Ah, the nostalgic nineties, that notorious decade that's now being strip-mined for its influential music, funky fashion, dance moves, comics, movies, and television. Now officially branded as “classic,” this colorful time period is often remembered for some embarrassing pop culture touchstones like flannel shirts, fanny packs, and that blonde-maned man-model, Fabio.
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But Hollywood also had a serious appetite for science fiction in the ‘90s, and imaginative TV projects surged onto the airwaves to satisfy discriminating audiences weaned on "Star Trek" and "Star Wars." The result was some of the best sci-fi shows ever created.
Don't believe us? Check out our list of the 10 best sci-fi TV shows of the 1990s below and tell us it isn't just non-stop bangers. There's a wealth of material available to viewers that still holds a cherished place in our geeky little hearts today.
10. Earth: Final Conflict
Original Air Dates: 1997-2002 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Kevin Kilner, Lisa Howard, Von Flores
Didn't your mother tell you to be wary of extraterrestrials bearing benevolent gifts? Of course she did, and this sci-fi series posthumously conceived from creative material developed by "Star Trek's" Gene Roddenberry explains why that old adage is so vital to adhere to.
Set in the not-so-distant future, an alien race called the Taelons has integrated into Earthly life as a regular part of Earth culture. Welcomed by Humankind, the advanced visitors bring beneficial technologies to our planet that wipe out starvation, war, and disease.
But, as you might expect, these "Companions" have some devious motives behind their seemingly harmless arrival, and a resistance movement forms to reveal their true intentions. Its tonal trajectory might have wavered over the waning years, but the impressive worldbuilding kept the series running on ample creative juice thanks to major efforts by Roddenberry's surviving wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.
9. Sliders
Original Air Dates: 1995-2000 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Jerry O'Connell, Cleavant Derricks, Sabrina Lloyd
Sliders stars Jerry O'Connell as a scientific genius who creates a wormhole technology that allows him and his buddies to hop between parallel dimensions. The show ran for three seasons on Fox before it was dropped and picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel for its final two outings.
This likable gang of wayward explorers gets stuck in the multiverse and, in pure "Quantum Leap" fashion, jumps around fractured universes and alternative timelines. Each of these strange new existences is explored to its fullest, and while subsequent seasons had their share of hits and misses, there were some real highlights across the five-season run.
What highlights, you ask? How about "Doctor Who"-styled plots packed with dinosaurs, Egyptian America, Elvis alive, a doomsday asteroid, and many corporate spoofs. "Sliders" is a highly enjoyable series that seems to have “slid” under the radar for years, but it's still worth checking out to this day.
8. 3rd Rock From the Sun
Original Air Dates: 1996-2001 | Seasons: 6 | Cast: John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart
We just couldn't resist adding this to our list of the decade's best. Aliens marooned on Earth and trying to fit into American society is one of the most prevalent sci-fi tropes, and it’s executed perfectly here.
NBC’s "3rd Rock From the Sun" is equal parts "The Coneheads" and "Mork and Mindy" in its light tone and silly parody of Earth-bound life in suburban United States. This expeditionary group of four aliens masquerading as a human family is delivered to the fictional town of Rutherford, Ohio, to report back on day-to-day life as it exists on the third planet from the sun.
Fronted by memorable performances from John Lithgow, Jane Curtin, and French Stewart, the make-believe family experiences the crazy culture and customs of Earth in each episode, leading to a multitude of humorous situations. And who could forget "Star Trek" legend William Shatner's turn as the Big Giant Head!
7. Star Trek: Voyager
Original Air Dates: 1995-2001 | Seasons: 7 | Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson
This pioneering show gave us "Star Trek's" first female commander, Captain Kathryn Janeway, as played by Kate Mulgrew (and her epic rolling waves of hair).
As the fourth live-action show for the franchise, "Voyager" is beloved by an entire generation of fans who followed the deep space adventures aboard the USS Voyager, exploring the Delta Quadrant. Joined by Robert Picardo's Holographic Doctor and Jeri Ryan’s Human-Borg hybrid, Seven of Nine, it ran for a healthy 172 episodes spanning seven seasons on UPN.
"Voyager" also broke new ground in diversity as it featured the only Asian male co-starring as a series regular with Garrett Wang’s Ensign Kim. Not warmly welcomed at first, "Voyager" ventured into uncharted territory, and the show has aged rather gracefully. The "Trek" family is certainly far richer for it.
6. Babylon 5
Original Air Dates: 1994-1998 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Michael O'Hare, Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian
This space-based series shares some similarities with "Deep Space Nine," but that's a good thing. It's often the source of heated Coke versus Pepsi-like debates, and rightfully gets confused with DS9 by innocent newcomers to the sci-fi entertainment sphere.
The five-mile-long Babylon 5 space station of the mid-23rd century was constructed by humans in the aftermath of the Earth-Minbari War to be used as a sort of intergalactic watering hole by extraterrestrial races for trade, peace, and diplomacy. Syndicated for its initial four seasons and picked up by TNT for its final chapters, "Babylon 5" is an interesting amalgam of a carefully plotted mythology composed by its prolific creator, producer, and writer, J. Michael Straczynski.
Acclaimed for its dedication to long-form storytelling, early CGI VFX attempts, and faithful depiction of spaceflight physics, its online fanbase remains massive and the show is remembered as a space opera operating on a sophisticated level.
5. Eerie, Indiana
Original Air Dates: 1991-1993 | Seasons: 1 | Cast: Omri Katz, Justin Shenkarow, Mary-Margaret Humes
Think your town is really odd? Believe us, it's got nothing on Eerie, Indiana, the "center of weirdness for the entire planet." This scary-fun series was a kinder, gentler version of "The X-Files" or "Twin Peaks" that remains suitable for families gathering around the TV.
Airing on NBC before it was seen in syndication on The Disney Channel, its plot follows Marshall Teller, a teen who relocates with his family to the bizarro burg of Eerie, Indiana. The freaky happenings in this seemingly antiseptic city include clashes with werewolves, bigfoot, aliens, ghosts, mummies, alternate dimensions, vengeful tornados, and Elvis!
Fans of "Goosebumps"' spirited stories flocked to this show that is the kind of thrilling kids' fare that you never see anymore, and that’s a shame. Several episodes were helmed by Joe "Gremlins" Dante so you can ascertain its tone from his involvement alone.
4. Farscape
Original Air Dates: 1999-2003 | Seasons: 4 (+1 miniseries) | Cast: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Virginia Hey
Quirky, kooky, unexpectedly absorbing, and with a monster cult following, this Aussie import still holds up well today with its "Guardians of the Galaxy"-ish antics and memorable characters.
Fortified with a sentient spaceship named Moya and puppets courtesy of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, Farscape centers around American astronaut John Crichton, who falls into a wormhole and encounters a rag-tag crew of criminals who must band together to survive against the villainous Scorpius and the Peacekeepers in a remote corner of the galaxy.
It strikes a perfect tone of strangeness, comedic situations, and outer space adventure that somehow remains fresh and inviting for modern audiences. The brainchild of Rockne S. O'Bannon and Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, its cancellation on the Sci-Fi Channel made it difficult to maintain fan loyalty, as it was plagued with constant scheduling delays, but it’s become a bona fide cult classic today.
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Original Air Dates: 1993-1999 | Seasons: 7 | Cast: Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell
Remembered mostly for the titular space station’s bold, charismatic commander, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), this syndicated "Star Trek" spinoff showcased some exemplary storytelling and has aged quite well in the intervening years.
"Deep Space Nine" takes place in the Alpha Quadrant on a former Cardassian outpost in orbit around the planet Bajor in the vicinity of an operational wormhole. Its integrated crew includes both Starfleet personnel and native Bajorans. With a darker, more serious tone than "The Next Generation" and classic segments from "The Original Series," this show delved into the longstanding Dominion War that encompassed a broad interstellar narrative arc.
It also introduced iconic "Star Trek" characters like Quark, Garak, Kira, Odo, Bashir, O’Brien, Nog, and countless others into the canon. Plus it's got "TNG's" Worf and Chief O'Brien! "DS9" is one of the best "Star Trek"-based shows and demands a close rewatch of its seven seasons in 2026!
2. Stargate SG-1
Original Air Dates: 1997-2007 | Seasons: 10 | Cast: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge
With recent word that a new "Stargate" series is currently in development at Amazon, this might be the right one to start binging to catch up on all its legends and lore. This ambitious show is a huge favorite around the Space.com offices, and it was a project whose time was ripe when it appeared three years after the original "Stargate" theatrical film.
SG-1 revolved around the daring missions involving Stargate Command's scientists and soldiers who zip in and out of the gateway portal to other planets to guard Earth against potential alien threats.
Richard Dean Anderson's Colonel Jack O’Neill leads Dr. Daniel Jackson, Captain Samantha Carter, and an alien warrior named Teal’c through the Stargate on missions where they battle such antagonists as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and Ori, all while exploring ancient civilizations and discovering futuristic technologies. It's still effortlessly entertaining nearly 30 years after its original first season on Showtime.
1. The X-Files
Original Air Dates: 1993-2002, 2016-2018 | Seasons: 11 | Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick
The truth was out there… well, sort of, and if this pivotal and highly influential sci-fi conspiracy series from creator Chris Carter often tried our patience and stretched the limits of credibility, it did so with a sublime sense of style and wit.
Although it occasionally deviated into a monster-of-the-week format, "The X-Files"'s intricate alien colonization storyline was led by exceptional performances of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). They were the perfect pair, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses as they endeavored to unravel the mysteries behind a mounting series of unexplained occurrences and paranormal events around the country.
Often imitated to great effect in later shows like "Fringe," this original sensation still holds your attention like no other. It spawned two theatrical films and a 2016 revival series, and now a new reboot from "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler is in the works for even more smart "X-Files" spookiness.
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