7 Classic Sci-Fi Shows That Are Still Better Than Most New Series

There is plenty of great science fiction television being produced today. From game-changing anthology series like the timeless Black Mirror to prestigious award winners like Severance, many modern sci-fi shows are proof that the genre is still alive and well. But all 21st-century genre shows inevitably stand on the shoulders of giants, and sci-fi masterpieces like those are no exception. If one looks back at the greatest classics that the genre had to offer throughout the 20th century, one will always be able to find classics that have aged so well that they’re still better than most shows being made today.

It can be yet another anthology masterpiece, such as the criminally underappreciated The Outer Limits; or a revolutionary serialized classic such as Babylon 5. Regardless of what kind of sci-fi classic we’re talking about, the genre’s best 20th-century productions can all be put side by side with even the best science fiction gems being made for the small screen today and come out on top. They are foundational to these sorts of stories, proof that all television genres are the product of a long trajectory of shows that kept evolving the way such stories were told.

7

‘The Outer Limits’ (1963–1965)

Image via ABC

After the unprecedented success of The Twilight Zone in the late ’50s and early ’60s, a wave of copycat shows started to visit families’ living rooms across the globe. But even though these shows were clearly other networks’ attempts at replicating the impact of CBS’ timeless classic, that didn’t necessarily mean that such copycat shows were always bad. Case in point: ABC’s The Outer Limits, which was sometimes genuinely just as great as the CBS classic that clearly influenced its creation.

The Outer Limits is one of those forgotten horror shows that have aged like fine wine, steering clear of the occasional supernatural fantasy that Twilight Zone sometimes threw into its episodes and instead remaining pure science fiction and horror throughout. For sci-fi superfans, this should prove terribly appealing. It’s full of creative premises and hugely original ways of approaching them, making the absolute best of its shoestring budget.

6

‘Stargate SG-1’ (1997–2007)

Image via ShowTime

The 1990s were arguably the best decade for sci-fi TV, and few shows demonstrate all the reasons why better than Stargate SG-1. The Stargate franchise was born in 1994 with Roland Emmerich‘s classic film, but where the series really took off was with the airing of SG-1, which is still one of the best military sci-fi shows ever made. With its incredible world-building and its flawless balance of serialization and episodic elements, it’s one of the most timeless series the genre has seen in modern times. It’s better than the original 1994 film, and it’s definitely better than most sci-fi movies being produced today.

It’s not soapy, it’s not overly serious, and it never pretends to be deeper than it needs to be. Instead, Stargate SG-1 consistently focuses on being pure small-screen entertainment, having fun with its “planet of the week” format in all sorts of unexpected ways that keep it rewatchable even after several re-visits. Its cast ensemble has exceptional chemistry, and its sense of humor keeps all of its high-stakes stories irresistibly fun throughout. There simply aren’t very many military sci-fi shows this dedicated to ensuring that the audience has a good time with every single passing episode.

5

‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)

Image via Sunrise

Largely credited with having helped popularize anime television in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Cowboy Bebop has genuinely aged like fine wine, still being as widely beloved today as it used to be—If not even more so. It’s just that great of a show, a genre-bending masterpiece that functions equally well as a delightful space Western and a mysterious neo-noir crime drama. It only ran for a mere 26 episodes, making it remarkably breezy to binge-watch in a few afternoons.

It’s generally regarded as one of the few anime shows without any significant flaws, proof that even though perfection may not technically be possible when it comes to television-making, some series can come surprisingly close. With its perfectly-written dialogue (which is memorable in English and the original Japanese alike), its deeply endearing set of main characters, its iconic jazz soundtrack, and its visuals (which are still awfully impressive to this day), this is essential viewing for anyone and everyone who loves science fiction.

4

‘The X-Files’ (1993–2018)

Image via FOX

If online sci-fi geekdom is as huge as it is today, that’s only because there was a certain massively influential sci-fi series whose audience pretty much pioneered fandom culture on the worldwide web: The X-Files, still widely recognized as one of the most groundbreaking shows the genre has ever produced. There is virtually no sci-fi or supernatural procedural being made today which doesn’t owe at least some inspiration to The X-Files, and no buddy series which wasn’t at least a little influenced by the chemistry between Mulder and Scully.

The X-Files is the very definition of a timeless show, and it’s definitely one of the best crime shows of the ’90s. Aside from the “oozing-off-the-screen” chemistry shared between both Mulder and Scully and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files has plenty more to offer to fans of classic science fiction television. Its elements of serialization should be perfectly able to appeal to people who love self-contained sci-fi stories on the small screen, while its episodic “case of the week” format should keep fans of the likes of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer glued to the screen throughout.

3

‘Babylon 5’ (1994–1998)

Image via PTEN

What made Babylon 5 so special back in the day is that, in a twist quite uncommon for American broadcast television at the time, it was designed as a sort of “novel for television” where every season would serve as a pre-planned chapter of that story. Of course, serialized sci-fi being the norm in today’s streaming era, that doesn’t really set Babylon 5 apart anymore. And yet, it’s still one of the best sci-fi series of all time, a must-see today just as much as it was back during the ’90s.

It’s one of the best military sci-fi shows of its era and of all time, a delightfully entertaining space opera whose serialization doesn’t feel primitive or thin in the slightest. On the contrary: Babylon 5 tells a story that’s still among the most compelling that American science fiction television has ever told. The characters are endearing, their arcs are compelling, the narrative keeps a great sense of momentum throughout all five seasons, and the top-tier production values are a phenomenal foundation for it all.

2

‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959–1964)

Image via CBS

There are those who would very reasonably hail Rod Serling‘s The Twilight Zone as the single most influential sci-fi TV show of all time, and for good reason. Serling’s masterpiece didn’t just break new ground in the realm of anthology science fiction: It revolutionized the sci-fi genre altogether, proving that these stories that audiences had looked down on as “low-brow” for so long could actually serve as serious, dramatic, thought-provoking reflections of contemporary society.

Today, The Twilight Zone and all of its deeply engaging meditations on humanity’s relationship to technology and the future have aged like fine wine, some episodes even feeling a bit prophetic. It’s one of those soft sci-fi shows whose every episode’s a masterpiece, and even though some Twilight Zone stories are more memorable and better-written than others, all of them are worth watching. Over six decades after its pilot aired, Rod Serling’s creation is still remembered as one of the most important shows in the history of science fiction television.

1

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987–1994)

Image via Paramount Television

There are many Star Trek fans who long for the good ol’ days, and it’s not just because of nostalgia. In no small measure, it’s surely because it’s the good ol’ days during which The Next Generation was airing, and that’s a show that many still confidently call the best piece of Star Trek media ever. Not only that: We’re also talking about one of the greatest and most essential space operas in television history, one of those classic sci-fi shows that have aged like fine wine.

What’s not to love about Star Trek: The Next Generation? The cast is absolutely perfect, and the characters they’re playing are among the genre’s most memorable; the writing for almost every episode of the show is done with the kind of uniquely optimistic attitude that makes Star Trek so special to begin with; and the production values all still look terrific nowadays. Adventurous, inspiring, deeply philosophical, and feel-good to the core, it’s top-tier Star Trek and thus better than 99% of the science fiction films being made today.