36 best science fiction TV series, ranked worst to first
By Shawn Lealos
Image: BBC America
11. Orphan Black
Orphan Black debuted in 2013 — a Canadian science fiction TV series that focused on seven individuals that are all clones. The most impressive thing about the show is the performance of Tatiana Maslany, who played all seven clones — all with different personalities.
The series aired on Space in Canada and on BBC America in the United States.
Orphan Black starts off when a con artist sees a woman commit suicide. Realizing that they look identical to each other, the woman — Sarah Manning — takes the other’s place in her job as a police detective. It is then that Sarah realizes that she is a clone — has many sister clones in North American and Europe that were created by an illegal operation, and someone wants all the clones dead.
When the bad guys learn that Sarah has a daughter — the only clone who has given birth to a child — mother and daughter go on the tun to avoid capture and try to figure out a way to stay alive.
As with many science fiction stories — the theme here is what it means to be human and to be alive. It stretches even further when something that some considered an abomination that was not deserving to live has a child naturally. What does that make her child?
The show was popular when it started but gained a lot of critical acclaim in its final two seasons when the story began to race to the climax. Maslany actually won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2016 for her role.
The series played out for five seasons and a total of 50 episodes.