Space, time travel, alternate realities, a future held in check by evil robots… Wow! The last decade has provided an abundance of exciting shows for science fiction fans, and even picked up a few mainstream television watchers as well. Thanks to advances in technology, we’ve long-since evolved from the easily dated sets of shows like the original Star Trek and Doctor Who, into a convincing futuristic atmosphere that placates the wild imagination’s quest for the great beyond.

There have been numerous series that tickled the sci-fi lover’s fancy over the last ten years, so let’s strap into the time machine and revisit the top five series of the decade.

#5 – Firefly

Despite the fact that Joss Whedon’s space western, Firefly only lasted for one season, it captured the imagination of millions of viewers and went on to become a cult-favorite.

It won numerous awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Visual Special Effects, and was nominated for two Hugo awards. Followed up by the cinematic production, Serenity, Firefly contained everything Whedon fans came to expect from his work, including an intriguing plot, resonating characters and witty dialogue. When the Fox network announced the cancellation of the series, die-hard fans banded together to try and raise money to keep it on the air through another network, but their efforts failed.

#4 – Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Following the events that took place after the James Cameron film, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, TSCC picks up with mother, Sarah Connor and her teenage son, John on the run again. Despite having destroyed the possibility of Skynet’s existence, some detail fell through the cracks, and the terminators are back. Protected by a female terminator named Cameron, sent by John himself from the future, Sarah and John must find the missing link that allows Skynet’s creation and destroy it before it’s too late. Despite high ratings and rabid fan enthusiasm, the series was canceled in its second season without explanation, and fans still campaign for its return.

#3 – StarGate SG-1

Picking up where the 1994 film, Stargate, left off, SG-1 launched the Stargate franchise, which would eventually encompass a cartoon series, a follow-up film and two series spin-offs. A series of military officers travel between galaxies in the universe via Stargate portals. During their travels, they discover a universal enemy named the Goa’uld, who once transported human slaves from Earth to locations all throughout the universe. Enjoying a healthy, ten-season run between its original broadcast network, Showtime and eventually Syfy, SG-1 has a wide fan base and won numerous Gemini and Leo Awards, and was nominated for several Emmys and Hugos as well.

#2 – Doctor Who

No matter who portrays him, it would certainly seem that you can’t keep the good Doctor down. Having gone through ten incarnations int the last forty-five years, and being named the longest running science fiction series in history by the Guinness Book of World Records, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant breathed life and popularity back into the snoozing BBC series in 2005. The 2005 relaunch of the series inspired five spin-offs, from Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures to two cartoon series: K-9 and Totally Doctor Who. With limitless possibilities between space and time travel thanks to the TARDIS, the Doctor and his ongoing collection of companions will continue on into the next decade, with Tennant handing over the reigns to up and coming actor, Matt Smith.

#1 – Battlestar Galactica

Anyone who knows me, knows this was a given! There wasn’t a lot of hope when Syfy announced the four hour mini-series pilot for Battlestar Galactica, the re-imagined series inspired by the 1970s television show of the same name. There was a wide amount of complaining about the quirky renegade pilot, Starbuck, being played by a woman, and *gasp* the Cylons looked like humans. Then the mini-series aired in 2003, gripping audiences so tight, escape from the identifiable plot and characters would become virtually impossible. As a rag-tag handful of survivors (from a colony of twelve planets destroyed by mankind’s self-made Cylon enemy,) travel through space in search of a new home, they must also shake the powerful hold of the Cylons if they want to survive. As man and machine battle for a dominant place in the universe, they discover their similarities are far greater than their differences. With strong political, social and religious commentary backing the plot, the characters in the series became so identifiable, one couldn’t help but tune in to find out what mind-boggling tricks directors Ronald Moore and David Eicke had up their sleeves each week. Winning multiple awards, and receiving several nominations throughout the six-year course of its run, the series wound down in the spring of 2009.

No matter where your science fiction allegiances lie, one can only hope that continued advances in technology carry us, as fans and viewers alike, to those places far outside the reach of the imagination and closer to the realization of our starry dreams.