Pluto TV is one of many streamers available to fans for free if you’re willing to put up with ads, which only feels like a minor nuisance in the grand scheme of things. Owned by Paramount Streaming, Pluto TV is an on-demand service that offers a diverse range of programming spanning various decades, genres, movies, and television shows. One such category includes its featured sci-fi and fantasy TV shows selection, showcasing series like the sci-fi sitcom Alf, Charmed, RoboCop: The Series, The Greatest American Hero, 1958’s The Invisible Man, the six-episode Ultraviolet British horror series starring Idris Elba, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, and the miniseries Merlin starring Sam Neill.
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The titles listed above only scratch the surface of the best sci-fi series available to stream for free on Pluto TV, including shows that are part of fan-favorite franchises.
1) The Twilight Zone
The impact that Rod Serling’s groundbreaking anthology series The Twilight Zone had on film, television, genre tropes, pop culture, and its historical significance cannot be overstated. Launching in 1959 and running for five seasons on CBS, the show was famously hosted and narrated by creator Serling, who infused the anthology with social commentary. The stories spanned various genres, from horror, sci-fi, drama, fantasy, dystopian fiction, dark comedy, psychological thriller, and more. Even decades after its first airing on TV, The Twilight Zone remains an essential piece of entertainment for every genre fan.
All five seasons are available to stream on Pluto TV, which also features an entire channel dedicated to the classic show. Another anthology series streaming on the platform that viewers might enjoy is Mick Garris’ classic horror show, Masters of Horror.
2) Stargate Atlantis
The original Stargate SG-1 series (also streaming on Pluto TV) picked up where Roland Emmerich’s 1994 movie Stargate left off, featuring a new cast and running for 10 seasons after premiering in 1997. It was the first big expansion of the beloved franchise, and in 2004, the Stargate universe grew with the fan-favorite spinoff Stargate: Atlantis. The series starred Joe Flanigan, Rachel Luttrell, David Hewlett, Torri Higginson, and Jason Momoa in his breakout role as Ronon Dex.
Nominated for four Emmys, Stargate: Atlantis followed a new group of explorers who investigate the lost city of Atlantis and the Pegasus Galaxy it calls home. Soon, they are drawn into a war against the show’s main antagonists, the Wraith. Along with SG-1 and Atlantis, the 2009 spinoff series Stargate Universe is also available on Pluto TV.
3) Farscape
In 1999, Farscape debuted as a fresh sci-fi adventure series produced by The Jim Henson Company, whose creature designs, prosthetics, and animatronic puppets helped set the show apart from similar science fiction series at the time. Beyond the unique tone, action, and group of characters, fans especially loved the performances and relationship between leads Ben Browder (who would later join the Stargate franchise as Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell) and Claudia Black. The intense romantic entanglement between John Crichton and Aeryn Sun acted as the foundational narrative of a series that was bold in its weirdness and unpredictability.
Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon, all four seasons of Farscape are available on Pluto TV. The miniseries follow-up, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, is also streaming on the platform.
4) Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pluto TV has carved out a basic Star Trek offering on the streamer, including random seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. Nostalgia speaks volumes about which of these initial installments in the franchise are at the top of any one fan’s favorite list, but Star Trek: The Next Generation is considered by many to have been the game-changer that paved the way for the Star Trek universe.
Gene Roddenberry’s Emmy Award-winning series featured a talented cast led by Patrick Stewart, compelling characters, and maintained quality storytelling throughout its run.
5) The Outer Limits
Another classic sci-fi anthology series was The Outer Limits, created by Leslie Stevens. Running from 1963 to 1965, the ABC show was clearly influenced by The Twilight Zone, with a stricter focus on science fiction and making a mark with its creature designs. The series was known for its cold opens and the Control Voice narration that introduced each episode, beginning with, “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.” The opening titles made it appear as though an outside force was taking over viewers’ TVs.
The Outer Limits was later revived in 1995, running for seven seasons and narrated by Kevin Conway. Both seasons of the original series are available now on Pluto TV.
6) Mork & Mindy
Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) was a popular sci-fi sitcom starring the late Robin Williams as the alien Mork and Pam Dawber as his human companion and roommate Mindy. The character of Mork first appeared in Happy Days before Williams found himself co-leading his own television show in his first standout role. Over the course of the series, Mork attempts to understand humans and life on Earth, leading to humorous shenanigans and observations from the extraterrestrial. For his portrayal as Mork, Williams received his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1979.
Every season of Mork & Mindy is available on Pluto TV.
7) Continuum
Created by Simon Barry (Warrior Nun), Continuum was a Canadian sci-fi action series that debuted in 2012. The show starred Rachel Nichols as Officer Kiera Cameron, who is from the year 2077 but accidentally becomes trapped in present-day Vancouver along with a group of escaped criminals who intend to alter the future. Kiera’s relationships with tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen) and Detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) were a significant highlight of Continuum and partially why it ran for four seasons.
Every episode of Continuum is available to stream on Pluto TV.
8) Sanctuary
After spending the majority of her television career as Samantha Carter in the Stargate universe, Amanda Tapping starred as Dr. Helen Magnus in Sanctuary. Created by Damian Kindler, the futuristic series centered on human evolution through cybernetic enhancements, gene therapy, and DNA splicing. Tapping’s character is a 157-year-old teratologist who runs an organization known as the Sanctuary. The goal of the Sanctuary is to locate and assist creatures and people known as Abnormals, but others view these powerful beings as threats and attempt to turn society on them.
Throughout its four-season run (all available on Pluto TV), Sanctuary was an innovative sci-fi tale with interesting characters and twisty concepts — and a perfect fit for Tapping.
9) Ultraman
Returning to the 1960s, Ultraman was a Japanese superhero sci-fi series centered on a character named Hayata. A member of the Science Patrol, Hayata (Bin Furuya) possesses the ability to transform into a giant alien superhero known as Ultraman, an extraterrestrial being from Nebula M78 who merged with Hayata after arriving on Earth in pursuit of a space monster. Debuting in 1966, Ultraman ran for 39 half-hour episodes, following the Science Patrol and Ultraman as they defended the planet against various threats.
Ultraman was a massive hit in Japan and grew into a vast media franchise (including follow-up series, movies, comic books, and more) that influenced Japanese pop culture. All episodes of Ultraman are streaming on Pluto TV.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
