Sci-fi as a genre has been a mainstay ever since television became readily available. By its very nature, the chance to escape into a world unlike our own, testing out astronomical concepts and flying the stars, is always appealing to an audience. However, one caveat that comes with this sort of production is its resignation to the passage of time, with technological advancements always likely to make a sci-fi epic soon look anything but.
In recent years, thanks to shows likeGame of Thrones, television has somewhat caught up with its bigger, silver brother, with big-budget projects now given the small screen treatment. However,the history of sci-fi has been plagued by poor production and low financial investment, with many people’s favorite series sadly not feeling the same on a re-watch. With all that in mind, here is a look at 15 sci-fi shows that have aged poorly.
15’Westworld' (2016 - 2022)
Created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan
Created byLisa JoyandJonathan Nolan,Westworld, inspired byMichael Crichton’s 1973 series of the same name, depicts the mind-blowing world inside Dr. Robert Ford’s (Anthony Hopkins) Wild West theme park. Inside lies the answer to all human desires, served on a silver platter by human-like androids known as Hosts. However, these desires come at a hefty price, and one that is not always financial.
It has to first be said thatWestworld’s debut season is a work of genius. A smart sci-fi mystery, themes of technological advancements, ethics, and even AI are explored in depth and to great effect. It is the sad decline of the show in the subsequent three seasons that places it on this list. The second season was, admittedly, still strong, withWestworldSeason 3 a messand Season 4 spiraling into somewhat of a satirical shell of its former thought-provoking self, sending viewers on endless MacGuffin hunts. HBO’s eventual decision to cancel the show may have come too late, withWestworldthe perfect example of a series that should have exited whilst ahead.
14’The X-Files' (1993 - 2018)
Created by Chris Carter
There is no doubt thatThe X-Filesis a trailblazing classic of the sci-fi genre. The show follows the iconic duo of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a skeptic and a believer, as they take unexplained cases and examine them through the lens of the paranormal.
The X-Files' quality throughout two runs, between 1993 and 2002 and later 2016 and 2018, is certainly varied. As time went on, the monster-of-the-week would flatter to deceive, as fans became less impressed with the outcome of episodes and moved into an age of new, fresh series. Rewatching the original episodes, even though tinted with nostalgia, can make for frustrating viewing, with the novel intrigue of the conspiracy theory to a 90s audience now replaced by aneye-rolling reminder of the modern dwellers of endless conspiratorial subreddits.
The X-Files
13’Logan’s Run' (1977 - 1978)
Created by William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson, and David Zelag Goodman
Following the success of the 1976 movie, this series was green-lit for the very next year and followedGregory Harrison’s titular Logan 5 alongside Jessica 6 (Heather Menzies-Urich), in the wake of their escape from the City of Domes. Chased by evil forces, the pair must traverse the terrifying terrain of a post-apocalyptic US, meeting all sorts of strange creatures along the way, from robots to aliens.
Logan’s Run’s poor aging is a slam-dunk decision. At a time when sci-fi series on television were first beginning to experiment with the medium,Logan’s Runwould have felt refreshing and awe-inspiring. Now,the show has become difficult to watch purely based on its lack of visual quality, with modern sensibilities causing some to give it a fair miss. Die-hard lovers of the series would steadfastly disagree, but it is impossible to argue that, compared to a modern sci-fi series,Logan’s Runis outshone visually.
Logan’s Run (1976)
12’Space: 1999' (1975 - 1977)
Created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson
Unsurprisingly, this British sci-fi series is set in the year 1999, and follows a scientific research colony known as Moonbase Alpha. After an explosive reaction of the Moon’s waste blasts it out of the Earth’s orbit and uncontrollably into the cosmos, it is up to the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha to find a way to, not just survive, but thrive in their newfound setting.
At the time of its inception,Space: 1999was the most expensive seriesproduced for British television on a budget of £6.8 million. However, this was 1975, with major advancements in television storytelling and visual techniques quickly reframing the high quality ofSpace: 1999against greater successors.A lackluster, often nonsensical story and poor pacing were easily overlooked at a time when the series was deemed revolutionary, but, in hindsight, and with that revolutionary status now gone, the flaws become unmissable.
Watch on Amazon Prime
11’Torchwood' (2006 - 2011)
Created by Russell T. Davies
After the instant success ofDoctor Who’s 2005 revival underRussell T. Davies, a spin-off starring fan-favorite character Captain Jack (John Barrowman) was quickly ushered into production. Set in the titular Torchwood Institute, a Crown-funded protection agency formed to fight the supernatural, Jack leads a team of experts into battle against the darker villains that wouldn’t quite make it pastDoctor Who’s family-friendly reputation.
Unlike others in this list,Torchwood’s quality has nothing to do with its poor aging. In fact, many of the stories across the show’s five-year run have aged like a fine wine, headlined by the ever-brilliant “Children of Earth.“It is off-screen antics that have madeTorchwoodmore difficult to watch, with Barrowman’s controversiesleaving some with a problematic viewing experience. That isn’t to say that all will experience it this way, and it is worth noting that any first-time entry intoTorchwoodshould come with a warning about some of modern sci-fi’s worst episodes littered among some of the best.
10’Inhumans' (2017)
Created by Scott Buck
Based on the comic of the same name,Inhumanstakes the concept of superhero outsiders and turns it up a notch, with a central group that chooses to stay isolated from the outside world. However, after years of stability, there is unrest within their community, with the island kingdom of Attilan threatening to implode. Add to that the invasion by outside forces, and the kingdom’s future looks fragile.
Being a product of Marvel, there was every chance studio execs were hoping to bleedInhumansfor every penny they could muster. Sadly, that proved to be just one eight-episode season, with the reviews both publicly and critically less than favorable. The instant negativity makes it even more startling thatInhumansis worse on a re-watch, hampered by the fact that many ofthe subsequent Marvel projectsthat came after it, even the terrible ones, still have more redeeming qualities.From clunky dialogue to a set of poor lead performances,Inhumansis a series Marvel wishes would wash awaywith their many other forgettable outings. For an intricate look at the disparity between superhuman and human identities, check outX-Men.
9’Battlestar Galactica' (1978 - 1979)
Created by Glen A. Larson
The iconicBattlestar Galactica, a fond favorite ofThe Office’s Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), follows the eclectic team aboard the titular spacecraft, the last surviving craft of its kind following a thousand-year war. Following the destruction of their home worlds, the group of humans must take on the perils of space and the evil forces within it, all in the name of one day finding solitude.
Despite fairing poorly with initial audiences,Battlestar Galacticaquickly became a cult 1970s series, developing a fond following that tailed the show into the next few decades. Eventually, a bigger-budget spin-off was green-lit for a 2004 audience, proving to be just as daring and innovative as the original. It is because of this thatthe firstBattlestar Galacticahas sadly aged poorly, especially when so many aspects of the series are easily compared to its modern successor. Even die-hard fans of the first outing are quick to admit the second’s superiority, although the camp of the 1978 version certainly has a unique charm.
Battlestar Galactica
Buy on Amazon
8’Sliders' (1995 - 2000)
Created by Tracy Tormé and Robert K. Weiss
Viewers may be bored by the multiverse now, but the chance to slide between universes via vortex-like wormholes was staggering to a 1995 audience. Lasting for five years and five seasons,Slidersfollows a central group of four, each ready to move between alternate realities trying to find their path home. On this journey, various versions of Earth are encountered, from ones almost identical to their own and others that see desolate landscapes caused by changed moments in history.
Frankly,Slidershas only aged poorly thanks to the advancement in how the multiverse is unpacked in modern media. To a 2024 audience, the multiverse deserves credible thought and must be examined with thorough nuance that allows for much more than just a fun sci-fi concept and nothing else, look no further thanEverything Everywhere All at Once. That isn’t to say thatSlidersdoesn’t attempt this, especially when it comes to the different ways in which generic styles are employed, such as the move into horror as the series progresses. However, this left a sour taste in viewers' mouths, with the charm and fair simplicity of the first couple of seasons muddled and confused by a poorly conceived experiment.
Watch on Peacock
7Classic ‘Doctor Who’ (1963 - 1989)
Created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson
Thebest sci-fi series to hail from Britishsoil,Doctor Who’s longevity is proof of its success. From its early days as a historically educational children’s show to the bright and bold current era, there is no doubting just how triumphant the tales of a madman in a flying police box have been. Given its long lineage in television, dating back to 1963, the variation in quality shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Nevertheless, the impact the campy sci-fi fun had on audiences during its initial run is difficult to recreate, especially when given the modern era of the show as a point of comparison.From clunky foam sets to laughable monsters like sweet-based The Kandyman, the classic era ofDoctor Whocan at times be a difficult watch. This is without even mentioning the frankly racist serial, “The Talons of Weng-Chiang,” which stands to this day as a period of the show that die-hard fans ofTom Baker’s Fourth Doctor would rather forget.
Doctor Who
6’Primeval' (2007 - 2011)
Created by Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges
Primevalis the perfect example of a show that outstayed its welcome. First airing back in 2007,Primevalfollowed a group of highly-trained specialists who track down strange anomalies across England. These anomalies act as portals for all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures to emerge, with the team charged with capturing the creatures and saving the day.
A fascinating concept blending entertainment and education,Primevalwas an instant hit upon its arrival. The truth is, the show gathered decent momentum in its first couple of seasons, gaining international attention and a fairly global fanbase. However,all that would change when the decision was made to kill off its main character, Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall), in Season 3, Episode 3, leaving a massive hole in the cast that was never truly filled. From that moment on, the show never recovered, and Nick’s demise certainly takes away from the power of earlier episodes, with second-time viewers burdened by the knowledge of what’s to come.
