Sci-Friday: The last four decades

A journey through Space and Time – Part 2 (1989-2029)

Nov 10, 2023

Sci-Friday returns and with it the second and final part of my overview of genre television. Many more interesting shows will be covered here, so make sure you sit comfortably, have your favorite drink underhand, and read on.

By the way, if you missed Part 1—which covered the first four decades of television—you can read it here.

And if you noticed the 2029 in the title, well... this is about science-fiction, right? And if you did not notice it... great! Just pretend I didn’t say anything (coughs).

So let’s dive right in, shall we?

1990s. Where no man has gone before

A surge of genre shows flooded the small screen as the new decade arrived. Among the most significant of these was Deep Space Nine (1993-99). Another Star Trek spinoff, this one was set on a space station near a strategic wormhole and explored complex political and ethical themes.

One of the highlights of the 90s was the iconic X-Files (1993-2002) in which FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate often paranormal and sometimes extraterrestrial incidents.

Babylon 5 (1994-98) is a personal favorite. Also set in a space station, it tells a single and epic story that spans all of the show’s five seasons, centering on issues of diplomacy and war.

What could have been another time travel story, turned out to be something quite different, as Sliders (1995-2000) explores instead the concept of parallel universes (what is now more widely known as alternate histories). A theme not often enough treated in television, so this is a fun one.

From 1995 to 2001, a third Star Trek spinoff graced the screens. To this day, Voyager remains my favorite in the franchise, featuring some pretty twisted and complex plots.

Despite having watched only a couple of episodes, I would be remiss not to mention Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007) considering how popular and successful it was—spawning a sequel film and two spinoff shows. It was, of course, itself a sequel to Roland Emmerich’s 1994 blockbuster film “Stargate” starring Kurt Russell and James Spader.

In our next entry, an astronaut from our world is thrown through a wormhole into a distant part of the universe. In Farscape (1999-2003), Crichton is taken aboard a living ship and, from episode to episode, is exposed to alien cultures and species. The show, produced by Jim Henson (of Muppet Show fame), offered complex plots and characters, with stunning sets and costumes, not to mention impressive visual effects.

To close the decade, here are some special mentions (you know the drill): Lois & Clark (1993-97) was a modern take on Superman with admittedly a stronger focus on the human aspect than the superhuman one, but still very enjoyable; The adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-94) was an early example of steampunk (before the term was even coined) often reminiscent of The wild wild West with its brilliant mix of western, sci-fi, and humor; Earth 2 (1994-95) follows a group of colonists who settle on a hostile planet but must also face challenges from within their midst; VR.5 (1995) was ahead of its time, as it showed a woman who can interact with people in an advanced type of virtual reality and, through her actions, affect events in the real world; and finally Early edition (1996-2000) about a man who receives his copy of the newspaper a day early then spends the episode trying to prevent something terrible from happening.

2000s. Time jumps, superpowers, and Cylons

The first significant show of the decade was a teen drama. Based on a series of young adult novels by author Melinda Metz, Roswell (1999-2002) stars Jason Behr as the leader of a band of aliens who pose as high school students. Shiri Appleby plays his love interest, a human who discovers the truth in the pilot episode.

Following shortly was Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-05). Set before the original series, it focuses on the early days of space exploration and humanity’s first steps into the galaxy. It starred Scott Bakula, best known at the time for his lead role in Quantum leap.

2002 marked the launch of two important shows, starting with Firefly. Though short-lived (only one season) it gained a huge following and has become a cult show. The series was created by Joss Whedon, best known as the creator of Buffy the vampire slayer, who later became a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While many science-fiction shows (especially in the space opera subgenre) have often been labeled as disguised westerns (including Star Trek and “Star Wars”), Firefly fully embraced the parentage by mixing in overt western themes, settings, costumes, and even music.

As for Dead zone (2002-07), based on characters created by Stephen King in the novel of the same name, it featured a man with psychic abilities who helps solve crimes and prevent disasters, with each episode exploring different visions. The series was co-created by Michael Piller, one of the principal forces behind the Star Trek revival shows of the 1990s.

Another Star Trek alumni, writer Ronald D. Moore, created the re-imagined and highly popular version of Battlestar Galactica (2004-09). His modern and dark take on the classic cult show introduced human-looking Cylons in a complex plot with moral ambiguity and political manipulations, though the basic premise remained the same: the last remnants of humanity search for the fabled Earth.

Without doubt one of the most popular shows of the decade, Lost (2004-10) was an intriguing tale about the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves stranded on a bizarre island. The plot revolves around their attempts to leave the island while dealing with strange phenomena and personal challenges. The series is served by a brilliant cast and exceptional storytelling.

Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant as The Doctor in Doctor Who — *The first two actors to portray Doctor Who for the 2005 relaunch: Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.*

A new and revamped version of Doctor Who launched in 2005. Still running as of the writing of this article in 2023, it helped skyrocket the beloved British character to international fame with much higher production values, flawless acting, and strong writing, all under the supervision of Russell T. Davies who would run the show (and its two spinoffs) for its first five years.

Heroes (2006-10) was another highly popular show of the decade. One of the first to feature an ensemble cast of characters with superhuman abilities. Likely influenced by M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 hit movie “Unbreakable,” it similarly focused more on the human aspect of superhero lives than on spandex suits.

Some less impactful and more short-lived shows from this decade that I especially enjoyed include John Doe (2002-03) about an amnesiac who seems to know everything about everything except himself and seeks to uncover the truths about his past; the post-apocalyptic Jeremiah (2002-04) starring Luke Perry; Odyssey 5 (2002) where three men and two women are sent back in time after surviving the destruction of Earth in an attempt to prevent the disaster; the Canadian show ReGenesis (2004-08) about a molecular biologist who investigates epidemics and bioterrorism; the mesmerizing and criminally overlooked Charlie Jade (2005) that told the story of a detective who is thrown into a conspiracy involving parallel universes; Jericho (2006-08) about life in a small town in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, facing threats both internal and external; Journeyman (2007) in which a man finds he can travel through time and tries to fix past mistakes while navigating the consequences; and the delightful FlashForward (2009-10) where a planet-wide blackout leads to everyone having visions of events that will happen six months into their future.

2010s. The rise of dystopias

The new decade continued the trend of delivering compelling science-fiction television, with a wide variety of series exploring futuristic concepts, alternate realities, and extraterrestrial encounters.

Starting in 2011, Black mirror is a British anthology in the tradition of The Twilight Zone and The outer limits. Mostly focused on dystopia settings, episodes tend to have a dark tone and explore contemporary issues, especially ones related to technology and its impact on society.

In Continuum (2012-15), yet another Canadian show, a group of terrorists from the year 2077 travel back in time to present-day Vancouver, unintentionally taking a police officer with them. The cop must now stop them from changing the future without revealing where she comes from.

Created by the Wachowskis (“Matrix”) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5), sense8 was a fascinating story about eight strangers from around the world who discover they are mentally and emotionally connected, leading to shared experiences and a fight against a sinister organization. It was one of the first series to widely feature LGBTQ characters and themes. It explored issues of identity, sexuality, gender, and politics.

Based on a famous novel by Philip K. Dick, The man in the high castle (2015-19) envisions an alternate history where Nazi Germany won World War II and now rules over the United States which they share with their Japanese allies.

Often compared to Game of thrones, The Expanse (2015-22) is a space opera about interplanetary tensions, conspiracies, and the discovery of mysterious alien technology.

A reboot of Michael Crichton’s cult 1973 film of the same name, Westworld (2016-22) is set in a futuristic theme park populated by lifelike androids where the boundaries between reality and illusion blur, leading to complex ethical dilemmas.

One of this decade’s surprise hits is Stranger things. The still-running show that premiered in 2016 follows a group of kids in a small town who investigate government experiments after a young boy vanishes under mysterious circumstances. Set in the 1980s, the show is a tribute to popular works of the era by the likes of Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, Stephen King, and George Lucas among others. As of this writing, the show has been renewed for a fifth and final season.

*Elisabeth Moss in The handmaid’s tale.*

The dystopian Handmaid’s tale (launched in 2017) is a dark and uncompromising study of gender, reproductive rights, and authoritarianism, making it a powerful and all-too-relevant commentary on present-day issues. With a superb cast and intelligent writing, the show won multiple awards and gained international acclaim—both popular and critical.

After more than a decade off the small screen, the Star Trek franchise finally made its return to television with Discovery in 2017. Set in the 23rd century, the series follows the adventures of a starship crew in the tradition of the original show.

Altered carbon (2018-20) is set in a future where consciousness can be transferred into different bodies. The dark and complex cyberpunk plot follows a former soldier as he investigates the murder of a wealthy man while trying to piece together fragmented memories of his past lives. With its stunning visuals and tight writing, the show is captivating and memorable.

The Star Wars franchise made its small-screen live-action debut in 2019 with the still-running The Mandalorian, which follows a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. The show was created and is run by actor-director-writer-producer Jon Favreau.

As usual, I’ll close with some lesser-known series I enjoyed from this decade. In Terra Nova (2011) the government solves the problem of overpopulation by sending chosen colonists 85 million years in the past; Revolution (2012-14) was a gripping post-apocalyptic story from Lost creator J.J. Abrams; Australian actor Grant Bowler starred as a lawkeeper in Defiance (2013-15) where he tries to maintain peace in the city while investigating a vast conspiracy connected to his adopted alien daughter; Under the dome (2013-15) told of a small town that is suddenly cut from the world when a transparent and indestructible dome appears over it; Dark matter (2015-17) was about four men and two women who wake up on a deserted spaceship with no memory of who or where they are; in Stitchers (2015-17), a woman with temporal dysplasia (no, it’s not a real thing) is recruited to go into the memories of recently deceased victims to help investigate their murders; in a plot reminiscent of World War II, Colony (2016-18) explored the consequences of an invasion by authoritarian aliens who maintain control through oppressive surveillance and collaboration with human proxy governments; and finally Counterpart (2017-19) where a man discovers a parallel universe and becomes embroiled in a complex espionage conspiracy.

2020s. Time travel redux

Though we’re not even halfway through the current decade, it has already produced some notable shows. Here’s a quick overview.

In Star Trek: Picard (2020-23), Patrick Stewart returned to the franchise, reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The next generation. The show focuses on his character’s life and adventures as he is dragged back into action through various events.

*A scene of destruction in the first season of Foundation.*

The highly anticipated Foundation (launched in 2021) adapts Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction novels in visually stunning and impeccably performed episodes. Set in a far future where humanity is ruled over by Imperial clones, a scientist predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire and proposes an unusual solution to shorten the dark ages that will follow.

Paper girls (2022) was a short-lived story based on a comic book created by Brian K. Vaughan. Four young girls get inadvertently caught up in a time-travel conflict and attempt to save the world.

Also in 2022, a sequel to Quantum leap was launched. Set 30 years after the previous show, it stars Raymond Lee as a scientist who investigates the disappearance of Sam Beckett using the latter’s time-traveling technology.

And I’ll close with Silo, which premiered on May 5, 2023. Based on indie author Hugh Howey’s novels, the show is set in a dystopian future where, following a string of mysterious deaths, an engineer starts to uncover shocking secrets about the past.

When all is said and done...

Always eager to push boundaries, science-fiction has a history of challenging societal norms and advocating for change. It has addressed issues such as civil rights, environmental conservation, and the consequences of unchecked power.

Genre shows invite viewers to contemplate the possibilities of the future, confront societal challenges, and dream of technological marvels. As we celebrate the pioneers, embrace diversity, and look ahead to the future, science-fiction continues to captivate our hearts and minds. It serves as a beacon guiding us toward new horizons, encouraging us to explore the unknown, and offering us a glimpse of the infinite possibilities that lie beyond the stars.

With its enduring legacy, genre television remains an essential part of our cultural tapestry, shaping our past, present, and future.

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So what about you? What were your favorites of the covered decades?

Are there important shows I didn't list that you feel I should have mentioned?

Let us know in the comments!

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