We spend a lot of time watching post-apocalyptic TV series here at Post Apocalyptic Media. Probably more than you. Nothing personal.
So we polled several of our writers to list their top 5 favorite post-apocalyptic TV series of all time. Fight us about it in the comments.
#1 Falling Skies
Falling Skies | TV Series (2011–2015) 2520min | Action, Adventure, Drama | TV Series (2011–2015)
Writer: Robert RodatStars: Noah Wyle, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight
Summary: Survivors of an alien attack on earth gather together to fight for their lives and fight back.Countries: USA, CanadaLanguages: English
By the start of Falling Skies, mankind has already lost the war with the aliens. What remains of humanity is being hunted like rats. This is the story of the very last humans and their fight for survival against an intergalactic empire.
Steven Spielberg is an executive producer on this series, and I’m a huge fan of his work. One of the most prolific movie directors of all time, Spielberg has outdone himself with TV series including his most famous work, the HBO series Band of Brothers. If you want a great story, special effects, good cliffhangers and a satisfying conclusion, Falling Skies has got you covered. It delighted me from start to finish and that is why I name it the best post-apocalyptic series of all time.
#2 Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica | TV Series (2004–2009) 2640min | Action, Adventure, Drama | TV Series (2004–2009)
Writer: Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. MooreStars: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber
Summary: When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.Countries: USA, CanadaLanguages: English
Another tale of humanity being hunted to extinction by a technologically superior adversary, Battlestar Galactica follows the remains of humanity as robots seek to destroy them. The politics, intrigue, mystery, and action are all superb. Space battles have never felt so real. Everything about BSG feels genuine. And the opponents truly are a terrifying enemy, more than willing to wipe out their own creators. The robots are held back only by their desire to emulate the humans and by their devotion to God.
Battlestar was a modern reboot of a classic series, and boy is it exciting. And moving. The soundtrack is excellent, as is the acting. This one had great mainstream appeal as well. This series would likely have taken the top spot if not for a series finale that I very much did not like. You would be better off stopping just one episode shy of the end and making up your own resolution.
#3 Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | TV Series (2008–2009) 60min | Action, Drama, Fantasy | TV Series (2008–2009)
Writer: Josh FriedmanStars: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau
Summary: Set after the events in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sarah Connor and her son, John, try to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.Countries: USALanguages: English
Unlike every other series in this list, Sarah Connor Chronicles ended incomplete. Despite that glaring drawback, this Terminator story is just insanely entertaining.
This series covers the early “childhood” of Skynet and of competing AI. The mysteries of this show may never be solved, but the journey is just too good for anyone to pass up. Especially those who, like me, appreciate the “humanity being hunted to extinction by a technologically superior adversary” motif.
#4 Adventure Time
Adventure Time | TV Series (2010–2018) 660min | Animation, Short, Action | TV Series (2010–2018)
Writer: Pendleton WardStars: John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny
Summary: A 12-year-old boy and his best friend, wise 28-year-old dog with magical powers, go on a series of surreal adventures with each other in a remote future.Countries: USA, South KoreaLanguages: English, Korean
Breaking the mold in more ways than one is the children’s show Adventure Time. Yes, it’s for kids. Yes, this is an adult website. So why would Adventure Time be on the list? Because it’s just that good.
While early seasons of this show certainly catered to the young, there is plenty for adults to enjoy. But the show actually ages with the original audience, and by the final season is dealing with fully adult themes and philosophy. It is truly a masterpiece that builds and develops over the whole story. And the nuclear “Mushroom War” features prominently, setting events in motion that create the dangerous world that Finn “the Human” and his dog Jake go questing in.
#5 Z Nation
Z Nation | TV Series (2014–2018) 2640min | Action, Comedy, Drama | TV Series (2014–2018)
Writer: Craig Engler, Karl SchaeferStars: Russell Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Keith Allan
Summary: Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the United States of America a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.Countries: USALanguages: English
If you think all zombie shows are the same – think again. There is nothing on television like Z Nation. For starters, the zombies are actually fast and clever, not lumbering oafs. But formidable zombies isn’t what makes Z Nation great. It’s the story arc.
Not content to stay in one place, Z Nation builds and evolves, setting up a post-apocalyptic world full of interesting a believable characters. It also mixes the realism with a kind of goofiness that can be immersion breaking. But how important is immersion anyway? More important than seeing a group of Abe Lincoln cosplaying zombies being crushed by a giant wheel of cheese? Maybe. But the finer parts of this series and the character development make this easy to see past. As an added benefit, I appreciate the emphasis on weed smoking – which I find suspiciously lacking from other end-of-the-world fare. Smoke em if you got em!
Honorable Mention
Jericho
Into the Badlands
Defiance
The Strain
The Walking Dead
V
The Last Ship
Snowpiercer
12 Monkeys
Colony
#1 Firefly
Firefly | TV Series (2002–2003) 2640min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi | TV Series (2002–2003)
Writer: Joss WhedonStars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk
Summary: Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.Countries: USALanguages: English, Mandarin
Sure, it’s more of a space western, but Firefly is unarguably post-apocalyptic and just a work of art in and of itself. I enjoyed so many aspects of this show from the wardrobe to the unique environment to the plot, but it was the characters that really stuck with me after all these years.
#2 The Colony (Reality show)
The Colony | TV Series (2009– ) Reality-TV | TV Series (2009– )
Stars: Michael Raines, Joey Sciacca, John Valencia
Summary: A group of strangers gathered for three months to test out the concept of rebuilding civilization.Countries: USALanguages: English
Not to be confused with the TV show with Josh “Sawyer” Holloway, or the movie, or the other movie, or the other TV show, this reality TV version bearing the “Colony” name was such a great mix of Survivor and MacGyver, complete with a bunch of stuff they can’t do on TV anymore, like hire a band of raiders to kidnap contestants.
#3 The Last Man on Earth
The Last Man on Earth | TV Series (2015–2018) 1320min | Action, Comedy, Drama | TV Series (2015–2018)
Writer: Will ForteStars: Will Forte, January Jones, Cleopatra Coleman
Summary: Almost two years after a virus wiped out most of the human race, Phil Miller only wishes for some company, but soon gets more than he bargained for when that company shows up in the form of other survivors.Countries: USALanguages: English
I’m a sucker for a comedy that is barely funny to most people, and that’s this show to a tee. Obscure post-apocalyptic humor is the best humor.
#4 The 100
The 100 | TV Series (2014–2020) 2580min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi | TV Series (2014–2020)
Writer: Jason RothenbergStars: Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Marie Avgeropoulos
Summary: Set ninety-seven years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, when a spaceship housing humanity's lone survivors sends one hundred juvenile delinquents back to Earth, in hopes of possibly re-populating the planet.Countries: USA, CanadaLanguages: English
I absolutely loved the first couple seasons of this show. The costumes and wardrobe blew me away (Grounders ftw!), the main plot was brilliant, but it got too off-track in later seasons for me to rank it much higher on my list.
#5 Revolution
Revolution | TV Series (2012–2014) 2580min | Action, Adventure, Drama | TV Series (2012–2014)
Writer: Eric KripkeStars: Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito
Summary: Fifteen years after a permanent global blackout, a group of revolutionaries seeks to drive out an occupying force posing as the United States Government.Countries: USALanguages: English
This one always had Jericho/The Postman vibes, which are both plusses in my book.
Honorable Mention
Jericho
The Handmaid’s Tale
Fear The Walking Dead
#1 Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica | TV Series (2004–2009) 2640min | Action, Adventure, Drama | TV Series (2004–2009)
Writer: Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. MooreStars: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber
Summary: When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.Countries: USA, CanadaLanguages: English
Battlestar Galactica is my favorite post-apocalyptic TV series, hands-down. I was in love with that series when it aired, and it’s still my measuring stick for great apocalyptic series ever since. It’s among my Top 5 favorite TV series of all time, in fact. Although I will always be angry about the very last episode and some plots that were never explained, the rest of the series aside from that part was phenomenal. It had plot twists that I wasn’t expecting, and it really covered the desperation, angst, and hardship that you endure in an apocalyptic world. The emotions were raw and authentic, and the space battles were among the best done. The mythology was intricate and well explored, and the characters grew and changed over time. There were mysteries I was always theorizing about and that kept me guessing until the very end.
#2 Lost
Lost | TV Series (2004–2010) 2640min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy | TV Series (2004–2010)
Writer: J.J. Abrams, Jeffrey Lieber, Damon LindelofStars: Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim
Summary: The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.Countries: USALanguages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Korean, German, Latin, Russian, Japanese
Lost is my second-favorite post-apocalyptic show and second-favorite TV series too. Although not technically post-apocalyptic, it essentially was just that for the survivors. They were forced to find a way to survive on their own, as they lived through their own personal apocalypse. I loved it for the same reasons I loved BSG: three-dimensional characters, mysteries that kept me guessing, and a raw look at human emotion. There were more filler episodes in Lost because it had regular-length seasons, but that’s OK. I was so obsessed with the show at the time that I made thematic music videos about the characters and I wrote blogs about my theories. Back in 2008 I wrote a “Top 10 Most Annoying Lost Moments” story that kind of went viral, haha, and was featured on the front page of “Digg” at the time. I thought the ending was beautifully done and tied the series together.
#3 The Leftovers
The Leftovers | TV Series (2014–2017) 60min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery | TV Series (2014–2017)
Writer: Damon Lindelof, Tom PerrottaStars: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston
Summary: Three years after the disappearance of two percent of the global population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.Countries: USALanguages: English
The Leftovers gets third place. It’s apocalyptic in the sense that it covers a world where 2% of the population just disappears. The world doesn’t fall apart like in most apocalyptic tales, but it still explores what happens after a huge paradigm shift takes place. It’s a beautifully woven story with intricate plotlines, well-developed characters, and intense moments. I loved the soundtrack that went with the series too, and it was wrapped up perfectly.
#4 The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead | TV Series (2010– ) 2640min | Drama, Horror, Thriller | TV Series (2010– )
Writer: Frank Darabont, Angela KangStars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride
Summary: Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.Countries: USALanguages: English
The Walking Dead gets fourth place. I struggled a bit with placing it ahead of Leftovers, since it’s covered so many more seasons. The show has spawned two spinoffs and it’s been on forever. The first couple of seasons were groundbreaking television. It hit that apocalyptic feel perfectly and it explored zombies in a way that had never been done before. It wasn’t campy like so many zombie series before it, but took things seriously in a way that was unexpected for me. I didn’t love the love triangle that dominated the beginning of the show, but the acting was top-notch and the storyline was compelling. Sometimes it’s lost its way a bit since then, but I still enjoy watching the series.
#5 Jericho
Jericho | TV Series (2006–2008) 2700min | Action, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (2006–2008)
Writer: Stephen Chbosky, Josh Schaer, Jonathan E. SteinbergStars: Skeet Ulrich, Lennie James, Ashley Scott
Summary: A small town in Kansas is literally left in the dark after seeing a mushroom cloud over near-by Denver, Colorado. The townspeople struggle to find answers about the blast and solutions on how to survive.Countries: USALanguages: English
Jericho is my fifth favorite because it hit the post-apocalyptic theme perfectly. I’ll never forget how intense that first episode was, as we watched nuclear bombs over the horizon. I was always so curious about what Hawkins was up to, and Jake Green was the leader that you couldn’t help but support. Funny that Robert Hawkins’ actor, Lennie James, ended up on another apocalyptic series as another leading character.
Honorable Mention
The 100
Defiance
Falling Skies
Adventure Time
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Revolution
The Umbrella Academy
#1 Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer | TV Series (2020– ) 60min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | TV Series (2020– )
Writer: Josh Friedman, Graeme MansonStars: Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Mickey Sumner
Summary: Seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually-moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.Countries: USALanguages: English
This show has everything! A post-apocalyptic setting, a great cast, action, dark humour, and a thinly veiled commentary on classism. It’s also has a vein of absurdity, given everything takes place on a train! I adore Snowpiercer.
#2 Adventure Time
Adventure Time | TV Series (2010–2018) 660min | Animation, Short, Action | TV Series (2010–2018)
Writer: Pendleton WardStars: John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny
Summary: A 12-year-old boy and his best friend, wise 28-year-old dog with magical powers, go on a series of surreal adventures with each other in a remote future.Countries: USA, South KoreaLanguages: English, Korean
I couldn’t begin to tell you the plot, but Adventure Time is so incredibly funny, quirky, and intricate. The characters are really fun, and you can guarantee you’ll never guess at the start how each episode will end. Plus, it’s an apocalypse show you can watch with the kids!
#3 Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan | TV Series (2013– ) 1440min | Animation, Action, Adventure | TV Series (2013– )
Stars: Marina Inoue, Yûki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa
Summary: After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Yeager vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.Countries: JapanLanguages: English, Japanese
This show is so incredibly dark and terrifying and hard-hitting. I haven’t even finished it yet (I have to build up the mental fortitude) but I still rank it as one of my top post-apocalyptic shows.
#4 Z Nation
Z Nation | TV Series (2014–2018) 2640min | Action, Comedy, Drama | TV Series (2014–2018)
Writer: Craig Engler, Karl SchaeferStars: Russell Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Keith Allan
Summary: Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the United States of America a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.Countries: USALanguages: English
Take The Walking Dead and make it zany, and that’s Z Nation. While the show takes a bit to decide its angle, it’s incredibly entertaining and has some great zombie fighting scenes. The show is very campy, but recognizes this and runs with it! It’s weird, but weird is sometimes good.
#5 Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous
IMDB
While not a post-apocalyptic show really, there are many many elements that post-apocalyptic fans would enjoy. It’s a show for older kids, as it deals with six teenagers trapped in Jurassic World after the Ignonimus Rex incident and everyone else has escaped. They are stuck there for so long they are forced to build shelters, raid the abandoned facilities for supplies, and evade hungry dinosaurs. It is a show for kids, so there is some silliness at times (and none of the six are ever really in danger of dying), but if you want something with a survival element, fun special effects (the kids and scenery are CGI cartoon but the dinosaurs are lifelike CGI), and is vastly entertaining, I recommend it.
Honorable Mention
The Walking Dead
Stream More Post-Apocalyptic Shows Directly Into Your Eye Holes
Want to stay updated on all things post-apocalyptic? Join our email list here.