The Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time (2024)

Science fiction has been a popular genre in novels and pulp magazines since the turn of the 20th century and a part of movies as early as 1902's A Trip to the Moon. With the introduction of radio and television, the science fiction genre is most prominently exemplified by long-standing series like Star Trek and Doctor Who. While some appear not to understand or have an interest, longtime fans of the genre can see the potential and entertainment in telling a very human story under the guise of an adventurous space opera.

For this reason, there are a considerable number of good sci-fi TV shows available. For a sci-fi show to be considered the best, it has to tap into core science-fiction elements, like artificial intelligence and extraterrestrial life, and explore them in an interesting manner. However, like any other show, it has to be consistently good, too, with compelling characters and interesting stories to tell with them. The very best combine it all into something special. Not all of them last (some only make it a single season or two) but all of them leave a deep impression on the genre when they go.

Updated on November 26, 2024, by Robert Vaux: Science fiction TV has been mesmerizing viewers for generations, and the best of the best in sci-fi TV includes so many unforgettable series. This list has been updated to include even more of the best sci-fi TV series, as well as adhering to CBR's most recent formatting standards.

30 Stranger Things Is Still a Work in Progress

The Series Remains Netflix's Juggernaut

Stranger Things was a phenomenon the moment it first debuted on Netflix in 2016. It has since become one of the streaming series' greatest success stories, and its combination of supernatural horror and 80s nostalgia has caught the pop-cultural moment like few others. Stranger Things itself helped revive a number of era trends, most notably Dungeons & Dragons, which its protagonists play in their basement, and which serves as the source of the show's monster names such as Vecna and Demogorgon.

The only reason it isn't ranked higher is that it's still a work in progress. Once it concludes its fifth and final season in 2025, it can be more accurately assessed. It's apt to age extremely well regardless, and any discussions of the best sci-fi series of all time are likely to include it by default. Stranger Things' cast of endearing characters is strong enough to support any number of potential spin-offs, and five seasons may turn out to be just the beginning.

29 HBO's Westworld Got Off to a Great Start but Overcomplicated Itself

The First Season Used a Riveting Sci-Fi Western Concept

The first season of the HBO series Westworld is some of the best science fiction television ever created. A common aspect of the genre is the role of artificial intelligence, popular in movies ranging from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Wachowski's The Matrix. The idea of man-created life is at the center of the themes in Westworld. At a Wild West-themed vacation amusement park run by androids, wealthy guests can indulge in their wildest fantasies.

Accompanied by fantastic performances, the series was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. The basic premise was taken from the 1973 movie Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton, and its 1976 sequel, Futureworld. After 36 episodes and four seasons, HBO canceled the show, which a lot of fans started to feel had lost its way. That first season, however, is unparalleled, and that alone is enough to earn a spot in the rankings, albeit at the bottom of the list.

Westworld

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Western

At the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Release Date

October 2, 2016

Cast

Anthony Hopkins , Evan Rachel Wood , Shannon Woodward , Ed Harris , James Marsden , Jimmi Simpson , Jeffrey Wright , Tessa Thompson , Thandie Newton , Rodrigo Santoro

Seasons

4

Creator

Number of Episodes

28 Lost Opened Strong Before Fading

The Sci-Fi Mystery Was Compelling While it Lasted

The start of the 21st century witnessed a huge upswing in "prestige" series, as the networks worked overtime to compete with the award-winning fare turned out by the likes of HBO. ABC found what seemed to be a game-changer courtesy of J.J. Abrams, who delivered one of the most intriguing premises in decades. Lost opens with the survivors of a plane crash on an uncharted desert island. It soon becomes apparent that this is no ordinary island, and that the survivors weren't necessarily stranded here by accident.

The strong set-up led to a number of fascinating developments during Lost's six-year run, boosted by a strong cast and a number of fascinating characters. Unfortunately, the series couldn't successfully follow up on its brilliant beginning, and fans began to tire of its endless shell games in later seasons. The final reveal proved a big let-down, leaving Lost more of a promising also-ran than a great series in and of itself.

27 Lost in Space Explored the Lighter Side of the Final Frontier

In Some Ways, The Series Was a Star Trek Competitor

Lost in Space debuted at approximately the same time as the original Star Trek, and the two have often been regarded as rivals. In truth, they're very different takes on the same basic concept, with Lost in Space remaining a cult classic while Star Trek has become a pop-culture bedrock. Series creator Irwin Allen was more interested in the whimsical and outlandish than the more high-minded Gene Roddenberry, which gave his show its distinctiveness.

Lost in Space also had the benefit of beating Star Trek to the punch, premiering in 1965 a year before the starship Enterprise launched its first mission. It follows the space family Robinson, sent on a colonization mission to Alpha-Centauri in the distant year of 1997, only to be sabotaged by a stowaway and sent into the wild reaches of unexplored space. For three seasons and 83 episodes — just a shade more than The Original Series — they bounced from planet to planet in an increasingly camp series of adventures. It also fostered a small franchise of its own, smaller than Star Trek's to be sure, but possessing similar longevity.

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Lost in Space - No Place to Hide

Not Rated

Science Fiction

Director

Irwin Allen

Release Date

January 1, 1965

Cast

Guy Williams , June Lockhart , Mark Goddard , Marta Kristen , bill mumy , Angela Cartwright , Don Forbes , Robert 'Big Buck' Maffei , Ford Rainey , Dick Tufeld , Paul Zastupnevich

Runtime

52 minutes

Character(s)

Dr John Robinson , Dr. Maureen Robinson , Dr. Don West , Judy Robinson , Will Robinson , Penny Robinson , TV Commentator , Giant Cyclops , The President , Narrator , Bearded Foreign Correspondent

26 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Updated the Classic Hero

The Series Was a Sci-Fi Trendsetter for Its Time

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century featured the original space cowboy, first published as a newspaper comic strip starting in 1929 and soon spawning a multi-media empire. (Flash Gordon, his most famous imitator, didn't come along until 1934.) Buster Crabbe played Buck in a 12-part movie serial in 1938 — having already become a star as Flash — and a badly dated TV series featuring the character ran on ABC for one season in 1950. The 1979 series revived Buck and his friends for the post-Star Wars era, armed with decent special effects and high public interest.

Gil Gerard played the titular hero, a 20th century astronaut unfrozen in the year 2491 and adjusting to life in a brave new world. Erin Gray played his stalwart partner Wilma Deering, and for two seasons, they battled the forces of evil across the galaxy together. The show was hobbled by the 1980 actor's strike, and a soft reboot in the second season lost a lot of the initial charm. Today it remains a cult classic — beloved by Gen-Xers who remember it fondly — and until another version arises, it's still the most high-profile take on the character to date.

25 Red Dwarf Poked Fun at Space Opera Pomposity

The Sci-Fi Show Cleverly Balanced Satirization With Self-Awareness

Sci-fi parodies have a heavily mixed track record. While there's certainly a lot to mock, most successful series are sufficiently self-aware to include at least a little self-satire of their own. Red Dwarf is one of the big exceptions, with a sufficiently strong premise of its own to avoid ready comparisons, and the same kind of satirical wit that marked the likes of Douglas Adams at his best.

In Red Dwarf, Craig Charles plays David Lister, awakening three million years in the future to find himself the last living human in the galaxy. Stuck aboard the titular mining ship, he goes through a series of misadventures along with a hologram of his dead former rumor, a sentient feline man evolved from his pet cat, and a friendly sanitation droid. It won accolades for its smart skewering of classic sci-fi tropes, and has earned a strong cult following during its long run. A new season of episodes is slated for 2025, proving that you just can't keep a good parody down.

Red Dwarf

TV-PG

Comedy

Sci-Fi

The adventures of the last human alive and his friends, stranded three million years into deep space on the mining ship Red Dwarf.

Release Date

February 15, 1988

Creator(s)

Rob Grant , Doug Naylor

Cast

Craig Charles , Chris Barrie , Danny John-Jules , Robert Llewellyn , Norman Lovett , Hattie Hayridge

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

12

Creator

Production Company

Writers

Rob Grant , Doug Naylor

Number of Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Britbox , Tubi

Showrunner

Doug Naylor

24 V Brought Epic Space Opera to the Small Screen

V Modeled Itself After Europe's WWII-Era Struggles

Science fiction dominated the early 1980s thanks to the massive influence of the original Star Wars trilogy. The genre often struggled on television, however, which couldn't sustain the expensive demands of visual effects for long periods. Even Star Trek had largely abandoned television in favor of big-screen movies at that point. The original V served as a resounding rebuke to the trend.

V centers on the idea of a bloodless conquest, patterned after the Nazi occupation of Europe during World War II. Aliens, dubbed "Visitors," arrive on Earth promising friendship and solidarity. As humanity relaxes its guard, it integrates into government, the media, and other sources of power: effectively colonizing the planet without firing a shot. A human resistance forms, consisting of journalists, scientists, criminals, and ordinary people dedicated to taking their world back from its new owners. The formula worked brilliantly for a pair of miniseries, and while the resulting series didn't last, it silenced the notion that only movies could properly deliver interesting science fiction on an epic scale.

23 The Six Million Dollar Man Helped Revitalize Science Fiction

It Helped Keep the Genre Afloat During Its Niche Era

The 1970s were something of a dry era for science fiction, at least until the arrival of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope which ushered in a tsunami of new content. Before then, science fiction was considered expensive and of limited appeal, especially on television. The Six Million Dollar Man was a big exception to the rule: premiering in 1973 to huge ratings and holding the pop-culture line until George Lucas’s galaxy far, far away could arrive.

Lee Majors became a star as Steve Austin, an astronaut injured when his capsule crashed only to be rebuilt with cybernetic components. He then spends five very successful seasons as a secret agent stopping threats to the U.S. government. The series remains very much of its time, but it holds up as nostalgic entertainment, as does its equally enjoyable spin-off, The Bionic Woman.

The Six Million Dollar Man

TV-14

Action

Crime

Drama

In a classic action series, a former astronaut gains extraordinary abilities through cutting-edge bionic implants following a severe accident. As a secret agent, he uses his superhuman strength, speed, and enhanced vision to execute critical missions for the government, tackling threats both domestic and international.

Release Date

January 18, 1974

Cast

Lee Majors , Richard Anderson , Martin E. Brooks , Lindsay Wagner , Alan Oppenheimer , Quinn K. Redeker , Than Wyenn , John de Lancie

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

5

22 12 Monkeys Expands on the Terry Gilliam Classic

The Sci-Fi Story Fits the TV Medium Surprisingly Well

1995's 12 Monkeys is a masterpiece of science fiction and one of the highlights of director Terry Gilliam's career. It's also the last film anyone would think makes good material for an expanded television adaptation. 12 Monkeys' storyline is self-closing by design, embodying a cause/effect paradox: a criminal is sent back in time to gather clues about a devastating pandemic only to be convinced that he's merely suffering from delusions.

Showrunners Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett spin that into a sprawling story of paradox and alternate history, as time-traveling agents try to stop the Army of the 12 Monkeys from releasing their genocidal virus. Darker and more meditative than the Gilliam film, it gains steam as it progresses, and its intact four-season storyline develops its own identity distinct from both its big-screen predecessor and the short film La Jetee that started it all.

12 Monkeys

TV-14

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Drama

Mystery

Release Date

January 16, 2015

Cast

Aaron Stanford , Amanda Schull , Noah Bean , barbara sukowa

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

4

21 Fringe Took The X-Files Concept in Bold Directions

It Proved to Be a Worthy Serialized Exploration Into the Paranormal

The X-Files influenced science fiction television for decades, but it never had a proper heir apparent until Fringe premiered 15 years later in 2008. It adopts a similar concept, with a group of eccentric FBI agents investigating cases involving the strange and paranormal. While it started as a case-of-the-week series, it soon evolved into an intriguing meta-plot concerning the discovery of a parallel universe.

The show thrived by finding its own rhythm and succeeded admirably in the Friday night time slot once occupied by its vaunted predecessor. It overcame a rough first season to become a must-see viewing for sci-fans, boosted by its engaging cast and willingness to take its out-there concepts seriously. It also included the final onscreen appearance of the late Leonard Nimoy, who retired from acting shortly after his turn on Fringe.

Fringe

TV-14

An F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.

Release Date

September 9, 2008

Cast

Anna Torv , Joshua Jackson , John Noble , jasika nicole , Lance Reddick , Blair Brown

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Creator

J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

20 The Outer Limits Gave The Twilight Zone a Run for Its Money

The success of The Twilight Zone on CBS in the 1960s prompted rival ABC to develop its own science fiction anthology series. The Outer Limits wasn't as successful as its predecessor, lasting just two seasons and embracing simpler storylines than The Twilight Zone's more heady plots. It made an impact, however, and also featured an opening and closing narration, along with a haunting opening monologue that retains its pop culture impact.

It made an especially strong mark with its plots, including scripts by the likes of Harlan Ellison and Robert Towne, and adaptations of influential sci-fi stories like Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. It also trended dark, with more downbeat endings and a cynical view of the universe that Rod Serling's parables lacked. While it could be hit-and-miss, the best episodes can stand alongside anything The Twilight Zone has to offer.

The Outer Limits

19 The Adventures of Superman Launched the Man of Steel

Superman was a phenomenon from the moment he debuted in 1938's Action Comics #1 (Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), but it took the Golden Age of television to cement his status as an evergreen. A successful series of movie serials ultimately produced Superman and the Mole Men, a feature-length movie that also served as a pilot for what became a phenomenally successful TV series. George Reeves starred as the Man of Steel in The Adventures of Superman, with Phyllis Coates playing Lois Lane in Season 1 before giving way to Noel Neill in the remainder of the series' six seasons.

The show helped define the era — Reeves even guest starred on an episode of I Love Lucy — and at least two more seasons were planned into the 1960s. Sadly, actor John Hamilton, who played Perry White, died of heart failure at the end of Season 6. Reeves infamously died by suicide in 1959, ending a groundbreaking series on a dark and tragic note. Today, The Adventures of Superman remains the great grand-daddy of superheroic television, and its success set the stage for every series that followed.

Adventures of Superman

TV-G

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Drama

Comedy

Family

Action

Crime

Release Date

September 19, 1952

Cast

Al Eben , Anthony De Mario , Arthur Space , Beverly Washburn , Dean Cromer , Denver Pyle , Dick Gordon , George "Spike" Hamilton , George Reeves , Henry Corden , Henry Kulky , Jim Hayward , John Merton , Kay Morley , Norma Varden , Paul Burke , Paul E. Burns , Phyllis Coates , Robert Rockwell , Vic Perrin , William Forrest , Ted Hecht , Noel Neill , John Hamilton , Jack Larson

Writers

Robert Leslie Bellem , Roy Hamilton , Eugene Solow , Monroe Manning , David T. Chantler , Jackson Gillis , Peggy Chantler Dick , Royal K. Cole , Robert Maxwell

Network

ABC , Syndication

Directors

Thomas Carr , George Blair , Harry Gerstad , Lee Sholem , Philip Ford , George Reeves , Howard Bretherton

Producers

Robert H. Justman , Robert Maxwell

Character(s)

Big Ed Bullock , March , Uncredited , Mickey , Onlooker at Customs (uncredited) , Dr. Simon Jerrod , Superman , William Johnson / Legbo , Crusher (uncredited) , Tim Mallory , Doc , Elaine Carson , Mabel McCredy , Rosy , Mr. Whitlock , Lois Lane , Jor-El (uncredited) , Ahmed , Perry White , Jimmy Olsen

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsI5UImaXS0

18 Loki Has Become the Gold Standard of MCU Series

Disney+'s Marvel Show Stands on Its Own Merits

The sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe jumped into streaming series with a splash, starting with 2021's WandaVision and its

unique meta-commentary on television history. Most subsequent entries, however, were more or less by the book; they were essentially extended versions of the movies, focusing on individual characters who lacked significant screen time in the likes of Avengers: Endgame.

Loki promptly threw out the book, as a variant of Tom Hiddleston's Asgardian god gets a peek at "the man behind the curtain" of the Time Variance Authority. It expertly delivers a beautiful arc for its central character, while including such key events as the creation of the Multiverse and the rise of Kang the Conqueror. It's easily the most important MCU project since Endgame, and if the saga recovers from its dreadful 2023, it will have the God of Mischief to thank for seeing it through.

7

10

Loki

The mercurial villain Loki resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”

17 Warehouse 13 Is a Light-Hearted Riff on The X-Files

Despite drawing heavy influence from The X-Files, Warehouse 13 finds its own lane by sticking to lightweight adventures rather than grim conspiracies. The premise provides a bottomless well of easy inspiration. Warehouse 13's titular warehouse serves as a repository of all manner of cursed historical artifacts, which absorbed some of their owners’ essence and can now wreak supernatural havoc in the modern world. A pair of agents are dispatched to track them down one by one, backed up by a quirky team of misfits and a rotating series of entertaining cameos.

While Warehouse 13 often feels a little too familiar, those qualities also make it exceptionally good TV comfort food. The tone stays upbeat, the action is brisk, and while there’s an overarching metaplot, it stays relatively simple and avoids getting tangled into knots like The X-Files did. Between that and an endlessly charming cast, it makes a terrific option for binging or single-episode viewing alike.

Warehouse 13

Sci-Fi

When Secret Service agents Myka Bering and Pete Lattimer are reassigned to Warehouse 13 in rural South Dakota, they find themselves part of a team of agents tasked with tracking down and recovering supernatural artifacts, to be stored in the warehouse.

Release Date

July 7, 2009

Cast

Eddie McClintock , Joanne Kelly , Saul Rubinek , Genelle Williams , Allison Scagliotti , Aaron Ashmore

Seasons

5

16 Futurama's Sci-Fi Satire Is Built to Last

The Sci-Fi Sitcom Has a Zany Premise and Endearing Cast

From the creators of The Simpsons comes the best science fiction sitcom ever created. When pizza delivery boy Fry is accidentally cryogenically frozen for 1,000 years, he awakes on the eve of 3000. Futurama first aired in 1999 and has had eight seasons with 150 episodes and counting. New seasons are currently planned through 2026.

Futurama is the grandchild of The Twilight Zone in a sense because of the way it conveys social commentary in a futuristic setting. However, where The Twilight Zone pulls the viewer in with bewilderment, Futurama maintains its fans over the years through various forms of satire. Thanks to science fiction's enduring popularity as a genre, it never runs out of targets for satire. Along the way, its oddball collection of characters has become as endearing as those in its sister series, The Simpsons.

15 Legion Broke New Ground for Superhero Stories

An Excellent X-Men-Inspired Thriller and One of the Most Underrated Comic Book Shows

One of the coolest science fiction series comes in the form of a superhero psychological thriller. Legion is about David Haller, a man who grew up believing the voices in his head were the result of schizophrenia, who discovers he is actually a mutant with telepathic abilities.

The exciting twist of the show is the finding that David is actually both a mutant and suffers from schizophrenia. Inspired by characters from X-Men comics and taking place in an alternate history to the movies, Noah Hawley created Legion, giving it a three-season run with 27 episodes and a complete beginning, middle, and end. In the process, he showed what superhero stories were capable of, and opened the door for the likes of WandaVision and The Boys.

Legion

Drama

Sci-Fi

Legion is about David Haller, a man who grew up believing the voices in his head were the result of schizophrenia, but later discovers he is actually a mutant with telepathic abilities.

Release Date

February 8, 2017

Cast

Dan Stevens , Rachel Keller , Aubrey Plaza

Seasons

3 Seasons

Creator

Noah Hawley

Production Company

FX Productions, Marvel Television, 26 Keys Productions

Number of Episodes

27 Episodes

14 The Prisoner Was a Daringly Different Sci-Fi Concept

The Show Was an Ambitious Mix of Themes and Subgenres

British science fiction television has a small presence compared to U.S. television but has still delivered its share of inspiring series. The Prisoner stands among the very best, despite running just a single season of 17 episodes in 1967. Patrick McGoohan plays a British intelligence officer who resigns from his post, only to find himself trapped in a surreal "Village" whose residents cannot leave.

Espionage shows were very big when The Prisoner was released (James Bond was the undisputed king of the pop-culture cage at the time) but nothing looked or felt quite like it. The Prisoner became equal parts paranoid thriller, social satire, and sci-fi meditation on the nature of free will. It probably couldn't have lasted much longer than it did, but what it delivered is still affecting the genre today.

The Prisoner

TV-PG

Drama

Mystery

Science Fiction

Release Date

September 29, 1967

Cast

Annette Carell , Arthur Gross , Barbara Yu Ling , Bartlett Mullins , Basil Hoskins , Bette Bourne , Derek Aylward , Fenella Fielding , Fredric Abbott , Geoffrey Reed , Georgina Cookson , Grace Arnold , Harold Berens , Hilary Dwyer , Hilda Barry , Jack Allen , Joe Gladwin , John Frawley , Jon Laurimore , Katherine Kath , Kathleen Breck , Keith Pyott , Kenneth Benda , Lockwood West , Michael Miller

Writers

George Markstein , Anthony Skene , Terence Feely , Vincent Tilsley , Ian Rakoff

Network

ITV1

Directors

Don Chaffey , Pat Jackson , Peter Graham Scott

Producers

David Tomblin

Character(s)

'B' , Control Room Operator , Taxi driver , Committee Chairman , Number Fourteen , Projection Operator , New Supervisor , Loudspeaker Announcer , Potter , Skipper , Blonde Lady , Maid , Reporter , Number Seventy-Three , No. 38 , Doctor , Yorkshire Napoleon , Flowerman , Ernst , Engadine , Number Forty-Two , Waiter , Supervisor , Camera Shop Manager , Number Ninety-Three

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhveNJZnfx4

13 Firefly Has Survived Its Creator's Disgrace

The best science fiction series to receive its flowers way too late was the Joss Whedon-created TV show Firefly. After a civil war in the future, the show followed the lives of a crew of smugglers aboard a spaceship and their dealings with the "winning" side, an intergalactic superpower known as the Alliance. A common aspect of science fiction and a recurring theme throughout the show is that although technological advancements will improve life in some ways, society will always suffer the same problems.

The short-lived Firefly is the best version of science fiction meets the Wild West, with charming characters and thrilling action. Unfortunately, because of poor marketing and subsequent poor ratings, the show was canceled after one season. However, because of its later success, fans received some closure to the series in the form of the 2005 movie Serenity, but for years they have been demanding a continuation of the much-beloved show. Chances are, they won't get what they're asking for (credible allegations of abuse against Whedon have all but guaranteed it) but the fact that fans are still asking after it is a testament to its place among the best sci-fi shows of all time.

Firefly

Science Fiction

Drama

Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

September 20, 2002

Cast

Nathan Fillion , Gina Torres , Alan Tudyk , Morena Baccarin

Seasons

1

Creator

Joss Whedon

Number of Episodes

14

Network

FOX

12 Max Headroom Was Too Innovative to Last

Even So, Its Dystopic Stylings and Thoughtful Commentary Hold Up

Like The Prisoner, Max Headroom is a show resolutely ahead of its time, and similarly was canceled after just a single 14-episode season. Its title character was created as the fictional host of a music video series in the mid-1980s. A short made-for-TV movie was filmed establishing his origin story as an AI created by accident in a dystopic future controlled by large television corporations. Max proved a sensation, and a regular series followed.

The show depicted Max partnering with his human "template" — a crusading journalist named Edison Carter — and his allies as they attempt to expose the truth and corruption of their world. Max Headroom proved a brilliant catalyst for the growing cyberpunk subgenre, and in its fourth-wall-breaking hero found an ideal way to make it fun as well as thought-provoking. Decades on, a disquieting number of its predictions have come true.

11 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Is a Love Letter to Sci-Fi

A Clever Mix of Sci-Fi, Comedy, and Sketches

It can be hard to classify Mystery Science Theater 3000 as a sci-fi series in and of itself since the central point is humorous meta-commentary on some of the worst movies ever made. The creative forces behind the show have continued with efforts like Rifftrax — which drops the overarching premise and just delivers the gags — and no attendant loss of creativity. That said, the idea was never stronger than it was with the framing device, in which a pair of mad scientists trap a hapless human guinea pig in outer space and force him to watch terrible movies.

Early in the series run, the show kept it pretty loose, though later they added more elaborate plots as a way of enhancing the sketches. They gave Mystery Science Theater 3000 a distinctive identity separate from earlier creature features, and without getting in the way of the primary purpose of a guy and his robots razzing terrible movies. They also helped the series become an institution, and produce a thriving cottage industry of like-minded efforts.