The 1990s was one of the best eras for sci-fi shows. Although, ironically, Doctor Who had been cancelled in 1989, there were plenty of other shows to choose from, and every kid born in the 1980s who grew up to live-action TV watching age in the 1990s probably recalls talking excitedly with friends about the latest episode of their favorite science fiction show.
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This era saw renewed interest in Star Trek with a popular sequel series and a reflection of distrust of government and belief in aliens with The X-Files. These were only two of the best science fiction shows available during this era, and many 1980s kids still recall their favorite shows today.
7) Space Cases
In the late 1990s, Nickelodeon aired this Canadian science fiction series, which was aimed at older kids and teens. This quirky series was about a bunch of space cadets who were stranded on an alien planet after a mission goes sideways.
Like Gillligan’s Island, this show revolved around attempts to get off the planet and back to the society the cadets were familiar with. They had many exciting adventures in space during failed attempts to return home.
Unsurprisingly, Space Cases was co-created by Bill Mumy, who is well-known as the original Will Robertson in Lost In Space during the 1960s, and Peter David, whose Star Trek: The Next Generation tie-in novel sparked interest in the series premise.
6) Farscape
Farscape is a 1990s sci-fi show that has mostly been forgotten, and that’s a shame. The premise of this series was that an astronaut is accidentally flung into a bio-mechanical spaceship while accessing a wormhole. Like Space Cases, some storylines were devoted to the astronaut and other accidental crew members trying to return home.
However, this series has more mature themes that put it firmly into space opera territory, including an eventual arms race for wormhole technology. This innovative show was also intensely character-driven, with each of the protagonists changing over the course of the four years they spend together.
5) Quantum Leap
The original Quantum Leap was so popular that NBC tried a reboot recently, which unfortunately only lasted two seasons. The premise was that Sam was able to jump into other timelines and live as other people, often to right wrongs in their lives, and each episode was a standalone story in which he lived some other life. Many of Quantum Leap‘s best episodes addressed social issues such as racism, domestic violence, and homophobia through Sam experiencing someone else’s life.
The worst thing about Quantum Leap was its lack of a real ending. Sam never makes it back to his own timeline and body and is fated to keep leaping for the rest of his life. However, the series is still fondly remembered by most 1990s kids, who likely recall the premise better than the ending.
4) Sliders
Sliders had an interesting premise that makes it one of the science fiction shows that most deserves a reboot. These characters travel between parallel universes, using a wormhole that is activated by a handheld device.
This series’ charm lies not only in its premise but also in the fact that the travelers are lost and trying to get back to their home planet. However, the circumstances are completely different from Space Cases, as is the show’s tone, which is more serious.
3) Babylon 5
Babylon 5 was considered groundbreaking in the 1990s. This series was one of the first to use CGI technology for advanced special effects and to use serialized storytelling rather than the monster-of-the-week format.
In some ways, the plot is similar to Deep Space 9, though not associated with the Star Trek franchise. Like that show, it takes place on a space station. Babylon 5 is supposed to be neutral ground for many alien species to meet and work out differences, which leads to interesting conflicts. This series was also shockingly political for the 1990s, as an overarching plot was that Earth was descending into totalitarianism and humans had to work with aliens to resist tyranny.
2) X-Files
X-Files is one of the best-known science fiction series from the 1990s. It combined standard police procedural elements with supernatural or sci-fi phenomena to make for an interesting and unique story.
FBI Special Agents Scully and Mulder were tasked with investigating potentially paranormal events. Mulder was biased toward the presence of aliens, ghosts, and other supernatural explanations for things, while Scully was more skeptical, making for a fascinating dynamic, and the show was a hit with people who asked similar questions about strange occurrences in their own lives.
1) Star Trek: The Next Generation
This reboot of Star Trek: The Original Series was so popular that it launched the franchise that we know today, starting with the spinoff Deep Space 9. Like the original Star Trek, The Next Generation told the stories of the crew of the starship Enterprise who “boldly went where no one had gone before.”
Phrases such as Captain Picard’s “Make it so, Number Two” entered the pop culture lexicon, and many 1990s kids were fascinated to discover that Reading Rainbow host Levar Burton was an excellent actor who portrayed blind crew member Geordi La Forge. Additionally, this series added a lot to the Star Trek universe, including the use of the holodeck for entertainment and story purposes.
What 1990s science fiction show are you most nostalgic for? Leave a comment and join the conversation at the ComicBook Forum.
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