Top 21 Shows Like The 100 That Will Keep You Hooked

The CW’s post-apocalyptic drama series “The 100” is loosely based on a novel of the same title by Kass Morgan. It chronicles the journey of a group of teenagers on a seemingly abandoned Earth because of a nuclear disaster nearly a century earlier. They are sent to Earth as part of an experiment to see whether the planet has recovered from the incident. None has seen the Earth before as they were all born and raised on a space station. The 100 ended its run of seven seasons on September 30, 2020. In case you are an ardent fan of the series and craving for something in semblance, here are some TV shows like “The 100” to help you wet your thirst.

Upon landing, the teenagers realize Earth is very much different from what they were made to understand. The planet is in good shape and conducive to repopulation. They find remnants of the old civilization in various places, including a military bunker now inhabited by a hostile community of unexpected survivors; there is also a primitive society known as the Grounders. All three groups inevitably engage in a prolonged bloody conflict. Some resort to cannibalism for survival, while others die horrible deaths from nuclear radiation. The remaining few shall soldier on against many deadly adversaries from mind-controlling AI to spacefaring immortals.

The Wilds

A big aspect of “The 100” is how it depicts a group of teenagers scouring an unfriendly environment for sustenance. As the group comprises teenagers of different skills and backgrounds, there is bound to be some bickering and arguing. In those regards, The Wilds is eerily similar to The 100. Also, events in both series really kick off after a massive accident.

Revolution

If you enjoy teenage romance and family drama set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world, Revolution makes for an excellent alternative. It is a show about kids who are left in the wilderness and forced to survive without the convenience of 21st-century technology.

Altered Carbon

Events in Altered Carbon are set in the distant future where humans have developed a technology to live forever by keeping their consciousness as digital files. Remember the last few seasons of The 100 also focus on the same issue.

Travelers

Just about everything you get from The 100 is showcased with brilliance in Travelers. Imagine a group of survivors facing apocalypses and dealing with artificial intelligence. Travelers even have the same idea of humans transporting their consciousness to other people’s bodies.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the series features a team of qualified people taking on various challenges to prevent an apocalypse every season. The 100 applies the same principle, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D strikes with more subtle images of violence and deaths.

The Society

In The 100, they leave some teenagers to their own devices in a new dangerous environment but then the adults arrive and help build a new civilization. The Society teases a similar subject with the total absence of the adults. You find some familiar character tropes as well for example the do-gooder, the devil-may-care, and the princess in the shows.

Battlestar Galactica

Showrunner Jason Rotenberg drew inspiration from Battlestar Galactica when developing The 100. They have their dissimilarities in many respects, but they revolve around the same topics of moral crises and action storylines in a post-apocalyptic situation on a journey to save what’s left of humanity.

The Originals

Let us say you like The 100 not because of the spaceships or the nuclear apocalypse, but the power struggle among the characters instead. An excellent alternative to the show in such a case would be The Originals, also aired on The CW. It tells the story of a vampire family making a comeback to reclaim their status of power in the supernatural world.

The Last of Us

While technically a zombie series, The Last of Us has quite a few similarities to The 100. For example, the lead character here is a teenage girl who tries to survive the post-apocalyptic world. Surviving is the main point; the nature of the apocalypse does matter, but more importantly, it digs deeper into the burdens of being left behind.

Terra Nova

Ceaseless overdevelopment and pollution have finally rendered the Earth inhabitable. Humans take time travel for a chance to start over. Terra Nova has a different premise from The 100, but they intriguingly step into the same idea of restoring the Earth to its former glory.

The Leftovers

An explainable phenomenon leads to another strange incident known as “Sudden Departure” in which 140 million people disappear from the face of the Earth. Events in “The Leftovers” take place three years after the incident. Families become separated and cults emerge, not unlike the early plotlines of The 100.

Lost

Everybody knows how it goes. A commercial plane crashes onto an island after which the surviving passengers bump into all kinds of mysteries filled with supernatural beings, horrors, and unworldly phenomena. And of course, they have to survive in the wilderness and are forced to expect the unexpected.

Defiance

All the different groups depicted in The 100 have their own purposes and plans to survive. Conflicts between the groups often lead to another potential apocalypse where everyone might instead die. Similar issues are depicted in Defiance, although the conflicts in the show are mainly between aliens and humans.

Firefly

The 100 teenagers sent to Earth are all actual criminals from a detention facility on a space station. The group of outlaws must find ways in a new world together despite their differences. It is a familiar setup you will also encounter on Firefly.

Humans

Advanced artificial intelligence and robotics bring about the development of humanoids called synths. Initially considered an achievement, the synths will alter the backbones of society in ways no one has ever imagined before. The premise should remind you of the City of Light arc in The 100.

Lost in Space

Space travel is the only way to escape an impending doomsday – that alone bears a resemblance to the last episode of Season 4 of The 100. What follows is a talk of a new life in a distant place. Lost in Space depicts the journey of a family to survive an apocalypse on Earth and find a new home. However, the real adventure begins when they actually discover an inhabitable planet.

Those who live inland are eager to join the wealthy and powerful society living in the offshore area. However, the rule says that only 3% of inlanders will get the once-in-a-lifetime chance. Before watching the show, be prepared to see a vivid display of utter brutality and violence.

Yellowjackets

The 100 series delivers a spectacle of how a group of teenagers carry the burden of responsibility to rebuild society and repopulate the Earth. Yellowjackets asks the same question but at a much smaller scale as it depicts a group of high school soccer players when stranded in the middle of nowhere amidst a plane crash.

Between

In a similar tone, “Between” puts young people at the forefront of a community in the aftermath of a disaster. Events are confined within a small town, but it does not lessen the intensity of the struggle and the scale of challenges those teenagers must overcome.

The Expanse

If you find the space-exploration part of The 100 more exciting than the Earth-based storyline, The Expanse might be the show you really want to watch. It is a sci-fi drama set in a far-flung future where humanity has colonized outer space.

Nancy Drew

A group of young adults filled with individuals of troublesome history must work together to solve a murder case and protect everyone else from evil spirits. Added to slowly growing romance, family secrets, and interpersonal conflicts, Nancy Drew is like The 100 from an alternate universe.

We think The 100 remains a unique (although not groundbreaking) and expansive series that can hold its own despite the myriads of similar shows. There wouldn’t be two shows that are exactly similar to each other, and The 100’s ambitious exploration of themes from love and family to cannibalism and space colonization makes the show a memorable one among all others not only in the sci-fi genre but home entertainment in general.

What aspect of The 100 do you like best? Do you fancy the idea of a spinoff show? We’d love to hear from you.

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