6 Shows like Murderbot to Watch While You Wait for the Second Season.
Apple TV+‘s new sci-fi series, Murderbot, had its season one finale on July 11, and was quickly renewed for a second season. The series is based on the award-winning books by Martha Wells and is described as “a sci-fi thriller/comedy” that follows a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Alexander Skarsgård (Succession, Big Little Lies), Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas.
The series also stars David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devi, Dune: Part One), Noma Dumezweni (Presumed Innocent, The Little Mermaid), Sabrina Wu (Dying for Sex, Joy Ride), Akshay Khanna (Andor, Red, White & Royal Blue), Tattiawna Jones (Orphan Black: Echoes, Lost in Space), Tamara Podemski (Outer Range, Reservation Dogs), Clark Gregg (Zero Day, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World: Dominion, She’s Gott Have It), John Cho (Searching, Star Trek), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock, Wreck-It Ralph), and Anna Konkle (PEN15, The Afterparty).
If you’re looking for more shows that combine sci-fi with some comedy and action, here are 6 shows like Murderbot to watch while you wait for the second season.
Avenue 5 (2020-2022)
Cast: Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Lenora Crichlow, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Andy Buckley, Ethan Phillips, Adam Pålsson, Jessica St. Clair, Kyle Bornheimer
Synopsis: “The troubled crew of Avenue 5, a space cruise ship filled with spoiled, rich, snotty space tourists, must try and keep everyone calm after their ship gets thrown off course into space and ends up needing three years to return to Earth.”
Where to watch: Crave (Canada), Fetch (Australia), HBO Max (US), Now TV (UK)
Fallout (2024 – )
Cast: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Moises Arias, Leer Leary, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Leslie Uggams, Johnny Pemberton, Zach Cherry, Sarita Choudhury, Zach Cherry, Annabel O’Hagan, Rodrigo Luzzi, Elle Vertes
Synopsis: “Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird and highly violent universe waiting for them.”
Where to watch: Prime Video
Future Man (2017-2020)
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson, Haley Joel Osment, Ed Begley Jr., Glenne Headly, Katherine LaNasa, Britt Lower, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Rati Gupta, Jade Catta-Preta, Robert Craighead
Synopsis: “Janitor Josh Futturman leads a pretty boring life, spending much of his time playing video games when he’s not working. Things change, though, when he beats a video game that the rest of the world has given up on, thinking it was unbeatable. After he defeats the game, mysterious visitors from the future appear. They put the world in danger, and Josh is the only person who can save it.”
Where to watch: Amazon Video (US), Apple TV (Canada), Fetch TV (Australia), UKTV Play (UK)
Mrs. Davis (2023 miniseries)
Cast: Betty Gilpin, Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Katja Herbers, Tom Wlaschiha, Elizabeth Marvel Ely Henry
Synopsis: “After being ousted from her convent, Sister Simone vows to destroy the one responsible: a powerful artificial intelligence known as Mrs. Davis. To exact her revenge, Simone makes a deal with the algorithm and is thrust into a dangerous world of secret societies, religious conspiracies and age-old legends as she searches for the whereabouts of the most clichéd and overused MacGuffin — the Holy Grail.”
Where to watch: Binge (Australia), Crave (Canada), ITVX (UK), Peacock (US)
Resident Alien (2021 – )
Cast: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Judah Prehn, Meredith Garretson, Gary Farmer, Jenna Lamia
Synopsis: “Based on the Dark Horse comic, Syfy’s Resident Alien is a murder mystery sci-fi dramedy that follows Harry, an alien played by Alan Tudyk that crash lands on Earth and passes himself off as a small-town human doctor. Arriving with a secret mission to kill all humans, Harry starts off living a simple life… but things get a bit rocky when he’s roped into solving a local murder and realizes he needs to assimilate into his new world.”
Where to watch: 9Now (Australia), Crave (Canada), Now TV (UK), Netflix (US and UK), Peacock (US)
Upload (2020-2025)
Cast: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels
Synopsis: “In the year 2033, people have the ability to upload themselves to a virtual world after their death. Nathan chooses to live in the virtual Lakeview after his unexpected death.”
Where to watch: Prime Video
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