The 7 Best Post-Apocalyptic TV Series of All Time, Ranked
Deep down, everyone fears the imminent chaos that might come about with the end of the world.
Destroying civilization and turning the average person into desperate, hardened survivors struggling to live another day, an apocalyptic event would effectively turn the world we know upside down, upsetting any semblance of balance and predictability we’ve built in our daily lives.
While the notion of wading through a post-apocalyptic wasteland is certainly a startling one, numerous films and TV shows have explored the genre in more nuanced (and, quite frankly, wholly entertaining) detail. From flagship AMC series to recent Prime Video and HBO survival dramas, here are some of our favorite post-apocalyptic TV series, ranked in order from worst to best.
The Walking Dead
With its almost comical assortment of spin-offs, prequels, and sequel series, it’s easy to forget just how sensational The Walking Dead was in its earliest seasons. Obtaining a level of popularity akin to HBO’s Game of Thrones or its fellow AMC drama Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead truly conjured the nightmarish atmosphere of a world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse – one where beloved characters audiences knew and loved could be brutally killed off at any given moment. Dark, disturbing, and frequently tear-jerking when showcasing the fate of its main protagonists, The Walking Dead is quite possibly the finest zombie-related work of art since the glory days of George Romero’s Living Dead series, bar none.
Silo
It’s impossible to say what the future holds for Silo, the recent Apple TV+ apocalypse series spanning a mere two seasons thus far. Judging from what we’ve seen from the show’s initial seasons, though, it’s safe to say audiences can expect a momentous sci-fi thriller worth keeping in their periphery. With an extensive cast of talented actors and a limited setting reminiscent of Lost and 10 Cloverfield Lane, Silo’s tantalizing array of mysteries keeps viewers’ guessing throughout, encouraging plenty of debate and speculation about what new secrets might be revealed next.
The 100
Ever since the first Hunger Games hit theaters in 2012, the sci-fi genre has seen a sudden surge in YA-driven survival stories. Yet even when compared to preceding series like Maze Runner or Divergent, The 100 manages to rank among the very strongest teen-focused sci-fi narrative in recent memory. Taking the time to construct a fully-formed setting within the ruins of a war-ravaged Earth, The 100’s larger scope places it on the same epic pedestal as Star Wars, The Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones, holding viewers’ unwavering attention from one season to the next.
Station Eleven
Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel, Station Eleven follows a traveling theater troupe venturing through a near-future landscape ravaged by a catastrophic plague. Like its later HBO counterpart The Last of Us, Station Eleven effectively captures the stark atmosphere that comes with its post-apocalyptic settings, ensuring an indelible air of suspense every time a new survivor walks on-screen. With almost every character possessing an enigmatic, morally ambiguous personality, Station Eleven excels at showing what new dangers might await with each new episode, with audiences never entirely sure whether a recently introduced character is friend or foe.
The Leftovers
Imagine if you woke up one day to find your spouse, child, or closest loved one has suddenly vanished without a trace? Taking that simple premise and stretching to its fullest narrative possibilities, HBO’s The Leftovers ponders the question of what the world might look like if 2% of Earth’s population inexplicably disappeared. Like showrunner Damon Lindelof’s previous work on Lost and Watchmen, The Leftovers’ massive cast list and dystopian settings allow for plenty of creative results, conjuring up a world filled with nihilistic cults, grieving families, and characters trying to carry on with their lives in the wake of a tragedy they’re unable to fully understand.
Fallout
It’s ironic to think that two of the best post-apocalyptic TV shows yet are based on pre-existing video games fans long believed could never be translated for film or television. Just as HBO’s The Last of Us ushered in a faithful recreation of Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, Prime Video’s Fallout meticulously recaptures the anarchic setting of Bethesda’s long-running action series. Existing side-by-side with the various Fallout games that came before it, Fallout obtains its own identity as an extension of its video game counterpart, complete with the series’ most recognizable features (gun-toting ghouls, mutated Vault survivors, ironclad Brotherhood of Steel initiates, etc.)
The Last of Us
Before The Last of Us’s release in 2023, nobody had ever seen a video game faithfully recreated in a TV show, with most television adaptations failing to compare to its original source material. But with HBO’s cinematic adaptation of Naughty Dog’s beloved video game, viewers finally witnessed a video game-based TV series worthy of their time and attention. Retaining the core narrative of the initial game, The Last of Us manages to show the brutal and morally unforgiving landscape of its post-apocalyptic settings, never shying away from the harsh reality that comes with protecting yourself and your closed loved ones – no matter the cost.
