10 best fantasy and science fiction shows of 2023

6. Silo

Out of all the TV hits of 2023, Silo was the one that came most out of nowhere. Before it dropped, I had hardly heard anything about the post-apocalyptic show that Apple TV+ was developing based on the (bestselling) book series by Hugh Howey. Then it came along in early summer and established itself as the biggest original series yet for the streaming service. Not bad!

Silo explores the lives of the last surviving group of humans following a devastating apocalypse event. They live in the titular Silo, a massive underground bunker designed to sustain life for the long term. There’s one overriding rule to life in the Silo: if you say you want to go outside, you are put out from society and exiled to the surface, where you immediately die from the adverse conditions. Or at least, that’s what the powers that be would have people believe.

At the heart of the show is Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), a gifted mechanic who is thrust into the position of Sheriff for the Silo and begins to unravel the mystery of what’s really going on with the place. The way this show unraveled layer upon layer of mystery while always leaving yet more questions was reminiscent of Lost, and it had a fantastic cast including Game of Thrones veteran Iain Glenn, Common, and more.

Silo was a breath of fresh air for sci-fi TV, with a riveting story that kept me guessing right down to its fateful finale. Work has already begun on the show’s second season, and after how good the first was, I’ll be counting down the days until it arrives.