If You Like 'The OA': 8 Classic Sci-Fi Shows to Help Move On Post-Cancellation

The OA was on the verge of being a cult classic, but alas, the series was cut short after a two-season run. Fans were completely caught off guard when the series was canceled earlier this week, especially considering season two ended on a cliffhanger. Even Brit Marling, the co-creator and star, was aghast, saying in an open letter that she "had a good cry."

If there's an OA-shaped hole in your heart, possibly we can help mend it with eight classic sci-fi TV series to indulge in. It might be a temporary fix, but a good binge-fest can be healing:

1. Doctor Who (1963-Present)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ3bbro62mg

Doctor Who has lasted the test of time. If you go back to the start, with William Hartnell as the First Doctor, and keep watching up to current day, you will have 50 years-plus of DW content. It would take a little over a month to watch all of the seasons and specials back-to-back (with no breaks), according to the RadioTimes' tally.

2. V (1983-1985)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa2aCC-1JEs

The 1980s miniseries V was such a hit, it was turned into a regular series. The story revolves around aliens who arrive to Earth in peace, looking for refuge. They humbly turn to human civilization and ask for help. The aliens come across as non-threatening, since they appear to be human-like. But, things are not as they seem. Let's just say their skin is a bit of a camouflage.

3. Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqOL_w4yKws

Stargate SG-1 kicked off in 1997 and ran for 10 seasons. The show follows a secret military group that explores the universe, hopping around via Stargates, alien devices that create wormholes. The original series starred Richard Dean AndersonAmanda TappingMichael Shanks and Christopher Judge.

4. Red Dwarf (1988-1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bugSGlLDDs

Dave Lister (Craig Charles) goes down for a nap of sorts, waking up to find out he’s the only surviving human in the sci-fi/comedy Red Dwarf. He’s been in suspended animation for three million years and is traveling into deep space on a mining ship. He has the company of three friends, including a hologram, a cat-being and an android. 

5. Quantum Leap (1989-1993)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq-dzTREY4M

Each episode of Quantum Leap revolves around Dr. Sam Beckett, played by Scott Bacula. He "leaps" into the body of a different person each week, ultimately trying to make his way home, back to his own time. Sam can't necessarily change too much, based on the directions of his hologram advisor Al, played by Dean Stockwell.

6. Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQGxgdUn3E

In Battlestar Galactica, the majority of the human race has been wiped out by a cybernetic alien species known as Cylons. The Cylons are able to disguise themselves as human, but in their true form, they are lean, mean killing machines. A small civilian fleet is trying to find its way to the 13th colony, a planet otherwise known as… Earth. You can look for familiar faces like Edward James OlmosJamie Bamber and Katee Sackhoff .

7. Life on Mars (2006-2007)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZOzsIhCPgs

Sam Tyler, played by John Simm, is hit by a car in 2006, waking up in 1973 in the sci-fi drama Life on Mars. He's not quite sure what happened, nor are we as an audience, which is a theme carried on throughout the series: has he actually traveled in time, is he in a coma, or, dare we say, has he just lost it? While there's still a lot of questions rattling through his head, he carries on with his job as a detective. He's committed to solving crimes, all the while trying to figure out his way home.

8. Torchwood (2006-2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwZUITi_u6M

In 2005, we met former con man, Captain Jack Harness (John Barrowman) in the Doctor Who episode, "The Empty Child." He made regular appearances through 2010, starring in 12 episodes total. He's a time traveler like the Doctor, but that's where the similarities end, with Captain Jack being a bit of a flirt and a conniver. But he uses his criminal past for good in the spin-off Torchwood, where he and his Torchwood Institute associates hunt aliens.

Are you feeling better, have you completely forgotten about you-know-what??