Top 20 Dystopian TV Shows Ever

Dystopian fiction has always been a pivotal force within the science fiction and horror genres, but in the 21st century, it has emerged as a dominant category in its own right. This article showcases the finest examples of TV dystopias, spanning from zombie-infested wastelands to AI-driven apocalypses, and even to subtler, yet equally unsettling scenarios such as societies governed by social media metrics or worlds where every moment is recorded in your brain like video files.

From massive plagues and nuclear winters to robot uprisings, time travel paranoia, and mysterious disappearances, these 19 TV shows (plus one miniseries) encapsulate the most ingenious, terrifying, and often poignant dystopian narratives ever brought to the screen. Whether depicting post-apocalyptic landscapes or the mundane horrors of an office where employees have microchips splitting their consciousness, these shows all share a common thread: a dark vision of the future, close or distant, brimming with intensity, intrigue, and boundless imagination.

If your interest lies in movies, explore 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!

However, if it's television that captivates you, delve further as we explore iconic 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!