The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows of All Time: Supernatural (2005)

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 follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester as they crisscross the country hunting demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural threats. Raised into the life by their father after their mother’s mysterious death, the brothers become skilled hunters while uncovering larger mythologies involving angels, demons, ancient creatures, and apocalyptic prophecies.

Aired: The WB/CW, 2005-20, 15 Seasons Totaling 327 Episodes

Starring: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Mark A. Sheppard, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Created By: Eric Kripke

Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:

This series arrived on the schedule in the last year of The WB’s existence and introduced us to Sam and Dean Winchester and their ongoing crusade against supernatural beings that threatened humanity. Little did we know at that time that it would carry on its wayward sons for fifteen years (switching to The CW in its second season) and become the longest-running sci fi/fantasy series in the U.S. Early on, it seemed like the show that was filling up space on the schedule but not drawing many viewers (and it did come close to cancellation in its first season), while in fact it was constantly attracting a dedicated group of followers who stuck with it and turned it into a solid performer through most of its run.

The series handled all of the standard tropes of the supernatural like demons, ghosts, witches, monsters, vampires, werewolves, and many more. And early on, it took a rather formulaic approach of the brothers encountering a monster-of-the-week and dispatching it by the end of the episode. But creator and showrunner Eric Kripke started to work in story arcs, and as the show developed and got a few seasons under its belt, it established its own lore that it would constantly draw from and expand upon (and sometimes turn on its head) throughout its long run.

The characters, apart from the two leads, helped to populate the universe of Supernatural and make the show really stand out. From those who showed up from time to time like John Winchester, Rufus Turner, Charlie Bradbury, and Garth Fitzgerald, to the ones who may have just appeared for a season or so like Ruby, Lilith, Balthazar, and Metatron, to the ones that became regulars on the show like Castiel and Crowley, they all helped develop and expand the community of hunters, humans, and supernatural beings. Sure, the show had some low points through its long run, but it had more in the way of high points and was still hitting strong in its later seasons, and it certainly must be considered among the all-time great sci fi and fantasy shows.

Argument Against:

Supernatural got off to a slow start in its first season, and then after about its fifth season it was already seeming pretty tired and starting to repeat its storylines, and sometimes it descended into the absolute absurd. It was at its best from its second to its fourth season, but even then it rarely counted as a great genre entry. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles made for good leads with Jim Beaver supporting them, and some of the characters and storylines were pretty good. But it was a cheap CW show that filled up time on the schedule, and it never really rose above that status. When Eric Kripke backed away from the show after its fifth year, the quality became inconsistent, and it too often started to retread the same ground. And by the time it got past its tenth season, it was becoming almost unwatchable. So while Supernatural does have some good years, those are only a fraction of its total run, and the bad years really drag it down so that it should not be counted when considering the greatest sci fi and fantasy television shows.

Johnny Jay’s Take:

I tuned in for Supernatural in its early years but did not become a fan at first. The show was decent enough and had its share of good episodes, but there were a few things about it that bothered me. First of all, the trail of bodies Sam and Dean left behind would be easy to follow, and all sorts of law officials should have been on their tails. Also, it seemed like a stretch that they would have funds available to do what they were doing. I know that the show addressed both of these, but I never felt like it did that very well. It would have been much more interesting if the hunters had established people in high positions in law enforcement so that they could redirect attention away from the actions of people like Sam and Dean. And it also seems like they could have developed some funding mechanism to help out the hunters. These were areas where I felt like the show always came up short, and they bothered me.

But I have to admit that by the fourth season, I got hooked, and I watched the show regularly up until the ninth or tenth season. It did start to get long-in-the-tooth by that point, and it did start to retread a lot of storylines, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. Then there are all the meta episodes that became highlights for the show each season, and they were a ton of fun. If you collect just those, you have some pretty darn good genre television. Throw in the fact that this one stuck around for a record-breaking fifteen years and 327 episodes, and you have to consider it among the all-time greats. It may not be high on the list, but it still earned its place.

Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been collected on DVD and Blu-ray and you can also purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon. It is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Do you consider Supernatural to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows, or did it go on too long and hurt its own standing? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.

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