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65.5k voters

The Best Sci-Fi Television Series Of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated May 17, 2021 1.1m votes 65.5k voters 836.1k views283 items

List RulesVote up the best sci-fi TV shows and series with strong science fiction elements.

Here is a list of the best sci-fi shows and best sci-fi series of all time, as ranked by hundreds of Ranker voters. This list includes long-running sci-fi TV shows like Doctor Who as well as some of the best canceled shows of the genre. Science fiction TV shows have been around for decades, and some of the longest running shows have fallen into this category. Popular shows such as Star Trek have enjoyed several incarnations, and fan-favorite shows like Firefly and The X-Files have made the crossover from TV to the big screen.

Thanks to networks like SyFy, FX, and The CW, new sci-fi TV shows premiere every year. Sci-fi series like The Expanse, Orphan Black, and The 100 continue to raise viewership ratings and grow fan bases. Netflix has also contributed to the science fiction genre with their original series Stranger Things, which was met with rave reviews.

Vote for your favorite science fiction shows to move them to the top of the list, or press re-rank to create your own list of your favorite science fiction series. Be sure to stop by to vote on the best British sitcoms and best current TV shows airing right now.

Are you a sci-fi fan? Check out this list of current sci-fi shows to watch.

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1
22,371
9,402
Firefly
Jewel Staite, Adam Baldwin
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2
16,046
8,310
Star Trek: The Next Generation
LeVar Burton, Diana Muldaur
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3
16,312
9,223
Battlestar Galactica
James Callis, Kandyse McClure
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4
14,701
7,168
Stargate SG-1
Beau Bridges, Amanda Tapping
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#4 of 84 The Best Syfy Original Shows#5 of 85 The Best TV Shows Based on Movies
5
14,809
9,041
Doctor Who
Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant
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6
11,262
6,878
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Nicole de Boer, Colm Meaney
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7
10,434
6,376
Star Trek: Voyager
Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips
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8
12,266
7,514
Star Trek: The Original Series
George Takei, Nichelle Nichols
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9
12,587
7,749
The X-Files
Chris Owens, Jerry Hardin
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'The X-Files' Episodes That Made Us Say "Ewwww"Fan Theories About 'The X-Files'
10
10,618
4,399
The Expanse
Thomas Jane, Steven Strait
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11
10,147
6,394
The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling, Robert McCord
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12
9,665
6,090
Stargate Atlantis
Jewel Staite, Jason Momoa
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#47 of 129 Canceled Shows We'd Most Like to See as Movies#30 of 119 The Best TV Shows That Never Got a Real Finale
13
10,704
6,879
Farscape
Claudia Black, Paul Goddard
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The Best Farscape Characters#89 of 95 TV Shows You Wish You Were A Character On
14
8,755
5,805
Star Trek: Enterprise
Connor Trinneer, Anthony Montgomery
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#19 of 32 The Best UPN Shows#37 of 150 The Best TV Spinoffs
15
8,473
5,690
Quantum Leap
Carolyn Seymour, Dennis Wolfberg
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16
9,515
6,466
Futurama
Billy West, John DiMaggio
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17
11,854
8,099
Babylon 5
Jason Carter, Claudia Christian
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18
10,083
6,890
Fringe
Kirk Acevedo, Lance Reddick
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19
8,038
5,438
Battlestar Galactica
Maren Jensen, Tony Swartz
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#7 of 312 The Best Shows Canceled After a Single Season#55 of 538 TV Shows Canceled Before Their Time
20
7,312
5,218
Warehouse 13
Aaron Ashmore, Joanne Kelly
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21
6,533
2,425
Stranger Things
Winona Ryder, David Harbour
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22
7,916
5,671
Eureka
Erica Cerra, Ed Quinn
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#108 of 158 Shows With The Best Freakin' Series Finales Of All Time#1162 of 1,313 The Best Guilty Pleasure TV Shows
23
6,431
5,011
Red Dwarf
Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules
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#223 of 293 The Greatest Sitcoms in Television History#234 of 389 TV Shows That Only Smart People Appreciate
24
7,046
5,850
Torchwood
John Barrowman, Eve Myles
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#33 of 240 The Best BBC One Shows#196 of 312 The Best TV Shows You Can Watch On HBO Max
25
5,757
4,192
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen
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