The Best Sci-Fi Shows From Every Year of the 1990s

What has been the best decade for science fiction television in history? Some may point to the nostalgic ’80s, the episodic and idea-driven days of sci-fi television, where the genre’s conceptual foundations were brilliantly set. Others may say that it was the 2010s, which saw the rise of prestige sci-fi television and showed just how ambitious the genre could get on the small screen. But the consensus is clear: Most people tend to agree that the ’90s were the Golden Age of science fiction television.

As the episodic nature of ’80s sci-fi television started to transition into more serialized stories, the language of modern sci-fi television started to form. Without ’90s sci-fi, even the best of today’s sci-fi show masterpieces would likely not even exist. But despite the abundance of great shows that the genre provided over the course of the decade, every year of the ’90s had one show that stood tall above all the others of that year.

10

‘The Flash’ (1990–1991)

Image via CBS

There weren’t very many sci-fi shows produced anywhere in the world in 1990, but thankfully, out of the ones that did get made, there’s one that’s among the coolest and most underrated of the decade: The Flash, which brought the titular superhero to the small screen decades before The CW did. Before he reprised his role (and also took on the mantles of Henry Allen and Jay Garrick) in The CW’s show, John Wesley Shipp played Barry Allen in this ’90s classic.

Since we live in a market oversaturated with superhero movies and TV shows that have all started to feel very “samey,” it’s a delight to look back at a classic superhero show that has tons of heart and a strongly ’90s-y tone. For people who still love the occasional cheesiness that older superhero content used to have, The Flash is a must-see. Fun, action-packed, and delectably nostalgic, it’s a gem that was bounced around so much in the CBS schedule that it inevitably got canceled after only one season. Nevertheless, it has aged excellently.

9

‘Æon Flux’ (1991–1995)

Image via MTV

Back in the ’90s, MTV threw its hat into the animation ring with Liquid Television, an animation showcase that launched several high-profile cartoons like Beavis and Butt-Head and—of course—Æon Flux. This experimental, avant-garde sci-fi adventure series is one of the most underrated animated shows for adults, a delightfully odd cult classic that’s still very much worth watching today.

Eerie, Indiana was another excellent sci-fi show that first aired in 1991, but there’s simply no beating this erotic, philosophically profound, flawlessly surreal masterpiece. Mature, sexy, hugely imaginative, and even more than a bit disturbing, it’s the kind of animated sci-fi show that makes people say “they don’t make ’em like they used to.”

8

‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992–1995)

Image via Warner Bros. Animation

For those who love superheroes, Batman: The Animated Series should require no introduction. It’s the best adaptation of the Caped Crusader’s adventures that the small screen has ever seen, one of those classic animated shows that are still worth binge-watching today. For fans of the character and DC novices alike, it should be considered essential viewing.

X-Men: The Animated Series was another game-changing superhero show that started in 1992, but Batman: TAS is the gold standard of the genre. Atmospheric, visually impressive, full of exceptional voice performances, and with some interesting twists on the Batman lore—including the creation of Harley Quinn and the expansion of Mr. Freeze’s tragic backstory—, it’s superhero science fiction at its very best.

7

‘The X-Files’ (1993–2018)

Image via FOX

In the history of American science fiction television, there’s a “before The X-Files” period and an “after The X-Files” period. This cult classic truly did revolutionize the way the genre looked on the small screen, and its impact is not just the best sci-fi show of 1993, but perhaps of the ’90s as a whole, cannot be overestimated. It’s not an exaggeration to say it’s a masterpiece without equal.

From seaQuest DSV to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 1993 had no shortage of great sci-fi shows, but The X-Files has no real competition. It’s a classic sci-fi show that has aged like fine wine, whose passionate fandom pioneered the online fandom space. From Supernatural to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its monster-of-the-week format has inspired many a genre show over the years, with plenty of serialized elements to keep people glued to their couches even today.

6

‘Babylon 5’ (1994–1998)

Image via TNT

It’s no exaggeration to say that Babylon 5 revolutionized television. Very unusually for American broadcast television at the time of its airing, the series was designed from the get-go as a sort of novel for television, where each season of a pre-planned five-part story arc would serve as a chapter. American sci-fi shows had had elements of serialization before, but never had they been this anti-episodic.

In virtually every sense imaginable, Babylon 5 has aged beautifully—even in the areas where it starts to show its age and feel a little cheesy. Its visuals are phenomenal, its cast does a fantastic job throughout the whole show, and every single episode feels like it contributes something essential to the enthralling story, and that’s why it’s the most groundbreaking sci-fi show ever.

5

‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ (1995–1996)

Image via TV Tokyo

Before it became one of the most notorious auteur-driven anime properties of modern times, Hideaki Anno started off his Evangelion franchise with Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the greatest sci-fi anime show masterpieces ever. With an animation style, ensemble of characters, and gripping story that have all aged flawlessly, it may not be an easy watch, but it’s a must-see for people who love anime.

Philosophically profound and often more than a bit mind-bending, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a brilliant deconstruction of the mecha genre that’s still worth endlessly re-watching over thirty years after it first aired. Though Space: Above and Beyond and the ’90s version of The Outer Limits are other banger classics from 1995, there’s no beating the depth, complexity, and groundbreaking impact of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

4

‘Detective Conan’ (1996–Present)

Image via TMS Entertainment

Also known as Case Closed, Detective Conan is another show that proves that the ’90s and sci-fi anime go together like peanut butter and jelly. Based on Gosho Aoyama‘s manga series, it’s one of the most immensely popular anime shows from the ’90s, and for good reason. Thirty years later, it’s still one of the most popular sci-fi anime series on television.

One look at shows like Millennium and 3rd Rock from the Sun shows that 1996 was a great year for fans of sci-fi wanting to enjoy the genre at home, but neither of those classics compares to this long-running gem. Entertaining, funny, cozy, and full of genuinely very effective mysteries, it’s a masterpiece that has been on the air for as long as it has for good reason.

3

‘Stargate SG-1’ (1997–2007)

Image via Showtime

After Roland Emmerich‘s 1994 sci-fi film, MGM saw the opportunity for a franchise—and thus, Stargate was born. But as good as Emmerich’s original movie is, the franchise has never seen an installment more popular or highly acclaimed than Stargate SG-1, one of those sci-fi shows that somehow get better with every rewatch.

The pilot isn’t the best, but everything that comes after that is peak ’90s science fiction. As a whole, 1997 was less stellar for televisual sci-fi than past years of the decade—but even if it hadn’t been, it would have taken something titanic to beat Stargate SG-1. It’s pure sci-fi bliss with one of the biggest fandoms the genre has ever produced. Creative, nostalgic, full of great characters, and absolutely timeless in every way.

2

‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)

Image via Sunrise

Sci-fi anime from the ’90s went out with a bang with Cowboy Bebop, a massively acclaimed neo-noir space Western that has often been credited with helping to introduce anime to a new wave of Western viewers in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Stylish, atmospheric, and perfectly written, it’s the best that sci-fi anime has to offer.

It’s one of those classic anime shows that have aged beautifully, with a delightful animation style and a stellar voice cast (in both the English dub and the original Japanese). Brilliantly genre-bending and without a single episode that’s anything less than a masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop effortlessly beats out every other sci-fi show that started airing in 1998.

1

‘Futurama’ (1999–Present)

Image via Hulu

They’re not the most common type of sci-fi show, but when a sci-fi sitcom is truly great, it’s impossible not to fall in love with it. And as far as sci-fi sitcoms go, it doesn’t get much more influential or iconic than Futurama, whose exceptional first season was the perfect way for ’90s science fiction to go out with a bang. The show is still highly regarded nowadays (particularly by long-running animated sitcom standards), but there’s no denying that its brief ’90s days were peak Futurama.

Where many classic animated shows start jumping the shark as they go deeper into their runs, Futurama has never ceased to be one of the funniest, most refreshingly original, and most passionately made animated shows on television. With a huge love for the sci-fi genre, a legendary voice cast, and a team of writers that hasn’t lost its spark, this classic is ’90s sci-fi television at its best. As great as shows like Farscape and Invader ZIM are, there’s only one Futurama.

Futurama

Release Date

March 28, 1999

Network

FOX, Comedy Central, Hulu

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  Billy West

  Fry / Professor Farnsworth / Zoidberg / Zapp Brannigan (voice)

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