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- With recent cancelations of promising shows like 4400 and Archive 81, it's unfortunately clear that sci-fi TV series will continue to get the axe from networks for one reason or another. There's no shortage of creative, unique and beloved canceled sci-fi shows that were canceled way too early, with some fans likely still hoping for a reboot or revival down the line.
Something very characteristic of the late 90s and early 2000s in pop culture was the proliferation of sci-fi TV series, with interesting plots running the gamut from space travel to other planets or alien contacts, to artificial intelligence and genetic modifications.
And as these TV series arrived, they quickly dropped off, not necessarily for their interesting storylines but for low ratings (money talks, after all). However, after 20 years, fans of this genre still remember these old sci-fi shows fondly and consider that they at least deserved more than one or two seasons.
Updated on December 25th, 2022, by Hannah Saab:
With recent cancelations of promising shows like 4400 and Archive 81, it's unfortunately clear that sci-fi TV series will continue to get the axe from networks for one reason or another. There's no shortage of creative, unique and beloved canceled sci-fi shows that were canceled way too early, with some fans likely still hoping for a reboot or revival down the line.
'Dirk Gently' (2010 - 2012)
Available to stream on BritBox.
This British series, which aired on BBC Four, showed the main character, Detective Dirk Gently (Stephen Mangan) as a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who, who ran a holistic investigation agency under the premise of "fundamental interconnectedness of all things," along with his assistant and sidekick, Richard MacDuff (Darren Boyd).
The show, based on the novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams, only ran for 4 episodes. However, the audience still remembers Gently's ability to link seemingly unconnected cases, such as the disappearance of a cat and a double murder. It was so well received that 4 years later there was a new version set in North America, with Detective Gently (Samuel Barnett) and his assistant Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood), and although it made it to two seasons, fans considered it was too short of showing the adventures of the eccentric investigator.
'Firefly' (2002 - 2003)
Available to stream on Hulu.
One of the science fiction TV series that has earned many fans over the years is undoubtedly Firefly, created and directed by Joss Whedon. Its story, which falls into the category of space western drama, presented viewers with the adventures of the crew of the Serenity, at a time when humans had already landed in a new star system.
And although each episode had enough buzz, it wasn't enough to keep it alive. The first season was not even completed, only 11 of 14 episodes were aired. Firefly has managed to survive thanks to comics and tabletop role-playing games.
'Defying Gravity' (2009)
Available to purchase on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video and Vudu.
The sci-fi space travel television series Defying Gravity was supposed to be a hit since its pitch was sold to the networks as "Grey's Anatomy in space," where a group of astronauts wandered the solar system, were monitored from Earth, and attempted to land on Mars. It's a riveting series that maximizes the "stuck on a ship" trope fans know so well today.
But a similar fate to Firefly awaited this multinational production. Originally 13 episodes were filmed for the first of three seasons, but ABC canceled the show and aired only 8 and the other participating networks ran the entire season in their countries or online.
'Odyssey 5' (2002 - 2004)
Available to stream on FuboTV and Crackle.
Being the only survivors of a cataclysm on Earth and observing everything from space without being able to do anything doesn't sound like the best of plans for the main characters of Odyssey 5, a sci-fi TV series. The crew members of the spaceship Odyssey meet a being that calls itself The Seeker, who rescues them and sends them 5 years back to the past to prevent the destruction of the planet.
The protagonists are then on a mission to stop the villains, a race of disembodied artificial intelligence that has infiltrated society and are almost imperceptible while trying to change the fate of their past decisions. That first season was left with a cliffhanger that the audience will never know how it would have ended, but until today it's remembered by sci-fi fans.
'Almost Human' (2013 - 2014)
Available to purchase on Vudu.
Closer and closer seems the time when technology will advance so far that people will work alongside androids with almost human-like appearances and behaviors, not just a list of predefined instructions. That was what Almost Human offered viewers when it aired.
The interaction of Detective John Kennex (Karl Urban) and Police "Synthetic" Dorian (Michael Ealy) raised the question if a robot could behave more humanely and not just rely on logic, as they investigate different cases involving criminals and synthetics. Unfortunately, it only ran for one season of 13 episodes due to low ratings and high production costs, even though it quickly gained a following.
'Caprica' (2009 - 2010)
Available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Imagine your family dies in a terrorist attack, but you have the money and technology to bring them back, would you do it? Such was the dilemma facing lawyer Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) and tech billionaire Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz), who brought his daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) alive in a robotic body.
Although Caprica was created as a spin-off prequel to Battlestar Galactica, which maintained its references, its approach was quite different, more akin to a Greek tragedy where the ethical discussion about advances in robotics and artificial intelligence was on the table. But this story, despite its potential, moderate ratings and several nominations, was canceled and only remained in one season.
'Alien Nation' (1989 - 1990)
Available to purchase on Vudu and Amazon Video.
Fear of the unknown has always been the basis of discrimination, an issue that unfortunately humanity has yet to deal with. That was the case in the TV series Alien Nation, which presented viewers with the adaptation within the human society of The Francisco, one of several alien families that sought refuge on planet Earth.
Topics that remain controversial to this day, such as religion, minority rights and family, among others, were the core of the interaction between L.A. police officer Matthew Sikes (Gary Graham) and Newcomer George Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). Although this series had only one season, due to a low budget, 5 movies were later filmed for television where the experiences of the members of the Francisco and their colleagues at the police station were continued.
'Space: Above And Beyond' (1995 - 1996)
Soldiers, aliens, and colonization is an explosive cocktail for a sci-fi TV series, and that could be the summary of Space: Above And Beyond, a show where a group of US Marines called The Wildcards had to face an alien race that was destroying Earth's first extra-solar colonies with more advanced technology.
In addition to battle clashes, Space showed the cultural shocks and the consequences of the wars between humans, the Chigs (aliens), the Silicates (sentient androids) and the In Vitroes (artificially gestated humans). It aired 23 episodes of its only season, ending with a cliffhanger, even though the producers already knew that the series had been canceled.
'Dark Angel' (2000 - 2002)
In the 90s there was a trend of strong empowered female characters in TV series, and sci-fi couldn't be left behind. That's how Dark Angel reached viewers, launching Jessica Alba to fame, and its story was co-created by James Cameron, inspired by the manga Battle Angel Alita.
The show featured Max Guevara (Alba), a supersoldier who escaped as a child from a secret military institution called Manticore. As an adult, she seeks to find her brothers and sisters with the help of cyber-journalist Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly) who was investigating government corruption. Although it'd have made it to the third season, it was canceled after being displaced by the success of the tv series Angel.
'Stargate Universe' (2009 - 2011)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Although the sci-fi TV series Stargate Universe (SGU) was originally intended to be a divergence from the franchise, its story focused on a group of scientists led by Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) investigating The Ancients, the spaceship Destiny, and their relationship with other worlds beyond the confines of the Milky Way Galaxy.
The end of SGU left a bitter taste after two seasons, leaving the audience with an inconclusive ending about extraterrestrial life that may have emerged after the Big Bang, and after the success of the previous shows Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.
'Salvation' (2017 - 2018)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+.
The sci-fi drama series, Salvation, had a captivating premise – an asteroid is about to hit the earth, and the world's top scientists and leaders only have 6 months to stop it. Over the course of 2 short seasons, it depicted the way different individuals and organizations reacted and actively responded to this apocalyptic news. It also introduced fascinating characters like Darius Tanz (Santiago Cabrera), a billionaire scientist who finds himself with an unbelievable responsibility.
The underrated series may not have started out with the most steady footing, only finding its rhythm towards the latter half. However, it's impossible not to feel invested in its riveting story eventually, and it's canceled right at the pivotal twist that reveals what the asteroid really is. It had great potential that CBS was just not willing to see through in what could have been an awesome Salvation season 3.