If you’re going to be a true sci-fi geek, you have to see these

Five Sci-Fi TV Series Essential to Watch

11/9/13

This week I decided that I would do some community service by helping to improve the world. Thus, I am going to break down five science fiction series that I feel are absolutely essential if you’re ever going to be a proper sci-fi geek. Probably everyone reading will have heard of these, though not everyone will have seen them all. There are likely even those of you that have tried to watch one or another of these and found them not to your tastes. Regardless, they should all be sampled at least once, even if you decide that they’re not essential for your own sci-fi agenda. Read on to learn of five amazing TV series and why you should watch them.

Doctor Who (1963 - current) -

This is probably the one that everyone has seen and likely the one that everyone is watching regularly. Though it’s been around since the 60s, it was only in the last decade that Doctor Who really became known and loved by millions. Between the older series and the new ones, this is the longest-running television series in history, even if it did have a large gap between one era and the next.

What makes Doctor Who so wonderful is that it manages to keep the same story going despite a rotating cast. The Doctor is always being changed, though he’s still The Doctor. And his companions change as well, though they’re always along for the wonderful ride that their time-travelling Doctor provides. Viewers say goodbye to old characters and hello to new ones and everyone has an opinion on who the best Doctor or companions are (I’m in the Matt Smith camp myself). This approach keeps it fresh and the time-traveling aspect means that the writers can do pretty much anything they want with the plot. There is, in my opinion, no recipe for success better than Doctor Who.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 - 1969) -

I grew up on Star Trek’s original series, so I may be a bit biased on this one. I couldn’t really get into the later series, though many claim them to be superior in various ways. To me, it was all about Gene Roddenberry’s original vision. He took sci-fi in new directions, challenging what the television producers thought was acceptable or desirable on the small screen. TOS addressed everything from sexism to racism to corruption and more. By its very nature this is what science fiction does, but TOS brought it to more people via the magic of the boob-tube. Even though it was serialized for the most part and campy as heck, it had much to say and still does.

The X-Files (1993 - 2002) -

Another long-running show, I regret to say that I have probably only seen about half of this series’ episodes and not in their proper order. Unfortunately, I got onboard The X-Files bandwagon after the series had finished, so I only had sporadic re-runs to rely on for exposure. Even so, this government agents vs. aliens and weirdness show was a great original look at many different mysteries of our world and worlds beyond. The main characters were excellently developed over time, most of the stories were interesting and the subject matter managed to capture the attention of an entire generation. Best of all, this is a series where you can jump in pretty much anywhere and not feel lost (well, maybe not the last few seasons, which are longer story arcs). After its cancellation, it spawned two movies (which didn’t do so well) and, if rumors are to be believed, there may even be a third one in the works. A must-watch for anyone with an interest in aliens and conspiracy theories.

Firefly (2002) -

A Joss Whedon project, Firefly was a brilliant series that died well before its time. Many of the hardcore fans (myself included) were not even introduced to Firefly until after it had made its way to DVD. One major reason for this was the television studio’s inability to properly air it (episodes out of order, changing air times), because most agree that Firefly could have used another two seasons at least. The characters are instantly likeable (or hateable), the story world complex and interesting and the story arcs - both large and small - draw you in. Firefly was so loved, in fact, that there are still hordes of fans that preach the “Bring back Firefly!” message, though this is unlikely to ever happen. They did manage to wrap up some of the show with the movie Serenity, at least. And, finally, the show will be getting some continuation within the pages of a comic book (coming in January!) so if you’re already a fan, there is some hope.

Battlestar Galactica (2004 - 2009) -

When I speak of Battlestar Galactica, I am referring to the newer series, of course. The old series, while loved by many, was campy and silly in that 80s sci-fi on TV sort of way. The new take on BSG was much more serious and dealt with issues of humanity, politics and life and death. The series ran for four seasons and to truly complete the story you need to watch them all, but to me it was the first season that really defined the show. The writing is such that you get a long story arc contained within many serialized chunks, so you don’t feel like you’re waiting for something to happen. This shifted as the series went on and the arcs became the main focus, thus turning BSG into more of a space opera instead of the message-based sci-fi series that it began as. Still, as a work of science fiction art, it has few rivals. If you haven’t seen it before, stick through the first season. Of course, if you’re like everyone else, you won’t be able to stop watching until you’re completely done. Be happy you don’t have to wait a week for each new episode like the rest of us did.

For a look at what BSG can do to your life, please watch the following video.

One More Episode of Battlestar Galactica