You would be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of science fiction than me. I absolutely love the genre, mostly because of how well it describes real-life societal issues by using futuristic story-telling. While sci-fi movies are more praised, sci-fi TV shows have more bandwidth to expand on worlds and ideologies that beg to be explored after a three-hour runtime.
Having said that, there are some sci-fi worlds that are so expansive that it requires multiple seasons for their story to be told and worlds to be explored. So, as a die-hard sci-fi fan, I took on the task of ranking the greatest sci-fi shows that run for over five seasons. Keep in mind, there aren’t a lot of them, but the ones that I picked out are sure to please your science fiction taste buds.
10
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (2008–2020)
Master Yoda wields his green lightsaber as he scowls at his adversary in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Season 6, Episode 13 “Sacrifice” (2014).Image via Lucasfilm Animation
We heap a lot of praise on Andor which, in my humble opinion, is the best Star Wars show ever made. So, what’s just behind it? Well, in my book, it’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which told the story of a galaxy far, far away in CGI animation, and did it quite well. The sci-fi epic, which premiered on Cartoon Network in 2008, is set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith of the prequel trilogy.
Clone Wars follows the Jedi Knights as they command a clone army against the Separatist Alliance in the Clone Wars. The show is the perfect bridge between Episodes II and III, and took the Star Wars universe to places that no one, not even die-hard Star Wars fans, could even dream of. The animation is crisp, and the action and story are both unique and stay true to the overall arc of the franchise.
9
‘Rick and Morty’ (2013–)
Rick and Morty together in The Rick, The Mort, and The UglyImage via Adult Swim
It’s not easy being the smartest man alive, which Rick Sanchez (Justin Roiland and Ian Cardoni) can cynically attest to. Rick and Morty is more than a sci-fi adult comedy that contains gross and hilarious hijinks. It actually aims to tell a story of how being so smart can actually be detrimental to you, and how lonely that life can truly be. The emotional heart of Rick and Morty is what makes it stand out from its adult animation counterparts.
As much as this show has laughs and emotional heart, at its core, Rick and Morty is a great show for sci-fi fans. The series takes full advantage of multidimensional storytelling, taking us to worlds that we didn’t think were possible, and making us think that there could be multiple timelines out there, and we’re just too scared to look for them. Maybe we all do need a Rick in our lives.
8
‘The Outer Limits’ (1995–2002)
The cast of ‘The Outer Limits’ remake in the 1990sImage via Showtime
In 1963, a science fiction thriller premiered on ABC called The Outer Limits, which was intended to compete with the CBS ratings juggernaut The Twilight Zone. The original Outer Limits lasted for only two seasons, but 30 years later, it got a modern reboot that not only outlived its original counterpart, but was actually an upgrade to the original and gave new life to the anthology series.
Some may look at The Outer Limits as a Twilight Zone ripoff, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Unlike the famed CBS anthology series, this show is darker and steeped in more sci-fi ethos than its more famous counterpart. The stories are more fleshed out, and the potential is fully realized than it was back in 1963. If you have yet to watch The Outer Limits, do yourself a favor and put on an episode. You’ll find yourself binge-watching the entire series, like I did.
7
‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987–1994)
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) in uniform looking ahead in Star Trek: The Next Generation.Image via Paramount Television
While many OG Star Trek fans will pledge their allegiance to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), a lot of younger fans of the series grew up with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) of The Next Generation, like I did. Seeing that the original Star Trek did much better in syndication, The Next Generation was created for Paramount to cash in on the sheer longevity of the series, and it was a gamble worth taking.
Sure, there are other Star Trek shows that other fans swear by, but you can’t deny that The Next Generation was the Star Trek show that made it cool to be a Trekkie in the modern era. From Captain Picard to Data (Brent Spiner), the cast of The Next Generation is far more iconic than the original cast, and a more bingeable show than its predecessor, which garnered a lot of its fame from its feature films. We’ll talk about another Star Trek show you should most definitely be watching in a bit, but if you only have room for one Star Trek show, this show should definitely be considered.
6
‘Stargate SG-1’ (1997–2007)
Christopher Judge, Amanda Tapping, Richard Dean Anderson, and Michael Shanks in Stargate SG-1.Image via Showtime
Stargate is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies, and it doesn’t get the love that it truly deserves. Neither does its TV counterpart, Stargate SG-1, which was a stalwart on Showtime and SyFy for 10 seasons. Stargate SG-1 picks up after the events of the movie, which follows a military team that hunts down alien technology to defend the Earth from extraterrestrial threats using the Stargate portal.
Stargate SG-1 is a great example of a show that expanded on the mythology and story of its film counterpart. Stargate is a truly underrated sci-fi movie that explores how alien technology has impacted civilization, and SG-1 stretches this out to show how that technology can be used to our advantage to protect Earth from threats conventional technology can’t do. Heavy on action and having a great story, Stargate SG-1 was made for binge-watching.
5
‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993–1999)
Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) inspects a rock in a sandy, desert setting in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.Image via Paramount Television
Remember that other Star Trek show I was talking about? Well, here it is. After the success of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine kept its popularity going strong. Deep Space Nine is set in the 24th century, and instead of exploring space in the Enterprise, this series is set on a space station called Deep Space Nine.
It was quite a gamble for the creators to take Star Trek away from the ship that helped make it famous, but Deep Space Nine was great at expanding the franchise’s world; and while it did take the new crew on a starship in its third season (USS Defiant), the best storylines in this installment was when it was set on the station. Deep Space Nine was unique in the lore of Star Trek, and that’s what makes it one of the best.
4
‘The X-Files’ (1993–2018)
Mulder and Scully in ‘The X-Files’ series finale.Image via FOX
It sure does seem like The X-Files always pop up often on my lists of great sci-fi shows, doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it’s one of the best modern sci-fi shows ever made. Premiering at a time when sitcoms and police procedurals were all the rage, The X-Files provided something different, something terrifying, and it had all of us hooked.
If you are one of the two people on Earth who have yet to hear about The X-Files, here’s a general synopsis for you. The show follows two FBI agents, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they tackle “The X-Files,” unsolved cases that lean a lot into the paranormal. Suffice to say, The X-Files was a pop culture phenomenon during its run, and still holds up incredibly well today.
3
‘Doctor Who’ (1963–)
Speaking of great sci-fi shows, we have Doctor Who, which is simply an iconic staple of sci-fi television. For nearly 62 years, the sci-fi show has been thrilling viewers with its tale of adventure while telling a deeper message about the perils of oppression. The show, which premiered on the BBC in 1963, focuses on the Doctor, a humanoid Time Lord that uses a British police box to go through time to liberate oppressed people and defeat enemies.
As much as one would be astonished by the longevity of the Star Trek franchise, you have to be amazed at how a sci-fi show over 60-years-old has stayed relevant for so long. Well, it’s not that surprising, given the unique way Doctor Who tells its stories, and how it continues to reinvent itself to keep up with the changing tastes of modern audiences.
2
‘Black Mirror’ (2011–)
Cristin Milioti as Nanette Cole onboard a spaceship in Black Mirror’s USS Callister: Into Infinity.Image via Netflix
Back in 2016, we didn’t know what to make of Black Mirror, the British sci-fi anthology that took its influence from the grandaddy of anthologies, The Twilight Zone. We finally got a glimpse into what all the rage was across the pond regarding this show, and, let me tell you, the hype was certainly worth it.
Black Mirror is a darker version of The Twilight Zone, a dark sci-fi series that’s able to tap into our fears of modern society and technology, and do so effectively. There’s hardly a bad episode among the bunch, and each season gets increasingly more tech-focused and more scary. Case in point, Black Mirror is the perfect sci-fi dystopian series, and one can see why it has so much staying power.
1
‘Lost’ (2004–2010)
The Oceanic Six paddling a rescue boat in the season 4 finale of Lost, There’s No Place Like Home, 2008.Image via ABC
Setting the bizarre and controversial series finale aside, you have to give ABC’s Lost its flowers as one of the best long-running sci-fi series on modern television. There was just something truly wonky with the premise, and along with its electrifying mystery, the sci-fi elements of Lost are what truly made it so special.
Set on a deserted island in the South Pacific Ocean, Lost follows a group of plane crash survivors, and they try to find a way to get help, and survive an island full of mysterious supernatural threats, from the Smoke Monster to polar bears (yes, this tropical island had polar bears). Lost is a show that was the very definition of a “water cooler” show, one that you could discuss with your friends for the entire week, and it still has that effect today. That’s why, despite that controversial series finale, Lost is still recognized as one of the best long-running sci-fi series of all-time. Not even the tropical polar bears can deny that fact.