The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
This series continues the mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise—one hundred years after the events of the original Star Trek series—with a new crew led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and including his first officer William Riker, the android Data, the empathic Betazoid Deanna Troi, the Klingon Worf, and more.
Aired: 1987-94, Syndicated, 7 Seasons Totaling 178 Episodes
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Wil Wheaton
Created By: Gene Roddenberry
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
This revival of the Trek franchise with a new crew is considered by many to be Star Trek done right. The original series had become somewhat dated by that time and had more of an action focus (at the insistence of the network) while it gave a lot of screen time to the three leads (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy), keeping the other main characters in the background. The Next Generation had slower, more intellectual stories while emphasizing the ensemble nature of its cast. The new show did deliver some action from time to time, but it leaned more heavily on its science fiction nature and offered less in the way of the preachy morality plays the original series was known for.
Probably one of the main factors that helped TNG stand out, though, was its cast. An excellent set of actors was assembled, beginning with the unexpected choice of Shakespearean performer Patrick Stewart as the captain. But he fit perfectly in the role and has since become an iconic face of sci-fi TV along with William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Data (Brent Spiner), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and the rest. And while some of the characters received more screen time than others (particularly, Picard, Riker, Data, and Worf), the show delivered a true ensemble cast and the actors all demonstrated great chemistry working together.
Star Trek: The Next Generation did have its fair share of clunkers (“Rascals,” “Qpid,” most episodes with Lwaxana Troi), but so did the original series (“Spock’s Brain,” “The Turnabout Intruder,” “Elaan of Troyius”). And TNG delivered plenty of excellent episodes across its seven years that stood out as true accomplishments for sci-fi TV. In addition, it spearheaded a revival of the genre in the off-network market at a time when the Big Three broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) had shied away from sci-fi-oriented programming (more on that at this link). So TNG definitely made its mark and must be considered one of the greatest genre entries of all time. (You can read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
While TNG did have some good episodes, more often than not it delivered bloodless Star Trek. The original series devolved into melodrama and bad camp at its worst, but TNG was just boring. And that was the case more often than not. The show was far too intellectual and seemed to be consciously avoiding action to prove it was different from the original series. The senior officers would sit around and talk far too often when they should be taking action, and they seemed to show little concern when they were in situations of danger, as if the characters had read the scripts and knew they were going to survive. In addition, many of the special effects do not hold up well today. They may have been impressive at the time, but now appear rather cheesy compared to modern-day CGI. Given a choice between picking a cheesy, dated entry in the franchise, the original series is the better of the two and TNG should slide pretty far down the list when considering the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
While Star Trek: The Next Generation did deliver a fair amount of mediocre or worse episodes, at least one-third of its installments count as great sci-fi TV, and that’s impressive considering its long run (178 episodes). This show came onto the scene in 1987 and made a difference for sci-fi TV as it helped to revive the genre and proved that the broadcast networks did not have a complete lock on television viewers. It did take a few seasons to really hit its stride, but once it did, the show moved into warp speed. And it went out with a bang as well, delivering many of its best episodes across its last two seasons and also giving us a very satisfying series finale. Upon rewatching the show, I find that even some of the lesser episodes hold up pretty well, offering a nice respite from the CGI overload we experience so often these days. TNG definitely has some ’80s/’90s cheesiness to it, and it can be downright awful at its worst (particularly when Alexander showed up in the “Father Worf Knows Best” episodes), but at its high points (and it had plenty of those), it delivered one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. It is currently available for streaming with a subscription to Paramount+ and the seventh season is available to stream on demand for free (with ads) on Pluto TV.
Do you consider Star Trek: The Next Generation to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy TV shows of all time, or does count as one of the lesser entries in the franchise? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
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