What if you get a chance to change your past or get a glimpse of your future? What will you do if you chance upon this superpower to play with time and go back and forth between the past, present, and future? Well, time-travel shows give a lot of food for such thought.
Beyond the physics and concept of time and how it all works, these series explore how our world would be if time-travelling existed through compelling characters. So, here’s the ultimate ‘what-if’ list to feed your curiosity about an alternate universe.
15. Timeless
For those who like their sci-fi adventures with a side of history, this one is perfect. When a dangerous faction steals a time machine to rewrite crucial events in American history, the government does what it does best: puts together an oddball team to stop it. We get a historian, a soldier, and a programmer chasing through the past and preserving the timeline. ‘Timeless’ is not just about accomplishing the race-against-the-clock mission; there are deeper explorations of identity, heritage, and the ripple effects of changing the bygone years.
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14. Quantum Leap
‘Quantum Leap’—the name itself screams so much science, right? Well, the series is full of it. Invented by Dr. Sam Beckett, things don’t go as planned as he gets trapped in his own experiment. It doesn’t take long for him to realize his fault. So, Sam leaps into time, and each time he ends up in different bodies and lives a different life. He must figure it out to fix the problem with the help of his AI best friend, guide, and his sole connection.
13. Twinkling Watermelon
A drama so refreshing, full of emotions and life that it will make you laugh, cry, and feel comforted. ‘Twinkling Watermelon‘ doesn’t just focus on time travel, but also depicts a father-son bond, and how the friendship of youth can feel like home far away from home. Ha Eun Gyeol belongs to a very loving family, but nothing in this world is perfect. Except for him, everyone suffers from hearing impairment. Yes, the care is there, but the burden of dealing with regular life gets to him at times. One day, Eun Gyeol runs into a mysterious musical instruments shop in the middle of the road. After having a brief conversation with the owner, Eun Gyeol steps out, only to find out that he has traveled back to the past. In this time period, he sees his father as an 18-year-old boy. So, he sets out to change the fate of his parents and make their future a lot better.
12. Legends Of Tomorrow
If you want some hilarity in your time travel story, DC’s ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ puts the right spin on the genre. A spinoff of the Arrowverse, the show follows a mismatched team of heroes and villains (yeah, no surprises there). They are all recruited by rogue time traveler Rip Hunter to protect the world from threats such as historical anomalies, mythical creatures, and alternate realities. So, once aboard their ship, the Waverider, the Legends jump from one era to the next, battling the wild and often weird threats.
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11. Travelers
Netflix’s ‘Travelers’ is a time-traveling sci-fi series consisting of people belonging to the future who travel back to the 21st century to prevent disastrous events that will take place in the present future. These people are called ‘Travelers,’ and they must take over the bodies of the hosts, who must die. In order to prevent the entire condition and make things cease, the outcome of the apocalypse will be minimized. What’s more interesting about this series is that the consciousness of people is sent back in time just to live their lives and pretend to be them—those who are about to die—and stop the world from getting completely destroyed. Certainly a hidden gem show!
10. Marry My Husband
Based on the webtoon with the same name, ‘Marry My Husband’ has romance, revenge, and plenty of thrills. Kang Ji Won is a hardworking, down-to-earth woman with a charming air of innocence. Her world turns when she is diagnosed with cancer. To add to her trauma, she discovers her husband and her best friend’s affair. Not able to bear the betrayal, she confronts them, but is killed by the cheaters. But lo and behold, the past resurrects her. Ji Won’s second life is nothing short of a miracle, and she will do everything to change her horrid future.
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9. The Umbrella Academy
‘The Umbrella Academy’ gained popularity for its action, magic, and superhero elements. The series is about 43 women giving birth on the same day at the same time around the world. They never showed any sign of pregnancy or connection prior to this freak event. Seven of those infants are adopted by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves. He raises them to use their powers against crime and do good in the world. But he isolates one child named Vanya for a mind-blowing, sinister reason. There are timelines at play here, and the characters travel in and out of them.
8. The Lazarus Project
Sure, it ran for just two seasons, but ‘The Lazarus Project’ certainly made an impact by blending a gripping time travel thriller with action-packed mayhem. The series explores a world where a covert organization can reset time to prevent global catastrophes. George is the main man here, but once he loses his partner, Sarah, to a tragic accident, he goes rogue, determined to rewrite fate. All rules be damned! Of course, this sets off a disastrous chain of events that threatens the world.
7. 12 Monkeys
Adapted from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt’s cult 1995 film, this series is a massive achievement in the time travel genre. The story follows scavenger James Cole. He has been recruited to stop a deadly plague in the past by future scientists. The perpetrators are a mysterious group called the Army of the 12 Monkeys. With Dr. Cassandra Railly as his ally, Cole brilliantly navigates shifting timelines and paradoxes to rewrite humanity’s fate.
6. Outlander
‘Outlander’ is an enchanting period drama series where some characters can travel through time. We witness the beautiful World War II nurse Claire Randall, experiencing something eerie on her honeymoon in Scotland. She travels back to the time of 1743 in the blink of an eye. This is a mysterious and downright dangerous world where assaults and battles are a frequent occurrence. Her nightmare, though, turns into a fairytale romance when a dashing Highlander enters her life. But surely, time travel wreaks havoc in their paradise.
5. Lovely Runner
From romance to suspense, ‘Lovely Runner’ has an interesting and subtly insane plot. Ryu Sun Jae belongs to a popular boy band named Eclipse, while Im Sol is his huge fan. The girl’s life completely changes, devolving into a mess, when she learns that her favorite idol has committed suicide. Surprisingly, on the unfortunate day, Sol travels back in time to save Sun Jae from every potential threat. Keep tissues ready when you sit for this fresh yet emotional drama.
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4. Russian Doll
This fantastic Netflix series deserves more love. The protagonist, Nadia, is compelled to relive her 36th birthday every time she dies and comes back to life. This is a loop she can’t break. Confusion bursts in her every vein. Then, she meets Alan, who is afflicted with the same condition. Now, the two must figure out how this time warp works, and hopefully, end their agony.
3. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Based on ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ and ‘The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul’ by Douglas Adams, this two-season gem is a blend of science fiction, dark comedy, and fantasy. The story follows Dirk Gently, who is a holistic detective with a wacky and peculiar personality. He joins hands with Todd Brotzman to solve cases, but both experience different types of adventures, including time travel, body swapping, and more. The series is extremely fun to watch, as you are not only getting a good thriller with lots of twists and turns, but also a balanced sense of humor.
2. Doctor Who
Who can deny that ‘Doctor Who’ is the very cornerstone of the time travel genre of television? With a history spanning over six decades, this show follows the adventures of the Doctor, an eccentric Time Lord who literally travels through time and space, aided by the TARDIS. The Doctor can regenerate and reinvent, make his way through imaginative worlds, and deliver a universe full of chaos and adventure on screen. Yeah, it’s a beloved classic!
1. Dark
Having a list of time-traveling series and not putting ‘Dark‘ would be a serious crime. The premise is enough to eat your brain and leave you with the nagging curiosity of what will happen next. We watch the story of four families—the Nielsens, Dopplers, Tiedemanns, and Kahnewalds—unfold and how their lives are connected through the passage of time. When two boys go missing, the town of Winden sets out to search for the truth. The complication comes through time travel that has existed for too long, connecting different zones and years. This is a must-watch show for sure!
