The Top 10 Science Fiction shows of all time

After having done a quick review of my top 10 comedies of all time, I thought I would give sci fi a go next.

This will surely be even more confrontational as some huge contenders arent included and some relatively unknown ones are.

So do you agree?

10 Sliders

"Sliders" should have been a widespread hit, but it was ahead of its time. The show was about a whiz-kid genius Quinn Mallory, played by Jerry O'Connell , and his band of three companions who slide among Earth's alternate realities. Toward the end of the series, the show quickly slid in quality as three of its stars - O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd and John Rhys-Davies - departed and were replaced by others. A tragic demise to a fine show.

9 The X Files

"The X-Files" helped inspire a new generation to fall in love with conspiracy theories. David Duchovny played FBI agent Fox Mulder who, along with his partner, Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson), uncovered extraterrestrial mysteries and tried to use science to explain the unexplainable. The show survived from 1993 to 2002 but quickly faltered when Duchovny went on to pursue a movie career.

Like many shows, the central premise also played on the sexual chemistry of the leads. Once this disappeared, a lot of the shows charm also disappeared. This would have been higher if it hadnt been weighed down by its over bearing story arc at times.

8 Millenium

The sibling of the X Files - Dan Carters dark FBI profiling series that surpassed the Fox/ Mulder double act. Only lasting 3 seasons but brilliant none the less, Lance Henrikson starred as Frank Black - a man with a gift to see visions of crimes. It might have got very dark in places and overly heavy on the conspiracy stuff but it was never anything but brilliant. Out of all the ones on the list, they should bring this back.

7 Quantum Leap

Starring Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett. Dr. Beckett leaps through time to inhabit the body and mind of people who have been ruined due to bad choices or dumb luck. With the help of Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) and his computer, Ziggy, he's able to right the things that went wrong. The great thing about the show is that it always combined poignancy with humour and could change every week - it wasnt limited to one time period or setting. This is what kept it fresh.

6 The Twilight Zone

Not only is "The Twilight Zone" one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever, it's one of the best shows of all time. Rod Serling hosted the show from 1959 to 1964. Each week, he featured a usually creepy, sometime witty, show that ranged from alien invaders to time travel. What made it so great was that it wasnt limited by science or horror. It was always character driven which was its real success and trademark - it was always the story of one mans (or woman) descent into hell. Brilliant and DIFFERENT each week.

5 Firefly

The show that Star Trek could have been - the wagon trail to the stars. More like a old wild west series, Forefly was an intriguing show about a crew trying to survive in a small spaceship 500 years in the future. Alas, the show ended after its first season though it showed great promise. If it had gone on longer, it would have been higher in the list. Serenity showed how good the show could have and should have been.

4 Star Trek: The Next Generation

Although it started off poorly, by its 3rd season, the show had unloaded its siblings shadow. More rounded characters, better plots and some great effects. Making Picard a contrast to Kirk was genius - the thinking mans cap, as opposed to the gung ho Shatner. Supported by a great cast, although some of them were nothing more than eye candy/ set decoration (thank you Deanna and Dr Crusher)


3 Battlestar Galactica

The new "Battlestar Galactica" gets in the top3. BG had a cutting edge style with plenty o' bad-ass characters that easily allow it to stand shoulder to shoulder with the classic "Star Trek." The show was a modern-day remake of its 1970s predecessor, but it featured more compelling story plots, a darker tone, and surprising twists and turns in almost every episode.

2 Star Trek - TOS

The original "Star Trek," which aired just three seasons from 1966-69, fell from the number 1 spot on the list to number 2. Yes, perhaps it didn't feature the best acting, or most compelling story plots, but it was a show that set the standard for future space epics since. The show is also more popular today than it was when it first ran. The show went on to inspire several movies, several spinoffs, and hordes of fans. And it had Bill Shatner in it, the collest man to ever wear a corset and rug.

1 Dr Who

The series started in 1963 and featured several men as the doctor - a time traveling, eccentric alien - and his comrades. Sure, many of the monsters were terribly cheesy, but it is a classic nonetheless. The show was canceled in 1989, made a brief return in a TV movie in 1996 and then was fully resurrected and came back into production in 2003. Since the reboot, the character has gone from strength to strength with Matt Smith now taking the lead, in what I consider to be the best incarnation yet.

I notice that Red Dwarf didn't make the list...

Loads of omissions that people will moan about I am sure:

Buffy, Lost, Stargate, Babylon 5 etc.......

Farscape would be my big one, though Red Dwarf would be there also. Would also never have Dr who anywhere near my top ten but thats just me.

Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Voyager, Seven of Nine being particularly pleasing on the eye.

I wouldn't even say there is ten good sci-fi programs out there

For me the Stargate franchise is the ultimate. First taking a concept of traveling to other planets and then integrate it in with earths ancient history is great viewing. Then in later seasons introduce the space ships. Cannot put into words how dissapointed I am they cancelled both spin off versions.

I always preferred DS9 out of the Star Trek franchise, with the others I hated how many one off episodes they ran with and often at the expense of continuity. With DS9 though it was all about the story arc and the long term plot even if a large portion of it was stolen from Babylon 5.

I would have had Buffy and Red Dwarf in my list. Great shout on Sliders and Firefly though, I love those two shows (although not seen anything of Sliders for years)

I thought the story arc from DS9 was excellent but sometimes got bogged down too much in the political aspect of it.

Sometimes, I want to see stuff blown up instead of another shadowy Cardassian meeting.

Flashforward was brilliant. What a scandal that it got canned after 1 season.

Hobo

If you are 38 as your profile says, how come you know the Twilight Zone? Has it been re-shown or what? I remember watching it FIRST TIME around!! Often scared me witless, but I still carried on watching it.

I am not so sure I would want to watch it again as probably my memory of it makes it better than it actually was. The only episode of it that I really remember was one where the guy had a camera (early sort of polaroid) where the photograph was from a few minutes in the future. He made a killing at the horse races by photographing the winning post before the Off!

roddersm wrote:Flashforward was brilliant. What a scandal that it got canned after 1 season.

Flashforward was absolute rubbish with the most wooden acting I have ever seen outside of a very very bad primary school production ...

They reshowed a lot of the old ones about 10 years ago on the SciFi channel.

The one that I remember the most was the one with Burgess Meredith (I think) where he was the only man left on the planet and had all the time in the world to read his beloved books but broke his glasses in the end.

I also grew up with the newer colour ones which were great too.

I love my old shows!

This entire sci-fi debate is insular and self serving!

I remember rerun episodes of the Twilight Zone and I'm 35, also remember stuff like Land of the Giants, Lost in Space etc.

In no particular order – the 1^st 2 may be stretching Sci-Fi to the limits of it’s definition, here’s 10 British series I loved

The Prisoner - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/prisoner/

Life on Mars - www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t85s

Joe 90 - http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/joe90.htm

Fireball XL5 - http://fireballxl5.sfdaydreams.com/

Stingray - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/anderson/stingray/

Captain Scarlet - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/anderson/scarlet/

Quatermass - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mysciencefictionlife/A16386078

Thunderbirds - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/anderson/thunderbirds/index.shtml

Torchwood - http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/torchwood

DR WHO - http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/

Although a load of the info is from the BBC a lot of these were not originally shown on BBC



Honourable mentions to the Yanks -

ALF – without whom there would be no Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALF_(TV_series)

Lost In Space - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Space

V (1980’s) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(1984_TV_series)

Remember watching Land of the Giants when I was young, think it used to get shown early mornings on C4 for a while. Twilight Zone I have on DVD along with the complete Quantum Leap collection.

Farscape is still my favourite series though.

Buffy? BUFFY?

Where's the science? Nope. Can't have it. It's a fantasy series, fiction, but not science fiction.

The Time Tunnel. Now we're talking, proper sci-fi. Hairdresser models from the 60s travel back in time and don't manage to change a single aspect of modern society even by accident.

Bill Bixby, anyone? The Incredible Hulk? I'm writing to my MP. You're all philistines.

I'll go with BSG, but I'd have both the reboot and the original, but not the 1981 version when they reach Earth, that was incredibly uberpoopie.

Firefly should be No. 1. Dr Who doesn't even get in the top ten.

Oh, and Captain Scarlet! Thunderbirds!

What's wrong with you people?!?!!?!?!???!

Love Dr Who, getting into Torchwood, loved Lost and Life on Mars. Flashforward was okay, watch the whole series, they wrote a book on it as well, which was slightly different. Saw the remake of V, but not sure what's happened with that now and I've lost touch with it a little bit.

But I'd put Dr Who in at number 1, clear daylight at 2.

robbo277 wrote:Saw the remake of V, but not sure what's happened with that now and I've lost touch with it a little bit.

It suffered from what kills many US series. They start with an excellent hook, realise they can't keep that level of excitement up for 20 episodes, and flesh out the rest of the season with episode after episode of the main characters coming to terms with their 'feelings'

Ugh.

If Futurama counts as science fiction it should be on the list,besides that I don't care for the genre.

Hear that thomond? That's the sound of no one caring. I would know. Also your point was nonsense. Mine at least had some relevance or did I come across too strong?

Anyone else a fan of Stargate?

Willy, I believe MBTGOG is a Stargate fan.

I'm not a big sci-fi fan but I remember re-runs of The Twilight Zone when I was in my teens and they were brilliant.

I've always said Munsty is a top lad.

Stargate was an excellent film and a disappointing TV series.

Just like The Dead Zone.

WillyGilly wrote:Hear that thomond? That's the sound of no one caring. I would know. Also your point was nonsense. Mine at least had some relevance or did I come across too strong

What the hell are you talking about?!

Apologies sir. Wires crossed. Humble apologies. Stargate till I die. Live long and prosper.

No mention of Space 1999?
Or Blakes 7?
Or the Tommorow People?

Or even, UFO?

No sign of Firefly or Heroes?

What about Quantum Leap? That show was awesome!

crazygangwomble wrote:What about Quantum Leap? That show was awesome!

Its in at number 7!

Hobo wrote:

crazygangwomble wrote:What about Quantum Leap? That show was awesome!

Its in at number 7!

Oh man, I need my eyes testing. So sorry, I really should pay more attention.

Please feel free to

Gregers wrote:No sign of Firefly or Heroes?

Firefly came in at 5. Still working my way through the DVD box set (also have Serenity).

Not sure about Heroes though. Where do superheroes fit in (other than they usually gain their powers through some kind of freakish lab accident or experimentation)?


I'd also have Andromeda in there, but thats just 'cause I have a thing for Lexa Doig and Lisa Ryder.


Does Sanctuary count as sci-fi? If so thats also in my list.

dyrewolfe wrote:Not sure about Heroes though. Where do superheroes fit in (other than they usually gain their powers through some kind of freakish lab accident or experimentation)?

I'd allow Heroes based on the genetic research angle of the original plot.

Wouldn't be top 10, though.