19 Fantastic British Sci-Fi Series You Can Binge Right Now

The cast of “Ultraviolet”. (Photo: Channel 4/World Productions)

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet is on this list basically because it is Idris Elba: Vampire Hunter, and that is something that absolutely everyone needs in their lives.

This 1990s show follows the story of Michael, a detective who discovers that his BFF Jack has gone missing on the night before his wedding. Investigating this disappearance leads him to discover a secret paramilitary vampire hunting organization supported by the British government. He ends up working for them, because he wants to try and discover the truth about whether his friend turned into a vampire.

Ultraviolet tries very hard to be a more serious sort of vampire show, with a modern, scientific depiction of the creatures. Technology has a big impact – both on how the vampires themselves live, and how humans attempt to track them. They actually don’t even call them “vampires”. Instead, they’re “Code Fives”, and their situation is treated something like a medical condition. The show also attempts to wrestle with the moral implications of vampirism. Are these creatures evil? Do they deserve death? How does religion play into how humans view them?

This show has Jack Davenport, Stephen Moyer and Idris Elba in it at various points, so the eye candy factor is basically off the charts. And it’s only six hours’ worth of episodes, so it’s easy to binge in an afternoon.

Number of Seasons: 1

Where to Watch: Hulu