From the dawn of television until now, there have been many sci-fi shows that have challenged our minds and cultivated our imaginations. The genre continues to be a favorite to this day, as more and more shows defy the way we think about life and everything else that may or may not exist around us. There have been many sci-fi shows in the past and there are many sci-fi shows now that could easily be the best shows ever. But given that we’re only talking about the sci-fi genre, here are the top 10 sci-fi TV shows of all-time.
1. Doctor Who
It’s really hard to beat this show. Besides the fact that the show has been going on since 1963, there are so many things about Doctor Who that make it to be one of the most unique TV shows that have ever been created. Doctor Who’s premise allows it to just go on and on, and it can literally go on forever if it could.
2. The X-Files
The X-Files is the type of show that really makes people think. This brought the alien culture into the mainstream, and fans everywhere know and believe that the truth is really out there. The show lasted for 9 seasons after starting in 1993, but it has recently been revived after fans waited for so long. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully will both be remembered forever as the two toughest agents to have ever fought alien monsters before.
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation
For us, this was the best Star Trek cast ever. Under Patrick Stewart’s leadership and management, this group of unique characters that ran the Enterprise-D was the richest and most influential cast of its time.
4. Battlestar Galactica
This impressive reboot was unique in comparison to other sci-fi shows in that they kept the tech to a minimum. You may ask, what’s sci-fi without the tech? Battlestar Galactica turned sci-fi into an action-packed, military grit of a show. The reboot may have only lasted 5 seasons, but it was enough to tell a great story and close it just in time.
5. The Twilight Zone
When it comes to mystery and the supernatural, there are no other sci-fi shows out there that could compare to The Twilight Zone. The eerie opening music alone is enough to make us all just a little apprehensive. When you watch Twilight Zone, you know that something wicked is coming in the end.
6. Star Trek: The Original Series
This was the show that made the franchise legendary and iconic. This was the original crew, after all, and everything Star Trek is today finds its roots in this original series. The original Kirk-Spock-Bones combo of Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley will forever be the original and the best on television.
7. The Prisoner
Part weird, part scary–this 1960s British show was something out of a surrealist’s dream. The Prisoner was so trippy that it almost doesn’t come across as sci-fi, but this show is as sci-fi as it gets. Besides, the British accent was something that you just had to hear over and over again during that time. Blame it all on Patrick McGoohan and his characters.
8. Twin Peaks
Some might argue that this David Lynch masterpiece can’t be considered a sci-fi film because it lacked majority of the sci-fi tropes. However short-lived the show was, it was full of supernatural experiences that only a true sci-fi can achieve.
9. The Outer Limits
Very similar to its counterpart, The Twilight Zone, this show was probably always dubbed the copycat and therefore relegated second best. However, The Outer Limits had its own strengths. In comparison, this show was actually more traditionally outlined as a sci-fi rather than its counterpart. It touched on so many sci-fi tropes such as time travel and interplanetary adventures.
10. Firefly
Some people may very well put this show on the top of the list, but really, it’s all in the preference. This was one of Whedon’s brilliant works, and it touched upon futurism like no other shows before it. Firefly was all about survival, and this cast did an amazing job of portraying the stories of the characters that were all produced out of order.
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