The New Sci-Fi And Tech Shows You Need To Watch This Season

Science-fiction and technology are so hot right now — which is good news for us, or we’d probably be out of a job. It’s also great news for TV viewers who finally have some polished and unpatronising geek programming to feast their eyes on. Here are the new shows that you absolutely must check out over the coming TV season…

A lot of these shows are scheduled to air on US TV during the Fall season, which means we should hopefully be able to get our hands on them in the coming months. We’ve focused on new, untested properties that have a technology or sci-fi bent to them. Click on the images to watch the trailers.


Almost Human

Imagine if Robocop replaced the character of Riggs in Lethal Weapon. That’s kind of the premise to Almost Human, a cop drama set 35 years in the future. On paper this might sound a bit old and busted, but the involvement of producers JJ Abrams/JH Wyman and actor Karl Urban raises expectations somewhat. Urban plays the human partner of a robot cop that constantly cracks under pressure when things get tough. Surely a bit of programming would sort that out?


Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Having amassed over 1.5 billion dollars at the box office, The Avengers is kind of a big deal. The spin-off TV show is subsequently one of the most anticipated series in living memory. Despite clearly dying in the last movie, Agent Phil Coulson is back as the head of a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. The show also has Joss Whedon on board as a creator, which should be a good sign; especially for fans of narky hipster dialogue.


Intelligence

Intelligence is a “cyber-themed action/adventure show” that follows the exploits of a US intelligence operative with a microchip implanted in his brain. This allows him to access any information in the blink of an eye (kind of like owning a smartphone, but without having to bookmark Wikipedia). The show is sure to score extra geek points (and female eyeballs) by casting Josh Holloway, who played Sawyer on Lost.


Joe Rogan Questions Everything

UFC commentator Joe Rogan dons his thinking cap and muscle tee to investigate well, everything. The trailer includes an A.I robot, augmented reality military eyewear and Bigfoot, which all sounds promising.


The 100

The 100 follows a band of juvenile prisoners from space who are the first humans to set foot on Earth after a nuclear war wiped out civilization 97 years earlier. Power struggles break out both on the ground and in orbit as the teens explore the desolated planet and decide whether to evade or comply with their adult captors. It sounds like Lord Of The Flies meets After Earth meets Neighbours only not as rubbish as that sounds.


Bad Universe

Bad Universe is a new show from science blogger Phil Plait (AKA the Bad Astronomer). It appears to be kind of a high-brow Myth Busters, with Plait attempting to “debunk the junk” and reveal the real science behind the mysteries of our planet and universe. The first episode will feature an asteroid impact simulation and will doubtlessly include plenty of disparaging jokes about Armageddon.


Star-Crossed

Star-Crossed is the latest sci-fi show to explore what would happen if aliens crash-landed on Earth and had to be integrated into the community — as seen in District 9, Alien Nation and countless episodes of Dr. Who. The premise still has plenty of mileage though. Watch the above trailer and judge for yourself.


Tales of the Unexpected

We don’t have a trailer, but a quick honourary mention for this upcoming SBS science documentary series (3x 60 minutes episodes) produced by Emmy Award winning director Sonya Pemberton, and partly funded by Screen Australia. “Each documentary takes a contemporary, counter-intuitive and sometimes controversial approach, turning what is commonly known about a particular subject, upside down. Through science, each film presents a new take on old ideas, and reopens subjects usually considered closed.” We’re fascinated; more Aussie science productions please.


The Tomorrow People

The Tomorrow People is a US reboot of the classic British children’s science fiction show that charts the rise of the titular “tomorrow people”: human beings who have progressed to the next stage of human evolution (homo superior). In other words, it’s X-Men without the license. The new series stars Australian actor Luke Mitchell as John Young.


Halo TV Series

During Microsoft’s controversial Xbox One launch, 343 Studios announced that a new live-action Halo TV show created by Steven Speilberg would be screening exclusively on the console. The aim is to make this a premium, big-budget show on par with Game of Thrones and Band of Brothers. In other words, you might have to snap up an Xbox One after all.


Helix

Helix is the latest sci-fi show from Ronald D. Moore: the brain behind Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Roswell and Battlestar Galactica. Described as “an intense thriller,” the show follows a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only for things to go horribly wrong. It sounds like The Thing mixed with Outbreak. Colour us excited.


Heroes of Cosplay


We have nothing to add to this.

Let us know which show you think holds the most promise in the comments section below (and feel free to add YouTube links to any shows that we missed).


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