12 Best Shows Like 12 Monkeys to Watch Next (2026)
Searching for shows like 12 Monkeys? Explore time-travel thrillers, sci-fi mysteries, and post-disaster dramas with Travelers, Timeless, and more.
If you’re searching for shows like 12 Monkeys, the best picks usually mix time travel, high-stakes mystery, and a race to stop a disaster before it spreads. This list leans into that exact blend, with options such as Travelers, Timeless, 11.22.63, and Continuum, plus darker, more puzzle-driven choices like Manifest and The Expanse. You’ll also find series that trade pure time travel for future shocks, vanished people, or humanity under pressure, including Station Eleven, Battlestar Galactica, and The Refugees. Whether you want sci-fi tension, emotional stakes, or a layered mystery, these titles give you plenty of directions to explore next.
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01
Continuum
action · sci-fi · thriller
The series centers on the conflict between a group of rebels from the year 2077 who time-travel to Vancouver, BC, in 2012, and a police officer who accidentally accompanies them. In spite of being many years early, the rebel group decides to continue its violent campaign to stop corporations of the future from replacing governments, while the police officer endeavours to stop them without revealing to anyone that she and the rebels are from the future.
Why watch: If you enjoy time-travel conflict with action and suspense, Continuum is a strong match. Its setup of rebels from the future clashing with a police officer in 2012 gives it a direct sci-fi thriller edge.
Directed by Pat Williams, David Frazee, William Waring, Mike Rohl, Amanda TappingCast Rachel Nichols, Victor Webster, Erik Knudsen, Stephen Lobo, Omari NewtonAmazon Prime VideoTubiPeacock PremiumFreeveeMore details on IMDb → -
02
Timeless
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
A mysterious criminal steals a secret state-of-the-art time machine, intent on destroying America as we know it by changing the past. Our only hope is an unexpected team: a scientist, a soldier and a history professor, who must use the machine's prototype to travel back in time to critical events. While they must make every effort not to affect the past themselves, they must also stay one step ahead of this dangerous fugitive. But can this handpicked team uncover the mystery behind it all and end his destruction before it's too late?
Why watch: If you want a mission-driven time-travel story with a team dynamic, Timeless should fit well. The action, adventure, drama, and sci-fi mix makes it a good choice for viewers who like constant momentum.
Directed by Greg Beeman, John F. Showalter, Holly Dale, Charles Beeson, Neil MarshallCast Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Paterson Joseph, Sakina JaffreyAmazon Prime VideoMore details on IMDb → -
03
The 12 from Oldenheim
drama · mystery & thriller
Follow the lives of the inhabitants of Oldenheim, an ancient Dutch village where families have lived for generations. The terror is great when the inhabitants of the village are confronted with a series of mysterious disappearances.
Why watch: If you prefer mystery with a quieter, unsettling tone, The 12 from Oldenheim may appeal to you. Its focus on unexplained disappearances in a Dutch village leans more into drama and suspense than hard sci-fi.
Directed by Anne van der Linden, Remy van HeugtenCast Noortje Herlaar, Nasrdin Dchar, Reinout Bussemaker, Fedja van Huêt, Ko ZandvlietAmazon Prime VideoFreeveeMore details on IMDb → -
04
11.22.63
1 Emmy nomination
drama · mystery · romance · sci-fi · thriller
An English teacher travels back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination, but discovers he is attached to the life he has made in a bygone era.
Why watch: If you like time travel tied to a specific historical goal, 11.22.63 is worth a look. Its mix of drama, mystery, romance, sci-fi, and thriller elements gives it a broader emotional range.
Directed by James Strong, Frederick E.O. Toye, John David Coles, James Franco, James KentCast James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Chris Cooper, Cherry JonesNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
05
Manifest
drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
After landing from a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Montego Air Flight 828 discover five years have passed in what seemed like a few hours. As their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.
Why watch: If you enjoy mystery series built around a strange time-related event, Manifest is a natural pick. The blend of drama, sci-fi, and thriller suits viewers who like a slowly unfolding puzzle.
Directed by Romeo Tirone, Michael Smith, Dean White, Claudia Yarmy, Marisol AdlerCast Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Parveen KaurNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
06
Station Eleven
7 Emmy nominations Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (2022)
adventure · drama · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
The survivors of a devastating flu attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew – while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.
Why watch: If a post-plague story with survival themes interests you, Station Eleven stands out. It combines adventure, drama, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, and thriller elements in a way that may appeal to fans of end-of-world tension.
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, Helen Shaver, Hiro Murai, Lucy TcherniakCast Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot, Nabhaan RizwanMaxMore details on IMDb → -
07
The Expanse
drama · mystery · sci-fi
A thriller set two hundred years in the future following the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.
Why watch: If you want a bigger sci-fi mystery with a strong conspiracy thread, The Expanse is a great option. Its drama and mystery focus, plus the future setting, make it ideal if you like expansive stakes.
Directed by Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, Terry McDonough, Robert Lieberman, Kenneth FinkCast Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cas AnvarAmazon Prime VideoMore details on IMDb → -
08
Travelers
drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
Hundreds of years from now, the last surviving humans discover the means of sending consciousness back through time, directly into people in the 21st century. These "travelers" assume the lives of seemingly random people, while secretly working as teams to perform missions in order to save humanity from a terrible future.
Why watch: If you like time-travel stories built around secret missions, Travelers is probably the closest fit here. The premise of future humans sending consciousness into 21st-century lives gives it a clever sci-fi thriller hook.
Directed by Andy Mikita, Amanda Tapping, William Waring, Helen Shaver, Martin WoodCast Eric McCormack, MacKenzie Porter, Nesta Cooper, Jared Abrahamson, Reilly DolmanNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
09
The Refugees
drama · sci-fi · thriller
Mankind is suffering the biggest exodus in history. Three billion people from the future have traveled to the present to escape from an imminent global disaster. All the refugees must obey to rules: they must not talk about the future and they must not contact their families. The arrival of the refugees take everyone by surprise, including the Cruz family. The series centers on their story, the story of Samuel, Emma, and little Ani. The shift in their existence after the arrival of the mysterious refugee, Alex, who has an incredible mission that will change their lives, and in order to accomplish his mission, he will not hesitate to do whatever there is to be done--including breaking the rules.
Why watch: If you prefer a premise centered on people from the future arriving in the present, The Refugees may interest you. Its drama, sci-fi, and thriller mix works best for viewers who like tense, rule-bound setups.
Directed by David Pinillos, Elías León SiminianiCast Natalia Tena, David Leon, Dafne Keen, Ken Appledorn, Jonathan D. MellorFreeveeMore details on IMDb → -
10
Battlestar Galactica
Won 3 Emmys 2x Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series · 19 nominations
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
Why watch: If you want a grand survival story with action and sci-fi, Battlestar Galactica is a strong choice. Its focus on the last of humanity on the run gives it a serious, high-pressure tone.
Directed by Michael Rymer, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Robert M. YoungCast Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia HelferParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
11
Tatami Time Machine Blues
animation · comedy · drama · mystery · romance · sci-fi
It is August 12th. After the remote control to his boarding house's only air conditioning unit is inadvertently destroyed by spilled cola, "I" devises a plan to return to yesterday in a time machine to recover the remote before it breaks. However, his prankster friend Ozu cannot resist playing with past events, even if it means bringing the universe to the brink of destruction. Now "I" finds himself racing through time to avoid disaster.
Why watch: If you like playful time-travel stories with a comic edge, Tatami Time Machine Blues could be a good fit. Its animation, comedy, drama, and sci-fi blend makes it stand out from the more intense titles here.
Directed by Shingo Natsume, Fûga Yamashiro, Taku Kimura, Touma Kimura, Masato TakeuchiCast Kosuke Echigoya, Jun'ichi Suwabe, Maaya Sakamoto, Kazuya Nakai, Yûko KaidaHuluMore details on IMDb → -
12
Goosebumps
action · adventure · comedy · drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
A group of five high schoolers embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle – while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents' past.
Why watch: If you enjoy a mystery that mixes teen drama with supernatural and sci-fi elements, Goosebumps may work for you. The investigation into a past tragedy gives it a darker, suspenseful setup.
Directed by Rob Letterman, Erin O'Malley, Steve Boyum, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, David GrossmanCast Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Miles McKenna, Ana Yi Puig, Will PriceDisney PlusMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
The best part of this lineup is how many different angles it takes on the same core appeal: time pressure, uncertainty, and the feeling that every choice matters. From the timeline-hopping urgency of Travelers and Timeless to the bigger world-building of The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica, there’s a fit here for different moods. Bookmark this page and come back when you want another option, since it’s updated regularly. If you liked the blend of mystery and sci-fi tension, this is a solid place to keep your next pick handy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these shows similar to 12 Monkeys?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.