Dystopian fiction has long been a staple within the science fiction and horror genres, but in the 21st century, it has evolved into a dominant category of its own. This genre now showcases some of the most compelling TV series, from zombie-infested wastelands and AI-driven apocalypses to more nuanced scenarios like societies controlled by social media metrics or worlds where every moment is recorded in the brain like video files.
From devastating plagues and nuclear winters to robot rebellions, time travel-induced paranoia, and mysterious disappearances, these 19 TV shows (along with one miniseries) offer the most ingenious, terrifying, and often emotionally resonant dystopian narratives ever crafted. Whether portraying life after a cataclysmic event or depicting ordinary people with microchips splitting their consciousness, these series share a common thread: a dark, gripping vision of the future—be it near or distant—brimming with intensity, intrigue, and imagination.
If you're more inclined towards movies, don't miss out on 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!
But if TV is your preferred medium, then delve deeper with us into series like *Fallout*, *Severance*, *The Walking Dead*, *The Handmaid's Tale*, *The Last of Us*, and many more. Here are the Top 20 Dystopian TV Shows of All Time!
