For the last couple of years I have been putting out a series of posts looking at the shows that can be considered the all-time best of sci-fi TV, presenting arguments for and against them. That has covered such notable genre entries as the original Star Trek, the original The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Space Patrol, Firefly, and… well… Lost in Space (and you can cast your vote for the shows you consider the best at this link). I have decided to take a break from that for a while and instead look at the other side of the coin: the worst sci-fi TV shows of all time. That could include any number of dubious entries such as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Manimal, Galactica: 1980, Cleopatra 2525, The Starlost, and… well… Lost in Space.
So how do I determine which sci-fi and fantasy shows count among the worst? Let’s take that last-mentioned show as a good example. 1965’s Lost in Space, which came from the king of cheesy sci-fi, Irwin Allen, was a notable genre entry for its time, but it has developed something of a notorious reputation since its three-year run. That one started out as a rather straightforward action/adventure show with a family-friendly focus. But it shifted about halfway through its first season, seemingly taking a camp page from the Batman playbook (which premiered the same season), and it veered away from serious sci-fi, turning into a nearly absurdist romp at times. But the fact is that the show did have a decent audience during its run, and it did introduce many viewers to the genre while also setting quite a number of precedents. So an argument could be made that it counts as classic sci-fi and that it deserves to be counted among the all-time greats (which I actually did do at this link). But that show excelled in so many of the excesses that have since become the target of parody for sci-fi TV that an argument could certainly also be made that it counts among the all-time worst. And need I remind you of the giant, talking carrot incident… ?
Ultimately, it is subjective which shows count among the most accomplished and which ones get relegated to the bottom rungs of the genre. The latter tend to have plenty of excesses and also often veer toward bad camp. They also typically rely on poor science or just throw that out the window. The acting and writing can doom shows to the bottom tier as well, as can poor production values. But then some of the absolute best shows suffer from these same failings as well, including all-time greats like The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Blake’s 7. The latter are typically able to overcome their faults, though, whereas the worst usually sink with them.
Another clear example of a bad sci-fi TV show also comes from Irwin Allen with 1964’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Like Lost in Space, that started out with a more serious tone, but before you know it the crew of the Seaview were facing off each week against such ridiculous antagonists as werewolves, mummies, evil leprechauns, lobster men, killer robots, and menacing toys. Yet another is 1975’s Space: 1999 because of its very questionable science and its poor second season that basically turned into a monster-of-the-week romp with creatures running loose on Moonbase Alpha as an excuse for Maya to morph into yet another monster to fight them. And who can forget ABC’s attempt to revive Battlestar Galactica after realizing it had cancelled the show too soon with the kid-friendly campfest Galactica: 1980?
All of these will get covered in this series and more, and there are plenty of people who will get mad when one of their favorite shows gets ranked among the worst (Space: 1999 fans are particularly vocal when that one finds itself on these lists). But some shows just fall short, and even though they may have attracted a decent-sized following, in the final analysis they get counted among the losers.
You can feel free to chime in with your suggestions on which sci-fi and fantasy TV shows are among the genre losers in the comments section below, and/or you can also join the conversation I previously started on this subject over at Reddit. And be sure to check back here starting next week as I put up the first post in this series taking a closer look at the all-time worst of sci fi TV.
Which sci fi and fantasy TV shows do you consider to be the worst examples of the genre? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
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