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The 2000s ended relatively recently but to some, they might already feel like a decade long gone. This impression is further cemented by the fact that some of the best science fiction shows that premiered in the 2000s are already considered classics, such as Doctor Who, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, or Stargate: Atlantis, to name just four.
However, just like in almost every decade, not every science fiction show has retained the same level of popularity. Some were canceled after just one season despite their high-quality, others were meant to be miniseries right from the start. Whatever the case, the 2000s have a lot to offer to science fiction fans who want to watch some mostly forgotten but still interesting sci-fi shows.
5 Dune
One of the recent science fiction movie hits is the new adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic novel Dune with Timothée Chalamet in the leading role. Unlike the new movie or the David Lynch adaptation from 1984, the 2000 miniseries never got a lot of attention from the fans. It's true the series didn't cost as much money as the movies so some scenes and tricks don't work as well.
However, it's still a unique opportunity to return to the complex world of Dune, as the series has three long episodes and enough time to explore the story as well as give space to the characters. The miniseries has a solid cast and the good news is if Dune wasn't enough for the audience, they can always try out another half-forgotten 2000s miniseries, Children of Dune, that premiered in 2003, and has three episodes in total as well.
4 Night Visions
Science fiction anthologies have both advantages and disadvantages in contrast to series with one major storyline spanning over multiple episodes. The good news is that if the viewers don't like the story of one episode, they'll get a brand-new story in the next part. The downside is that if they get to like some heroes, they won't most likely see them again.
Night Visions have thirteen episodes in total, each of which contains two stories. That gave the series the chance to explore a lot of topics and popular science fiction themes and tropes, such as time portals, end of the world or special powers, making for a delightful mix that will offer something of interest to everyone who watches it.
3 Day Break
Some of the best science fiction shows combine crime and sci-fi. In this case, the show uses the popular concept of a time loop, popularized by movies such as The Groundhog Day (1993) with Bill Murray. Detective Brett Hopper, played by Taye Diggs, has a lot on his plate, and that's even before he gets in the time loop. He's framed, accused of a murder he didn't commit. In the end, the time loop might be his only chance to solve the case.
The show manages to build a captivating story since the audience wants to know both who committed the crime, whether Brett will find the person responsible and if he will manage to get out of the time loop. As a result, the thirteen episodes and a single season of the show fly by past, making Day Break an ideal series to binge-watch for everyone who likes stories about time loops.
2 Wolverine And The X-Men
Even though the X-Men have a lot of members with unique powers who are popular, Wolverine is one of the most beloved X-Men of all time. A large part of it is thanks to Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine in the live-action movies. But years after the first X-Men movie with Jackman's Wolverine premiered, Logan got his own series that mostly flew under the radar, unlike other, more prominent Marvel animated series.
Perhaps the reason why the show lasted for only one season and twenty-six episodes in total is that it isn't aimed at children. Instead, it presents a dark and very adult story in which many things go wrong, and it's up to the heroes to try and solve them. It's interesting to see Wolverine leading the team considering he often best flies solo. All fans of the superhero should give the series a chance since Wolverine, voiced by Steve Blum, gets the biggest space in it of all the X-Men.
1 Doctor Who: Dreamland
With just six episodes all under ten minutes of runtime, Doctor Who: Dreamland is an ideal TV series for all fans of Doctor Who who have already seen all the episodes from the main show. Plus, it stars the fan-favorite Doctor, the Tenth Doctor played by David Tennant. Once again, the Doctor gets into trouble, this time when he's visiting Nevada in 1958 and discovers an alien artifact. The series is full of (often sarcastic) humor and action, and Tennant gives a memorable voice performance.
The only major downside is that the series is so short but those who want to more Doctor Who related content from the 2000s can also check out the series The Sarah Jane Adventures which currently has only five thousand ratings on IMDb, started airing in 2007, ran for five seasons and focused on the alien-related adventures of the Doctor's former companion Sarah Jane Smith played by Elisabeth Sladen.