Top 50 Science Fiction Television Shows of all time...

as chosen by boston.com's entertainment staff.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/gallery/topscifishows/

Things of Note:
No 14: ST Voyager
No 5: Babylon 5: " Some may compare it to "Star Trek DS-9" but with a better plot and cast - you be the judge"
No 3 ST TNG
No 2 Star Trek
No 1 Battlestar Galactica (new)

When I saw Voyager was 14 I thought, okay DS9 must be in the top 5 or something. I was very surprised to see that it was completely missing from the list. I am not a Niner, but even I think that borders on blasphemy (But at least they put Moore's New Galatica as No. 1)

Also missing is Farscape.

Its Interesting that the staff included several superhero television shows, such as various incarnations of Superman and Wonderwoman. Do you consider those SF shows?

 

how can they frakkin' forget frellin' Farscape!?
Farscape should have been in the top 10

otherwise I agree with the list

 

Go TNG! Go Voyager!

Go X-Files!

And go BSG, too.


Janeway's name is written incorrectly, but otherwise this pleases my eyes very much:

 

I agree with nuBSG coming in on the number one spot, obviously . But yeah, having VOY but not DS9 seems very odd to me.

On another note, my antivirus software is kicking up on those pages. I get a HTML/Infected.WebPage.Gen warning. Is it just me? I'm using AntiVir, by the way.

 

My antivirus (F-Secure) didn't say anything.

 

I very strongly disagree with the new BSG at number 1. How can you put this show, whose themes are very derivative of past sci-fi shows (Moore's writing pulls directly from his experience with TNG) above the classic shows that came up with these types of ideas first. Twilight Zone needs to be in at least the top 5, and I would put the original Star Trek, for its influence on pop culture (for over 40 years!) as number 1. BSG is great, but just doesn't come close (IMO). And have we forgotton how freaking good TNG was? I would almost argue that TNG should be first, if it too wasn't built upon the backs of earlier material. DS9 not even making the list makes the list a complete farse anyway.

 

Ten years from now NUBSG will be so forgotten, especially after that silly ending, it wont even crack the top ten...

STAR TREK-TWILITE ZONE, in either order, will always be 1 and 2. Any poll that doesn't reflect that is just following the 'modern' trends of the day....anything else after those two doesn't really matter. And I would actually consider ALL star treks under one banner, which to me, puts it over TWILITE ZONE. But even if ZONE was #1 I'm cool with that too because it was a great show...

Anything else? Firefly--nuBSG--Farscape--BAB 5 are all pretenders to the crown!!!

Rob

 

Here's a list I have maintained and updated for over a decade.

Best live-action SF (not fantasy)TV shows of all time:

1. STNG- Still the best combination of all the elements that make ST great. It maintained the much of the topicality of TOS while adding more sophisticated drama and technical superiority.

2. TOS- Possibly packed more allegory into it's stories than any other SF show in history. This show is a classic because of stories that can be watched repeatedly with the viewer coming away with something each time. The best paced, most adventurous ST show of all. Only the third season keeps this one from ranking first. Re-mastered editon helps this show keep pace with other SF that has followed the original, and made it even better!

3. Twilight Zone- TOS's greatest competition as a show with deeper meaning, though it was not strictly SF. The acting is terrific, atmosphere eerie, and stories top notch. Serling is one of the greatest teleplay writers that ever lived, and the dialogue is dense and satisfying for multiple viewings.

4. Outer Limits- The purest SF show in history. Explored scientific extrapolation in a very mature way for it's time and medium, and it always showed the advancement as it related to humanity. Actually more mature in it's scientific view than the new OL.

5. STDS9- The black sheep of the ST family, but also the most complex dramatically and politically. Only scattershot comedies, a mediocre 2nd season, and a somewhat disappointing final season keep this one from ranking higher. Best seasons: 4-6...as good a 3 year span as ANY show.

6. Lost-While not as spellbinding as early seasons, this maddening show has become even more SF themed in later seasons, and I really still want to know what's going on!

7. Heroes-Engrossing first season and I probably would have ranked it ahead of Lost at that point. Still a good show.

8. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- While not nearly as good as the book, this still has enough satirical laughs for a dozen regular TV shows. Everyone should aee this at least once.

9. Twilight Zone(1980s)- This show lacked the same consistent human commentary of the first, but contained so many excellent episodes I have to rank it here. Won numerous industry and genre creative awards.

10. New Outer Limits(1990s)- More paranoiac cautionary tales than the first show, but also great acting, clever episodes about contemporary scientific advances, and episodes with a lot of emotional impact. The 2nd best SF show that began life in the 90s.

11. Doctor Who(2005+)- I fun romp punctuated with some dark moments that continues the best traditions of the original, imperfect series and melds it with 21st century sensibilities.

12. Babylon 5- Instant mythology and good intentions but imperfect execution. Still one of the better attempts at space opera ever.

13. Battlestar Galactica (2003+)-Mainly on the strength of its first 2 seasons and its contribution to the genre on TV the last few years.

14. Star Cops- A mature, intelligent look at early 21st century policing of the newly emerging space race. Terrifically complex drama, and good FX for a BBC show.

15. Blake's 7- More than meets the eye. It is an adventure show but with a decidely un-Treklike bent--the heroes are criminals. Took the anti-hero to new heights in SF TV in the 70s.

16. Enterprise-A show that improved almost every year! Excellent production values and stellar 3rd and 4th seasons makes this one a winner and no doubt would have ranked higher with a 3rd season of momentum.

17. Max Headroom- Short-lived, and ahead of its time. It never quite fulfilled it's promise, but no show on American TV has ever been so unconventional. Some nice commentary on the media and it's impact on society.

EDIT: Oh I JUST read the website list after I posted this...um no...Logan's Run and Xena????

 

@ Number One

Not only that, but people are going to laugh at it as being one of the biggest pranks in the history of storytelling.

Where other see "great writing" I see prime fodder for MST3k.

 

Oh please. BSG will be remembered for a long time. Such a popular show ain't gonna be forgotten just like that. BSG may even set some standards to future sci-fi series.

Since when has DS9 been the black sheep of the ST family?

 

The fact that DS9 isn't on the list and nuBSG tops it point to what an ill conceived rush job the list was.

I've watched every episode of nuBSG and loved it for a while. But it raised its own bar too high and got mired down in its own ambitions of greatness by Season 3.

I'm a huge fan of both B5 and DS9. And to say that B5 was the better acted of the two is quite the distortion of reality.

 

It was only popular by default. There are lots of sci-fi fans and not a lot of sci-fi. Everyone became so starved that they began to raid the dumpster.

What standards are those? Excessive use of the steady cam?

 

Ummm...maybe we are confusing BSGs...oldBSG will remembered and remain far more popular, over time, than nuBSG simply because more people saw oldBSG.... 4million for nuBSG....30million for oldBSG...

nuBSG's memory is further in jeopardy because of the arc nature of the program...I can't wait to see how many 'local affiliates' even show it in rerun....so far no takers here in San Diego...yet BSG lived for years in syndication..

Yes...nuBSG had better writing and a more mature feel to it..but so what? So does MASTERPIECE THEATRE...did anyone watch it? no....How can a show be popular if no one watched it?

Rob

 

That's debatable...

 

After that last episode? You may have a point. I thought the first and second season of nuBSG were pretty good. They had something going. But when they started going "LOST flashback" on us in the final episodes I'm like "COME ON...WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!?"

Oh well...you cant please everyone all the time...

Rob

 

Damn straight

As for BSG, I get the feeling that 10 years from now, the same people who say the show crashed and burned/lost viewers/became a joke won't change their minds any more than the people who say the show is legendary/memorable/set the new standard for sci-fi, no matter what evidence for either side says.

 

Being one of the first group of "THOSE"; I agree..its all really a matter of opinion...and its cool. Thats what makes us human, and its what makes Boards like this one live on...

Rob

 

The average person doesn't even know that the Old or Nu BSG ever existed. Nothing against BSG, but seriously TOS should have been #1. It is a classic that has stood the test of time and still continues to affect people. Old BSG had very little influence, and Nu BSG hasn't been around nearly long enough to judge.

This list is kind of silly, because I don't think there are even 20 really great sci-fi TV shows in the entire existence of television!