You have to watch these Sci-Fi shows while Apple TV+ is free this weekend

Apple TV+ is throwing a little gift into your January this weekend: it’s free to stream on January 4-5. The social media announcement of the promotion came with a mix of several popular series, but it is no accident that the first clip is from Severity. The Emmy winning show finally returns on January 17thand a weekend is absolutely enough time to binge the nine-episode first season.

This weekend, see for yourself.

Stream for free from January 4 to 5. pic.twitter.com/8p6PCUYpms

– Apple TV (@AppleTV) December 30, 2024

Ma Severity the first season is not the only sci-fi show you should try and check out during the free period; as io9 noted earlier, Apple TV+ is an excellent destination for genre fare. The list of original series continued to grow, but these are the five must-see titles, starting with the one we’re already hyping up:

Severity

Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken lead an outstanding ensemble in this dystopian office drama set in and around a mysterious company where workers volunteer to have their brains surgically split between their work and the home life The disconnect between “innies” and “outies” becomes exponentially distressing once the “innies” start asking questions – and rebelling. Intelligent, moving and equal parts disturbing and wryly funny, Severity it is a standout from top to bottom. The first season will stream in 2022; season two returns on January 17.

Foundation

Isaac Asimov Foundation stories inspire this far-future story that explores the wonders of science—as well as its terrors, including the idea that a robot is secretly manipulating the future of humanity. Jared Harris plays multiple versions of genius Hari Seldon, and Lee Pace plays multiple versions of the perpetually cloned Emperor of the galaxy. Thrilling, visually dynamic, and full of heartwarming plot moments that range from explosive to intimate, Foundation it’s a sci-fi epic worth immersing yourself in, especially if you go in knowing that season two is when it really picks up. You can watch the first two seasons on Apple TV +; a third is on the way.

For all humanity

The space race between the US and Russia gets an alternate history twist in this riveting drama co-created by Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Outlander) which shifts forward in time a decade with each new season, starting with the Soviet moon landing in 1969. There are now four seasons available to watch, with a fifth on the way and even a spin-off.

Silo

Maybe even more than Severitylook at Silo during the free trial might make you want to sign up for an Apple TV+ subscription right away. That’s because while the first season of the series adapted by Hugh Howey, with Rebecca Ferguson, is about a dystopian future where people survive in underground silos – packed in 2023, the second season is currently working on its 10 episodes. If you are stuck Silothe second season finale isn’t until January 17th.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Kurt and Wyatt Russell and a man named Godzilla share the screen in this series that expands Legendary’s cinematic Monsterverse. It is established after 2014 Godzilla movie, with flashbacks to the late 1950s, which is how the Russells are able to play the same character at different ages. A second season is on the way, with (like the first season) King Kong joining the fun.

Honorable mention: the multiverse drama with Joel Edgerton Dark matter (the second season has arrived); M. Night Shyamalan’s bonkers psychological thriller servant (concluded in 2023 after four seasons); and Sugarthe neo-noir of Colin Farrell-starring with a shocking sci-fi twist (season two is coming).

There are also tons of genre-free original shows on Apple TV+, including Ted Lasso, Presumed innocent, reduceand The Afterparty– and the movies, too Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon. If you decide to stay after the free trial, a monthly subscription to Apple TV + is $9.99 and includes a free week. Find out more here.

Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Warsand Star Trek free, what is next for the DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.