Summary

• Some TV shows effectively use multiple timelines to weave together interconnected stories.
• Clear distinctions between timelines are crucial to prevent confusion among viewers.
• Successful execution of multiple timelines in TV shows creates depth and complexity.

When a TV series attempts to tell a story with multiple timelines, moving in and out of various realities, it can get confusing, but fortunately some shows get it right. TV shows usually follow a linear story, unfolding events as they go. However, some shows opt to add another layer to the story via the use of flashbacks, flash forwards, and in certain shows, particularly within the sci-fi genre, they add entirely new timelines into the mix.

By adding in alternate timelines or realities, stories can draw parallels between the different stories being played out, or they can give audiences a taste of what could be if things were just a little different. In order to effectively include these multiple narratives, TV shows must create clear ways to distinguish one timeline from another, and switch purposefully and intentionally between them. If this isn't done correctly, a show will get confusing, overly complicated, and hard to follow. But when its executed correctly, it can create an incredible interwoven story.

10 This is Us

2016 - 2022

Kicking off with an entry that is not sci-fi in any sense, but a beautiful exploration of family, This Is Us takes the multiple timelines storytelling method and uses it to examine life, from beginning, middle and end, of the Pearson family. While it technically looks at multiple points along the same timeline, the way the story is told sees many of these moments playing out simultaneously. With four of the five core of the original family all sharing a birthday, these coincidences are intentionally used to compare the lives of each to one another at different times.

9 Dark

2017- 2020

Continuing the theme of family and moving into the realm of dark science fiction, Dark moves seamlessly through multiple decades, tying together four families in a small German town. Season 1 begins in 2019, before moving into 1986 and 1953, as the secrets of the town and the families are slowly revealed. The story has every opportunity to become a confusing and muddled mess, but thanks to the use of different actors and precise storytelling, it manages to create a linear story without moving in a linear direction.

8 Westworld

2016 - 2022

Westworld follows a futuristic theme park where guests with enough money can pay to live out whatever fantasies they wish without limitations. From indulging their darkest sexual desires, to murder, or becoming a hero, they are free to interact with the community however they wish, because the hosts in the park are not real people. They are advanced androids who have their memory wiped with each new reset. However, this leads to an interesting timeline as the park appears largely the same with only minor changes and most of the same hosts, but the story that plays out spans decades.

7 The Flash

2014 - 2023

The Flash ran for a total of nine seasons before closing out the Arrowverse with a bang. During that time, Barry Allen developed the ability to run fast enough that he could break through the time barrier and, incidentally, created timelines in The Flash, but his actions had massive consequences. The time travel narrative appeared multiple times, as well as dimension hopping, but for the most part, the way the show picked up and resolved new storylines including these elements was satisfying and succinct, so as not to overshadow the rest of the show, while still remaining significant.

6 Doctor Who

1963 - Present

In a show specifically dealing with time and space travel, the Doctor and his companions have had many instances where they cross timelines and change the course of the past, present and future in Doctor Who. Fortunately, a show with time travel at its core is able to navigate and explore these themes and complex ideas with great skill. From crossing the void into another dimension where deceased loved ones are alive, to creating paradoxes and altering reality, Doctor Who has seen it all, and managed to keep things in order to avoid overly confusing the audience.

5 True Detective

2014 - Present

True Detective is an anthology crime drama series, meaning not every season has leaned into the multiple timelines narrative, but season 1 nailed it. Exploring a crime and its investigation across a 17-year window of time, the series masterfully linked moments from the present into the past and created incredible symmetry and intrigue. This also helped to enhance tension and excitement as a crime that had happened long ago was played out in visceral reality alongside the story being retold. This exploration of crime through time was thrilling and hopefully more of that same format will return in future seasons.

4 12 Monkeys

2015 - 2018

12 Monkeys revolves around a world-ending apocalyptic virus that wiped out almost the entire human population in 2017. Cole, a survivor in 2043, is selected to return to 2015 and put a stop to the events leading up to the virus outbreak. The series explores multiple realities, as Cole successfully travels back in time, but as the show goes on to reveal, time marches on. Despite changes, and multiple trips to the past, the future continues to play out exactly as it always did, despite some minor changes to whom, and where, but when always comes true.

3 Community

2009 - 2015

Community may not be an obvious choice for a show with multiple timelines, but in season 3, episode 4, "Remedial Chaos Theory," multiple timelines are explored. When Jeff attempts to fool the study group into answering the door for the pizza guy with a six-sided dice that will mean he never has to answer the door, Abed reveals that this action will fracture the timeline. The episode explores multiple realities, but what is even more interesting is darkest timeline born out of these events that returns later in the show to plague the group.

2 Fringe

2008 - 2013

From the mind of J. J. Abrams, Fringe is an exciting sci-fi story about a fictional division of law enforcement dealing with fringe science. The story may appear to be a fairly straightforward crime drama with some sci-fi elements early on, but as the show progressed, and the reality of multiple timelines was exposed, the show became a lot more interesting. The series also uses color filters to indicate the location of the characters, with red, yellow and blue all indicating different realities or timelines playing out on screen.

1 Journeyman

2007

Journeyman was only on air for one season before being canceled. However, the series was built on an intriguing premise with the main character, Dan Vasser, falling back in time to help people and change the course of their lives. The series saw Dan reconnect with his ex-fiancee who was assumed dead after a plane crash, but is also revealed to be a time traveler. The series had a lot of potential considering how well it was able to navigate time travel and shifting timelines in season 1, but unfortunately, it never got to play out in the present timeline.