“Project Hail Mary” is one of the most beloved films of 2026, and sci-fi fans are yearning for more projects filled with creativity, striking visuals, heart and humor. While there are many films that meet these requirements, some people want to be immersed in other worlds for much longer than two hours and 36 minutes. Luckily, there are plenty of TV shows that can scratch that “Hail Mary Project” itch.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “Project Hail Mary” is based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a college professor and former molecular biologist who is given the unlikely task of saving Earth. While alone in space, he meets and befriends an alien named Rocky. Their friendship is, at its core, what makes “Project Hail Mary” so special — and there are plenty of sci-fi shows with relationships that are just as compelling.
The technical aspects also constitute a notable element of the “Hail Mary Project”. There was a time when television budgets couldn’t match the spectacle offered by feature films, but that’s changed thanks to the age of streaming. While many TV fans miss the days when genre shows had 22-episode seasons, the tradeoff is getting quality visuals. This list provides recommendations that span decades, and recent shows are a feast for the eyes. Whether you’re looking for sci-fi that focuses on end-of-the-world threats, uses complex science, features emotional beats, laughs, or even incredibly designed puppets, here are ten TV recommendations.
For all humanity
“For All Mankind” is an alternate history series that begins with the Soviet Union landing on the moon before the United States, launching a long-running space race. Fans of “Hail Mary Project” will enjoy the series because of its cutting-edge storytelling. Although completely fictional, both stories are very grounded in real-world science and emphasize relatable human drama. “For All Mankind” also spans several decades, allowing viewers to become even more absorbed in an alternate reality than “Project Hail Mary.”
The series was first released on Apple TV+ in 2019 and begins in a modified version of 1969. The project was created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. As of this writing, “For All Mankind” has run for five seasons, with a sixth and final season scheduled to debut in 2027. It also spawned a spinoff series, “Star City,” which debuted on Apple in 2026 and focuses on the Soviet Union.
“For All Mankind” might also appeal to “Project Hail Mary” fans looking for an even more immersive sci-fi experience. In fact, it stands out from the other shows on this list by offering Emmy Award-winning companion experiences. In 2021, he won the Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming award for For All Mankind: Time Capsule, an interactive augmented reality experience and narrative companion app. It also won the Outstanding Emerging Media Program for Season 3 Experience, a companion media project from Apple. You might not make it to space, but you can still pretend to be like Ryland Grace!
Distant landscape
“Farscape” debuted in 1999 and aired for four seasons on the Nine Network in Australia and the Sci-Fi Channel (now SYFY) in the United States. The series was created by Rockne S. O’Bannon and starred Ben Browder as John Crichton, an International Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut who is accidentally sucked through a wormhole and taken across the universe. While he gets lost in space like Ryland Grace, the best thing “Farscape” has in common with “Project Hail Mary” is its puppets.
“Farscape” was co-produced by The Jim Henson Company, with Brian Henson serving as executive producer and directing a handful of episodes. This collaboration resulted in some of the coolest practical creature creations in television history, which is part of why the ’90s sci-fi series still holds up today. Two of the main characters, Rygel (voiced by Jonathan Hardy) and Pilot (voiced by Lani Tupu), were animatronic puppets created by Henson Creature Shop. Like Rocky in “Project Hail Mary,” it took a team to bring these aliens to life via hands-on methods.
In addition to Crichton, the series followed many memorable characters who embarked on bizarre quests as they attempted to locate their respective homes. Everything about “Farscape” is creative and unique, just like “Project Hail Mary.” The series was supposed to run for five seasons, but was abruptly canceled. Fortunately, the story was able to conclude in the two-part miniseries “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.”
Foundation
Like “Project Hail Mary,” “Foundation” is adapted from the page — in this case, Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series of novels. The series is a complex science fiction story set in the distant future where clones known as the Genetic Dynasty rule the galaxy. Fans of “Project Hail Mary” will appreciate the series’ use of complex science and math, especially those who have read Andy Weir’s book. The TV show “Foundation” departs from Asimov’s books in many ways, including character focus and action, but many agree that this helps the series be more compelling. Readers of “The Hail Mary Project” have made similar observations about the film adaptation.
Created for television by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, “Foundation” is the perfect example of what sci-fi television is capable of on a huge budget. The show was given the green light thanks to a one-sentence pitch. “It’s a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire,” Goyer told Apple (via The Hollywood Reporter). Seldon is a mathematician who designs an algorithmic science that predicts the future, including the collapse of the Empire.
“Foundation” debuted on Apple TV+ in 2021 and enjoyed three seasons on the streamer. The series has been renewed for a fourth season, but as of this writing, it does not yet have a release date. The series features a rich cast, which includes fan favorites such as Jared Harris and Lee Pace, as well as new faces like Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey, who earned a BAFTA nomination for their role. The series also earned three Emmy nominations, including one for visual effects in 2026.
Firefly
“Firefly” is arguably the most popular single-season series ever. Created by Joss Whedon and showrun by Tim Minear, the science fiction western reinvented the way the genre could be perceived on television. “Firefly” follows a group of nine outcasts living together on a spaceship, doing their best to avoid the authoritarian regime known as the Alliance, all while experiencing amusing misadventures. Much like “Project Hail Mary,” the series mixes the space genre with lots of humor and gives us characters to cherish forever.
There’s a heavy emphasis on close friendships in “Firefly,” in the same way that “Project Hail Mary” focuses on the dynamic between Ryland Grace and Rocky, as well as great romances, hilarious relationships between enemies, a special sisterly bond, and complicated, complex partnerships based on mutual respect. The series first aired on Fox in 2002, but the network never gave the series a fighting chance. It was abandoned before filming even finished, but the cast and crew still had to finish the season.
After its cancellation, “Firefly” won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for the episode “Serenity” in 2003. Its success ultimately allowed viewers to not be completely dissatisfied. In 2005, Whedon directed a follow-up film, “Serenity,” which gave fans closure. There were also “Serenity” comics published by Dark Horse between 2005 and 2017, with other comics set in the universe published by BOOM! Workshops from 2018. From 2026, the cast is also trying to revive the series in animated form.
The extent
Often described as “Game of Thrones” in space, “The Expanse” is arguably the best science fiction series of the 2010s. The series is set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, and the balance between the major factions begins to unravel after the discovery of an ancient alien technology known as a “protomolecule,” which threatens all human life. Like “Project Hail Mary,” the series uses realistic science to combat the threat of the end of the world. Even though the show takes place approximately 300 years after the filming of “Project Hail Mary,” there is a similar sense of realism in both projects.
Fans love “The Expanse” for its world-building as well as its complicated characters, who often operate in morally ambiguous ways. You might not cheer for them all in the same way you cheer for the affable Ryland Grace, but you’ll definitely be equally invested in their journeys.
Like many shows on this list, “The Expanse” was based on a book series of the same name. Originally written by James SA Corey…
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