The 15 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time

If you’ve ever argued with a friend over whether “Star Trek” or “Doctor Who” reigns supreme, Entertainment Weekly just entered the chat.

The magazine dropped its ranking of the 30 best sci-fi TV shows ever, and they didn’t hold back. From time travel to robot rebellions, here’s their Top 15, loaded with genre-defining legends and a few bold picks that might just start some fights in the group chat.

1. The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Rod Serling’s eerie anthology still holds the crown. It’s the blueprint for twist endings, moral fables, and nightmares you didn’t know you had.

2. Battlestar Galactica (2003–2009)

Space politics, identity crises, and killer robots—what more could you want? The reboot nailed gritty sci-fi way before it was trendy.

3. Doctor Who (1963–present)

Sixty years of time-traveling chaos and still going strong. Whether you’re Team Tennant or rooting for the latest Doctor, it’s impossible to ignore the show’s impact.

4. Star Trek (1966–1969)

Boldly going where no show had gone before. The OG Trek sparked a whole universe and inspired generations of sci-fi fans (and real-life tech inventors).

5. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–2022)

A show about watching bad movies with wisecracking robots? It’s meta before meta was cool, and it somehow still works.

6. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

Captain Picard sipping tea while saving the galaxy? Iconic. This series made Trek feel cerebral and fresh again.

7. The X-Files (1993–2002, 2016–2018)

Aliens, conspiracies, and one of TV’s all-time best duos. Mulder and Scully made being paranoid look cool.

8. Firefly (2002)

Short-lived but beloved. Firefly is the cult classic that launched a thousand fan petitions and taught us all to aim to misbehave.

9. Lost (2004–2010)

It started as a survival show and turned into a cosmic puzzle box. Love or hate the ending, it was must-see TV for six wild seasons.

10. Quantum Leap (1989–1993)

Time travel meets heartwarming drama. Sam Beckett’s leaps taught life lessons with every episode.

11. Black Mirror (2011–present)

Terrifying tech futures that feel way too possible. This anthology is today’s Twilight Zone—just with more social media anxiety.

12. Orphan Black (2013–2017)

Tatiana Maslany playing a dozen versions of herself? Yes, please. A masterclass in sci-fi storytelling and acting.

13. Severance (2023–present)

A fresh face on the list, but already a game-changer. Office life has never felt so dystopian—or weirdly addictive.

14. Person of Interest (2011–2016)

Surveillance, A.I., and ethics wrapped in a killer procedural. This one aged like fine futuristic wine.

15. Westworld (2016–2022)

Robots having existential crises in a Wild West theme park. It got complicated, sure—but the early seasons were lightning in a bottle.