The 1990s were a golden era for thescience fiction genreon television, as evidenced byhow many sci-fi TV shows from the decade continue to be copied by today’s series. Several factors contributed to the explosion ofgreat 1990s sci-fi TV shows, from the popularity ofStar Warsin the 1970s and ’80s to the advancements in CGI that made VFX cheaper to produce on a television scale. Cable’s Syfy (then the Sci-Fi Channel) started in 1992, while newer TV networks Fox and UPN (created in 1986 and 1995, respectively) embraced sci-fi as a genre that attracted younger audiences.
The result was an explosion of science fiction television series in the 1990s, as the genre came to dominate the decade, like superheroes in the 2010s or Westerns in the 1950s. New technology and a hunger for content meant producers and writers were willing to take chances, leading to1990s sci-fi shows that faded into obscurity, despite being fun to watch or having something interesting to say. While some of these shows aired one or more seasons in the 1980s or 2000s,these sci-fi series collectively define 1990s science fictionin a way that continues to influence modern television.
6Sliders (1995–2000)
Created By Tracy Tormé
Long before the multiverse was the staple of science fiction storytelling that it is today, there wasSliders. For its initial run on the Fox network,Sliderssaw young inventor Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell) traveling to different parallel worlds via wormholewith Professor Arturo (John Rhys-Davies), Quinn’s girlfriend Wade Wells (Sabrina Lloyd), and random passerby Rembrandt Brown (Cleavant Derricks). In the tradition of some of the 20th century’s best sci-fi series,Sliderssought to deliver smart commentary on current events and social inequities by placing our heroes in situations that flipped the status quo.
Although the show’s initial excitement faded once the series moved to the Sci-Fi Channel andJerry O’Connell leftSlidersafter season 4, the influence that the series had on modern sci-fi can’t be understated.Slidersmade the concept of parallel realities accessible to a wide audiencewith its narrative introduction and episodic structure. Shows likeThe Man in the High CastleandFor All Mankindtake place entirely within realities where one change altered the course of history, whileFringecomes to rely on the existence of parallel universes as its core mystery unravels.
10
70%
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13
100%
86%
25
75%
22
72%
18
N/A
60%
SinceSliders,the multiverse has become an integral part of decades-spanning franchises, especially in the superhero genre. Alternate realities became a core conceit in the CW’s Arrowverse, particularly inThe FlashandLegends of Tomorrow. The MCU’s Multiverse Saga fully embraces the concept of alternate timelines as something that requires little explanation for its audience, with TV seriesLokiandWhat If…?being built entirely around parallel realities. Maybe now would be the perfect time for aSlidersreboot series.
5Farscape (1999–2003)
Created By Rockne S. O’Bannon
Coming in just under the wire with its first season starting in 1999,Farscapestarts with American astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) being flung across space to a world as alien to the audience as it is to Crichton. Rather than being about a well-oiled, well-trained cadre of explorers likeStar Trekor its contemporary seriesStargate SG-1,Farscapepatches together a ragtag group of alien fugitives, each with their own goals and desires. It’s a beautiful, bonkers series that pushes the envelope of genre storytelling by being both incredibly intelligent and as weird as possible.
Farscapeis an unusually timeless entry; it’s quintessentially Millennial for its easy comparisons to contemporary brightly-colored, fast-paced, fish-out-of-water stories likeFuturamaor 1997’sThe Fifth Element.But it also hearkens back to the 1980s withFarscape’s Henson Creature Shop characters, and looks ahead to the future of the genre.Few shows measure up toFarscape’s groundbreaking weirdness, but its influence can be seen in 21st-century sci-fi series likeDark MatterandKilljoys.As for movies,Guardians of the Galaxydirector James Gunn has citedFarscapeas a favorite show, since its characters map almost perfectly onto the Guardians.
4Quantum Leap (1989–1993)
Created By Donald P. Bellisario
Quantum Leap’s unique premise sawDr. Sam Beckett(Scott Bakula) time-traveling through his own lifetime, with the catch that Sam occupied the bodies of other people living in that time period. Each leap brought Sam to a time and place where his compassion and knowledge of the future made Dr. Beckett an agent of change — for the better. There was the barest structure of mythology surrounding the forces that guided Sam through time, but the show didn’t need a complicated mystery to succeed. Instead,Quantum Leapused its time travel concept to tell personal stories about ordinary people.
The 2022Quantum Leaprevival starred Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song, a physicist who tried to bring Sam Beckett back home. It was canceled after only two 13-episode seasons.
Quantum Leapattracted an adult audience by promising nostalgia, while everyone could get on board with the procedural nature of Sam solving mysteries as he hopscotched through strangers' bodies. But at its heart,Quantum Leapis a TV show about creating positive change through small actions.Quantum Leap’s lighter approach to sci-fi, with Sam Beckett’s steadfast belief in the goodness of people, exists inThe Good Place. Alan Tudyk seriesResident Alienis similar in tone, and also highlights ordinary people seen through the lens of someone in a body that isn’t theirs.
3Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Created by Gene Roddenberry
The golden age ofStar Trekin the 1990s, includingStar Trek: Deep Space NineandStar Trek: Voyager,wouldn’t have existed withoutStar Trek: The Next Generation.WithTNG, theTrekworld expanded far beyond whatStar Trek: The Original Seriesestablished, with new aliens, worlds, and inventions. The world thatStar Trek: The Next Generationbuilt inspired so manymodernStar Trekshows:Star Trek: Picardreunited theTNGcast, whileStar Trek: Lower DecksandStar Trek: Prodigytook place in the post-Voyagerera.
EvenStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5, which took place in the 32nd century, 800 years afterStar Trek: The Next Generation, built its mystery around an idea first prompted inTNGseason 6, episode 20, “The Chase”.
Initially considered a big gamble because of how the newStar Trekshow intentionally downplayedStar Trek: The Original Series,Star Trek: The Next Generationreignited interest inStar Trekfor a whole new generation of fans, and proved that older sci-fi series could be revived for modern audiences. In the wake of theTrektrifecta, 2004’sBattlestar Galacticawas remixed into a new series byStar Trekwriter Ronald D. Moore, andDoctor Whoreturned to TV screens in 2005 after a 16-year drought.
The success ofStar Trek: The Next Generationis evident inother projects adaptingTNG’s tried-and-true format. Even whileTNG,DS9, andVoyagerwere still on,Stargate SG-1andseaQuest DSVapplied theStar Trekformula in new environments, with their own worldbuilding. The 1999 filmGalaxy Questwas aStar Trekhomage that ripples through more recent sci-fi pastiches, like Seth MacFarlane’sThe Orville —essentially a version ofTNGfor the 21st century — andBlack Mirror’s “USS Callister” episodes, providing a scathing commentary on toxic fandom.
2Babylon 5 (1993–1998)
Created by J. Michael Straczynski
With its unconventional format, daring subject matter, and pioneering use of CGI,Babylon 5was so far ahead of its time that it has more in common with modern streaming sci-fi shows than contemporary episodic series.Creator J. Michael Straczynski envisionedBabylon 5as a thoughtfully crafted “novel for television” designed to play out for five seasons. Deeply serialized TV shows likeB5are the norm today, but Straczynski’s experiment was a hard sell back when television was strictly linear.
Babylon 5almost didn’t make it through all five seasons before being rescued by TNT, which producedBabylon 5’s fifth season and aired daily episodes ofB5from the beginning, so newcomers could experience the full story as it was intended.
But it wasn’t just the format that madeBabylon 5a sci-fi show ahead of its time. Straczynski’s ambitious epic recognized that humans would inevitably still have our vices and prejudices in the future.Religion, politics, interpersonal conflicts, and interstellar racism were all inherent toBabylon 5’s overall storyline, as its disparate species struggled to unify in the lead-up tothe Shadow War. InB5’s intricate worldbuilding, cooperation was difficult to actually attain without real work.Babylon 5’s opening monologue even claims the station is “our last, best hope for peace”, after the first four iterations failed.
1The X-Files (1993–2002)
Created by Chris Carter
The DNA ofThe X-Filesis scattered throughout modern television series, making it the most influential science fiction TV show of the 1990s. Grounded in the FBI partnership of believer Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson),The X-Filesperfectly married procedural drama and spooky science fiction at just the right timeto influence the best TV shows of the 21st century. Nestled among the “monster of the week” episodes that wereThe X-Files' bread and butter, the “mythology” episodes slowly doled out clues to the series' overarching mystery, making it an early"mystery box" show.
Series creator Chris Carter’s method of revealingThe X-Files’answers with cryptic clues evolved into a staple of sci-fi television shows that wanted to keep their audiences guessing. J.J. Abrams' showsLostandFringecan both countThe X-Filesas direct inspiration; so, by definition, the 2010s' bevy ofLostimitators who hoped to capitalize on its popularity are also direct descendants ofThe X-Files.Meanwhile,Supernatural,Grimm, and Netflix’sStranger Thingsare just some examples of shows that draw onThe X-Files' concept of folklore and urban legends made dangerously real.
