My Top 10 Favourite Sci-Fi Shows of All-Time

There have been a lot of great science fiction shows.

Also, a lot of bad ones.

Here are my personal top 10. (Feel free to let me know why I’m wrong in the comments.)

10 — Travellers

Travelers is on the shortlist for the best Canadian-made television show ever.

This is a unique time-travel story featuring people from the future being sent back into modern-day humans at the moment of death. They take over their lives and receive messages from the future with tasks to do. Sometimes they’re simple things, other times more complex and sinister.

Over the life of the show, we learn more about the future and why they are so desperate to change it. We also have these deep and complex relationships between not only the travelers, but the modern-day humans they interact with.

It’s fun and very well done.

9 — Star Trek: Deep Space 9

I’m not the biggest Star Trek fan. I find most of the shows sort of bleh.

Deep Space 9 is different. It’s a bucket of fresh water. (Is that the saying?)

Instead of following the adventurers in space, or the hero exploring, we’re following the lives of people on a space station. We see the ships docking, refuelling and being repaired. It’s a glimpse into the lives of the working class in space in a strange way.

It’s a refreshing take on sci-fi. (Although I did get bored after a few seasons.)

8- The Orville

Creator of Family Guy Seth McFarlane’s take on Star Trek is basically the pitch for this show.

It’s the story of the Union’s flagship craft exploring the unexplored reaches of space. Some light warfare, some diplomacy and lots of hijinks.

Like Family Guy, the jokes can be distracting at times but this is a fun show. It has heart, the characters are likeable and the storylines are good.

Weird aliens, strange planets. Solid sci-fi.

7 — Star Trek: Lower Decks

I said I wasn’t a huge Star Trek fan and yet I have another one on this list. So sue me.

Lower Decks is hilarious. It’s the story of the characters that work maintenance for Star Fleet on one of the ships. The little guys. The mechanics, janitors, chefs, etc.

Featuring cursing, farting, lewd storylines and more, Lower Decks is a funny look into the world of Star Fleet. A lot of people look down on it because it’s animated, but it’s probably the best Star Trek show currently on television.

6 — Futurama

The second (and last) animated show on this list.

From the creator of the Simpsons (Matt Groening) came this cult classic that I remember so fondly from my childhood. It was one of my favourite shows when I was a kid. I rewatched it recently and it holds up.

The story of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who is accidentally frozen and wakes up 1000 years in the future. Featuring memorable characters, insane storylines, a wild future setting and Bender.

This show is awesome.

Also, it made me cry more than once.

5 — The Expanse

The Expanse might be the best book to television show adaptation, if not for another one on this list. (Foreshadowing alert)

The Expanse follows a crew of misfit space workers as they become central pawns in a messed-up near-future world.

I don’t want to spoil any part of this show. The story will keep you guessing, the characters will have you simultaneously hating and loving them and the setting is awesome.

The first few episodes are slow, but once you’re hooked. You’re really hooked.

4 — Watchmen

Yeah, I’m increasing the photo sizes as the list goes on!

Watchmen, specifically the 2019 mini-series, is incredible. It’s one of the best mini-series of the decade. The acting is beyond fantastic, the writing is next level and the directing is awesome. It’s just an unbelievably well-made television show.

I’m a big fan of the graphic novel and I didn't think anyone would be able to do it justice. I was wrong.

3 — Star Trek: The Next Generation

Shoutout to my ex-girlfriend who made me watch this show.

The Next Generation is a masterpiece of television. It should be studied in television writing classes.

This show was set in mostly one location on the bridge of a ship. It had a television budget and had to make 22–24 episodes a year. Some episodes were okay, some were good and then a couple a year were spectacular.

There are multiple episodes that leave you in tears, or questioning humanity, or what love means. And then there are episodes that are basically action movies. You never know what the next episode will hold. But you’ll remember more than a few of them.

Also, Patrick friggin Stewart acting his butt off.

2 — Station Eleven

Station Eleven suffered some poor timing. It was released a few weeks after the world shut down for the pandemic, and it's about a pandemic. Not great.

But this is the best show of the century so far.

Also, a small aside but this is one of the very few times that a television show is better than the book for me.

This show will rip your heart out and then slowly piece it back together. Each episode is a masterpiece of storytelling and the way they weave together for the ending will leave you breathless.

Another small aside, I’m absolutely amazed this didn’t sweep the Emmys. The writing, acting and directing in this show make most other things on television look amateur.

Put down whatever you’re doing and watch this show.

1 — Doctor Who

Quite simply my favourite television show.

It’s silly, it often looks ridiculous and the stories get out of control quickly.

But I absolutely love it.

The story of a time-and-space travelling alien who likes to poke around where he, or she, shouldn’t.

It’s funny, it’s endearing and they do tell some real stories. The acting talent in this show is no joke. The writing wavers but at the end of the day it’s fun. And if you don’t like a certain doctor or companion, they change pretty often.

You never know what you’re going to get.

But it’ll be fun.

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This was a fun list to make. Highly recommend putting one together yourself. It was a taste of nostalgia and remembering a lot of shows that I hadn’t thought about in a while.