Top 10 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time

The Top Ten

The X-Files

The X-Files is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The original series aired on the Fox network from September 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002. It was later revived for two additional seasons in 2016 and 2018 and also inspired two theatrical films.

Chris Carter had a great idea, and I love the series. The writing is excellent, but I admit I was more of a fan of the early years when there was more of a monster of the week focus and less emphasis on aliens. Once the balance shifted, I became more of a binge-watcher rather than a week-to-week viewer.
All the actors are brilliant, and they understand their characters' motivations. The writers know their material, and the directors are fantastic.
This show is brilliant not just for its on-camera work, but also for its behind-the-scenes efforts. In this case, I'll say Millennium was even better - it was darker.

Best series ever. Brilliant characters and amazing storytelling. As for those who think Doctor Who is better just because it's been around for over 50 years, that does not mean it's a great show. Let me tell you, having watched every episode of Doctor Who including the stills, most seasons are pretty dull. The X-Files was brilliant throughout its entire series and had two excellent films, whereas the Doctor Who movie was a flop.
Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme follows the adventures of a Time Lord called "the Doctor", an extraterrestrial being from the planet Gallifrey.
The Doctor travels through time and space in a ship called the TARDIS, which... read more

Trust me when I tell you this, Doctor Who is the best show I have ever seen. Yes, I have finished Breaking Bad, The X-Files (seen season 10), seen Game of Thrones, Supernatural, and The Office, but nothing even comes close to Doctor Who. It's charming, funny, emotional, and just an awesome series. Go watch Heaven Sent, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, or Listen and try to tell me they're not masterpieces of storytelling.
While not as much hard sci-fi as The X-Files, most of the best stories like the ones I listed above employ many sci-fi elements. Aside from the best episodes, it's an awesome ride from start to finish. It might have cheesy moments every once in a while, but that just makes it more charming.
10/10. Unparalleled in the television world.
Star Trek

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It follows the interstellar adventures of the crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise. The original series premiered on September 8, 1966, and has since inspired a long-running franchise of spin-offs and films.

This show was groundbreaking. It demonstrated what sci-fi is truly about - addressing current issues by portraying them in a future setting, so as not to offend contemporary audiences. Roddenberry had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve with the show, and he followed that path.
Again, all the actors are brilliant and perform their roles as if they love their characters and fully understand their motivations. The writers know their material, and the directors are fantastic.
This show is brilliant not just for its on-camera work, but also for its behind-the-scenes efforts. That's why fans are still passionate about this show and its spin-offs. While the spin-offs are great, nothing beats the original.
Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with a television series that aired in 1978 and gained a strong cult following. It expanded to include a short-lived sequel series, novelizations, original novels, comic books, a board game... read more

The best sci-fi show ever (obviously the latter-day remake, not the original that was truly terrible).
Supernatural

This haunting series follows the thrilling and terrifying journeys of Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who travel across America to battle supernatural forces. After their mother was killed by a demonic entity, their father raised them to become hunters of mysterious and deadly creatures.... read more

I believe this is horror rather than sci-fi. That said, Eric Kripke is a brilliant writer and storyteller. He is able to create characters that exist in shades of gray - some leaning more towards white or black, while others are entirely white or black to draw those gray characters toward either end of the scale.
All the actors are brilliant and portray their roles as if they love the characters and truly understand their motivations. The writers know their material, and the directors are fantastic.
This show excels not only in front of the camera but also behind the scenes. That's why fans are still crazy about it, similar to the dedication seen in fandoms like Star Trek and Star Wars (when they still cared about those shows).
Firefly

Firefly is an American space Western drama television series which ran from 2002 to 2003, created by writer and director Joss Whedon under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. The show is set in the year 2517 and follows the crew of the spaceship Serenity. Despite its short run, it gained a strong cult... read more

This is the best sci-fi TV serial I have ever seen. Unfortunately, it was stopped after the first season. It should be number one. People who have seen it definitely agree with me. So, fans of Firefly, vote for it.

This show is definitely one of my all-time favorites. Such great characters and stories, you can't help but fall in love with the show. It deserved much more than 14 episodes (and a movie).

Fourteen episodes? I am missing some. Great show.
Stargate SG-1

Definitely my favorite sci-fi franchise. Loved SG-1, just started watching it all again. Atlantis was better looking visually. Both had great casts with a mix of humor and action. They were and are great.
While I bought and watched "Stargate Universe," it is the worst part of the franchise. They try to make a Battlestar Galactica/Voyager clone. I only enjoyed a few episodes of the two seasons.

I watched every episode of this from start to finish in about a month. I couldn't stop. It would be 3 in the morning, I'd have to go to work at 7, and I'd still watch one more episode. I couldn't help myself. Call me sad, I call it dedication.
Babylon 5

This was an incredible series. The best aspects are the five-year story arc, the writing, and the absolute lack of ridiculous 'relevant' plot arcs.
This was a complete, well-told story -- not a referendum on modern culture or recent history. Most sci-fi series rely on using political hot points to infuse their scripts with life, but this one was purely the child of J. Michael Straczynski's imagination, and it lives and breathes on the screen like nothing before or since.

The themes in this show - political and philosophical - are always relevant. Every time I watch this series, it has something to say about current events - it is just that universally relevant. Plus, unlike most sci-fi (i.e., Star Trek), it shows a real society with classes, poverty, and homelessness. They even have to be concerned about their budget being cut (can't shoot your way out of that, Kirk!).
The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling. It aired for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Each episode tells a self-contained story where characters encounter strange or unsettling events, often described as entering "the Twilight Zone."... read more

This show was so diverse. It was so pertinent for its time and covered so many themes. It was dark, fun, suspenseful, and loaded with surprise endings. My favorites were: To Serve Man, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, On Thursday We Leave for Home, and Time Enough At Last.

The creator of The X-Files said that without The Twilight Zone, The X-Files would never have been made. Both are worthy of the top seat.

This show was, by far, the best sci-fi show... tied for second place - The Outer Limits and Star Trek.
Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series in the Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry. The show originally aired from 1987 to 1994 and is set in the 24th century, approximately a century after the original series.... read more

To people talking about how Star Trek is already on here, they're different TV shows. It isn't like Doctor Who. It's like saying Star Wars: A New Hope is the same movie as The Empire Strikes Back.
Well anyway, The Next Generation is the peak of Star Trek. The original may be iconic, but The Next Generation exceeds it, although both will have a special place in my heart.

This is the standard by which all other shows are measured. Great character development, intelligent plots, and a very loose timeline. There is no one else I would want to take me into battle over Captain Picard.

The Newcomers

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The Peripheral

The pursuit of profit aborted the potential of this series. It could have lasted longer with a fantastic plot, but unfortunately, that didn't happen.
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Amphibia

Amphibia is an American animated television series created by Matt Braly. It originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2019, to May 14, 2022. The show follows a young girl named Anne Boonchuy who is magically transported to a fantastical world inhabited by anthropomorphic amphibians.

The Contenders

Farscape

Creativity and intelligence combined with love and detail. Plus, great continuity and humor. Then you have the talented actors. It is criminal that Doctor Who is ranked above this, but maybe more people simply have not seen it.

One of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time. They took sci-fi TV to another level. Those that followed (including a few higher on this list), even with more money to hype their shows, didn't have nearly the character depth and story range as Farscape.

Many excellent shows here, but I have to spread the Farscape love. It wouldn't have existed without Star Trek, but it was more fun, dark, ambitious, and downright entertaining than any other sci-fi of its time.
Stargate Atlantis
The 4400
Space: Above and Beyond
Fringe

How on Earth is Fringe this low? Was this list started today? A show that fans managed by force of will to keep on air for another season and a half? This is unacceptable... or the alternate universe.

Fringe should be in at least the top 5! Fringe was the best sci-fi series ever!
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

This show is not the typical 'boldly going' of most Trek, and although all Star Trek is great, the focus on religion, war, and interstellar politics puts it above the other Star Trek series as well as other great shows like Firefly and Farscape.
I have not watched Battlestar Galactica though, except for the miniseries, but from that miniseries, it looks to be awesome.

An amazing show with a really good plot arc being the Dominion War.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an American 3D CGI animated television series created by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm Animation, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, and CGCG Inc. The series originally aired on Cartoon Network from 2008 to 2013, with a sixth season released on Netflix in 2014. It was... read more

Best show ever. And that's coming from a high schooler. Still pissed at Disney for canceling it. Then again, who isn't pissed at Disney?

If you want to put a sci-fi show, it should be a very cool one. So, this show is awesome.
Quantum Leap

This show had an amazing concept that made up for its special effects being aged.
Terra Nova
Red vs Blue

An amazing thrill ride of sci-fi, drama, action, and most importantly, comedy. The characters are amazing. The plot can be ludicrous, but its charm and self-awareness always trump the ridiculousness of the truth for the show's benefit.

It has stronger characters than most shows above.
Power Rangers

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American children's superhero television series. The show debuted on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids Network. It became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s and spawned multiple spin off series, movies, and a lasting toy franchise. The series combined live action and... read more
Six Million Dollar Man
The Outer Limits
The Expanse

It's good to see The Expanse coming up in popularity, though it's happening much slower than the show deserves. Hopefully it will get renewed for enough seasons to translate all of its books to the screen.
If that happens, I don't think a show like this can stay secret forever, especially considering it would have succeeded where shows like GoT eventually failed.

This may be the best show ever made. Incredible attention to detail. For example, an entire pidgin language for the people of the Belt. Really strong characters, especially the women characters. I can't believe it is so poorly ranked on this list.
Futurama

Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show follows Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy who's cryogenically frozen and wakes up 1,000 years in the future. It blends satire, science fiction, and social commentary.

Unless this doesn't go up any further, this list is bad, and you should feel bad.