A few caveats on the Popular Mechanics list:
1. I suspect this list would look a lot different in, say, five years. We are currently going through a rich time in SF genre TV, and what will turn out to be great and what will turn out to be a flash in the pan and forgotten is very difficult from up close. That said, kudos for not including anything very recent.
2. With a list of 50 you would think you can probably hit nearly everything that most people would consider "great" at first thought. But a lot here is … um … nostalgic at best (Logan's Run? Really? And not Fantastic Journey?)
3. The list is definitely tilted to the US, with a due nod to some UK greats (though I'd tout UFO over Space: 1999).
4. The inclusion of two anime here breaks the entire list, since if we're to allow that genre there are a nigh-infinite number of "greats".
Still, a fun nostaglic look, regardless of the "accuracy."
The 50 Greatest Sci-Fi TV Shows Ever
Get ready for a lot of binge-watching.
Very solid. I wonder what it's doing in Popular Mechanics, but very solid.
Hrm…
I can see I am going to have to re-edit that list.
Logan's Run was an interesting choice, no doubt. I remember watching it but don't remember being blown away by it. Glad both versions of BSG were included. Completely different shows but each was awesome in its own way. Kinda bummed The Time Tunnel didn't make the list. Used to love that show, and it was better than Logan's Run.
Cool list, but the top 10 is moronic. BSG and Fringe?!?!
50: Lost
49: Battlestar Galactica 00's
48: Caprica
47: Jericho
46: Dark Angel
45: Land of the Lost
44: Thunderbirds
43: Six Million Dollar Man
42: Knight Rider
41: Space: Above and Beyond
40: Buck Rodgers
39: Fringe
38: Battle of the Planets
37: War of the Worlds
36: Star Trek: Voyager
35: Alien Nation
34: Lost in Space
33: Battlestar Galactica 70
32: futurama
31: Logan's Run
30: MST3K
29: Stargate SG-1
28: Terminator: tSCC
27: Max Headroom
26: UFO
25: Life on Mars
24: Twin Peaks
23: V
22: X-Files
21: Lexx
20: Neon Genesis Evangelion
19: Cowboy Bebop
18: Blake's 7
17: Torchwood
16: Ghost in the Shell: SAC
15: Red Dwarf
14: Quantum Leap
13: Star Blazers
12: ST: TNG
11: ST: DS9
10: Outer Limits
09: ST: TOS
08: Babylon 5
07: Farscape
06: Firefly
05: The Prisoner
04: Twilight Zone
03: Doctor Who
And somehow I got lost on the list and forgot 2 somewhere.
+Brian Compton I could argue with nuBSG being in the Top 10 (if we stop after 2 or 3 seasons).
+Stan Pedzick I'd really hate to force-rank that list.
+Dave Hill I would agree, but sadly it went 5 with one of the worst series endings I've ever seen.
I didn't see some of those and two or three I don't recall even hearing about. But some of those looked good.
Wow, I've managed to see 32 of those shows. I did better than I thought I would.
I think Robotech should have made the list
+Kevin Snider Well, that's what I mean about the anime — a lot of great things that should be on there but aren't. I'd be inclined to leave out animated shows altogether from this list (and properly qualify it).
Firefly not even in the top ten?!?!?!?! Credibility down to zero.
Deep space 9. ..
So I've redone the list to my own taste here: https://plus.google.com/+DaveHill47/posts/6q43KeGKT5X