The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Franchises of All Time

Tuesday, Feb. 13 2007 | Author: Michael

If there is one thing that Geeks will debate from now until the end of time…it’s which Sci-Fi franchises are the best. Everyone had their favorites, and everyone has ones that they hate.

So, it is with great caution that I present the following list to you, and I ask that you not call for my head on a stick if you disagree with me…and I’m sure some of you will.

What I have compiled here is, in my view, the 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Franchises of All Time. I encourage you to make your own list on this subject if you disagree, and post it in the comments at the end of the article…

Now…without further adieu….The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Franchises of All Time

10. John Carter of Mars – Of all the names on this list, this is the one you may be the least familiar with. John Carter was the creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs (the creator of Tarzan), and his adventures on Mars set the stage for some of the greatest science fiction of all time. The biggest Sci-Fi franchises in history (Star Wars, and Star Trek) can both be traced right back to these early adventures on the Red Planet.

The first John Carter novel, “A Princess of Mars” was written in 1911 and sets the stage for a franchise of over 11 books, plus comic strips, comic books, and countless attempts at making a feature film. The John Carter series was most recently in the hands of Paramount Pictures before being optioned by Disney. Will we ever see a John Carter film? I don’t know…but I seriously doubt it can live up to almost 100 years of hype.

9. Godzilla - An odd choice? Maybe…but you can’t argue with over 50 films, and a legacy that dates back to World War 2. Godzilla is popcorn Sci-Fi at its best, and has endured over the generations by being an afternoon escape into a world of Giant Monsters and no-consequence destruction.

The series didn’t start out that way, of course. Originally, Godzilla was a metaphor for the horrible possibilities of Nuclear radiation, but over the years, he has gone from serious threat, to defender of the earth, and back again. Godzilla is a Sci-Fi franchise that will live forever…as long as short Japanese men are willing to climb in giant rubber suits.

8. Quantum Leap – Quantum Leap was Sci-Fi even your mother could love. Sam Beckett was caught in the time stream, leaping from one life to the next, making the wrong things right, and hoping the next leap…would be the leap home. Quantum Leap was another example of the very best of Sci-Fi. While the stories themselves had very little science fiction elements to them, the overall theme that “one man can change the world” is a powerful one often seen in science fiction. The series itself ran from 1989 to 1993, and a follow-up series has long been rumored to be in development at the Sci-Fi channel.

7. Battlestar Galactica – The Original Battlestar Galactica is a campy classic sci-fi adventure that seemed to exist largely to capitalize off of the success of the Star Wars franchise….but in 2004 Battlestar Galactica breathed new life by being re-invented as a tense, dramatic, and dark sci-fi thriller. Very few franchises can be completely reinvented this way successfully, and the new series has certainly been a success.

It has just been renewed for its fourth season on the Sci-Fi Channel, and continues to be a dark, gritty ratings winner.

6. Firefly – It only lasted for 13 episodes before being cancelled by Fox…but those 13 episodes create a rich and wonderful universe that so engrossed its fanbase (called “Browncoats”) that the series was resurrected as a feature film called “Serenity”. The show itself was a Sci-Fi Western set in the last great frontier – Space. The unusual style of series creator Joss Whedon gave the show an endearing charm that begged to be on the air longer…and had Fox given it a fair shake, it likely would have been. Still, even after the series, and the film, the franchise lives on in the Browncoat fans. From fan films, to a in-development MMORPG set in the ‘Verse, comic books, and more…Firefly continues to live on.

5. Stargate – What started out as a feature film starring Kurt Russell, ended up being one of the longest running Sci-Fi shows of all time, starring Richard Dean Anderson. Set in a future where nearly instantaneous interplanetary travel was made possible through the discovery of the Stargates, SG-1 followed the flagship team (1 of at least 20…so there will be plenty more Stargate in the future) as they explored the universe, defended the planet, and made peace with other worlds. Stargate SG-1 had an amazing 10 year run, and will continue on in a series of DVDs. Meanwhile, the franchise has expanded to include Stargate: Atlantis, and a new Stargate show is slated for 2008.

4. X-Files - From 1993 to 2002 “The truth was out there” as FBI Agents Mulder and Skully investigated unsolved paranormal cases. By combining classic science fiction, mystery, conspiracy theories and classic detective work, the X-Files made Sci-Fi fans out of people who didn’t even know they liked science fiction. Over the series 9 seasons it was nominated for over 141 awards, and spawned a movie as well. The series is still wildly popular, with a large fan following online.

3. Doctor Who – Doctor Who is an international phenomenon that started as a kids show in 1963, but quickly became one of the most popular shows in the UK, due in large part, to the evil Dalek race that has been a constant threat to The Doctor since the series inception. The show ran until 1989…shortly after that the BBC and FOX co-produced a television movie version of the Doctor that did not go over well. In 2005, however, the series was reborn on the BBC, and continues to be one of the most successful shows on UK Television. This time the good Doctor has come across the pond as well, landing on the Sci-Fi Channel. Over the course of the series run, 10 actors have played the role of the The Doctor, and it is very doubtful that current Doctor, David Tennant, will be the last.

2. Star Wars – Star Wars ignited the imaginations of a generation when it was first released in 1977. It was the start of the Hollywood Blockbuster (and it wasn’t even made in Hollywood). The first trilogy of films were movies that every child of the 80s grew up on, and the film’s continued success can, in large part, be contributed to theunprecedented marketing of the franchise.

In the 1990s, the second trilogy of films began production, and a new generation of fans fell in love with the classic serial-inspired franchise all over again. Camping out for days or even weeks, fans turned the arrival of the new Star Wars films into the biggest event movies of all time, and with multiple television series planned, video games, comic books, and continued merchandising, Star Wars will be entertaining kids (and adults) for generations to come.

1. Star Trek - It was not as hard as you might think to choose the #1 for this list. Star Trek, while currently in a period of rebuilding after the unsuccessful “Enterprise” television series, is a franchise unlike any other. Star Trek has changed the world. The inventor of the cell phone credits Star Trek for his inspiration, a vast majority of the people working at Nasa are doing so by being inspired by Star Trek.

The technology envisioned in Star Trek has begun appearing all around us, and some of it is now being used in our daily lives. There is no denying the impact that Gene Roddenberry’s vision has had on the world. The bridge of the Enterprise was not only a place for futuristic technology, it was also a place of (then) futuristic diversity and acceptance.

Star Trek was the first place we ever say Caucasian, African, Asian, and even Alien people working together with no prejudice or bias. The Star Trek vision of the future is one of peace and exploration. It is a dream we are still far from achieving, but hopefully, in time, we’ll get there.

Richard Dean Anderson is back for Stargate: Continuum
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Saturn Award Winners Announced
J.J. Abrams to decide about directing Star Trek XI this week
Top Ten: The Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time

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23 Responses for "The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Franchises of All Time"

dren

February 13th, 2007 at 16:15
1

I can’t believe Farscape is not on the list…
Robbie

February 13th, 2007 at 18:28
2

I can.
David H. Batt

February 14th, 2007 at 14:50
3

Where’s the Dune saga?
Dev

February 14th, 2007 at 15:51
4

In someone’s basement…

This is a great list. This is the sci-fi that everyone loves, not just us geeks (except for BG and Firefly, which are much more niche; but excluding them would have you hung by the fanboys).

(And that sounds painful)
Joe Guarini

February 14th, 2007 at 17:39
5

Star Wars was first released in 1977.
Jason

February 14th, 2007 at 19:09
6

Here mine;
1)Star Trek
2)Star Wars
3)Stargate (SG1, Atl & some virtual series)
4)Babylon 5
5)Battlestar Galactica
6)Firefly
7)Farscape
8)X-Files
9)The Outer Limits
10)Doctor Who
Jason

February 14th, 2007 at 19:15
7

Honorable mentions;
Buck Rogers
Lost in Space

Actually, I’d replace Firefly with Buck Rogers
Joe Oren

February 14th, 2007 at 19:35
8

Buck Rogers and Lost are good choices, but I think Babylon 5 is far and away the most serious omission. Great characters, inventive plot, enormous scope, touched on many social and political issues.
Bruce Ramsey

February 14th, 2007 at 20:35
9

What about “Lost In Space”? That spawned a movie.
Allen

February 14th, 2007 at 21:24
10

I’d definitely add Farscape. Not a wide fan base, unfortunately, but the characters avoided the dull stereotypes (think Deep Space 9) and the story lines were interesting and well intertwined.
Malcolm J. Brenner

February 14th, 2007 at 22:30
11

Producer J. Michael Straczinski’s writing and the coherency of the interlocking characters and story lines set Babylon 5 head and shoulders above every other sci-fi series out there. With groundbreaking CGI special effects, the only thing that kept it from being a bigger hit than it was was the way its schedule kept getting bumped around.
patrick

February 14th, 2007 at 22:36
12

Where is babylon 5? To me that was the best of them all
Jason B

February 14th, 2007 at 22:47
13

Where is Sliders?

Good to see Star Trek and Quantum Leap, though
John Rumsey

February 14th, 2007 at 22:47
14

Add Deep Space Nine and Voyager spinoffs from Star Trek. Andromeda had a good start too. Older shows like Twilight Zone and Outer Limits are also classics. I wish A. Bertram Chandler’s Rim Runners novels or a few other sci-fi series could be made into TV series too.
john

February 14th, 2007 at 23:07
15

Twilight Zone is another one I think is at least deserving of an honorable mention.

One can easily argue that it paved the way for the rest of television Sci Fi programming.
john

February 14th, 2007 at 23:13
16

I though of two more very deserving mentions:

1. Alien
2. Predator

I really liked seeing these two go toe-to-toe in the last movie.
Garance Alistair Drosehn

February 16th, 2007 at 01:07
17

I’m not sure what the exact criteria is for this list. Is it:

1) the “best” Sci-fi franchise (in a touchy-feely sense, such as “I really liked the characters in this show when I was growing up”, or “this show had a lot of different plots, instead of the same plot every week”)
2) the “largest” one (the one with most episodes, or spin-offs)
3) the most financially-successful one (star wars would have to win that!)
4) the one which has had the biggest impact on the popular culture of the day, such that even non-sci-fi people flocked to see it. Measured by things like the most-references on late-night TV.
5) the one which influenced the most people to jump into real science because they were excited about what they saw in a sci-fi world (such as you mentioned for Star Trek).

I think that several of the franchises would belong on the list no matter which criteria was chosen. The top 4 seem like mighty good choices for a top-4 to me.

However, I also think that Babylon 5 really deserves to be on the top-10 list, unless the list is only about criteria #4. Five seasons of the show, with the last season on a network which pretty much had no idea what to do with a sci-fi show. Hugo awards for Best Dramatic Presentation. One set of reruns on the Sci-Fi channel. The spin-off series called “Crusade”. Almost had a second spin-off series about “Legend of the Rangers” on the Sci-fi channel. Multiple *series* of books written about the B5-universe, from multiple authors. (one series of books on the technomages, one on the Psi-corps, etc). Four (or five?) made-for-TV movies. Very-successful DVD sales. And right now JMS is finishing the film-work on new episodes in the B5-universe which will probably be released direct-to-DVD. Right now that’s being called “The Lost Tales”, and if I remember right the first DVD should be out later this year.

You might say that “Crusade” was cancelled after only a few episodes, but that’s the *spin-off*. You have “Firefly” listed here, and the original series for that didn’t make it through a whole season, and only it has one movie. I can’t see how “Firefly” deserves to be on a “top 10 of ALL TIME” list, not based any of the criteria I suggested above.

If you’re going to list something like “John Carter of Mars”, and if we’re talking about an “All Time List”, then it seems to me that something like the popular sci-fi books of Jules Verne should be given much more attention. Jules gave us: “Around the World in 80 days”, “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea”, “Journey to the Center of Earth”, and “From Earth to the Moon”. Maybe those seem old-technology right now, but at the time those were pretty heady books. And those are just some of the FIFTY FOUR novels that he wrote as a series called the “Voyages Extraordinaires”. Several of his books have had *multiple* movies made of them. It seems to me that all this has be enough to earn him a place on any all-time sci-fi list!

With book-series, I think one might also consider “Dune” from Herbert, and “the Foundation Series” from Asimov — which ends up being tied to the “I, Robot” series that Asimov also did.

I’m not quite sure the “Twilight Zone” TV series, as a whole, can be called science-fiction, but some episodes of it certainly qualify. I would feel a little odd saying that it has to be on the top-10 list of sci-fi, but I do think it deserves some kind of honorable mention. But then, I always think that “Twilight Zone” deserves honorable mention… :-) You could also say it had spin-offs in “The Night Gallery” and “The New Twilight Zone” series, if you are trying to stick to the theme of franchises.

“The Outer Limits” was also a major sci-fi show, back when you had to capture time on a big three network to be seen, instead of just surviving on one of 1,000 different cable channels. There was also a “New Outer Limits” series, as a spin-off several years later.

I personally loved the first few seasons of “Quantum Leap”, but I don’t think it is quite good enough to be considered “Top 10″. Probably more like “Top 25″.

Some other people here brought up “Buck Rogers”, and I think that is a good candidate for a list like this. That’s another case where the series might seem pretty simpleton now, but was very inspirational for sci-fi at the time it came out.

If we stretch things a bit, perhaps “The Wild Wild West” would fit, although it was never billed as sci-fi. I don’t really believe it qualifies, but it was a favorite of my sister so I thought I’d mention it. :-)

“Battlestar Gallactica” is barely a franchise. I know it’s got some adamant ardent fans right now, but let’s be objective about this if you’re going for an “all-time” list. BG is one series, which has some devoted fans. Right now it has no TV or movie spin-offs, three or four books, it is pretty much unknown outside sci-fi circles, and it’s not clear that it’s been a big inspiration for much of anything — simply because it is too soon to know. Maybe it will prove to be as inspirational as “Star Trek” ended up being, but we can’t say that right now. I realize that “Star Trek” was cancelled for lack-of-ratings, and yet it grew into the number one franchise. Maybe Battlestar Gallactica will grow to have a huge impact over time, but *right now* it is just a mildly-popular TV show. “Outer Limits” was easily a bigger show, with a bigger following outside sci-fi circles, at a time when it faced much more competition on TV from shows from other genre’s.

And to muddle things up a bit more, should we consider video-game franchises too? The “StarCraft” and “WarCraft” worlds have multiple books out, and millions of players of the games. Or the “Final Fantasy” games? NOTE: I don’t claim that we really must consider them, I’m just wondering what other things might deserve to be considered. You seemed to list “book-only” franchises, by listing “John Carter of Mars”. And then movie-based and TV-based franchises. Why not video-game based ones?

I’m sure there are a lot of other franchises that we haven’t even thought of yet, but the omissions of Babylon 5 and Jules Verne seem especially glaring to me.
Joe

February 20th, 2007 at 05:45
18

If John Carter of Mars gets to be on the list (and you give very good reasons) then I think Doc Smiths Lensmen series ought to be on there too. The books are very dated these days but he basically invented the space opera. The influences can be seen in almost every major sci fi story since including (but not limited to) Star Trek, Star Wars and Babylon 5.

Still very hard to pick just 10 from the hundreds of superb shows, books and films in the world. On the whole, good job.
Chris

February 20th, 2007 at 13:07
19

I also find the omission of Babylon 5 to be puzzling, but what about Flash Gordon? That was a hugely successful franchise in the 40s and 50s.

Then there’s the issue of Superman. The Superman character has spawned numerous TV shows, movies, comic books, cartoons, and Halloween costumes. How many 5-year-olds have NOT tied a towel around their necks and pretended they could fly? I think he has become so mainstream, people don’t even think of him as SF any more, but hey, he came from another planet in a rocket ship! I’d be tempted to put him at #1. Leaving him out entirely makes the entire list suspect.
Ben

February 20th, 2007 at 13:58
20

Yea, I’m a little curious as to who the authority is making this list. It’s not that your opinion isn’t valid, but, it seems somewhat short-sighted.

Is Asimov’s Foundation series only good for the Hugo award for Best All-Time Science Fiction series? I would think that would merit some recognition…

How about the Dune books? Surely they count?
whoever

March 15th, 2007 at 11:16
21

WHAT ABOUT THE TWILIGHT ZONE!!!!!!!

Have you all forgotten the originator of them all!!!
whoever2

December 13th, 2008 at 16:57
22

the twilight zone wasn’t the originator of them all
whoever2

December 13th, 2008 at 16:58
23

what does uri mean?