Six Sci-Fi / Fantasy Shows You Should Be Watching

Most of my favorite tv shows tend to be of the sci-fi / fantasy variety. Even the books I read are very fantasy-oriented. For me, it's escapism. Sci-Fi, fantasy, and alternative worlds draw me in with their unusual but realistic worlds, fascinating characters, and hints of the impossible (ie. superpowers, magic, fairytale creatures, etc.).

Alphas

(Syfy) A show about people with superpowers, such as hyperkinesthesis (superhuman reflexes),  synesthesia (heightened senses), hyperinduction (ability to "push" people), etc. These five people are led by Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn), a normal doctor who helps people with superabilities; he calls them Alphas. This group investigates criminal cases involving other Alphas with the help of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Though the show is science fiction, it is really about how these six people interact and begin to care for one another while dealing with the powers they have and how it affects their lives. It is smart, heartwarming, and fun.

Being Human

(Syfy) A vampire (Sam Witwer), a werewolf (Sam Huntington), and a ghost (Meaghan Rath) are roommates...It sounds like the beginning of a weird joke, but this American remake of a British show focuses on the three main characters and how they have to deal with being monsters in a human world. They are merely pretending to be human, hence the title.

It's dark and sexy without going overboard like Trueblood, it makes you care and root for all the characters, and there's a bit of humor.

Fringe

(FOX) People seriously need to watch this show! It's smart, complicated, exciting, suspenseful, a bit of a who-dun-it at times, and just plain awesome sci-fi. It started four seasons ago with the creation of the Fringe Division as Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), and Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole) investigate the bizarre.

I don't want to give anything away, but the main storylines in recent seasons involves parallel worlds, dopplegangers, shapeshifters, and mysterious typewriters.  

Grimm

(NBC) Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is the last of a line of Grimms, as in the Brothers Grimm. He investigates homicide cases that usually turn out to be tied to fairytale creatures that are very real in this world. His partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and girlfriend have no idea who he is, but others do and are after him. He also gets help from a bludbat (big bad wolf) named Monroe (Silar Weir Mitchell), who is the comic relief.

Although the special effects aren't the best, it is the relationship between Nick and Hank and the banter between Nick and Monroe that keeps the show realistic and at times humorous. It's a great, entertaining mix of cop drama, mystery, and fantasy.

Haven

(Syfy) It seems almost all fantasy shows are also detective shows and this one is no different. FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) investigates mysterious cases known as the Troubles in Haven, Maine, and discovers that she has a connection to both the people with the Troubles and Haven. There are also two love interests: cop Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) and criminal Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour).

It's mysterious, suspenseful, heartbreaking, romantic, funny, and dramatic. You really begin to root for Audrey and want her to figure out who she is and how she is connected to this small town.

Merlin

(Syfy/BBC One) One of my favorite shows, it reimagines the Arthurian legend slightly with Merlin as the same age as Athur. Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a powerful young wizard who becomes Arthur's (Bradley James) personal servant in order to protect him. At first, they hate each other, but the show centers on how the two come to be great friends.

Something always goes wrong in Camelot, which is all part of the fun. This show is full of adventure, humor, sword-fighting, romance, magical spells, villains, dragons, and a bit of Medieval bromance.

I mentioned Lost Girl and Alcatraz here and Misfits here.

I would have mentioned Once Upon a Time, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Cirlce, Trueblood, Supernatural, Warehouse 13, and Games of Thrones, but they're already popular shows.

Do you watch sci-fi / fantasy shows? Or do you stick to more realistic shows?

(Pictures via Syfy, Syfy, Fox, Bing, Syfy, and Syfy)