On conservative estimate, I’ve seen an alarming 1288 episodes of sci-fi TV. To put my time to good use, here’s a list of my ten favourite shows – hopefully you’ll find something on here that interests you.
10. Red Dwarf (1988 – Present)
What it’s About: A mining ship home to the last survivor of mankind and his oddball inhuman crewmates.
Why I Love it: One of the funniest shows I’ve watched – sci-fi or not. Though varying in quality, Red Dwarf succeeds by the chemistry of its leads and the alternatively clever and insanely stupid comedy.
Favourite Episode: Meltdown (S4:E6)
“Mr. Fibble is very cross.”
9. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020 – Present)
What it’s About: Low-level crewman on the USS Cerritos bickering, bonding, and complaining as they travel the galaxy.
Why I Love it: One of a few shows (alongside Community) that succeeds at being a parody, loving homage, and a great show all in its own right. Lower Decks overcame its growing pains within the first few episodes and has remained consistently hilarious ever since – while also maintaining strong character arcs. The best Star Trek show since . . . well, more on that later.
Favourite Episode: No Small Parts (S1:E10)
“It’s always weird revisiting planets from the TOS era.”
“TOS?”
“It’s what I call the 2260s. Stands for ‘those old scientists’ – You know, Spock, Scotty, those guys. Seems like they were stumbling on crazy new aliens every week back then.”
8. Doctor Who Reboot (2005 – Present)
What it’s About: An immortal called ‘The Doctor’ swapping faces and gaining friends in his never-ending adventures in time and space.
Why I Love it: One of the first shows I really got into and loved. From adventure to commentary to comedy, Doctor Who at its best delivers great stories rooted in aspirational characters. I gave up during Chibnall’s tenure and am unbelievably excited to see Davies’ return and subsequent much needed budget infusion.
Favourite Episode: Vincent and the Doctor (S5:E10)
“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!”
7. Dark (2017-2020)
What it’s About: Mysterious happenings in the quiet town of Winden bringing its citizens togethers in ways no one could have expected.
Why I Love it: The only show here that I’ve not finished, but undeniably one of the best. Dark expertly manages its large cast and sprawling narrative amid an atmosphere of unceasing dread and tension while delivering some of the most shocking reveals on TV.
Favourite Episode: Endings and Beginnings (S2:E8)
“Sic mundus creates est.”
6. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1993)
What it’s About: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D encountering the unbelievable and all too real in a galaxy of infinite diversity.
Why I Love it: TNG taught me the true power of science-fiction: to confront the issues of day in the unfamiliar milieus of imagined tomorrows. Despite a saddening number of unwatchable episodes, when TNG was good it was damn excellent; Captain Picard remains one of my favourite fictional characters ever. It inspired my life-long love of Star Trek – and my internet username.
Favourite Episode: Darmok (S5:E2)
“Let’s make sure history never forgets . . . the name . . . Enterprise.”
5. Stranger Things (2016 – Present)
What it’s About: Small town kids caught in the middle of big-time problems – and monsters?
Why I Love it: Season One of Stranger Things is one of my favourite seasons of TV. Ever. And the rest is pretty good too. Endlessly entertaining and always heartfelt, made even better by the perfect cast and awesome soundtrack.
Favourite Episode: The Upside Down (S1:E8)
“We never woud’ve upset you if we knew you had superpowers.”
4. The X-Files (1993 – 2002)
What it’s About: FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully encountering just about everything paranormal that you can imagine – and a bunch more stuff you can’t.
Why I Love it: The X-Files never shied away from risk – for better or for worse – pushing television forward and resulting in a plethora of fantastic episodes. The core dynamic between Mulder and Scully is one of the medium’s best – and the overarching narrative is even good sometimes. I’m glad it was never rebooted.
Favourite Episode: Home (S4:E2)
“The truth is out there, but so are lies.”
3. Babylon 5 (1993 – 1998)
What it’s About: The space station Babylon 5, all alone in the night against enemies new and old, human and alien.
Why I Love it: Star Trek shows the future we could achieve; B5 shows us the one we’ll actually get. J. Michael Straczynski’s vision – alongside the efforts of his crew – gave TV viewers something they’d never seen before: a serialized story planned from start to finish before the first episode even aired. Near unparalleled in SF in terms of theme, plotting, and character arcs, Babylon 5 holds a special place in the canon of great television.
Favourite Episode: Severed Dreams (S3:E10)
“No one here is exactly what he appears.”
2. Firefly (2002)
What it’s About: The Serenity and her ragtag crew travelling the galaxy for fun, freedom, and profit, without ever finding much of anything other than trouble.
Why I Love it: From complex characters to intense action to humour that doesn’t undercut emotion, each episode of Firefly is a complete package. It has a unique passion and soul, as storylines and characters delving deep into heroism and humanity without ever becoming too pessimistic. Really though, I love Firefly because it’s fun.
Favourite Episode: Pilot (S1:E1)
“Curse your subtle inevitable betrayal.”
1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)
What it’s About: The diverse crew of the backwater space station Deep Space Nine, which increasingly becomes more important as the series goes on.
Why I Love it: Deep Space Nine puts its franchise’s tenets through the wringer, showing us how important they truly are. Star Trek is my favourite franchise, and DS9 is the main reason. In many great storylines and standalones, DS9 expertly crafts satisfying character arcs for everyone in its massive cast. Season 6 is my number one season of all Star Trek. More than anything else here, DS9 feels like home – and its a show I’ll be rewatching for the rest of my life.
Favourite Episode: In the Pale Moonlight (S6:E19)
“So, I lied. I cheated. I bribed to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all . . . I think I can live with it.”
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So that’s my top ten sci-fi TV shows. What about you?
