What if we could have a more advanced space travel? What if we could transport ourselves through time? What if communication with aliens was a daily reality and supernatural forces from other dimensions found their way to our planet? Science fiction TV shows—same as science fiction books before them—answer these questions to satiate our curiosity.
Science fiction, or sci-fi for short, is a vast genre that combines various separate genres: time travel, space exploration, extraterrestrial life, supernatural activity, parallel universes, sentient machines and technologies, and many more. One thing they all have in common is that they try to imagine how life would have been if a certain concept, most frequently related to science and technology, would have existed.
The first space TV show aired as far back as 1950. It was called Space Patrol and was initially targeted at children. But soon the adventures of its main character Commander-in-Chief Buzz Corry and his sidekick Cadet Happy gathered a considerable adult audience. The show continued to run for five consecutive years and often ranked in the top 10 Saturday shows.
Of course, modern science fiction TV shows have come a long way, and today’s series look nothing like 80s or even 90s sci-fi shows. We have compiled a list of some of the best sci-fi series from various decades. Which ones have you already seen? Do you agree with our rating?
#1 Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987 | First-run syndication | Seasons: 7
Shows about space have always enjoyed large popularity among the audience, and we have quite a few on our list, Star Trek being one of them. Even if you have never watched a single episode of this show, you have definitely heard about it. It is one of the largest franchises that includes both feature films and television series that last anywhere from one to as many as seven seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the TV series. It is set one century after the original series and follows the adventures of an all-new crew aboard the iconic starship Enterprise.
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#2 The X-Files
The X-Files
1993 | Fox | Seasons: 11
Not all paranormal activities turn into a nice journey through space. Sometimes they end up as a crime scene requiring investigation. If this is a storyline you could get behind, you should definitely watch The X-Files. When agent Fox Mulder starts suspecting the involvement of extraterrestrial forces in several cases, he is partnered with a medical doctor, Dana Scully, who is supposed to check the scientific credibility of his discoveries. Working together on many improbable cases, Mulder and Scully come to unravel an even bigger conspiracy. The X-Files is rightfully considered a classic among alien TV shows, and this probably explains why it remains popular among viewers even after it was closed.
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#3 Doctor Who
Doctor Who
2005 | BBC One | Seasons: 13
Doctor Who is one of, if not the most long-running TV shows in Britain. The first episode of the original installment was aired in 1963, and the show ran continuously until 1989 when it was closed down. However in 2005 it was brought back to life and very soon became a global sensation. Same as the original, the revived series tells the story of an alien Time Lord, who goes by the name of The Doctor, has two hearts and regenerates with a completely different appearance after each cycle. Together with his companions, he travels in a blue police box with the sole purpose of helping those in distress. If you need protection, he will find you on any planet, in any century, because time is actually not linear, it’s wibbly wobbly, timey wimey… stuff.
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#4 Firefly
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#5 Star Trek
Star Trek
1966 | NBC | Seasons: 3
Another entry from the Star Trek franchise on our list, this one laid the foundation for the future popularity of the show. After the show expanded into multiple films and series, the 1966 edition received the name of Star Trek: The Original Series. Together with the classic cast of the first crew, we embark on a journey around the Milky Way, as they explore new worlds and civilizations.
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#6 Stranger Things
Stranger Things
2016 | Netflix | Seasons: 4
If you are in search of a show that will cater to your ’80s childhood nostalgia, pay homage to Stephen King novels, include an evil corporation conducting experiments on humans, and open up a whole other dimension housing an unspeakable monster, seek no more. Stranger Things checks off every item on that list and delivers magnificently on all of them. A fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana wakes up from its perpetual slumber when a number of inexplicable events start to happen. What first seemed to be a pretty obvious missing child case soon turns into a quest involving paranormal activity and monsters from another world. Stranger Things is often called one of the best series on Netflix for its formidable storytelling and character development.
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#7 Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Battlestar Galactica
2004 | Sci-Fi | Seasons: 4
In 2004, American screenwriter and producer Ronald D. Moore revived a popular ’70s military sci-fi TV show Battlestar Galactica, with the new series following the general premise of the original. In the distant future, a human civilization living on a group of planets, known as The Twelve Colonies, were attacked and almost destroyed by a race of android robots. The very few survivors fled the Colonies. Led by the only remaining military spaceship, Battlestar Galactica, they embark on a journey to find the legendary thirteenth colony, also sometimes called Earth.
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#8 Black Mirror
Black Mirror
2011 | Netflix | Seasons: 5
The problems of modern society and culture have been the subject of many works of fiction, but Black Mirror manages to have a fresh take on it. This anthology TV show is set in dystopian societies of the near future, and each episode is a social commentary on one of the common traits of contemporary culture. While having a recurring theme, Black Mirror doesn’t have a common arc developing throughout a season. Each episode is a standalone story and can be watched in any order. This is great if you don’t have enough time and watch the show with big pauses between episodes.
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#9 The Twilight Zone
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#10 Futurama
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#11 Fringe
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#12 Lost
Lost
2004 | ABC | Seasons: 6
Lost starts off as a modern Robinson Crusoe story. A commercial jet airliner crashes on its route from Sydney to Los Angeles, and its passengers find themselves on an island in the Pacific Ocean. As the unsuspecting audience expects to see a story of survival, a fight for resources, and rivalry for leadership, the equally unsuspecting characters realize that there is more to the island than first catches the eye. Very soon it becomes clear that the island is inhabited by mysterious supernatural forces, and the struggle for survival becomes even more difficult. During its lifetime, Lost often received appreciation from critics. It was also one of the most expensive TV shows, due to a large ensemble cast and filming on location in Hawaii.
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#13 Quantum Leap
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#14 The Outer Limits
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#15 Westworld
Westworld
2016 | HBO | Seasons: 4
Just a few decades from now, a large American corporation builds several theme parks, including one based on the American Wild West, suitably called Westworld. The main attractions of this park are biochemical robots known as hosts. Indistinguishable from humans, these robots are designed to engage in any act of violence or sexual behavior the visitors require of them in their pursuit of the Wild West experience. Hosts, who can’t feel pain or emotions, get their memories wiped after finishing their work with each guest. Until one day a new update is implemented, and some of the hosts start remembering their past traumatic experiences…
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#16 The Expanse
The Expanse
2015 | Syfy | Seasons: 6
The Expanse is an adaptation of a series of novels by James S.A. Corey. Several centuries from the present, the human race has moved beyond the limits of planet Earth and has colonized the entire Solar System. The fragile peace—which in reality is more of a cold war—is held together by three powers: the United Nations of Earth and Luna, the Martian Congressional Republic, and the Outer Planet Alliance. A UN executive, a police detective, a spaceship officer, and his crew never expected to uncover, let alone find themselves in the center of a conspiracy that endangers whatever peaceful existence is still left, but now they have to navigate through it, while also dealing with an existential crisis caused by the discovery of previously unseen alien technology.
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#17 Orphan Black
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#18 Babylon 5
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#19 Red Dwarf
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#20 Counterpart
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#21 Humans
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#22 Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
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#23 Stargate SG-1
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#24 Torchwood
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#25 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
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#26 Farscape
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#27 The Umbrella Academy
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#28 Eureka
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#29 Star Trek: Voyager
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#30 SeaQuest DSV
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#31 Russian Doll
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#32 Star Trek: Discovery
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#33 Sliders
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#34 Warehouse 13
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#35 Altered Carbon
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#36 Star Trek: Enterprise
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#37 Stargate Atlantis
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#38 Dark Matter
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#39 The 4400
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#40 The Prisoner
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#41 Dollhouse
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#42 V
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#43 Lost In Space
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#44 The Twilight Zone
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#45 The Mandalorian
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#46 Rick And Morty
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#47 Dark Angel
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#48 Logan’s Run
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#49 The 100
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#50 Cowboy Bebop
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#51 Alien Nation
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#52 DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow
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#53 Max Headroom
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#54 Blake’s 7
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#55 The Man In The High Castle
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#56 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
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#57 Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams
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#58 Knight Rider
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#59 Battlestar Galactica (1978)
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#60 Planet Of The Apes
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#61 Travelers
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#62 The OA
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#63 Loki
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#64 Sense8
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#65 Better Off Ted
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#66 Falling Skies
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#67 Mystery Science Theater 3000
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#68 Buck Rogers In The 25th Century
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#69 Aeon Flux
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#70 Space: Above And Beyond
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#71 Land Of The Lost
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#72 Andromeda
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#73 Astro Boy
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#74 The Rain
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#75 Caprica
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#76 Space: 1999
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#77 Continuum
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#78 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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#79 Lost In Space
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#80 War Of The Worlds
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#81 Lexx
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#82 V: The Final Battle
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#83 Under The Dome
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#84 Voltron: Legendary Defender
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#85 Dark
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#86 Devs
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#87 Archive 81
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#88 Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return
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#89 Colony
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#90 Now And Again
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#91 Timeless
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#92 12 Monkeys
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#93 Foundation
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#94 The Silent Sea
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#95 Away
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#96 Watchmen
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#97 Millennium
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#98 Wynonna Earp
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#99 Invincible
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#100 Into The Night
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