No. 10: 'Farscape'

When astronaut John Crichton got sucked through a wormhole and stumbled into the path of the merciless "Peacekeepers," fans stumbled across a sci-fi gem. 'Farscape's' unique aliens came courtesy of the Hensen Company, best known for 'The Muppets' on our planet. The cult following grew so passionate that when the Sci-Fi Channel cancelled the show abruptly after the fourth season in 2002, fan outrage forced a mini-series to wrap up the story. That loyalty will be rewarded later this year, Sci-Fi will bring the series back in the form of webisodes.

No. 9: 'Stargate SG-1'

Over ten seasons split between Showtime and the Sci-Fi Channel, "Stargate SG-1" opened up new worlds for TV viewers.

Based loosely on the 1994 movie, "Stargate", the series is the longest consecutively running sci-fi show of all time - take that, "X-Files"! - and spawned two DVD movies and two spinoffs. The second, 'Stargate Universe,' starring Robert Carlyle and Lou Diamond Phillips, will debut this fall.

No. 8: 'Babylon 5'

It all went according to plan. Creator J. Michael Straczynski brainstormed the full five years worth of "Babylon 5" story before the first frame of the first episode was filmed. His vision - a space station where an uneasy peace between several hostile alien races is always in danger - became a series geared towards adults.

Not all the technology was reserved for the Babylon 5 station: Straczynski started using the fledgling Usenet after the pilot, The Gathering, aired in 1993 to whip up a fan frenzy.

No. 7: 'The X-Files'

It's an enigma that may never be solved: How did 'The X-Files' manage to go from one of the best genre shows of all time to completely collapsing under the weight of its dense mythology? Only series creator Chris Carter knows for sure.

But in for the first eight seasons or so, fans would have followed FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) into the darkest basement or spookiest woods in search of the truth.

No. 6: 'Star Trek' (The Original Series)

Space may have been the final frontier when "Star Trek" debuted in 1966, but in America the show didn't blast off in the ratings. NBC cancelled the show, which starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, just three years into its five-year "mission to boldly go where no man has gone before."

But creator Gene Roddenberry show caught fire in reruns and became a cultural phenomenon, spawning four spinoffs, an animated series and 11 movies. A highly-anticipated reboot, by J.J. Abrams, will hit theaters this year. But as good as those spinoffs were, the original series is the foundation that made those - and series like "Babylon 5" and "Battlestar Galactica" - possible.

No. 5: 'Doctor Who'

Far and away the longest running sci-fi show in television history according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the titular time-traveling alien managed to wow audiences for 43 years.

Using the best conceit in television history - regeneration - to explain how 11 different actors could play the main character, "Dr. Who" continues to wise-crack his way through tight spots with his latest incarnation, actor David Tennant.

No. 4: 'Lost'

It may be the best show currently on television, but "Lost" could only find its way to No. 4 on our list. The hit ABC series blends drama, horror and sci-fi into a riveting story about castaways with mysterious pasts on a mysterious island. An ensemble led by Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly has slowly been whittled down by smoke monsters and the nefarious. No matter which fan favorite is knocked off, devotees comb message boards and Web sites for clues and post their own theories.

Flash forward to the fifth season, and the show is as good as ever.

No. 3: 'Star Trek: Next Generation'

Where William Shatner's Captain Kirk from the original series was an arrogant and emotional womanizer, Patrick Stewart's Captain Picard of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' was a real commander. He certainly commanded the presence of an audience - the Sept. 1987 pilot drew an audience of 27 million viewers. The special effects were shot as if the episodes were movies and over seven seasons, the show wracked up 18 Emmys and spawned three films.

No 2.: 'Battlestar Galactica' (new)

When news broke that a remake of the classic but campy '70s series 'Battlestar Galactica' was in the works, few thought it was a good idea. Fans of the original were outraged over producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore's planned changes. (Starbuck a girl! Cylons that look human!) Critics didn't like the original in the first place.

But a funny thing happened on the way to look for Earth: the resulting series proved pretty darn good. Resonating with an audience in the post-Sept. 11 world, the series provided perfect allegories on war, terrorism, religion, political divides and science. Through the last episode it was consistently frakkin' good.

So say we all.

No. 1: The Twilight Zone

In the 1950s, when creator Rod Serling was hatching up his masterpiece, "The Twilight Zone", airing one's political views was dangerous in McCarthy-era America. So Serling hid his views in a dimension "not only of sight and sound but of mind" - allegories hidden in aliens, robots and monsters.

From 1959-64, "The Twilight Zone" set the bar high for every sci-fi show that followed it - including the other nine series on our list.

Honorary Mention: 'Firefly'

Joss Whedon's "Firefly" was just starting to hit its stride when Fox unceremoniously cancelled the cult favorite after just 11 episodes. As good as the space Western series - and its spinoff feature film, "Serenity" - were, a half season is not enough to qualify as one of the top ten greatest sci-fi shows of all time.

Honorary Mention: 'Lost in Space'

Though it may have been light years ahead of it's time, the campy '60s series, "Lost in Space", seems dated by 21st Century standards. The worst part of the space-age Swiss Family Robinson story of a family trapped aboard a wayward spaceship? We still don't know if the Robinsons ever got home. Still, the show receives props for introducing the world to sci-fi icon, GUNTER the Robot, an off-shoot of Robby the Robot from the movie, "Forbidden Planet".

Babylon 5?

:rolleyes:

Honorary Mention: 'Firefly'

Joss Whedon's "Firefly" was just starting to hit its stride when Fox unceremoniously cancelled the cult favorite after just 11 episodes. As good as the space Western series - and its spinoff feature film, "Serenity" - were, a half season is not enough to qualify as one of the top ten greatest sci-fi shows of all time.
:nod: :clap

Where's Quantum Leap?

Where's Quantum Leap?

And the original Outer Limits?

I agree with....

#1. The Twilight Zone - Used to like it as a kid.

#2. Battlestar Galactica (New) - Amazing.

#3. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Fantastic.

#4. Lost - Awesome.

#5. Doctor Who - Fun. I've seen the old ones, but Im a fan of the new ones.

#6. Star Trek - I've always enjoyed TOS, even though it's not one of my favorites.

#7. The X-Files - I liked it for a while when I was a kid. I always hear how great the show is. Maybe one day I'll watch all the episodes from start to finish.


I'm not too sure about....

#8. Babylon 5 - I saw a few episodes when I was little and remember not being impressed with it.

#9. Stargate SG-1 - I've seem promos, and it looked interesting, but I never sat through an episode.

#10. Farscape - Another show I remember seeing promos for, and it looked alright, but I never watched an episode. I remember it was fairly popular at one point.