Katee Sackhoff sitting down and looking serious in Battlestar Galactica.
Much like modern fantasy shows, sci-fi shows have grown increasingly more realistic as each year passes. If you watch a show like Andor or the surreal anthology of Black Mirror, you find sci-fi shows that are drastically advanced in special effects, and diverse in storylines.
Sci-fi storylines, much like the special effects, have also grown to be more of a commentary on life in the real world, as opposed to telling stories of a distant, technologically advanced future. While sci-fi shows today are revered for their diverse plots and amazing effects, fans have also had a soft spot for shows of decades past, especially the 2000s. The decade saw the revitalization of the science fiction show, with some of the most iconic series that have made an impact on the genre coming out during the decade, and would be hard to replicate for today's audiences. So, with that in mind, let's look at the sci-fi shows that are way better than their counterparts of today. Without further ado, let's dive in. 1 'Fringe' While telling stories of parallel universes may be second-nature for sci-fi fans today, back in 2008, this was a pretty far-out premise that led to one of the craziest shows ever produced. That show was Fringe, which was created by a trio that included J. J. Abrams, and, for a time, was one of Fox's most-watched shows, especially after a seemingly weak first season. Fringe follows a group of FBI agents that are part of the"Fringe Division," which uses fringe science to solve cases involving unexplained and supernatural occurrences that are related to a parallel universe. Fringe is a delightfully wacky brew of genres such as fantasy and procedural dramas, all coming together for a mythology that was unlike anything we've seen before and since. You may think Stranger Things was a genre-bending show, but when you see Fringe, it will completely blow your mind, in a good way. 2 'The 4400' Imagine for a moment that you see a ball of light above you, and, all of a sudden, 4,400 people come out of it. You don't know what happened to them, or where they've been, and the people themselves have no idea what happened to them before they disappeared. This is the central premise of The 4400, a USA Network sci-fi show that is criminally underrated. Created by Scott Peters, The 4400 follows the authorities who are trying to figure out how 4,400 people, who were assumed missing, suddenly re-appeared. If you were a fan of Lost, then this show will definitely be up your alley. You'll be enthralled by the mystery that unfolds here, and by the end of the first season, your jaw will be on the floor once you see the plot twist. Mysterious and cool, The 4400 can definitely hold its own by today's standards. 3 'Firefly' This one hurts, because Firefly, if given the chance, could have been one of the best sci-fi shows of all-time. Instead, it's often regarded as a show that was cancelled way too soon, a designation it truly didn't deserve. Why is that? Because Firefly had all the elements it needed to be a successful sci-fi series, and it was certainly better than anything on TV today. Created by Joss Whedon, the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly starred a young Nathan Fillion playing the lead role of Malcolm"Mal" Reynolds, who was the captain of the Serenity space shop. He and his crew of misfits traveled through the"blackness of space" and one could realistically see Firefly as a great example of what a space western should be. With great characters, an intriguing plot, and some touching drama thrown in, Firefly was a gem of a show that no one really paid attention to. As the old saying goes, you never know how good you had it until it's gone. 4 'Samurai Jack' In the '90s, creator Genndy Tartakovsky made a name for himself as the creator of the hit Cartoon Network series Dexter's Laboratory, but it was his next show, Samurai Jack, that firmly put him on top at the network. While Samurai Jack was billed more as an action-adventure series, the show also had a lot of dystopian sci-fi features that give it street cred when it comes to science fiction shows. The series follows the titular character as a samurai prince who wields a katana that has the ability to cut through anything. But after a battle with a shapeshifting demon known as Aku , he is sent into a dystopian future that was ruled by him, and the show follows Jack as he tries to stop Aku and get back home. With great action, hilarious comedy, and some touching drama, Samurai Jack cemented its place as one of the best sci-fi shows of the 2000s, one you can't find anywhere in today's TV landscape. 5 'Torchwood' When we think of British sci-fi shows, Doctor Who is the first that comes to mind. It was the series that created a path for science fiction shows to have great success on television, and most sci-fi shows of the past and present have used elements of the long-running series in their shows. There is one that we don't talk enough about, a show that has a direct link to Doctor Who, and that's Torchwood. Torchwood is a spin-off of the popular BBC series, and while Doctor Who won over older audiences, Torchwood was aimed more toward a younger audience, and it was quite successful. The series follows a team of alien-hunters from the Torchwood Institute who investigate cases involving extraterrestrials. Sure, a show such as Torchwood would be more advanced if made today, but it was the characters, the chemistry, and storyline that won over audiences. 6 'Dark Angel' Today, Jessica Alba is a well-known name in Hollywood, and her breakthrough came in 2000, playing the role of Max Guevara in the Fox sci-fi action series Dark Angel. Created by the legendary James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee, Dark Angel, which also marked the first series Cameron produced for television, was part of a wave of series that featured strong female characters, and none were stronger than Alba's Guevara. Dark Angel follows Guevara as a super soldier who escaped from a covert military facility as a kid. While she tries to live a normal life in a futuristic dystopian Seattle, she's constantly looking over her shoulder to evade government agents, while also trying to find her brothers and sisters. Dark Angel was full of badass action scenes, and the dark, dreary dystopian Seattle landscape perfectly set the tone for this series. While it only ran for two seasons, we need to give Dark Angel its flowers, as it was an underrated gem that can't be replicated. 7 'Battlestar Galactica' After a downslope in quality in the '90s, the 2000s saw a revival of great science fiction shows, and one of the series that led to the revival was Battlestar Galactica. It was a tough road to get to this reboot, with the original series premiering on NBC in 1978, and a spin-off failing to gain traction, but it was a 2003 miniseries that showed that there was still a huge audience that was craving Battlestar Galactica, and the very next year, Ronald D. Moore developed the reboot of this series, this one not only successful, but considered one of the best sci-fi series of all-time. Subscribe for Deeper Takes on 2000s Sci-Fi Gems Curious for more? Subscribe to the newsletter for deep retrospectives on 2000s sci-fi: episode breakdowns, curated watchlists, and context showing why Fringe, Firefly, Lost and others still resonate. Subscribe Subscribe for Deeper Takes on 2000s Sci-Fi Gems Curious for more? Subscribe to the newsletter for deep retrospectives on 2000s sci-fi: episode breakdowns, curated watchlists, and context showing why Fringe, Firefly, Lost and others still resonate. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. The series is set in the distant future, with the crew of the Battlestar Galactica searching for a 13th colony after the Twelve Colonies of Kobol were attacked by the Cylons. The writing, the special effects, everything about the rebooted Battlestar Galactica was terrific, and it deserved every accolade it received. Even today, Battlestar Galactica can easily hold its own against a show such as Stranger Things, and some may say this series even surpasses it. 8 'Lost' As much as Battlestar Galactica led the revival of the sci-fi genre on the small screen, there was another show that also defined the genre in the decade, and is considered one of the best of all-time. That show is Lost, a series that had everything: sci-fi elements, mystery, adventure, and even the supernatural thrown in for good measure. While the ending will always be controversial among TV viewers, you can't argue that Lost was one of the standard-bearers for the genre in the 2000s, and was a pop culture phenomenon during its run. The series follows a group of survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island in the South Pacific Ocean. While the main storyline focused on the survivors and how they dealt with the elements of the island, each episode was also augmented with flashbacks or flash-forwards to give us more insight into each character stranded on the island. The mythology of Lost had viewers hooked from the first episode, and the series is routinely ranked as one of the best shows ever made. If you put Lost up with some of the more advanced sci-fi series of today, there would be no contest. Lost would be better every single time. Like Follow Followed Lost TV-14 Mystery Drama Adventure Supernatural Release Date 2004 - 2010-00-00 Network ABC Showrunner Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse Directors Jack Bender, Paul A. Edwards, Tucker Gates, Eric Laneuville, Bobby Roth, Greg Yaitanes, Daniel Attias, J.J. Abrams, Karen Gaviola, Kevin Hooks, Rod Holcomb, Stephen Semel, Adam Davidson, Alan Taylor, David Grossman, Deran Sarafian, Fred Toye, Mario Van Peebles, Marita Grabiak, Mark Goldman, Matt Earl Beesley, Michael Zinberg, Paris Barclay, Robert Mandel Cast See All Writers Jim Galasso, Christina M. Kim, Graham Roland, Kyle Pennington, Brent Fletcher, Dawn Lambertsen Kelly, Janet Tamaro, Jeffrey Lieber, Paul Dini, Jordan Rosenberg Genres Mystery, Drama, Adventure, Supernatural Main Genre Mystery Seasons 6 Producers Adam Horowitz, Alison Schapker, Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof, David Fury, Edward Kitsis, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jean Higgins, Jeff Pinkner, Jennifer Johnson, Jeph Loeb, Jesse Alexander, Jim Triplett, Leonard Dick, Lynne E. Litt, Monica Owusu-Breen, Paul Zbyszewski, Ra’uf Glasgow, Richard Peter Schroer, Samantha Thomas, Sarah Caplan, Stephen Williams, Steven Maeda Creator J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Jeffrey Lieber Powered by Expand Collapse
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