Five Sci-Fi Shows To Watch Until Doctor who returns in early 2028 – 2029

That’s . . . 274 Episodes and  140+ Hours of some of the best TV you will ever see . . . 

Whovians, take a deep breath . . .  Doctor Who is taking a massive multi-year hiatus to prepare for a completely blank-slate reboot in 2028. 😱

It’s official – the TARDIS is going to be quiet for a quite some time.

So in my very first YouTube video I broke down exactly how we’re going to survive it.

I’ve found 24 seasons and 274 episodes of pure sci-fi goodness that hits every part of being a Doctor Who fan – from secret squads hunting magical artifacts to literal Time Lord-style offices and chaotic parallel universes.

Here’s the full Daily Dalek survival guide with binge times and scores . . .

Quick Stats Box:

Total Watch Time: ∼140 hours / 5.8 days non-stop
Total Seasons: 24 | Total Episodes: 274
Best Critics Score: Extraordinary & The Next Chapter (100%)
Longest Binge: Futurama (80+ hours)

1. The Librarians (2014-2018) – The Ultimate Love Letter to Doctor Who

Where to watch UK: Prime Video / ITVX / Freevee
Binge Time: ∼29 hours | 4 Seasons, 42 Episodes
Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 – 79% Critics, Franchise Average 89% Critics / 87% Audience

Premise: The Library is an ancient organization dedicated to protecting the world from a magical reality hidden in plain sight. When The Library is lost in time and space, four ordinary people are recruited as the new Librarians.

Season Overview:

• Season 1 (10 eps): The team assembles – Guardian Eve Baird, thief Ezekiel, genius Cassandra and historian Jacob – to hunt the Serpent Brotherhood.
• Season 2 (10 eps): Prospero and Moriarty try to use magic to remake the world.
• Season 3 (10 eps): Apep, the Egyptian God of Chaos, possesses a team member.
• Season 4 (12 eps): The Library itself is forced to choose a new tether between humanity and magic.

Why it’s perfect for Who fans: It’s UNIT, Torchwood and Indiana Jones smashed together. Artifact-of-the-week, big myth arc, found family, and Noel Wyle as the Doctor-ish eternal Librarian Flynn Carsen.

2. The Librarians: The Next Chapter (2025 – Present) – The Direct Sequel

Where to watch UK: TNT / BINGE / Prime Video (US: The CW)
Binge Time: ∼24 hours | 2 Seasons, 24 Episodes
Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 – 100%, Season 2 – 100% early score, Franchise 89% / 87%

Premise: Centuries ago, a Librarian named Vikram Chamberlain vanished. Now he’s back in the present day to find the modern Library led by General Striker and a new team – Callum McGowan, Jessica Green, Olivia Morris.

Season Overview:

• Season 1 (12 eps, May-Aug 2025): Vikram adapts to 2025 while hunting the deadly Drekavac. Premiered May 25, wrapped Aug 4.
• Season 2 (12 eps, Aug-Sept 2026): Currently airing – “And the Burning Heart” kicked off Aug 2, with the two-part finale airing now. Dean Devlin himself said this is the best season yet of the whole franchise.

Why it’s perfect: It doesn’t require 42 episodes of homework. It’s designed as a fresh entry point that is now out-rating the original.

3. Loki (2021-2023) – The Ultimate Time Lord Office

Where to watch UK: Disney+
Binge Time: 9 hours 54 minutes – 12 Episodes
Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 – 92% (338 reviews), Season 2 – 81-82% (161 reviews)

Premise: After stealing the Tesseract in Endgame, Loki is arrested by the Time Variance Authority – a bureaucracy outside time that maintains the Sacred Timeline.

Season Overview:

• Season 1 (6 eps): Loki on trial for crimes against the timeline. Think “Trial of a Time Lord” but with more paperwork. Introduction of Sylvie, Mobius (Owen Wilson), and He Who Remains.
• Season 2 (6 eps): The TVA is collapsing, timelines are branching infinitely, and Loki must become the God of Stories and hold time together.

As ScreenRant said, the TVA is literally “what the Time Lords in Doctor Who were originally supposed to be” – infinite power, zero wonder, beige offices and endless forms.

Why it’s perfect: It’s Marvel’s Doctor Who. If you ever wanted to see what Gallifrey’s HR department looks like, this is it.

4. Extraordinary (2023-2024) – Grounded British Wit

Where to watch UK: Disney+ Star / US: Hulu
Binge Time: ∼6.5 hours | 2 Seasons, 16 Episodes (25 min eps)
Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 – 100% (23 reviews), Audience – 91%

Premise: In modern-day London, everyone gets a superpower on their 18th birthday. Everyone except Jen, who is now 25 and still waiting. It’s set in a world where superpowers are mundane and being normal is the anomaly.

Season Overview:

• Season 1 (8 eps): Jen, with help from best friend Carrie and her boyfriend Kash, desperately tries to find her power.
• Season 2 (8 eps): Cliffhanger ending that explores adulthood, responsibility, and powers that are more curse than gift.

Why it’s perfect: It’s the British comedy heart that Doctor Who does best. Created by Emma Moran, it’s been called “a refreshing antidote to superhero fatigue” with a perfect 100% score. If you love Donna Noble’s era, you’ll love Jen.

5. Futurama (1999-Present) – Parallel Universes & Time Loops

Where to watch UK: Disney+ / Channel 4
Binge Time: ∼62 hours for original run (2 days, 14 hours), ∼80+ hours for all 180 episodes
Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 – 82%, Season 5 – 100%, Overall – 89% Critics / 89% Audience

Premise: Pizza boy Philip J. Fry is frozen for 1000 years and wakes up in 3000, joining Planet Express as a delivery boy across the universe.

Season Overview:
This is your long-haul hiatus killer.

• Seasons 1-4 (Fox era): Classic sci-fi parody, time travel, parallel universes.
• Seasons 5-7 (Comedy Central): Movies + 52 episodes, deeper lore.
• Seasons 8-11 (Hulu revival): Now at 180 episodes as of Sept 2026, including time loop episodes, multiverse wars, and the best accurate science jokes on TV.

Why it’s perfect: It’s the only show that has done every Doctor Who idea – body swaps, time paradoxes, alternate selves, the end of the universe – while being genuinely hilarious.

How To Watch It All Before 2028 . . .

Here’s the @thedailydalek handy survival guide with binge times and scores . . .