characters, give the performers amusing things to do, and occasionally explore the human condition. But when the show dabbles in the futuristic and intergalactic, it does so to great effect. For example, it takes a genuinely terrifying classic sci-fi premise—what if you woke up alone on a spaceship three million years removed from everything you’ve ever known?—and makes it hilarious. 

Stream it on Britbox or Britbox via Amazon or buy it on Apple .

Black Mirror (2011-present)

Present-day Netflix Black Mirror isn’t quite the unfailing juggernaut that it was in its early seasons on Channel 4. When it comes to anthology shows with British comedy pedigrees that are known for their twist endings, Inside No. 9 has the better batting average these days. But when this show is good, it is wickedly good, and its hits more than justify sitting through the occasional misfire. At its best, Black Mirror has given us brilliantly incisive reflections on the murky relationship between humanity and technology, some of the best TV to tackle the struggle between surveillance and autonomy since The Prisoner , and a thoroughly refreshing spin on the bury your gays trope. It’s not creator Charlie Brooker’s most prescient show—that honor now goes to 2005’s influencer-predicting and skewering Nathan Barley —but that’s an indictment of all of us, not Black Mirror.

Lost In Space (1965-1968)

Sure, the perfectly competent 2018 Netflix remake has things like comprehensive storylines, a special effects budget, and the inspired choice to place the inimitable Parker Posey in the Dr. Smith role. But the original brainchild of disaster movie and adventure TV king Irwin Allen, who took the basic concept of The Swiss Family Robinson and flung it into the stars, has a sassy robot, space-age mod-influenced costumes , delightfully scenery-chewing villainy from the OG Dr. Smith Jonathan Harris, and a campy charm as limitless as the universe that the Robinsons are doing their best to navigate. So it gets to represent the franchise on this list. 

Stream it on Hulu or buy it on Amazon or Apple . 

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (2004)

The best parodies reflect a deep knowledge and at least a touch of affection for the object of their mockery. This 2004 comedy about a pompous shlock writer’s long lost vanity project about a supernaturally plagued hospital is a perfect example. The precision and attention to detail of every aspect from author Marenghi’s pompous declarations to the obvious strings on the no-budget effects makes it obvious that creators Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade have watched at least as many horror and sci-fi shows as they’ve written. 

Stream it on Prime Video or Peacock .

Life On Mars ( 2006-2007)

The BBC’s time-traveling procedural drama about a cop who gets hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973 combines sophisticated writing, 1970s fashions, classic rock, John Simm (best known to sci-fi fans as one of the Masters from Doctor Who ) at the height of his dramatic and charismatic powers, and a gleeful exploitation of the British public’s collective fear of the test pattern girl and her creepy clown to make a solid case for the idea that one’s own past and/or mind are the biggest uncharted territory of all. 

Stream it on Britbox or Britbox via Amazon.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967-1968)

Supermarionation masterminds Sylvia and Gerry Anderson’s follow-up to their breakthrough hit, Thunderbirds , about an elite security unit who must defend Earth from a series of alien terrorist attacks that they unwittingly triggered on a previous mission, tackles issues like culpability and mortality more thoughtfully and more creepily than many live-action shows could manage at the time. It also gave the world a puppet that was more handsome than most human men .

Stream it on Fubo or buy it on Amazon .

The Prisoner (1967-1968)

Brilliant, twisted, and slightly adversarial creator and star Patrick McGoohan’s sui generis series plunked a freshly resigned unnamed spy in the middle of an eerily plucky and scenic penal colony and forever changed the way that viewers thought about individualism vs. collectivism. And privacy vs. surveillance. And individualism and autonomy. And charming Welsh tourist destinations . And weather balloons. 

Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982)

Armed with little more than a budget that would make early Doctor Who seem like a Marvel movie by comparison, a moderate grasp of some of the trickier science that fuelled its plots, and dynamite performances by stars David McCallum and Joanna Lumley, Sapphire & Steel managed to pull of some of the most quietly unsettling television of all time. This supernatural thriller about a pair of anthropomorphized elements who have been sent to Earth to address anomalies in the fabric of time can be a hard sell thanks to its concept and extremely slow-burning storytelling. But those who are willing to be open-minded and patient will be rewarded with some of the purest, most haunting existential dread that TV can provide—and the inability to ever look at a gas station the same way again. 

Futurama (1999-2003, 2008-2013, 2023-present)

Matt Groening’s fish-out-of-water comedy about an accidentally cryogenically frozen present-day pizza guy who wakes up in the 31st century, featuring the vocal talents of Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, and Lauren Tom, might be one of the most versatile shows ever made in any genre. The futuristic workplace comedy about a group of misfit humans, a crustacean-like alien, and mouthy robot is equally capable of making you cry with laughter or heart-ripping, gut-wrenching grief (looking at you, “Jurassic Bark”).

Orphan Black (2013-2017)

This Canadian drama starring Tatiana Maslany, Tatiana Maslany, Tatiana Maslany, and more of the brilliant Tatiana Maslany as a con artist who discovers that she’s one of a series of clones, delivered both thrills and thoughtful explorations of the ethics of cloning and the concept of identity. Maslany was nothing short of a revelation in all of her roles.

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Doctor Who Is Finally Addressing A Classic Time Travel Trope

Is Doctor Who changing the laws of time? Again?

The oldest science fiction series — that still produces new episodes — is easily Doctor Who . In 1963, the inventive time travel series debuted on the BBC, and on Friday, May 10 , this venerable show relaunches anew with a brand-new set of adventures featuring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor. But this Doctor Who is coming back as “Season 1,” meaning that although the show is honoring its long and wibbly-wobbly continuity, this new season feels like a bit of a back-to-basics season, complete with one very old time travel trope.

In the new trailer, Doctor Who references a time travel concept nearly as old as science fiction itself — the butterfly effect. Here’s how this very specific reference pulls from Ray Bradbury, and what this brand of time travel could mean for the future of Who canon.

Doctor Who Season 1 (2024) trailer

The latest full-length trailer for the new 2024 season of Doctor Who features a joyful version of David Bowie’s classic track “Changes,” as we see the Doctor and Ruby (Millie Gibson) travel through various historical periods; from the 1960s, to the 1800s regency era, to the prehistoric time of the dinosaurs in the Mesozoic era. And it’s in those dino-days that Who drops a very pointed Ray Bradbury reference, that might give a clue to the direction of the entire season.

The timey wimey butterfly effect

As the Doctor and Ruby stand outside the TARDIS near a large sauropod (probably a Brachiosaurus), Ruby says, “What if I change history by stepping on a butterfly?” The Doctor responds, “That’s not gonna happen is it?” But then, a butterfly is stepped on, and Ruby becomes a reptilian humanoid — similar in appearance to Who creatures known as the Silurians.

The idea of a time traveler stepping on a butterfly in dinosaur times and thus altering the present comes from the 1952 Ray Bradbury short story “A Sound of Thunder.” In that story, members of a time-traveling safari step off their designated path, step on a butterfly and return to a present that they don’t recognize. The Back to the Future version of this was the Sports Almanac, and the trope exists in tons of sci-fi stories in all sorts of mediums.

But, Doctor Who has never really gone all-in on the butterfly effect. In previous eras, including the reign of the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) we were told certain points in time were “fixed” and thus, unchangeable, while other times were in flux. In “The Fires of Pompeii,” the Doctor was unable to prevent the eruption of the volcano but became part of a predestination paradox that made him and Donna part of history. Conversely, in “The Waters of Mars,” the Doctor tried to change a fixed point in time by rescuing astronauts from Bowie Base One (David Bowie reference again!) and found time itself rebelling against what he’d tried to change.

Of course, Doctor Who would frequently lampshade the butterfly effect, like in the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) episode, “Thin Ice,” in which companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) wonders if she would change the future by stepping on a butterfly, only for the Doctor to joke, “That’s what happened to your friend Pete.” (There is no Pete.)

Is Doctor Who changing time travel canon?

The Doctor and Ruby surrounded by dinosaurs...and butterflies.

Throughout its 61 years, Doctor Who has played a bit fast and loose with the butterfly effect relative to cascading changes in the timeline. Interestingly, although the classic era (pre-2005) finds the various Doctors showing up in historical eras, or traveling to the far future, the number of classic Who episodes that are actually focused on time travel paradoxes are much smaller than you think. While “The Day of the Daleks” (1972) and “City of Death” (1979) both deal with bootstraps paradoxes, it really wasn’t until the modern version of the show that the rules of Who time travel started to get codified.

However, this trailer seems to suggest that the newly launched “Season 1” of Doctor Who may go back to basics and put everything on the line when it comes to the domino effects of even tiny changes in history. Later in the trailer, the Doctor warns “...the whole world could slide into the pit,” and we see various timelines in which it appears that history, or at least the present, has been changed on a massive scale. The Doctor states clearly, “This is what we’re trying to stop.”

In this way, it seems that the new season of Doctor Who is making the role of the Doctor more than just the defender of Earth. Since he’s still the Last of the Time Lords, it appears that this time, he’ll be the guardian of history as we know it.

Doctor Who Season 1 (2024) hits Disney+ on May 10.

• Science Fiction

March 18, 2024

The Great Debate: Could We Ever Travel through Time?

Our space and physics editors go head-to-head over a classic mind-bending question.

By Clara Moskowitz & Lee Billings

cemagraphics/Getty Images

Clara Moskowitz: Hi, I’m Clara Moskowitz, a space editor here at Scientific American. We’re taking a break this week to look back at some of our favorite podcast episodes. I chose this one about the physics of time travel, because I’m a big sci-fi geek, so I’m fascinated by the topic. But also, it was such a fun debate to have with my colleague and friend, Lee Billings, another space editor here. We each picked a side – I was pro time travel, he was con—and dug our heels in. Check it out!

[Clip: Show theme music]

Moskowitz: We’re here today to talk about time travel. A perennial – dare I say, timeless–topic of science fiction, but is it possible? Is there any chance at all that it could actually happen?

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Lee Billings: No. No, no no no no. (laughs). Well, kinda. Not really. ARGH. I’m Lee Billings.

Moskowitz: I’m Clara Moskowitz, and this is Cosmos, Quickly , the biweekly space podcast from Scientific American . 

Moskowitz: We’re going to have a little friendly debate.

Billings: Really? I came for a throwdown.

Moskowitz: Well, a wrangle. A parley. A confab. Lee, what do you have against time travel?

Billings: So I love the idea of time travel! And in fact I do it all the time—like most everyone else I’m traveling into the future at one second per second. I’m less of a fan, though, of more speculative time travel, which is good fodder for goofy sci-fi stories, but in the real world it’s an implausible distraction.

Moskowitz: But really, we can stay within plausible physics and still see how more extreme versions of time travel are possible. See, Einstein’s special theory of relativity shows that the rate time flows at depends on how fast you’re moving. 

Billings: Einstein strikes again, what a rascal.

Moskowitz: If you’re traveling in a starship at close to the speed of light, you’ll still experience the familiar one-second-per-second ticking of a clock– but an observer back on Earth would see your clock moving glacially slow. To them, you’d be moving through time at a snail’s pace. That means that when you finally got back,  maybe only a year would have passed for you, but a century could have gone by for your friends on Earth. Ergo, you just traveled to the future! 

Billings: Right, right, no one’s disputing any of that! We can even measure this sort of “time dilation” right now on Earth, not with starships, but with subatomic particles. Some of those particles have very short lifetimes, decaying almost instantaneously. But if we drastically speed them up, like in a particle accelerator, we find they endure longer in proportion to how fast they’re going. So riddle me this, though, Clara: How can we travel into the past? That’s something so hard to do–effectively impossible, almost–that it’s scarcely worth thinking about.

[Clip: Back to the Future : “This is what makes time travel possible. The flux capacitor!”]

Moskowitz: I get it—no one has yet conceived of a way to journey to the past. But the crazy thing is it’s not impossible. Time is one of the four dimensions in the universe, along with three dimensions of space. And we move through space in all directions just fine, and according to physics, travel through time should be just as possible.

One way that people have looked into is via a wormhole—a shortcut bridge through spacetime that was predicted by general relativity. Wormholes can connect distant points in spacetime, meaning you could conceivably use one to bridge not just the gap between here and a distant galaxy, but the span between 2023 and 1923. 

[CLIP: Interstellar : “That’s the wormhole.”]

Billings : Ah yes, wormholes—the last refuge of scoundrels and desperate physicists. The trouble with wormholes Clara, is that, unlike a DeLorean, we have no evidence they actually exist—and, even if they did, it seems the only ways to make them traversable and stable involves using negative energy or negative mass  to prop them open. And, guess what, just like wormholes themselves, we have no evidence these weird forms of matter and energy actually exist, either. And let’s just beat this dead horse one more time—even if wormholes exist, as well as the means to make them traversable, to go back in time seems to require anchoring one end in a region of very warped spacetime, like around a black hole, or accelerating it to nearly lightspeed. Are you sensing a theme here, Clara?

Moskowitz: Yeah, yeah. All I can say is that just because there’s no evidence any of these things exist, there’s also no evidence they don’t or can’t exist. Wormholes are real solutions to the equations of general relativity, and even negative energy and mass are concepts that come up in the math and aren’t prohibited.

Billings: Well how about some more practical arguments, then? If time travel were possible, wouldn’t we have met some time travelers by now? Wouldn’t someone have gone back and killed Hitler—or at least prevented me from wearing that ridiculous outfit to my high school prom? You know there’s a famous story about physicist Stephen Hawking, who invited time travelers to come to a party he was holding. The trick was the the party happened in 2009, but the invitation came out in a miniseries that was broadcast in 2010—thus, only time travelers would have been able to attend. 

[CLIP: Stephen Hawking Time Travel Party: “Here is the invitation, giving the exact coordinates in time and space. I am hoping in one form or another it will survive for many thousands of years.”]

Billings: Sadly, the hors d'oeuvres went uneaten and the champagne sat unopened, because, clearly, time travel to the past is impossible! 

Moskowitz: I admit a party with Stephen Hawking should have been pretty alluring to time travelers, if they were out there. But you’re forgetting about the International Clause of Secrecy that all time travelers probably have to swear to, making sure to hide their identities and abilities from those in earlier eras.  

Billings: Hmm, yes the clause of secrecy here. Feels like we’re really veering into science fiction territory special pleading here. And don’t forget all the paradoxes that we have to worry about too. There are lots of good reasons to think time travel might introduce insurmountable paradoxes in physics. The most famous being the grandfather—or grandmother—paradox. If time travel were possible into the past, so the thinking goes, then a person could go back in time and kill their own grandparents, thus making it impossible for them to be born and impossible for them to travel back in time to ever commit the murder, and so on and so on.

Moskowitz: I wonder if it could be like a many-worlds scenario, where each change a time traveler makes to the past spawns a whole new universe that carries on from that point. So if I went back in time and killed one of my forebears, then a new branch universe would begin where that whole line of descendents, including me, never existed. I mean, it sounds crazy, but then again, physics is pretty enamored with multiverses, and they seem to pop up for lots of reasons already. Maybe it’s not impossible? 

Billings: If not impossible, then I’d say, implausible.

Moskowitz: Well, I’m forever an optimist, Lee! Thanks for listening to the Cosmos, Quickly .

Billings: Our show is produced by Jeff DelViscio, Tulika Bose and Kelso Harper.  Our music was composed by Dominic Smith.

Moskowtiz: If you like the show, please consider rating or leaving a review. You can also email feedback, questions, and tips to [email protected] . 

Billings: For more spacetime hijinks and all your science news, head to SciAm.com. This has been Cosmos, Quickly . I’m Lee Billings. 

Moskowitz: I’m Clara Moskowitz. 

Billings: And we’ll see you next time, in the future!

An astrophysicist claims he finally figured out time travel

T ime travel has been one of the biggest tropes in science fiction for years. But what if you could actually go back in time and visit a loved one before their death? There's, obviously, a lot we don't know about what kind of consequences time travel might bring to the table , but that hasn't stopped physicist Ron Mallet from a lifelong obsession with trying to figure out the time travel equation.

What's even more impressive about this lifelong endeavor, though, is that Mallet now claims to have solved the equation and figured out how to build an actual time machine. Mallet's inspiration and obsession with time travel originally began when he was much younger, Earth.com notes . Following the death of his beloved father, Mallet lost himself in novels, including The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.

It was this book, and others, that helped fuel the obsession that would lead Mallet down a career in physics, trying to figure out just how to work the time travel equation and build a machine capable of going back through space and time. Like many of the characters in iconic science fiction media, Mallet's obsession with time travel all boils down to the hope that he would be able to see his father once more.

It is certainly a respectable goal, especially for anyone who has lost someone they loved dearly. Mallet says that his idea of a time machine centers around an "intense and continuous rotating beam of light" that can manipulate gravity. A device built by him, following his equation, would use a ring of lasers to mimic the effects of a black hole, which appears to distort space and time around them.

Of course, learning the time travel equation and building a working time machine are two different things altogether. Sure, scientists have simulated black holes in a lab once or twice, but never anything with the kind of power or reality-effecting pull that Mallet seems to think would make time travel possible. That isn't to say that he's got things wrong, though.

His equation for time travel may be exactly what is needed to break through this lifelong obsession and actually travel back in time. But building something capable of testing it is going to be a whole separate endeavor in and of itself.

The post An astrophysicist claims he finally figured out time travel appeared first on BGR .

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via HBO Max

By Dipesh Ramdasani

Ever wondered what would happen if you stumbled into a time travel conundrum over pints with your mates? That’s the quirky premise of the 2009 British sci-fi comedy Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel.

Here’s how you can watch and stream Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel via streaming services such as HBO Max.

Is Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel available to watch via streaming?

Yes, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel is available to watch via streaming on HBO Max.

The film follows Ray and Pete, two friends whose passion for science fiction might just land them on a real-life adventure. Along with their more skeptical buddy Toby, they encounter a mysterious woman named Cassie at their local pub. Cassie, it turns out, is from the future, and she throws their world into chaos by revealing a hidden truth: time travel exists, and it’s way messier than they imagined.

Instead of futuristic spaceships and dystopian futures, the film explores the mind-bending paradoxes of time travel, leaving you chuckling and pondering the consequences of messing with the past.

Helmed by Gareth Carrivick, the main cast of the movie includes Chris O’Dowd as Ray, Dean Lennox Kelly as Pete, Marc Wootton as Toby, and Anna Faris as Cassie.

Watch Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel streaming via HBO Max

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel i s available to watch on HBO Max. HBO Max is a streaming platform offering a vast library of TV shows, movies, and exclusive content. Backed by the powerhouse Warner Bros., it’s your one-stop shop for everything from blockbuster hits to binge-worthy series.

You can watch via Max, formerly known as HBO Max, by following these steps:

• Go to HBOMax.com/subscribe
• Click ‘Sign Up Now’
• $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (with ads)
• $15.99 per month or $149.99 per year (ad-free)
• $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year (ultimate ad-free)
• Enter your personal information and password
• Select ‘Create Account’

Max With Ads provides the service’s streaming library at a Full HD resolution, allowing users to stream on up to two supported devices at once. Max Ad-Free removes the service’s commercials and allows streaming on two devices at once in Full HD. It also allows for 30 downloads at a time to allow users to watch content offline. On the other hand, Max Ultimate Ad-Free allows users to stream on four devices at once in a 4K Ultra HD resolution and provides Dolby Atmos audio and 100 downloads.

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel synopsis is as follows:

“Follows three social outcasts — two geeks and a cynic — as they attempt to navigate a time-travel conundrum in the middle of a British pub. Faris plays a girl from the future who sets the adventure in motion.”

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

Red vs. Blue: Restoration Trailer Sets Release Date for Series Finale Movie

Sarah hyland to exit love island usa after 2 seasons, the best stoner movie characters ever, gkids sets mars express theatrical release date in new trailer.

A Detective Comics Universe fanatic and a media journalist, adept at covering the dynamic landscape of entertainment. Whether it’s exploring new worlds in a sci-fi novel, unraveling the mysteries of the superhero genre, or devising winning strategies in chess and video games, Dipesh is constantly seeking intellectual stimulation and creative inspiration.

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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries. Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries. Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.

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• Trivia Adam Wingard said, the Skar King almost represents an upscaled version of the worst parts of humanity, just as Kong represents some of the best parts of humanity.

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