Top 20 Dystopian TV Shows Ranked

Dystopian fiction has carved out a significant niche within the realms of science fiction and horror, evolving into a dominant category in the 21st century. This genre offers a compelling lens through which we explore the darker possibilities of our future. Here, we present a curated list of the best dystopian TV series, spanning from zombie-infested landscapes and AI-driven apocalypses to subtler yet equally chilling scenarios like societies governed by social media scores or worlds where every visual experience is recorded in the brain as if it were a video file.

These 19 TV shows, along with one standout miniseries, encapsulate the most ingenious, terrifying, and often emotionally resonant dystopian narratives ever produced. Whether it's the aftermath of devastating plagues, nuclear winters, uprisings of robots, time travel-induced paranoia, or mysterious disappearances, each show presents a bleak vision of the future. These visions range from post-apocalyptic settings to more mundane yet disturbing scenarios, such as office workers with microchips splitting their consciousness. What unites them is their ability to convey a dark, intense, intriguing, and imaginative portrayal of what might lie ahead.

For those interested in cinematic dystopias, be sure to explore our lists of the Top 10 Apocalypse Movies of All Time and the 6 Post-Apocalyptic Movies You've Probably Never Seen. Additionally, IGN readers have voted on their Favorite Post-Apocalyptic World from Movies and TV, offering another angle on the genre.

However, if your focus is on television, delve deeper with us into acclaimed series such as *Fallout*, *Severance*, *The Walking Dead*, *The Handmaid's Tale*, *The Last of Us*, and more. Here's our definitive list of the Top 20 Dystopian TV Shows of All Time!