7 Underrated Sci-Fi Series to Watch For Free in December 2023

Gone are the days when all sorts of hidden gems and forgotten shows could only be found on a dusty DVD purchased on Amazon or eBay. In the age of streaming services, even the most obscure shows are popping up, reminding us that sometimes television used to be just as good.

The streaming libraries hide a lot of unsung and recently released shows in the science fiction genre. Why not check them out when they're available for free?

7. Beacon 23 (2023, 1 season, Rotten tomatoes score 60%)

Watch for Free on: Prime (first episode/seven-day free trial with MGM+), Fubo (free trial with MGM+), The Roku Channel (first episode/seven-day free trial with MGM+), Spectrum (free trial)

Beacon 23 is a spectacular psychological thriller set in deep space. The plot centers on two strangers, played by Lena Headey and Stephan James, who are thrown together by fate in a lighthouse in a remote corner of the galaxy. James' character must decide whether to trust his new companion as the latter effectively hides her background.

6. Defiance (2013, 3 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 77%)

Watch for Free on: The Roku Channel, Vudu

According to the premise, in the not-too-distant future, human society has collapsed after an influx of alien migrants who accidentally terraformed the planet according to their own whims.

5. Krypton (2018, 2 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 80%)

Watch for Free on: Tubi

Speaking of Superman- related shows in the DC Universe, the prequel Krypton may not have been as popular as Smallvile, but the show has an incredibly interesting concept. The story takes place about 200 years before Clark Kent's birth and focuses on his grandfather Seg-El, played by Cameron Cuffe, on the planet of the same name.

4. Helix (2014, 2 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 81%)

Watch for Free on: The Roku Channel, The CW, Hulu ( seven-day free trial)

Helix is an example of a great concept that combines elements of sci-fi and bio-horror. The plot is about a group of scientists sent to the Arctic to study a dangerous virus that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Yes, Carpenter's The Thing or, say, the Resident Evil franchise immediately come to mind, and these are the tropes that the writers actively used.

3. Sanctuary (2008, 4 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 88%)

Watch for Free on: The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Vudu, Plex, Freevee (Season 1, 2 and 4)

Sanctuary may have received a cold reception upon its release, but that hasn't stopped it from going on to have four exciting seasons, and considering that it's now free on many services, why not check it out? SVU centers on Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) and her organization dedicated to studying, protecting, and capturing people with superpowers and dangerous cryptids.

2. Farscape (1999, 4 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 90%)

Watch for Free on: Peacock, Freeve, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV, Xumo Play, Plex, Fubo (free trial)

The late '90s and early '00s were truly the golden age of sci-fi programming: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Firefly... But just as beloved as Firefly at the time was Farscape, which followed the crew of the biomechanoid spaceship Moya on the run from the authoritarian Peacekeepers.

1. The Lazarus Project (2022, 2 seasons, Rotten tomatoes score 100%)

Watch for Free on: TNT (Season 1), Spectrum

The plot revolves around a man (Paapa Essiedu) who is the only one who notices that every few months he relives July 1. This is a natural ability of his organism, and so George is picked up by a secret organization that conducts time resets to prevent any apocalyptic scenarios.