JuicyTalk
When it comes to high-concept science fiction, a lot of spectacular and inventive shows end up going under the radar despite their brilliance. High-concept shows are concerned with showcasing a succinct idea, which lays the foundation for a much larger story. As opposed to low-concept shows, where the story is largely reliant on the characters and their relationships and developments.
Evidently, both of these types of shows have their unique strengths, and they have contributed to some of the most exciting shows on TV, but particularly when it comes to sci-fi, a simple high-concept idea can be the difference between a story that captures the audience’s imagination from the start, or one that struggles to keep viewers engaged.
On the flip side, a high-concept story sometimes fails to get the love and attention it deserves because of the investment and trust required by the audience to jump into this bold idea and strap in for the ride. However, once audiences cross that threshold and lock in, the resulting adventure can be so very worth it, as is seen with the following shows.
Dark
Dark is an extraordinary and underrated German sci-fi series made for Netflix. The series debuted in 2017, and it holds the distinct privilege of being the platform’s first German-language original series. However, while shows like Squid Game managed to accelerate global adoption of foreign-language shows, Dark came a little too early to benefit from the new wave of TV-watching audiences.
Regardless, built on the simple idea that one small boy’s disappearance led to a story that spans four generations and takes the inhabitants of a town forward and backwards in time, this is a stunning sci-fi series that deserves so much more attention. The show is a roller-coaster and among the best sci-fi stories to ever come from Netflix, with three compelling seasons to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
The Leftovers
Next up, The Leftovers develops a fascinating premise as 2% of the world’s population suddenly and without explanation disappeared. While many sci-fi stories might follow a heroic figure who tries to figure out where the 2% disappeared to, or find some way to bring them back, The Leftovers keeps the focus on those who remain.
In this way, the series opens the door for more intense, personal, and emotional stories to unfold as the ordinary people of the world cope with the unexplained loss of their friends, families and loved ones. It’s a deeply rich and intriguing series that beautifully unpacks a simple idea, highlighting the very best of high-concept sci-fi TV. It’s also based on a book of the same name by Tom Perrotta, and developed for TV by the author himself alongside Damon Lindelof, who previously co-created the acclaimed series Lost.
There are clear parallels between the story told here and the narrative of Lost, though The Leftovers opts for a much more grounded approach and manages to create a stunning emotional narrative that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats in much the same way as Lost did. It’s just a shame it didn’t attract the same level of publicity as Lost, despite being an HBO show.
For All Mankind
For All Mankind is one of the absolute best shows to come out of Apple TV, and speaks to the incredibly high bar that they set with their sci-fi TV offerings. First premiering on the platform back in 2019, the show explores an alternate history narrative where the US lost the space race to Russia, leading to a prolonged tit-for-tat rivalry as these two superpowers continued to push the boundaries of space exploration.
What further adds to the captivating nature of this series is the fact that each new season shifts roughly a decade forward, which means that over the last five seasons of For All Mankind, the show and its characters have progressed through roughly 50 years’ worth of experience and advancement.
The show is rich with innovation and creativity, similar in scale to how Star Trek broke new ground and imagined futuristic technology and possibilities that had yet to be imagined, all in the name of a fascinating psychological exercise under the guise of a thrilling sci-fi show.
Raised by Wolves
Raised by Wolves was executive produced by outstanding sci-fi contributors like Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker, so it’s no wonder the series tapped into some of the most profound themes in sci-fi from the outset. The show is set in an era when much of humanity was laid waste after a war between religious factions.
In the wake of this immense devastation and destruction, two robots, nicknamed Father and Mother, establish life on a new planet with human embryos and birthing chambers that they brought to this new world. And after this new generation matures somewhat, the robots strive to raise them to be logical and peaceful.
However, when the humans responsible for the earlier conflict arrive, driven by their zealous religious beliefs, this new civilization comes under threat by the very concepts that led Earth and humanity to ruin in the first place. It’s thrilling, it’s controversial, and it only lasted two seasons before Warner Bros. merger and change in leadership led to it’s demise, but that doesn’t make it any less worth diving into.
3 Body Problem
When one cynical researcher who has grown weary of mankind’s lack of decency decides to take humanity’s fate into their own hands and broadcast a message out to an alien civilization in trouble, this choice leads to an intense and terrifying potential invasion.
The 3 Body Problem sees an alien race on a planet orbited by three suns decide to evacuate their unstable climate and make way towards a more peaceful and habitable world. Unfortunately, that world is already inhabited, and the 400-year trip means that the humans on Earth now need to find a way to avoid a hostile takeover when the invaders arrive.
It’s a fascinating deep dive into a complex story that contrasts humanity’s weaknesses and inability to work together with an oncoming threat that pushes humans into the next stage of their existence. Wonderfully creative, deeply introspective, and another powerful entry from Netflix that deserves so much more attention.
The Expanse
Over on Prime Video, The Expanse enjoyed an outstanding six-season run as it explored the conflict between multiple planets in the solar system. In a future time when people have expanded out to live on Mars and the Asteroid Belt, the spread leads to factions forming as humanity begins to turn on one another.
For some, this series was described as Game of Thrones in space, as the narrative is rooted in political drama, war, and following unique factions who are all looking to leave their mark on the universe around them. As one of the longest running shows on this list, The Expanse is a great pick for those looking for a new high-concept sci-fi that is sure to get imaginations firing on all cylinders.
Severance
Finally, last, but certainly not least, Severance is another incredible entry from Apple TV, and perhaps the most exciting entry on this list. While it could be argued that this show has broken out into more mainstream audiences after the viral popularity of season 2, the lower subscription numbers on Apple TV suggest otherwise, and this series deserves to have the most eyes on it possible.
Dan Erickson imagined this extraordinary and ominous dystopian world where a balanced work life can be best achieved by people literally undergoing an operation that segments their minds and allows them to live independent of knowledge or awareness of anything to do with their work.
However, while the so-called “outie” gets to enjoy a life with no thought for their career, the “innie” is forced to endure an unending reality of working, forever, with no knowledge of a life beyond the office walls.
This show is about as high-concept as it gets, and it is a crowning jewel on the list of high-concept sci-fi that is currently still airing, though the gap between seasons has been prohibitively long, but with season 3 actively filming now, hopefully it won’t be too long before everyone can get back to the office and see what comes next in this compelling sci-fi psychological thriller.
