Stacker has compiled a list of the top fifty science fiction TV shows of all time. Personally, I don’t agree with their choices. I’m not even sure they know what science fiction is. I’m curious what the fans of SciFi.Radio think. I realize there are a lot of more important issues in the world, but this kind of arbitrary stuff just gets me.
The ancient Romans said: de gustibus non disputandum est. There’s no accounting for taste. Ask a dozen sci-fi fans their favorite TV shows, and you’ll get at least twelve different answers. In fact, it’s said that if you laid all the science fiction fans in the world end to end, they still wouldn’t reach a conclusion.
I would like to know who they interviewed. The tastes reflected on this list seem to skew to younger fans, and consist mostly of cartoons, and mostly on streaming services or cable channels, not “real TV.”
- #1Rick and Morty (2013 – present)
- #2 Firefly (2002 – 2003)
- #3 Batman: The Animated Series (1992 – 1995)
- #4 Cowboy Bebop (1998 – 1999)
- #5 Gravity Falls (2012 – 2016)
- #6 Black Mirror (2011-present)
- #7 The Mandalorian (2019 – present)
- #8 One Punch Man (2015)
- #9 Stein’s Gate (2011 – 2015)
- #10. Stranger Things (2016–present)
Please note that everything but one in the Top Ten is from the 21st century. No time-tested classics.
- #11. Westworld (2016–2022)
- #12. The Boys (2019–present)
- #13. Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)
- #14. Dragon Ball Z (1996–2003)
- #15. Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006)
- #16. Daredevil (2015–2018)
- #17. Doctor Who (2005–present)
- #18. The X-Files (1993–2018)
- #19. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
- #20. Adventure Time (2010–2018)
- #21. Young Justice (2010 – 2022)
- #22. The Expanse (2015–2022) (2010–2022)
- #23. Love, Death & Robots (2019-present)
- #24. Dragon Ball (1995–2003)
- #25. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996)
- #26. Samurai Jack (2001–2017)
- #27. The Venture Bros. (2003–2018)
- #28. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999)
- #29. Fringe (2008–2013)
- #30. Futurama (1999–2013)
- #31. The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2022)
- #32 Person of Interest (2011-2016)
- #33. The Legend of Korra (2012–2014)
- #34 Stargate SG-1 (1997 – 2007)
- #35 Utopia (2013-2014)
- #36 X-Men the Animated Series (1992-1997)
- #37 Dr. Who (1963-1989)
- #38. Red Dwarf (1988–1999; 2009-present)
- #39 Regular Show (2009 -2017)
- #40 Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998)
- #41 Violet Evergarden (2008)
- #42 Lost (2004-2010)
- #43 Sense8 (2015-2018)
- #44 Orphan Black (2013 – 2017)
- #45 Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)
- #46 Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008- 2020)
- #47 Forever (2014-2015)
- #48 Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (2016-2017)
- #49 Final Space (2018-2021)
- #50 Life on Mars (2006 – 2007)
Opinions are like bellybuttons. Everyone has them. I did not expect to agree with everything on this list, and I didn’t. However I was disappointed neither Blake’s Seven (1978 – 1981) nor Babylon 5 (1994 – 1998) made the list. I was not surprised that The Powers of Matthew Star (1982-1983) didn’t make the list: it was mostly watched by young females who thought Peter Barton was cute and Sci-Fi fans who were so desperate for any sci-fi that they’d watchdreck if it was at least Sci-Fi-adjacent.. With so many cartoons making the list, I was surprised that neither Power Rangers RPM (2009) nor Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys (1996 – 1997) made the list.
I didn’t expect Captain Z-Ro (1951 – 1953) to make the list and it didn’t. No Space Rangers (1993), no Quantum Leap (1989 – 1993) nor the rebooted series Quantum Leap (2022 – present) No Thunderbirds (1965-1966), no Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999). No Quark (1977 -1978), of course; few people remember Quark.
The people who assembled this list don’t seem to like time travel. Neither did Time Tunnel (1966 – 1967), and neither version of Quantum Leap (1989 – 1993 or (1989 – 1993) made the list. They don’t seem too fond of underwater adventures, either, given the way they snubbed Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964 – 1968), Sealab 2020 (1972), and seaQuest DSV (1993 – 1996).
Batman: The Animated Series was a good action-adventure show, but why did it make the list of Top 50 Sci-Fi Shows when its futuristic sequel, Batman Beyond (1999 – 2001) didn’t? The Orville (2017 – 2022), which was extremely popular while it lasted, also didn’t make the list.
Query: Why is Red Dwarf counted as a cohesive whole when Dr, Who is divided into classic and reboot? And how did nuWho get ranked above Classic Dr. Who? As the saying goes, “Inquiring minds want to know,” Why didn’t Twilight Zone or Outer Limits make the list at all? In what sane world does Gravity Falls rank above Twilight Zone? Yes, I know, Sol III isn’t a sane world and hasn’t been for some time.
Did your favorite shows make the List of Top Fifty Sci-Fi TV Shows? If not, which shows do you think they should have included. The Invaders (1967 – 1968) isn’t there. Neither Buck Rogers show is listed, not Buck Rogers (1950 – 1951). not Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979 – 1981). Matthew Millheiser said in 2004: ” I won’t even begin to argue that Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a great show, but it was certainly a fun one.” Should the list have concentrated more on shows that were fun? For the most part, it doesn’t seem to be leaning toward Hugo and Saturn winners.
What TV shows do you think should have made the list? Let’s talk about it in the comments section below. What do you think?
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
I certainly agree that individual opinions vary. In this case, Stacker, which has a reputation for accuracy, seems to going by fans who responded. I, like you, noticed that all of the top 10 you listed here are 21st century or very, very close to it.
People tend to be attached to things they grew up with. My suspicion is that most of the respondents are in their 20s or younger. This list bears little similarity to similar lists done by RottenTomatoes., IMDb, Space, and RollingStone.
I have to agree with the above comment that it’s probably a generational thing. Stacker does tend to attract a younger audience than say my generation (53 on Sunday), and a lot of the shows that Susan wonders about not being included are obscure due to age or in cases like Babylon 5, not having been seen on television since their original runs. The higher number of animated shows also reflects this, as, quite honestly, some of the best science fiction and fantasy programming today is animated- e.g. Legend of Korra, Clone Wars, and Cowboy Bebop. I do have a few that I wonder about, myself. For example, why doesn’t Classic Trek end up much higher on the list, considering that it is still considered one of the most ground breaking shows ever made.
I don’t agree. Despite this list feature a wide array of animation series, it has some oversights including:
• ‘Batman Beyond’ (3 seasons, 52 episodes – 1999 to 2001) should have also made this list featuring one of the most recent and effective reinventions to the DC Universe mythos in decades. As one of the crowning jewels to the Animated DC Universe of programs which included ‘Batman and Superman the Animated Adventures’, as well as the ‘Justice League’ and the ‘Justice League Unlimited’, which were also the finest DC writing to come out of DC’s intellectual property in decades. Their exclusion is a clear oversight of one of the tentpoles of animated superheroic adventure.
• ‘Steven Universe’ (2013-2019) — Five seasons, 180 episodes – Steven Universe is the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (Zach Callison), who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral-based aliens named Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno Hall)—in the fictional town of Beach City. This sometimes musical space adventure featuring the titular Steven Universe, son of a rebel Gem, Rose Quartz, and his aging father Greg, a former wannabe rock star as Steven learns the truth about both sides of his heritage, inheriting the music and the stars as he grows into adulthood with his extended and diverse family. Created by Rebecca Sugar.
• Star vs The Forces of Evil (2015-2019) — Four seasons, 77 episodes (140 segments) – a teen portal fantasy featuring Princess Star Butterfly, exchange student and problem child shuttled off to another dimension, an Earthlike planet where she is befriended by Marco Diaz, an earnest and adventurous scholar in need of real adventure. Their two worlds crash into each other as hidden histories reveal the unexpected burden of history in their magical realm of Mewni. Star vs. the Forces of Evil is an American animated magical girl television series created by Daron Nefcy and developed by Jordana Arkin and Dave Wasson, which aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
These shows come highly recommended and are some of my personal favorites, for their quality of writing, deftness of artwork and overall character development. If this were my list, I would have separated the work by type (animated vs live) and genre (fantasy vs science fiction) for a more meaningful listing since all of these different genres don’t (in my mind) always compare favorably. Perhaps when I recover from feasting New Year’s Day, I shall provide my own top 50 television shows of speculative and fantastic fiction.