From deep space to the spooky and paranormal, the evolution of science fiction television has been a long time coming. For decades, sci-fi was scoffed at as a genre, but in the last twenty years it has grown leaps and bounds, blending into reality and prompting humanity to reach for the stars and question the very fabric of reality.
5. The Twilight Zone
My very first introduction to science fiction was The Twilight Zone, which originally aired on CBS in 1959. Exploring a number of paranormal concepts, little green men, and journeys into space, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone set the bar for a number of science fiction television shows which would follow in the future.
4.
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Star Trek: TOS (The Original Series)
The first Star Trek series originally aired on the NBC network in 1966. While I’m sure there are a number of people who would disagree with my placement of the original series into the #4 slot, I don’t deny that Star Trek was a pioneer space drama that contributed to the evolution of science fiction television more anyone could have ever dreamed. I used to watch Star Trek on PBS every Saturday night with my dad growing up, and it is truly one of my fondest memories from childhood. The series still airs in syndicate on cable, and spawned an animated series and four successful spin-off series as well.
3. The X-Files
Chris Carter’s sci-fi phenomenon, The X-Files began airing on FOX network in 1993. Ranking in the #3 position, The X-Files ran for nine seasons and explored a secret division of the FBI that investigated paranormal activity. With a back story hovering over the notion of a government and alien collaborated conspiracy, the series dazzled viewers with its realistic approach to scoffed at concepts like vampirism, ghosts and little green men.
2. Doctor Who
Along with old episodes of Star Trek, my dad also watched reruns of Doctor Who on PBS every Saturday night. This series about the last survivor of the Timelord race who travels through space and time saving worlds and races from imminent disaster and extinction began its original run in 1963 and continued on until 1989. Its twenty-six straight run was made possible by the Doctor’s ability to regenerate, rather than die. With the show’s revival in 2005, the Doctor has endured ten regenerations and been portrayed by ten different actors, and comes in at the #2 slot in the top five sci-fi shows of all time.
1. Battlestar Galactica (the re-imagined series)
In 2003, the SciFi (Syfy) channel aired the mini-series for Battlestar Galactica. Based loosely on the original Battlestar Galactica series from the 1970s, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick hold the title for #1 sci-fi show of all time. The duo brought a human face and sense of realism to television science fiction that would change the genre forever. After humanity’s enemy, the Cylons, execute nuclear war on the entire Twelve Colonies, the remaining 50,000 human survivors are forced to flee into space in search of a new home for humanity to settle on. With the series often coinciding with current politics and affairs, it created atmosphere and intensity that reeled in millions of viewers for every episode. As the series wound down in mid-2009, it will leave many a viewer wanting for years to come. The standalone prequel series, Caprica, which comes to Syfy in January 2010, looks promising, but has pretty big shoes to fill if it wants to compete with its predecessor. On a final note, there is yet another remake in the works, by Glen Larson (original creator) to push the Battlestar Galactica story to the big screen.
Comments
Sin526
February 25th, 2010 - 11:17:26 PM
What?! No Stargate at all! What the fuck were you guys smoking?!
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