Science fiction has proven itself to be one of the most consistently beloved genres in entertainment. Sci-fi has excelled in almost every imaginable medium, but there has been a wealth of memorable entries into the genre on the small screen. From the earliest days of television, there have been great sci-fi TV shows, with some hugely influential releases even helping to shape the genre as it continued to gain traction among audiences around the world. The genre has been through many different eras as it evolved, with one particular span of TV releases standing out more than anything else in the history of sci-fi.
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The 1990s were a monumental decade for sci-fi. Though many have a habit of overlooking its contributions to the genre, leading to there being many 1990s sci-fi shows you forgot were awesome. However, no decade quite stands out as much as the ’90s for quality sci-fi television, as it really honed the small screen potential of epic science fiction stories. When it comes to incredible examples of how TV shows can deliver high-quality sci-fi, there’s simply no decade quite like the 1990s.
The 1990s Featured Some Of TV’s Greatest Sci-Fi Shows
It’s important to remember that the 1990s didn’t just feature good sci-fi, but some of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time. Most sci-fi shows before it had been more tentative in their approach to the genre, adapting more Earth-focused stories than the speculative space-faring sci-fi that proliferated throughout the ’90s. Looking back, the result of the decade’s innovation is plain to see.
Star Trek: The Next Generation started its run in the final years of the ’80s, but it continued well into the ’90s, where it set the stage for other similarly ambitious projects. The likes of Stargate SG-1, Babylon 5, Andromeda, and Sliders all graced TV screens in the 1990s. With so many sci-fi series of epic scope, it highlights just how well the genre did in the last decade of the 20th century.
How the 1990s Shaped Sci-Fi’s TV Future
Another aspect of ’90s sci-fi TV that often gets overlooked is just how influential it was. The Next Generation‘s success led to the creation of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which kept the franchise alive and helped it move away from the iconic Starship Enterprise. The wave of other high-concept sci-fi that followed, which also required extensive visual effects work, evidences an increased faith in the genre’s ability to succeed.
The success of sci-fi shows throughout the 1990s helped establish the genre as a force to be reckoned with on the small screen. The following decade saw the likes of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, the Doctor Who revival, and other high-concept shows like Firefly. Some went on to massive success while others earned cult status, but the influence of the sci-fi of the ’90s is plain to see. In terms of quality and importance, there simply is no decade like the 1990s for sci-fi TV.
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