1. Stargate SG-1
   Sliders
2. Fringe
   Surface

Richard Dean Anderson brought a freewheeling spirit to this series, based on the classic sci-fi film. He was frequently in danger, but never really seemed to be all that scared.

1. Farscape
   Surface
2. Doctor Who
   Lost in Space

If you've never seen "Doctor Who," you're missing out on about a half-century of relentless creativity and humor. The modern series has better special effects and generally better acting, but I'm an old school Tom Baker fan myself.

1. Eureka
   Smallville
2. Arrow
   Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Here's the story of Superman as an angst-ridden teenager. We even get to meet a teenage Lex Luthor!

1. Heroes
   Quantum Leap
2. Surface
   Sliders

"Sliders" combined a great cast, led by Jerry O'Connell and the formidable John Rhys-Davies, with great stories. When the writers added an overarching "big bad" backstory, it lost a bit of edge.

1. Lost in Space
   Star Trek: Original Series
2. The Twilight Zone
   Flash Gordon

How much ground did this series break? First interracial kiss? Asian-American NOT playing a karate warrior? Roddenberry's "Wagon Train to the stars" changed TV forever.

1. Futurama
   American Dad
2. Adventure Time
   Star Blazers

Very few animated shows have ever attracted the fanatical following that "Futurama" has. It's been saved from cancellation at least twice and even switched networks thanks to rabid fans ... and Bender's acerbic sense of humor.

1. Stargate: SG-1
   Stargate: Atlantis
2. Babylon 5
   Lexx

This beefed-up, conflict-laden spinoff had a good run, and the new enemy race was truly menacing. Watch for Aquaman, Jason Momoa, in one of his first roles.

1. Star Trek: Voyager
   Star Trek: Enterprise
2. Andromeda
   Star Trek: The Next Generatioin

The adventures of Capt. Janeway and crew never did quite fully catch on with Trek fandom. I'd like to think that the fact that the captain was female didn't have anything to do with that, but fanboys can be a pretty hidebound lot.

1. Star Trek: Original Series
   Lost in Space
2. Buck Rogers
   Flash Gordon

This always reminded me of "Happy Days" in space, maybe because of the redheaded kid. It was high camp, with a "menace of the week" plotline, but lasted several seasons.

1. Farscape
   Lexx
2. Tekwar
   Mystery Science Theater 3000

This show started on public access television in Minnesota, and grew largely by fans making tapes of the shows and mailing them around. It's recently gotten a reboot thanks to Netflix, and is still as hilarious as ever.

1. The X-Files
   Quantum Leap
2. Fringe
   Amazing Stories

A hero who ends up in the body of a different person every week might be one of the best conceits ever for a sci-fi show. Scott Bakula pulled off the act for several seasons, with the excellent Dean Stockwell as his pal Al, who helped as much as he could.

1. Andromeda
   Babylon 5
2. Farscape
   Lexx

Kevin Sorbo did his herculean best in this oater, apparently created from scraps of paper found in Gene Roddenberry's shredder pile. The plots were derivative, and while it had its bright moments, the show as a whole wasn't very good.

1. 3rd Rock from the Sun
   My Favorite Martian
2. Futurama
   Mork and Mindy

The fish out of water comedy is as old as the genre itself, but here the "fish" was an alien family. John Lithgow channeled his Buckaroo Banzai wackiness to lead this hilarity.

1. The X-Files
   The 4400
2. Alien Nation
   The Leftovers

"Alien Nation" took the "alien arrival" motif and turned it on its head. Imagine if the aliens got here and just ... moved in?

1. Fringe
   Eureka
2. Amazing Stories
   Farscape

"Eureka" was a high-concept show centered on a town where "exceptional" people lived. The sheriff was a normal fellow, and had all manner of adventures dealing with his residents.

1. Dollhouse
   Roswell
2. Dark Angel
   Tru Calling

James Cameron introduced us to Jessica Alba in this tale of genetically engineered teens breaking out of confinement. It sustained a time-jump to a post-apocalyptic future, and lasted three seasons.

1. Star Trek: Voyager
   Babylon 5
2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
   Star Trek: Enterprise

This is my favorite of the "new" Trek series. It had a grittier feel, the aliens were more fully realized as characters and who wouldn't want to fly the Defiant into a battle?

1. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
   Smallville
2. Arrow
   Iron Fist

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher played the title characters in this '90s show that was a little bit superhero, a little bit romance. I'm really surprised it never made it to the big screen ... probably 10 years too early.

1. V
   Jeremiah
2. Lexx
   Alien Nation

The original "V" was a campy classic, with an almost "Dynasty"-level amount of drama and pretty decent special effects. The reboot had tremendously better effects, but the heart just wasn't in it.

1. 3rd Rock from the Sun
   My Favorite Martian
2. ALF
   Mork and Mindy

Robin Williams' Mork was one of the few bright spots near the end of "Happy Days." To see this show at its best, catch the episodes with Jonathan Winters.

1. Dollhouse
   The 4400
2. The Leftovers
   Continuum

Imagine if all the humans abducted by aliens over the decades suddenly showed up back on Earth. That was the premise of this nifty show that worked in some deft conspiracy-theory elements before dying a premature death due to poor scheduling.

1. Torchwood
   Doctor Who
2. The Leftovers
   Heroes

John Barrowman played ageless Capt. Jack Harkness, leading this crew of alien-monitoring (and occasionally world-saving) Brits. It was a spinoff of "Doctor Who," but a worthy show in its own right.

1. Quantum Leap
   Star Trek: Enterprise
2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
   Farscape

Imagine the early days of Starfleet, when the Vulcans were just about humanity's only friends and Warp 2 was considered amazingly fast. That was the idea behind this show, but it was poorly realized, and never quite caught on with Trek fandom.

1. Babylon 5
   Lexx
2. Farscape
   Firefly

Joss Whedon's masterpiece, this criminally short-lived sci-fi series was a shiny star in the TV firmament. Devoted fans (including me) can hold entire conversations in quotes from the show and the movie, "Serenity," which followed it.

1. The Fugitive
   Lost
2. Millennium
   Land of the Giants

Rarely has a fan base been more simultaneously enthralled and frustrated by a series than with "Lost." We got dense, intertwined plot lines and great performances, but we also got season-long red herrings and characters who appeared and disappeared for no apparent reason.

1. Doctor Who 1963
   My Favorite Martian
2. The Invaders
   The Time Tunnel

Yes, "Doctor Who" has been around since before "Star Trek!" The old ones are marked by a wicked sense of humor, truly horrible special effects and monsters with frequently visible zippers in their suits ... but I love them.

1. The Arrow
   The Flash
2. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
   Agent Carter

We all know "S.H.I.E.L.D."s superhero members, but what about the humans who run the show? Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson is the linchpin, with a great supporting cast and occasional superhero appearances.

1. Millennium
   Fringe
2. Surface
   The X-Files

Some (including me) call this the best earthbound sci-fi show ever made. Yes, it meandered in the last season after Duchovny left, but as a body of work it's unmatched.

1. Heroes
   Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2. Farscape
   Fringe

People from all walks of life discover they have superpowers that can either help or destroy the world. Heroes ran for 4 seasons with many twists and turns along the way.

1. Star Trek
   Star Trek: The Next Generation
2. Star Trek: Deep Space 9
   Babylon 5

TNG brought the Trek TV series into the modern world, with high-end special effects and dozens of new aliens. Instead of Spock, we got Data, not necessarily an upgrade.

1. Farscape
   Babylon 5
2. Lexx
   Stargate: Continuum

Imagine if the guys who make the awful skin flicks shown on Cinemax after midnight got to make a TV show. You've got "Lexx." It was campy, seriously walked the line with the censors and the jokes got old really quickly.

1. The Arrow
   Flash
2. Iron Fist
   Jessica Jones

In the overwhelmingly male-dominated world of superheroes, "Jessica Jones" is a standout exception. She failed as a superhero, so now she puts her abilities to work as a private detective while occasionally perpetrating acts of heroism.

1. Star Trek: Deep Space 9
   Lexx
2. Babylon 5
   Crusade

In another universe, "Babylon 5" would still be on the air. Similar to "Deep Space Nine," it centered on a space station populated by an ever-shifting cast of aliens and humans, all of whom kept a fragile peace (most of the time). We got to meet aliens with distinctly human traits like greed, avarice, ​and good old-fashioned skullduggery.

1. Dark Skies
   Alias
2. Roswell
   Dark Angel

The "X-Files" planted the "alien-human hybrid" idea in the popular consciousness, and "Roswell" made them the good guys. Naturally, the three teen leads live in Roswell ... where else?

1. The Pretender
   John Doe
2. Human Target
   The 4400

If you have a kid in a gifted school, this show will probably give you the creeps a bit. Imagine if Little Johnny was trained to assume any identity, perform any job or take on any persona.

1. Utopia
   Sanctuary
2. Eureka
   The 4400

Like to read things like graphic novels online? This show, in which a group of people who all read the same bizarre tome online find themselves being hunted down, will cure you of that urge.

1. The Expanse
   Humans
2. Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles
   Jericho

This one's worth watching if only for Lena Headey's infinitely badass turn as Sarah Conner. Garret Dillahunt does his oily best as the main bad guy.

1. Red Dwarf
   Doctor Who
2. Thunderbirds
   Lost in Space

"Red Dwarf" is quite possibly the first TV science fiction parody. Evoking tones found in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," this low-budget laugher was a pure BBC creation.

1. Andromeda
   Lexx
2. Babylon 5
   Farscape

The concept for this show was sort of like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, but far cooler. The "Buck" in this case was a human astronaut who found himself booted halfway across the galaxy and taking up with a crew that would have made the Mos Eisley Cantina bouncer flinch.

1. Dollhouse
   Orphan Black
2. The Expanse
   Colony

Tatiana Maslany should have won an Emmy every year for her efforts in this show. She plays a myriad of characters, all clones of one original host, who embody a huge range of personalities and abilities.

1. Eureka
   Fringe
2. Sanctuary
   Alphas

The beautiful Amanda Tapping, of "Stargate" fame, led this monster-fueled show. Clones and genetic manipulation give rise to all manner of dark creatures, who, of course, must be stopped.

1. Dollhouse
   Tru Calling
2. Alias
   Sanctuary

With a wink and a nod to the notion of "girls for hire," this show proceeded to humanize the "girls" and weave a dense conspiracy thriller around them. Eliza Dushku (Faith from "Buffy" and "Angel") led the cast.

1. Colony
   Orphan Black
2. Heroes
   Humans

Paranoia about androids killing off humans is not a new theme, but "Humans" is one of the few shows or movies that makes us sympathize with the robots. Humans mistreat their "synths," and eventually the androids decide they're not going to put up with it ...

1. Airwolf
   Heroes
2. Knight Rider
   Doctor Who

This was appointment viewing for every teen and pre-teen boy in the '80s. David Hasselhoff, a talking car and bad guys yanked straight from comic books made it hilariously over-the-top cheese, but GOOD cheese.

1. The Expanse
   Colony
2. The 4400
   The 100

I kind of like the premise behind this show: The earth has been wiped clean by an apocalypse, and 100 juvenile delinquents have been sent to repopulate the planet. Why not send the expendable ones? Just don't be surprised if their new society isn't exactly friendly.

1. Lost in Space
   Babylon 5
2. Star Trek: Deep Space 9
   Battlestar Galactica (2004)

The relaunch of this classic show got a lot of things right. Various fanboys were upset by a female Starbuck, but they soon got over it.

1. Fringe
   The X-Files
2. Surface
   The Twilight Zone

"Fringe" was an honest brother in concept to "The X-Files." Alternate worlds, with occasional bridges between them, led to all manner of odd happenings.

1. Dark Matter
   Defiance
2. Falling Skies
   Revolution

"ER"'s Noah Wyle shed his "fresh-faced young doctor" persona for this alien invasion show. It was a tightly written, exciting show with fairly good special effects and impressive set-piece battles. Catch the episodes with Matt Frewer as a dangerously unhinged general.

1. The Outer Limits
   Amazing Stories
2. Farscape
   The Twilight Zone (2002)

The original "Twilight Zone" made an indelible impact on the television landscape. The reboot was something of a casualty of society, as the old suspense-horror plotlines just didn't have the shock value anymore.

1. Lost in Space
   Star Trek
2. Battlestar Galactica (1978)
   Twilight Zone

There was a LOT of cheese in the original, and annoying creatures like Muffit, the robot dog. However, the acting was good on the whole and the special effects were great for the time.