10 Best Sci-Fi Detective Shows to Watch After Lanterns
A good sci-fi detective show gives you two pleasures at once: the small satisfaction of following evidence, and the larger unease of discovering that the world may not work the way you thought. HBO’s Lanterns is built around that combination. Hal Jordan and John Stewart are sent to investigate a murder in the American heartland, but their Green Lantern duties connect a local case to a cosmic mythology. If that mix of casework, strange events and uneasy partnership is what you want more of, this list is your next-watch guide.
You supplied ten titles, and we keep your ranking intact. The countdown begins with The Peripheral at No. 10 and rises through stories about technology, time, identity and surveillance, ending with The X-Files at No. 1. Some selections are classic procedurals; others are limited series or mind-bending science-fiction dramas. Not every one is a police show in the strictest sense, but each gives investigation a meaningful role in the story.
These are recommendations for different moods. The X-Files and Fringe are perfect when you want investigators chasing the inexplicable. Person of Interest is the pick for surveillance and moral questions. Bodies and Devs offer compact, puzzle-like narratives, while Travelers and The Peripheral explore futures that press back against the present. Choose the case that matches your attention span, or use the list as a ten-show binge plan.
Streaming catalogues change, especially for older network series and shows from services that have shifted names or ownership. We include a current service only where an official catalogue is a reliable pointer; otherwise, verify UK availability before paying for a subscription or rental. For more genre recommendations, visit 10 Best Spy Thrillers Like Slow Horses and 12 Shows to Watch If You Love Stranger Things. For Lanterns’ official premise, consult Warner Bros. Discovery’s press page. Let’s get into it 👇
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10. The Peripheral (2022)
The Peripheral puts detective work inside a speculative future where technology gives people access to distant, altered timelines. Chloë Grace Moretz plays Flynne Fisher, a sharp young woman in a struggling Appalachian town who takes part in a virtual simulation that feels far too real. What begins as a job for extra money draws her into a conflict involving powerful people, advanced technology and consequences that reach back into her own time.
The show’s mystery is built around perspective: who is controlling the interface, how much of the future can be changed, and whether Flynne can trust what she experiences. Moretz gives the lead a grounded intelligence, while the series creates a striking contrast between rural life and a gleaming, damaged future. The world-building is ambitious and sometimes dense, but the central character keeps the stakes personal. Like Lanterns, it makes the local feel connected to something much larger.
It lands at ten because the first season was cut short and the show leaves several threads unresolved. Still, the premise and visual design make it a compelling science-fiction mystery for viewers who enjoy near-future technology and alternate timelines. Where to watch: check current UK streaming and digital rental listings; catalogues may change.
9. Devs (2020)
Devs is a compact mystery about a secretive technology company and the people who work inside its most guarded division. Sonoya Mizuno plays Lily Chan, an engineer whose boyfriend’s sudden disappearance leads her to question the organisation behind the event. Nick Offerman’s Forest runs the company with a stillness that makes every conversation feel like an interview. Lily follows the evidence into a world where quantum computing and determinism collide.
The show’s strongest idea is also its emotional pressure point: if every event can be predicted, what does freedom mean? Alex Garland directs the series with a careful visual rhythm, using symmetrical rooms, hushed dialogue and a haunting score to create unease. Mizuno makes Lily observant and resilient, not an all-knowing investigator; she has to learn what questions to ask. The series is short enough for a weekend binge and focused enough to encourage a second look at earlier scenes.
Devs ranks ninth because its philosophical focus can feel chilly if you want warm character dynamics or frequent action. But for a high-concept mystery about surveillance, grief, technology and choice, it is a striking one-season watch. Where to watch: the series originated on FX and Hulu in the US; verify the current UK rights holder.
8. Bodies (2023)
Bodies makes a murder case the centre of a time-spanning puzzle. Four detectives in four different eras discover the same victim in the same London street. Stephen Graham plays Elias Mannix, a figure whose influence reaches across the timelines, while the investigators—played by Amaka Okafor, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas and Kyle Soller—try to connect a crime that should not be possible.
The series has an immediately gripping hook, but its appeal lies in the way each detective’s world changes what they can see and what they are willing to believe. The eras have distinct social rules and visual textures, so the repeated crime feels like a new case each time. The cast keeps the show from becoming a diagram: these investigators have private pressures, institutional barriers and emotional stakes beyond the central puzzle. The eight-episode structure makes it easy to binge.
Bodies earns eighth place because it prioritises timeline mechanics over the two-person partnership that anchors Lanterns. Yet it is a strong choice if you want a science-fiction detective show with a defined mystery and a satisfying amount of clue-following. Where to watch: Netflix; check the official Netflix listing for UK availability.
7. Person of Interest (2011–2016)
Person of Interest begins with a surveillance premise and steadily grows into an ambitious story about artificial intelligence, power and responsibility. Jim Caviezel plays former CIA agent John Reese, recruited by reclusive programmer Harold Finch (Michael Emerson). Finch’s machine identifies people connected to violent crimes, but it does not say whether they are victims or perpetrators. Reese and Finch must work out what is happening before the next incident takes place.
That simple engine gives the early episodes a case-of-the-week rhythm, while the larger story builds around privacy, government surveillance and the value of an individual life. Emerson brings eccentric warmth to Finch; Caviezel gives Reese a guarded physicality that makes his attempts at ordinary connection affecting. The show’s questions feel more relevant as its artificial-intelligence plot deepens. It is a procedural that gradually reveals how much was hiding in the background.
Person of Interest ranks seventh because its science fiction arrives slowly, and the first season takes time to show its full ambition. Stick with it and the reward is a smart, emotional thriller about watching people and deciding what help means. It is an ideal Lanterns follow-up for viewers who like investigators, complicated ethics and a mystery that expands over several seasons. Where to watch: check UK streaming and purchase listings as the rights vary.
6. Travelers (2016–2018)
Travelers imagines a future where people can send their consciousness into the bodies of people in the present, just before those people die. Eric McCormack plays Grant MacLaren, an FBI agent whose body is taken over by one of the time travellers. He and his team receive missions designed to prevent a future catastrophe, while trying to preserve the lives and relationships of the people whose bodies they inhabit.
The premise makes every assignment a practical mystery: the team knows the intended outcome but not always the details needed to reach it. The characters also have to negotiate the ethics of occupying another person’s life. McCormack is effective as a capable leader whose personal history does not belong to him, and the ensemble adds friction and vulnerability. The show balances mission tension with domestic complications, so a case can threaten a global future and a fragile household at once.
Travelers takes sixth because it is more time-travel team drama than detective procedural, but it is a satisfying science-fiction binge with a clear emotional core. Choose it if you like conspiracies, missions, identity puzzles and characters who slowly build trust under impossible conditions. Where to watch: availability has shifted between services; confirm the current UK listing before you start.
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5. Altered Carbon (2018–2020)
Altered Carbon places detective noir in a future where human consciousness can be stored and moved between bodies. Joel Kinnaman plays Takeshi Kovacs in the first season, a former soldier revived to investigate the apparent death of wealthy Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy). The case becomes a tour through a society where the rich can buy repeated lives and everyone else is left to wonder whether identity can survive the body.
The first season works best as a hard-edged mystery with a speculative twist. Kovacs is a compelling, damaged investigator, and the contrast between his cynicism and Bancroft’s immense privilege gives the case a sharp social angle. The visual world is dense with neon, technology and class divisions. That style can be deliberately grim, but the central question—what makes someone the same person after death, memory loss or a new body—gives the show more to chew on than its action scenes alone.
Altered Carbon ranks fifth because the seasons differ in quality and the violence may be more than some viewers want. It is still a strong pick for cyberpunk detective fiction and viewers who like a murder mystery inside a high-concept science-fiction world. Where to watch: Netflix in territories where the series remains in the catalogue; check the official listing in the UK.
4. Counterpart (2017–2019)
Counterpart follows Howard Silk, played by J.K. Simmons, a low-level employee who discovers that his Berlin agency guards a crossing to a parallel Earth. His counterpart has lived a different life and carries a harder temperament. A spy story grows around the two versions of Howard, their colleagues and a growing threat that makes the border between worlds anything but stable.
The series makes the parallel-world idea feel like a tradecraft problem. Small differences matter, trust is dangerous and a person’s identity can be used as a disguise. Simmons gives each Howard a distinct presence without losing the underlying recognition that they began as the same person. The show’s restrained atmosphere suits its themes: secrets accumulate through quiet conversations, and the biggest danger may come from choices made years earlier.
Counterpart takes fourth because it is an excellent speculative thriller but not as directly case-focused as The X-Files or Fringe. It deserves its place for viewers who want a grounded parallel-world mystery with superb character work. If Lanterns’ partnership and cosmic context appeal, Counterpart offers both elements in a more intimate, espionage-shaped package. Where to watch: check current UK streaming, purchase or rental rights.
3. Dark Matter (2024– )
Apple TV’s Dark Matter turns a domestic life into a science-fiction mystery. Joel Edgerton plays Jason Dessen, a physicist who is pulled into a reality where his life unfolded differently. Jennifer Connelly’s Daniela gives the story another emotional centre: Jason’s attempt to return home is inseparable from the life and family he fears losing. The journey carries him through alternate realities, each shaped by a different set of choices.
The series treats the multiverse as a way to test identity rather than a parade of novelty worlds. Jason has to navigate both the external mechanics of the story and the uncomfortable question of what he might have chosen if circumstances had changed. Edgerton brings urgency to the search, while Connelly gives Daniela agency and a point of view that complicates the goal. The show balances thriller momentum with moments of family drama that stop the premise feeling abstract.
Dark Matter earns third place because its central mystery is easy to grasp and its emotional stakes are strong. It is a good next watch if Lanterns left you wanting more science fiction without sacrificing character. Where to watch: Apple TV; see Apple’s official series page for your region.
2. Fringe (2008–2013)
Fringe is a close cousin to The X-Files, but its investigation expands into a sprawling mythology of parallel universes, fringe science and family secrets. Anna Torv stars as FBI agent Olivia Dunham, who works with brilliant, unpredictable scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son Peter (Joshua Jackson). Their team investigates events that seem scientifically impossible, building a pattern from cases that range from bizarre to frightening.
The case-of-the-week structure makes Fringe easy to enter, while the character relationships give the long arc real feeling. Torv’s Olivia begins guarded and duty-bound, then grows into a compelling lead shaped by the people and truths she encounters. Noble makes Walter funny and heartbreaking, often in the same conversation. The show is inventive without treating its characters as pieces on a science-fiction chessboard. Its weirdest cases are memorable, but the relationships are why the mythology lands.
Fringe ranks second because it delivers the rare combination of a strong procedural, a rich science-fiction universe and a character arc that earns its scale. It is arguably the best series for viewers who want X-Files-style investigations with a more continuous story. Choose it for parallel worlds, strange science and an ensemble that becomes a family. Where to watch: check current UK streaming and digital purchase catalogues.
1. The X-Files (1993–2018)
The X-Files is the essential sci-fi detective show because Mulder and Scully turn every unexplained case into a conversation about evidence, belief and trust. David Duchovny plays Fox Mulder, an FBI agent fascinated by alien and paranormal explanations. Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully is a doctor and investigator who insists on a rational account. Their differences create the series’ defining rhythm, and their respect for one another gives it lasting emotional force.
The show can operate as a weekly mystery, with an investigation into a monster, disappearance or unusual event, or as a longer conspiracy story about government secrecy and extraterrestrial life. The standalone episodes are a gift for new viewers: you can try the series without homework. The larger mythology rewards commitment, even when it sometimes gets tangled. At its best, The X-Files blends fear, humour and warmth, with Mulder and Scully changing in small but important ways through the work.
The X-Files takes No. 1 because it is the clearest and most influential version of what this list promises: detectives facing mysteries that put the limits of ordinary explanation under pressure. If Lanterns made you want more cosmic questions and investigator chemistry, start here. 🎧 Before the final pick, discover original romantic audio dramas from That Love Podcast. Listen here.
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Choosing your next watch after Lanterns
These titles suit different definitions of a detective story. The X-Files and Fringe put investigators in the foreground and build cases around unusual evidence. Bodies makes the viewer do some of the connecting across timelines. Devs is a mystery about access, prediction and control, while Person of Interest gives its leads a continuing stream of cases through the numbers supplied by a machine.
If you want a self-contained evening or weekend, start with Bodies or Devs. Each has a defined central story and does not ask you to commit to years of mythology. For a longer relationship with a team, choose Fringe or The X-Files. Their episodic cases make them easy to sample, while the character arcs and larger conspiracies reward viewers who stay.
Tone is another useful guide. Altered Carbon and The Peripheral lean into cyberpunk futures and violence. Counterpart is cooler and more restrained, built around espionage and doubled identities. Travelers has a more mission-driven ensemble rhythm, and Dark Matter is the most family-centred of the group. There is no single best mood; the range is the point.
The common thread is that science fiction changes what counts as evidence. A body can appear in more than one time, a machine can identify a future crime, or a person can encounter another version of themselves. The best shows still make those ideas understandable through character choices. That is why a clever premise alone does not earn a recommendation: it has to matter to the people living inside it.
A final guide to choosing
Start with The X-Files if the partnership is the main attraction. Mulder and Scully give you two investigative instincts that challenge and improve one another. Fringe is the stronger choice if you want a similar team format that gradually turns into one long story. Both series let you sample individual cases before deciding whether to follow the wider mythology.
For a contained binge, Bodies is the most immediately puzzle-driven pick, while Devs offers a shorter story built around technology and determinism. They are very different in tone: Bodies wants you to connect evidence across eras, while Devs asks what prediction does to the idea of choice. Choose the one that sounds more fun to think about after the episode ends.
Viewers who want action can start with Altered Carbon or The Peripheral, but these are more cyberpunk thrillers than traditional police stories. Their investigators move through societies shaped by powerful technology, and the mystery becomes part of a larger argument about inequality. If you prefer a more measured atmosphere, Counterpart uses espionage and doubled identities instead.
Travelers, Person of Interest and Dark Matter each put a team or family under pressure from a large science-fiction premise. Their stakes expand over time, yet the characters still have to make decisions with incomplete information. That is the quality that makes them feel like detective stories even when no one is following a standard clue trail.
Whichever show you choose, the best entry point is the one that matches the kind of mystery you want: a weekly strange case, a timeline puzzle, a conspiracy, or one person trying to understand their own reality. Lanterns can lead you to all four kinds of stories. You do not need to watch every title; one strong match is better than a long queue you never start.
Conclusion
The shows on this list treat investigation as a way into bigger questions. The X-Files and Fringe make partnership and evidence their engine; Person of Interest asks whether surveillance can ever be benevolent; Bodies and Devs turn timelines and technology into compact puzzles. Altered Carbon, Counterpart, Travelers, Dark Matter and The Peripheral each explore how identity changes when bodies, memories or futures are no longer fixed.
For the closest classic detective pairing, start with Mulder and Scully. For a serialized alternative, Fringe is the strongest pick. If you want a one-season puzzle, Devs or Bodies is a manageable binge. My top recommendation stays The X-Files because its chemistry, eerie cases and humour remain the most complete version of the sci-fi detective formula.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best sci-fi detective show?
The X-Files is the best all-round sci-fi detective show for its memorable Mulder-Scully partnership, eerie cases and blend of stand-alone episodes with a larger mystery. Fringe is a strong second choice if you want a more serialized story with a central team. Person of Interest is best if surveillance and artificial intelligence interest you most.
What should I watch after Lanterns?
Try The X-Files if you want investigators chasing strange events, or Fringe for a similar procedural structure with a larger science-fiction story. For a more contemporary limited-series binge, choose Bodies or Devs. Person of Interest suits viewers who liked Lanterns’ questions about institutions, power and the consequences of watching people.
Is Fringe similar to The X-Files?
Yes. Fringe follows an FBI team investigating strange scientific events, and it clearly shares DNA with The X-Files. It builds a deeper serialized mythology and devotes more time to the relationships between Olivia, Walter and Peter. New viewers can enjoy individual cases, then follow the larger story as it develops.
Which sci-fi detective show is easiest to binge?
Bodies is the quickest binge because it is a limited series with eight episodes and one central timeline-spanning mystery. Devs is another compact option with a focused story. For a longer watch, The X-Files and Fringe have many seasons, but their standalone cases make it easy to dip in and out.
Is Person of Interest science fiction?
Person of Interest begins as a crime procedural about a machine that identifies people connected to violent events. Over time, the artificial intelligence and surveillance elements become central, turning it into a science-fiction thriller. Its early case-of-the-week format makes the shift gradual and accessible.
What is Altered Carbon about?
Altered Carbon imagines a future where consciousness can be transferred between bodies. In its first season, Takeshi Kovacs is revived to investigate the apparent death of wealthy Laurens Bancroft. The case explores inequality, identity and what it means to survive when the body is no longer permanent.
Is Bodies a good mystery series?
Bodies is a good choice if you want a short, high-concept mystery. Four detectives in different time periods find the same body and must work out how their cases connect. The series is designed as a binge, though its timeline puzzle asks viewers to pay attention to details.
What is the best show about parallel universes?
Fringe is the strongest long-form series about parallel universes on this list. Counterpart gives the idea a more restrained spy-thriller treatment, while Dark Matter focuses on alternate versions of one family’s life. Choose Fringe for a big ensemble story, Counterpart for espionage, or Dark Matter for emotional stakes.
Where can I stream sci-fi detective shows in the UK?
UK availability changes by title and season. Netflix has some original series such as Bodies, but older shows can shift among subscription services and digital stores. Check each service’s current catalogue or a UK streaming availability guide before buying a new subscription.
Which show has the strongest detective partnership?
The X-Files has the strongest classic partnership, with Mulder and Scully’s contrasting worldviews creating both tension and trust. Fringe also develops a memorable team dynamic around Olivia, Walter and Peter. If you want a more guarded, morally complex duo, Counterpart offers a different kind of partnership.
External resource
Check Netflix UK’s series catalogue and the official storefronts for current regional availability.
More Places to Find Great Movies and TV Shows
Explore these resources for more recommendations, cast information, trailers and reviews:
ScreenRant – Film and TV features and news.
CBR – Comics and pop-culture coverage.
Collider – Reviews, interviews and trailers.
IMDb – Cast and episode details.
Rotten Tomatoes – Critic and audience scores.
MovieWeb – Entertainment news and reviews.
Slash Film – Film and television analysis.
ComicBook.com – Adaptation and superhero news.
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