Most of us are stuck inside right now while COVID-19 runs rampant throughout our communities. Social distancing and self-quarantine have become the norm for a lot of us (or it should, seriously, if you aren’t, please try) and our world has been turned on its head.
What are most of us doing? Watching a lot of television, apparently.
There’s more to life than Netflix’s Tiger King, though, right? I figured I’d give a list of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy shows to watch because, well, why not?
Avatar: The Last Airbender
I’ll always have a soft spot for Avatar. Somehow, this Nickelodeon series told a very relatable, adult story through the eyes of children. The show blended the Western animation aesthetic with Japanese-style storytelling and themes mostly found in anime.
The result was a timeless series that I still watch every once in a while and have even had some luck getting my kids into.
Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Star Trek: DS9 will absolutely always be my favorite of the Treks. Sure, they turned the concept of exploration on its head for a stationary destination, but the show still worked and remains poignant to this day.
There will always be a place for the other Star Treks but DS9 remains my most watched and loved.
Babylon 5
B5 is always difficult to find streaming online. For a while it was on Amazon Prime, and I was happy to tear through it again. Amazingly enough, it holds up.
It’s not on Prime anymore, and Warner Bros.’s relationship with the show has always been contentious. Most of it you can’t even buy as a VOD on Amazon right now. You can find it elsewhere, if you’re looking for digital, though.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Man, where was I when Clone Wars was originally airing? Disney is winding down the series now on Disney+, with the rest of the series on there as well.
I was never a huge fan of the Star Wars prequels, but I decided to give this show another shot. Some early episodes can be pretty rough, but when this show figures itself out it’s really got a lot to love.
Star Wars perhaps exists best in the peripheries right now. Television series, novels and video games. The movies? Well…
Stargate SG-1
Stargate is always the name I heard dropped the most when I asked a few months ago what most of my readers’ favorite television show was. I gave it another shot, and it’s definitely worth watching.
It’s included in a Prime subscription, too.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These
My god. The novels this series are based on have been translated. There are old fansubs available in the darker reaches of the internet of the original anime series, and it has always been one of my all-time favorite series anywhere.
There was a remake/relaunch of it recently and it’s pretty good as well!
I highly recommend the novels, though. This series takes a more distant view of historic events that unfold in the series, meaning it tries to play an even hand between both sides of the galactic conflict and shows how complicated war can be.
Since we’re at it. Kindle Unlimited is one HELLUVA deal if you’re reading a lot of Kindle books. You can sign up for two free months right now and it’s only $9.99 a month afterwards.
Let me know if you enjoy the recommendations and want more. I’m considering doing them for books, movies and even music.
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