It makes sense that sci-fi TV shows could be ahead of their time. The entire point of the genre is looking at the future, whether in a fantastic way or predicting what is just around the corner. True, some shows were poor and let down by bad writing and effects. However, others shine thanks to their ideas and often dare to take on a concept the public may not be ready for.
Indeed, some shows were so out there that they didn’t last long in their initial runs, yet attained a loyal following to become iconic. They also helped inspire scores of other projects that would become hits in their own right. These are 20 sci-fi shows ahead of their time, to show how some series made a mark without necessarily realizing it when they were airing.
The Twilight Zone
The influence and impact of The Twilight Zone go beyond just sci-fi. It inspired countless TV shows, films, novels, and more famous writers than can be counted. Rod Serling crafted a television masterpiece with stories that ran the gamut from frightening to heartwarming and made the stunning twist ending a standard for televised storytelling.
Trying to summarize what makes the series work is still difficult. At its best, these half-hour episodes not only entertained but also made you think and could be daring in their messaging. There’s a reason every anthology series, especially sci-fi ones, owes a debt to The Twilight Zone to make it a landmark achievement in television.
The Outer Limits
While The Twilight Zone could be a bit scary at times, The Outer Limits was the first true sci-fi horror anthology. The series used longer episodes for more thrilling tales that explored the scarier side of science fiction. Some tales could be more striking while exploring the human side of the genre. But when the series amped up the terror, it could be horrifying for its time.
The show’s dark edge was deeper than TWZ with its own takes on sci-fi culture. It lasted just two seasons originally, with the 1990s revival doing much better with seven seasons of excellent storytelling. This show truly pushed the limits of sci-fi television for its time.
Star Trek
We’ve become so used to Star Trek as part of our culture that it’s easy to forget how daring it was in 1966. A series using a space adventure tale for an allegory on politics, culture, and humanity was something almost unheard of, and Gene Roddenberry blazed a trail for so many to follow. There was also a diverse cast in a time period when whites dominated all broadcasts.
The show was daring in its tales while still giving fans amazing drama and action. The first-rate cast made it work, and it inspired the first passionate fan following of any genre show. That it forged an iconic franchise proves how ahead of the curve this Trek into the future truly was.
Doctor Who
The producers of Doctor Who had no idea what they were creating in 1963. They never could have imagined this kids' show about a mysterious time traveler would become the longest-running sci-fi show ever, going 60 years and counting. Despite its low budget, the show was charming, fun, inventive, and had some terrific turns on the time travel motif.
The “regeneration” of the Doctor to allow a new actor to take on the role always invigorates the series and keeps fans enthralled. The mix of genres always helps, as Doctor Who, like its title character, was an outsider who stayed around far longer than anyone could have imagined.
The Wild Wild West
It may have looked like the typical Western adventure show of the 1960s, but The Wild Wild West was also sci-fi. In fact, it was one of the first to use the term we now call steampunk as two secret agents (Robert Conrad and Ross Martin) travel across the West in a gadget-laden train fighting a variety of foes, notably genius mad scientist Miguleto Loveless.
The show had a lovely feel to it, with robots or other sci-fi items presented in an old West setting, and the heroes putting up with these futuristic threats. As much a spy and Western show, TWWW was the first major steampunk TV series and a fun romp to boot.
The Time Tunnel
Super-producer Irwin Allen always had a love for sci-fi, and that included popular TV shows like Lost in Space. Allen was the first to realize that a regular TV show based on time travel could be a hit concept and made the most of it. Two American scientists taking part in a time travel experiment are sent hurtling across history as another group tries to get them home.
The show used a lot of stock footage, yet also did well bringing each era to life for 1960s audiences. There were famous moments like the Titanic, yet a surprising heart like one scientist trying to save his father at Pearl Harbor. The trips even took them into the future, so while the series ended after one season, if any show on this list takes “ahead of its time” literally, it was this one.
The Invaders
It’s funny how this 1967 series was slammed in its time as a sci-fi take on The Fugitive when it was really the first to present what’s now become a sci-fi staple. An architect (Roy Thinnes) sees a UFO on a roadside and stumbles onto a race of aliens taking human form, planning a secret invasion. His attempts to warn the world put him on the run and unsure of whom he can trust.
The series had a formula of Thinnes finding an alien plot in a town, trying to stop it while also trying to convince people of the truth. It maintained a sense of paranoia and kept the audience on its toes, themes that other such invasion storylines have used. This show did it first and often best to help craft a new sci-fi trend.
The Prisoner
Today, The Prisoner is a near-impossible series to fathom. That it was made in the 1960s makes it more mind-boggling. The easiest description is a secret agent (Patrick McGoohan) stuck in a mysterious village and put through a series of strange tests to find out his secrets. That doesn’t scratch the surface of a show that defies description in story, characters, and tone.
It’s less a spy series than a psychedelic ride that never comes close to answering so many questions, yet you barely care because you’re so enthralled by the imagery before you. The twists and turns are plentiful, matched by beautiful filming. The ending is still debated, and it’s a show that paved the way for Twin Peaks and more to help change how sci-fi shows worked.
Space 1999
This show has gotten a raw deal, as a few books would cite it as a terrible show with rough writing and storytelling. That’s more due to the second season, which was marred by a lower budget and producer interference. Sure, the premise is nutty (an explosion sends the moon hurtling from Earth with a base of scientists along for the ride), yet it was bold in its ambition.
The cast, led by Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, handled the exploits with stories that focused more on scientific know-how than pure action. That could be a bit dull for some viewers, yet it still had good promise. The second season made it more campy despite the appeal, as the series took a more cerebral approach to sci-fi TV that would be utilized by shows down the road.
Blake’s 7
With a long-awaited Blu-Ray release, this beloved 1978-81 BBC series is gaining a new generation of fans who can appreciate what's the reverse of Star Trek. Roj Blake is a dissident against a totalitarian Federation, wrongly convicted and imprisoned. He breaks free with a ragtag group of prisoners to start a fight against this Federation. The crew is less a tight unit than a constantly bickering lot, highlighted by the wonderfully sardonic and ruthless Avon.
The show’s low budget helps it shine with fine character interactions and shows the dark side of sci-fi. It’s not just the wicked Federation, but how our “heroes” aren’t shining individuals. It also doesn’t hold back on killing off characters all the way to the end. The four-season run set the tone for darker sci-fi storylines and how a disparate crew can be more entertaining than one that bonds well.
V
Kenneth Johnson’s 1983 mini-series not only stands the test of time but feels shockingly relevant today. A fleet of humanoid aliens called the Visitors arrives on Earth, soon integrating into society while promoting peace. Slowly but surely, they take over the planet, not by total arms but by making society trust them, and before long, the Earth is under a dictatorship. It’s then that a small band of resistance fighters discovers these aliens are lizard creatures intent on turning humanity into food.
The first mini-series is a powerful allegory for how easily fascism can spread while still having creepy scenes of the Visitors’ true natures. The follow-up miniseries isn’t as good, yet it is still helped by the great cast from Marc Singer to a pre-Freddy Kruger Robert Englund. While the alien invasion angle is good, it’s the message of battling this great evil that made V so timeless.
Max Headroom
A show that looked to be just a gimmick, this series predicted so much of today’s world, it’s scary. Matt Frewer had his breakout role as a reporter who is nearly killed in an attack. A tech genius covers for him by creating a computerized aide who’s notable for his strange stammer and wit, creating a character that was a meme before the Internet existed.
The show may be dated in some ways, yet also predicted massive cable channels, a move away from printed media, corporate greed and control, and hiding behind online aliases. The show wasn’t as appreciated in its time as it should have been, mostly remembered as a joke when it ended up becoming more predictive of the modern world than more “serious” sci-fi tales to stand out beyond just the Max gimmick.
The X-Files
It really was a perfect storm: A young creator, two unknown actors, and a time period when conspiracy theories were about to take off. Combine it with storylines involving aliens, mutants, and other creepy mysteries, and The X-Files became the defining genre TV show of its time and spawned many copycats.
Those first years are among the best sci-fi television ever made, with episodes ranging from horrifying to brilliant writing, carried by the stars, its bright creator, and a passionate fanbase. Unlike other genre shows, it was just as big a hit with critics, winning numerous awards. Before it was sucked into its own mythology, The X-Files captivated a generation, and its influence is still felt in television today as one of the most important sci-fi shows in history.
Earth 2
This may seem an unlikely choice, yet this 1994-95 series was ahead of the curve in long-term storytelling with a unique setup. In the far future, after humanity is forced to flee a ravaged Earth, a scientist goes on a maverick mission to find a new home world. An explosion scatters the crew from their supply lines, forcing them to trek across this world to a safe zone.
The show had a good concept as the humans adjust to this strange world, meeting the alien inhabitants and discovering a sinister council wants to colonize it on their own terms. It’s like watching an early take on Avatar and more impressive given the behind-the-scenes conflicts with the network. That contributed to its cancellation after one year, cutting short a series with so much potential to build its own sci-fi legacy.
Babylon 5
Having a “five-year plan” for a show is one thing. Deliberately crafting it with each season its own novel in a wider storyline is something else. J. Michael Straczynski's sci-fi epic should never have worked, yet it succeeded brilliantly. JMS managed to roll with so many challenges, including actors departing without missing a beat in the storytelling. The top-notch CGI effects helped, yet it was always the story that kept folks tuning in.
What seemed just a Star Trek rip-off became darker and richer with well-written characters and top actors bringing them to life. Everyone had shades of grey to them to make them feel realistic, and the show could take on daring bits from politics to galaxy-wide wars. It all ended as JMS wanted as a precursor to wider-range sci-fi tales that have become all the rage today.
Space: Above & Beyond
Another “one and done” show from Fox, this 1995-96 adventure series seemed a simple enough tale as a pack of young pilots defend Earth from a brutal alien species. The CGI for the action scenes still holds up well today, along with the interpersonal drama. The show was ahead of other sci-fi stories in how it didn’t use the effects just for flash, but to serve the storyline.
There was also a shockingly realistic take on military matters and politics, a more diverse cast than other shows of the time, and serialized plots relying on minor references in past episodes. Sadly axed on a cliffhanger, it did make a strong enough impression to inspire several space-borne action series (including Star Trek) ever since, and a loyal following.
Red Dwarf
Before Futurama or The Orville, Red Dwarf was a show that celebrated sci-fi as much as it mocked it. Futurama fans will see a similarity in the premise as a low-level spaceship worker is the only survivor of an accident and awakens three million years in the future. He’s joined by a hologram of his hated roommate and later a quirky android getting back to a distant Earth.
The series is now one of the longest-running and beloved British comedies ever, wonderfully skewering every sci-fi storytelling trope and with wicked humor. It’s hard to describe just what happens in it to an outsider, although fans will adore reciting lines from memories. As far as sci-fi comedies go, Red Dwarf was truly centuries ahead of the pack.
Firefly
Putting aside the issues of its creator, this Fox series has become the shorthand for a sci-fi series that ended too soon. A space Western had been done before, yet this carried a unique vibe with the use of Chinese languages, talk of “Earth That Was,” and a pack of heroes who barely got along. There was the longer-range mystery of River and why she was hunted, but the show was best in episodic episodes of the crew’s misadventures.
The fact that every one of its stars has gone on to larger TV fame proves how amazing this crew was put together. It’s more famous for the network interference by Fox that killed it too soon, only to spawn one of the most passionate fanbases of any sci-fi show ever. It would fit perfectly into today’s streaming world as Firefly crashed in its time, only for a legacy that kept on flying.
Lost
Lost was a show that seemed so tailored for the streaming TV era that it’s amazing to think it premiered on ABC in 2004. The seemingly simple premise of the survivors of a plane crash stranded on an island soon morphed into a series that left fans dizzy trying to keep up with the twists and turns. The flashbacks of the characters’ backstories deepened things, as just when fans thought they knew what was coming, they had the rug yanked out from under them.
That great cast helped as the show managed to overcome a few creative dips to reach stunning new heights. The series expertly used each season to craft a fine storyline leading to its somewhat divisive but highly watched conclusion. It also spawned its own generation of copycats that remains today to show its influence as a true trailblazer of the modern sci-fi genre.
Battlestar Galactica
It’s rare for a show to be ahead of its time twice, yet BSG achieved that. The original 1979 series had then-innovative special effects combined with a strong tale of the last survivors of humanity fleeing the Cylon race and searching for a lost colony called Earth. While some episodes were rough, the best stories showed the fight for survival tied to some fine action.
The 2004 reboot was far darker, more striking, showing how brutal surviving the apocalypse could be and how its “heroes” could be just as merciless as the Cylons. It also incorporated themes of bigotry, class warfare, religion, and more, with some shocking character turns. Both shows were the advent of a new wave in sci-fi storytelling, and no matter which version of Galactica aired, fans were enthralled.
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