Best Time Travel TV Series worth exploring
Revisiting History with the Most Popular Time Travel TV Series. Explore different eras and places of the past, present, and future in Time travel TV shows. From Doctor Who to Outlander, there is a plethora of time travel series that will take you on an epic journey by captivating viewers with the promise of exploring centuries and eras they have never seen before. To help you find the best of the lot, here is our expert-curated list of the top time travel TV series to watch.
Alice (Aelliseu)
(2020) SBS TV | Seasons: 1 | Runtime: 1h 10m | Score: 7.1/10 (IMDB)
Park Jin Gyeom is a stoic detective with a complex past. At an early age, his mother passed away, leaving him without the ability to experience emotion. While investigating mysterious cases, he becomes the first person to discover time travelers coming from the future. His journey leads him to cross paths with Yoon Tae Yi, a genius physicist who shares a striking resemblance to his deceased mother. With her help, Park Jin Gyeom attempts to uncover the secrets of time travel and discover the truth about his past.
Archive 81
(2022 -) Netflix | Seasons: 1 | Runtime: 60’ | Score: 7.3/10 (IMDB)
A video archivist, is investigating the cause of a mysterious fire when he discovers something that could potentially save a young woman from the tragic fate she experienced 25 years ago. In order to uncover the truth, he takes a job restoring damaged videotapes. As he pieces together the tapes, he learns that they belonged to a missing director and her investigation into a sinister cult. Now, with the help of time-travel technology, he must travel to the past and save the woman before it’s too late.
Always a Witch (Siempre Bruja)
(2019 – 2020) Netflix | Seasons: 2 | Runtime: 40’ | Score: 6.3/10 (IMDB)
Always a Witch follows the story of Carmen, a young witch living in 17th century Cartagena de Indias. After being accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death, she finds herself magically transported to present day Colombia. With the help of her new friends, Luna and Julian, Carmen must use her knowledge from the past to survive in the present day. As she struggles to adjust to her new life, Carmen must learn how to control her powers and use them for good. Along the way, she discovers a powerful secret about her family and uncovers the truth about why she was sent back in time. With danger lurking around every corner, Carmen is determined to find a way home.
Beforeigners
HBO (2019 – present) | Seasons: 2 | Runtime: 45 | Score: 7.8/10 (IMDB)
Beforeigners is a thrilling time travel series that follows the adventures of Lars Haaland, a confident and fearless Norwegian police officer. During a violent storm at sea, something strange happens – Lars finds himself in the middle of a mysterious portal that sends him back in time to 1893. Faced with an unfamiliar world where technology is primitive and people go about their lives in a much different way, Lars must find a way to survive and make sense of the circumstances he finds himself in. As the series progresses, Lars discovers secrets that could have far-reaching consequences for his present day life and the future of humanity.
Being Erica
(2009-2011) CBC | Seasons: 4 | Runtime: 45 | Score: 7.7/10 (IMDB)
Being Erica is a science fiction/fantasy comedy TV series created by Jana Sinyor, that aired on CBC Television in Canada from 2009 to 2011. It follows the life of Dr. Tom (Erica) who, when faced with personal struggles in her life, is given the opportunity to travel back through time and revisit painful moments and events in her life. With the help of a mysterious time-traveling therapist, Erica is able to make changes and better understand the decisions she has made in her life, allowing for new paths to be taken that will lead to more contentment in the present. By using time travel as a device, Being Erica allows its viewers to explore complex and difficult emotions in a lighthearted way, and encourages audiences to reflect on the importance of making the most out of each moment. As Erica continues her journey through time, she is presented with new challenges that will help shape her future. By taking these risks and embracing change head-on, Being Erica explores themes of personal growth, self-acceptance, and the power of choice.
Dark
Years: (2017-2020) Netflix, Seasons: 3, Runtime: 60′, Score: 8.8/10 (IMDB)
“Dark” is a suspenseful and thrilling ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a must-watch for fans of dystopian fiction. Set in a dystopian future where a small town is plagued by disappearances. The town’s teenagers start to investigate the disappearances and discover that there is a much bigger mystery at play. As they dig deeper, they find out that the disappearances are part of a larger plan that could mean the end of the world.
Doctor Who
(1963 – 1989, 2005 – present) | Seasons: 14 | Runtime: 45’ | Score: 8.6/10 (IMDB)
The long-running and critically acclaimed science fiction TV show “Doctor Who” follows the adventures of a mysterious and powerful Time Lord known as The Doctor. The series chronicles The Doctor’s journeys through time and space in the TARDIS, a sentient time machine that looks like a British police box from the 1950s.
Every so often The Doctor regenerates into a new form, giving the series an endless cast of characters and stories. Along with their various companions, the Doctor explores ancient civilizations, faces off against powerful aliens and discovers new planets.
Frequency
(2016-2017) | Seasons: 1 | Runtime: 42’ | Score: 7.5/10 (IMDB)
Frequency is a thrilling science fiction TV series that follows the story of NYPD Detective Raimy Sullivan, played by Peyton List, as she attempts to use an old ham radio to communicate with her deceased father Frank Sullivan, John Pyper-Ferguson. In 1996, a mysterious frequency caused an electrical storm that takes Frank’s life and changes the course of Raimy’s life forever. By 2017, Raimy has become a police officer hoping to put her father’s unsolved case to rest and receive closure on his death. When she discovers that he had been working on the mysterious frequency for years prior to his death, she is determined to figure out what it does and how it led to his death. With the help of her partner, Satch Reyna, played by Riley Smith, Raimy manages to make contact with her father in 1996 and keeps a two-way communication attempting to warn him of the dangers he faces. Through this connection, she is able to fix past events but also discovers new complications that arise when traveling in time.
Fringe
(2008 – 2013) Fox | Seasons: 5 | Runtime: 46’ | Score: 8.4/10 (IMDB)
Fringe follows the story of Olivia Dunham, a brilliant FBI agent who is recruited to investigate a series of mysterious occurrences known as “The Pattern”. After enlisting the help of a rogue scientist, Walter Bishop, and his son Peter, they soon find themselves travelling back and forth through time in order to uncover the truth behind The Pattern. Fringe is a thrilling science fiction series that combines procedural crime drama with time-travel elements, making it one of the most popular TV shows in recent years. The show’s complex plotlines and unpredictable twists will keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they attempt to unravel the mysteries of The Pattern. With gripping characters and captivating storylines, Fringe is a must-watch for any fan of time travel TV shows.
Life on Mars
(2006) BBC One | Seasons: 2 | Runtime: 60’ | Score: 8.4/10 (IMDB)
Life on Mars is a time travel series that follows Sam Tyler, a police officer from 2008 who is mysteriously transported to 1973 after being hit by a car. In this new era, he joins the Manchester Police as a detective and slowly discovers that he has traveled through time for a greater purpose: to solve an unsolved murder case and bring justice to the victim’s family. As Sam explores the past, he also learns how his actions can shape the future and how every decision we make has a ripple effect that can impact our lives in ways we never expected. With each step forward in time, Sam is brought deeper into an intriguing world of science fiction and fantasy as he unravels the tangled threads of his investigation. Along the way, he must confront difficult moral choices and grapple with the complexities of life on Mars as well as his own mysterious past. Will Sam be able to make sense of it all and find justice for the victim’s family? Only time will tell.
Outlander
(2014 – present), Starz | Seasons: 6 | Runtime: 60’ | Score: 8.4/10 (IMDB)
Outlander is a time-travel series based on the popular book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. The story centers around Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, a married nurse from 1945 who finds herself inexplicably transported back in time to 1743 Scotland. Here, she meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser, an attractive Scottish warrior. The series follows Claire and Jamie’s journey through time across the 18th century, as they try to make a life for themselves while navigating the difficulties of their time-traveling circumstances. Outlander is a captivating show filled with romance, adventure, and historical elements that have made it one of the most popular shows on television today.
Russian Doll
Netflix (2019 – present) | Seasons: 2 | Runtime: 30’ | Score: 7.8/10 (IMDB)
Russian Doll follows the story of Nadia, a 36-year old software engineer living in New York City. She is content with her life but is constantly trying to find meaning and purpose. On her 36th birthday, Nadia finds herself caught in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. Throughout her journey through time, Nadia encounters a variety of characters from the past and future. As she attempts to uncover the mystery behind her time loop, Nadia must also confront her own inner struggles and fears.
Terra Nova
(2011) Fox | Seasons: 1 | Runtime: 46’ | Score: 6.7/10 (IMDB)
Set in 2149, Terra Nova follows the Shannon family as they embark on a journey to the past. Led by their father, Commander Nathaniel Taylor of the internationally acclaimed Terra Nova Project, the Shannons make the difficult decision to travel 85 million years into the past to escape an overpopulated and resource-depleted future Earth. Here, the family hopes to establish a new home, but it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary time-travel mission. With an abundance of natural resources and pre-historic creatures, Terra Nova introduces a number of unknowns and dangers, both human and animal. As they confront these threats, the Shannons must also learn to work together in order to achieve their ultimate goal of a new beginning for the human race. With the backdrop of a world full of unpredictable risks and rewards, Terra Nova is an exciting exploration into the unknown possibilities of time travel.
The 4400
(2004 – 2007), USA Network/Sky One | Seasons: 4 | Runtime: 43’ | Score: 7.3/10 (IMDB)
The 4400 is a science fiction television series that follows the journey of four thousand four hundred people who, throughout history, have been abducted by aliens and then returned to Earth at the same time. The arrivals are all mysteriously connected in some way and they bring with them strange powers, knowledge, and a warning about what is coming next. The story follows Homeland Security Agent Tom Baldwin and his partner Diana Skouris as they attempt to uncover the secrets behind the 4400, while at the same time trying to protect humanity from the dangers that come with time travel. Along their journey, they encounter mysterious forces, strange timelines, and characters who have traveled through time themselves. The series also explores the implications of time travel, as the characters attempt to grapple with the consequences of their actions in the past and how they can affect the future.
The Umbrella Academy
(2019 – present), Netflix | Seasons: 4 | Runtime: 60’ | Score: 7.9/10 (IMDB)
The Umbrella Academy is a Netflix original series based on the comic book series of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The show follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes as they come together to save the world and solve the mystery surrounding their father’s death. The story of The Umbrella Academy begins in 1989 when Sir Reginald Hargreeves acquires seven children from around the world and adopts them as his own. He raises them to be “super-humans” with a mission to save the world, but his methods leave much to be desired. As they grow up and go their separate ways, the siblings must reunite to save the world from an impending apocalypse and discover secrets about their father’s past.
Timeless
(2016-2018), NBC | Seasons: 2 | Runtime: 60’ | Score: 7.6/10 (IMDB)
Timeless is an exciting new time travel series that follows the adventures of three unlikely heroes, Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus. After a powerful artifact known as the Time-sphere is stolen from a secret government facility, these three have been chosen to go back in time to recover it and prevent its misuse. With every journey they embark upon, they uncover secrets, face daunting challenges and explore the past, present and future. Join them as they battle enemies from all realms of time to put a stop to its misuse before it is too late! Along their journey, they will also discover exciting new worlds and unseen phenomena that could drastically alter the course of history. Will Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus be able to save the world from a dark future? Follow their journey as they try to outwit, outrun and outsmart those in pursuit of power over time.
Torchwood
(2006-2011) Seasons: 4 | Runtime: | Score: 7.7/10 (IMDB)
Torchwood is an exciting science fiction series about a secret organization, called Torchwood, that protects the world from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats. Led by Jack Harkness, the Torchwood team uses their special powers to travel through time and space in order to protect the planet from any dangers that may arise. The series follows the Torchwood team as they battle monsters, thwart plans of world domination and unravel complex mysteries. Through the course of the series, Jack and his team explore different time periods, often attempting to fix temporal paradoxes before they can cause irreversible damage.
Travelers
(2016-2018) Showcase | Seasons: 3 | Runtime: | Score: 8/10 (IMDB)
Travelers is an exciting and captivating time-traveling series about a group of brave adventurers that traverse through the ages. Set in the year 2030, a team of scientists discover a way to travel back in time and change the future for the better. Using their newfound ability, they form a team known as “Travelers” and embark on a thrilling journey to visit the past and see what they can learn from it. As they travel through time, they encounter historical events, cultures, and people that will forever change their lives. Along the way, they must battle villains, find allies in unexpected places, and ultimately make tough choices in order to save humanity’s future. With its unique mix of action, adventure, and science fiction, Travelers has become a must-watch for any fan of time-traveling series. So join the adventure with Travelers and experience the ride of your life!
12 Monkeys
(2015 – 2018) SyFy | Seasons: 4 | Runtime: 42’ | Score: 7.7 /10 (IMDB)
12 Monkeys is a thrilling time travel TV show based on the classic 1995 movie of the same name. The show follows the journey of James Cole, a convict from 2043 sent to the past to stop a deadly virus that will eventually threaten all of humanity in his future. Cole is aided by Dr. Cassandra Railly, an epidemiologist in 2015, and they must work together to try and stop the virus before it’s too late. Along their journey, they are also assisted by a mysterious group known as The Army of the 12 Monkeys.
These are just a small selection of the Best Time Travel TV Series worth watching. Do you have any favorites or any suggestions that didn’t make our list? Please comment below and let us know!
