10 Most Underrated Time Travel Shows, Ranked

Time travel can be a tricky trope to get right. When not written and executed carefully, it can result in some of the most confusing and convoluted TV shows imaginable. When handled by a great team of writers and directors, though, time travel shows can be absolutely exceptional—even if a few of them inevitably end up flying under most people's radars.

Thankfully, for people who love hyper-acclaimed and iconic time travel shows like Dark and Doctor Who, there are plenty of hidden gems to check out after they finish binge-watching their favorites for the nth time. From Netflix productions like Travelers to international series like The Ministry of Time, these are shows that prove that time travel can make for some of the most engrossing sci-fi series imaginable.

10 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' (2016–2017)

Inspired by Douglas Adams' quirky novel series of the same name, the sci-fi detective comedy Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is perfect for people who love mind-bending sci-fi shows that delight themselves in being as bizarre as possible. Featuring an incredible cast and absurdist humor that's hard to resist, this original Netflix production is one of the streaming giant's most underappreciated sci-fi gems.

With an incredibly creative and exquisitely odd first season and a second season so superior that it earned an admirable score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Dirk Gently is chaotic without being confusing, offbeat without being overly quirky, and full of inventive twists that keep the viewer engaged throughout. Its plot can sometimes burn a bit slow and demand patience, but it's always sure to reward those who grant it.

9 'The Lazarus Project' (2022–2023)

Another underrated sci-fi show that was unfairly cancelled after only two seasons, The Lazarus Project may just be one of the most underrated sci-fi shows ever. Intelligently written without ever sacrificing the pure thrills of its excellent action scenes, it's an amazing time loop thriller with a top-form Paapa Essiedu at its center.

This is the kind of addictive sci-fi show that seems to have it all: great acting, adrenaline-pumping thrills, and more than enough playful twists on the time loop formula to keep fans of the genre engaged on the edge of their seats. Some surprising thematic complexity balances out that genre creativity, making for a "complete package" kind of show that's hard to resist.

8 'Ashes to Ashes' (2008–2010)

A sequel to a certain other criminally underrated British sci-fi show named after a David Bowie song, Ashes to Ashes may not be quite as amazing as its predecessor, but it's close. It's stylish, it's nostalgic, and by the time its great second season rolls in, it's already found its unique voice more than well enough to step out of the shadow of its sister series.

Set during the '80s, Ashes to Ashes throws enough nostalgia at the audience to make it an enjoyable period piece without ever going overboard. Its technical aspects are high-quality, its performances are solid, and its story is full of emotionally compelling moments to balance out the more genre-heavy moments that time-travel show fans will love.

7 'The Ministry of Time' (2015–2020)

Unlike the considerable majority of time travel shows, The Ministry of Time goes a lot heavier on fantasy elements than it does science fiction. This Spanish gem is one of the best international sci-fi shows of recent years, an epic that follows the exploits of an investigative team in the Ministry of Time, which deals with incidents caused by time travel that can cause changes to the present day.

The series is fresh and inventive throughout, and though it will perhaps be best enjoyed by those with some level of familiarity with Spanish history, the series does a fantastic job of making its story and characters universally compelling and entertaining. It's incredibly charming and fun, best suited for those who love when time travel stories that throw clever winks at history buffs.

6 'The Peripheral' (2022)

Executive-produced by Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, The Peripheral is one of those sci-fi shows with mid Rotten Tomatoes scores that are still worth rewatching. Starring an incredible Chloë Grace Moretz, the series was tragically cancelled before its approved second season could be made due to the extended duration of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

Even still, The Peripheral is so fantastic and full of cool ideas that it's worth watching even though it's incomplete. Enjoyably cyberpunk in a refreshingly modern way, the show is bolstered by exceptional writing that always respects its viewers' intelligence. Its time travel elements are well-handled (and actually make sense!), and its production values are top-notch.

5 'Future Man' (2017–2020)

Seth Rogen has produced many great shows, and one of his most entertaining is Future Man. Every time travel genre fan loves series that take the genre seriously and do dramatic stuff with it, but every now and then, it's a delight to wind down with a time travel comedy series that knows how to have fun with the genre's usual tropes.

Future Man perfectly scratches that itch. Gleefully nostalgic and with a sense of humor so brilliantly silly that it's hard not to laugh during every episode, the series still finds ways to make its time travel elements feel intelligent and fully developed. It's incredibly fun and full of pop culture references that fans of the genre will very likely appreciate.

4 'Undone' (2019–2022)

Undone is one of the precious few Prime Video shows where every episode is a 10/10, an animated gem co-created by BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg—so fans of adult animation should know that this Prime Video series comes with a seal of guaranteed quality. Made with some truly gorgeous rotoscope animation, it's far and away one of Amazon's best animated shows—and their very first adult-oriented one.

This dramedy is beautifully surreal and irresistibly amusing when it needs to be, bending the rules of time and space in ways that fans of the genre should adore. Both of its seasons together weave a beautifully philosophical and existentialist tale about the human condition, making for a trippy experience that never sacrifices thematic or entertainment value for the sake of gratuitous weirdness.

3 '12 Monkeys' (2015–2018)

In 1995, Terry Gilliam from the Monty Python comedy troupe made Twelve Monkeys, one of the best time travel movies of the '90s. Two full decades later, Syfy took that sci-fi masterpiece and dedicated itself to the ambitious task of turning it into a TV show worthy of its source material's legacy. Not only is the TV version of 12 Monkeys every bit as great as the film—it may even be slightly better.

Its time travel mechanics take some time to really click together, but once they do, the show becomes addictive and an awful lot of fun. It's big, it's bold, it's creative, and to top it all off, it's one of those underrated sci-fi shows that nailed their final season. As such, there's really no excuse for fans of the genre not check this one out.

2 'Travelers' (2016–2018)

Netflix's Travelers is a Canadian-American sci-fi masterpiece, an example of how to get every dimension of a time travel series exactly right. With a whopping (and entirely deserved) score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this gem is as much of an example of exceptional science fiction as it is a phenomenally sharp reflection of our modern world.

It's a time travel show that understands that the genre's biggest appeal comes not only from how fun the prospect of time travel is, but from the moral dilemmas that those who engage in the activity inevitably end up facing. It's complex, it's intelligent, it's technically faultless, and it has a masterful final season that wraps up every element of the story perfectly—something rare for these sorts of series.

1 'Life on Mars' (2006–2007)

Amazing though Ashes to Ashes may be, there's no beating the one that started it all: Life on Mars, where a cop is hit by a car in 2006 and awakens mysteriously in 1973. It's a simple enough premise, but what follows is one of the BBC's best-ever genre shows, a series so good that it has received Spanish, Russian, Czech, South Korean, and Chinese reimaginings over the years.

There aren't many sci-fi shows that can be called masterpieces, but this one is definitely one of those lucky winners. Life on Mars is funny and powerfully dramatic in equal measure, as well as nostalgic, stylish, and innovative. It's a distinctly modern take on the time travel formula that constantly packs in enough surprises to delight any fan of the genre, and its excellent writing also makes it one of the most entertaining detective shows of the 21st century.