Let’s all meet up in the year 2000! It was a tumultuous decade for the world, but we can’t deny that the new millennium brought with it some fantastic sci-fi TV shows.
We’re continuing our march through time to rank the best sci-fi TV shows of every decade. We started way back in the 1950s and since then we’ve barrelled through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but now it’s time for Y2K to hit. This was a time in Hollywood when visual effects tricks and technology started trickling down to television, and the results were some damn fine sci-fi TV. We were blessed with a beautiful blend of new ideas and reboots of classic franchises that pushed the boundaries of the genre.
So, let’s gas up the time machine and venture boldly into this alluring list of the 10 best sci-fi shows of the 2000s. Follow along and see how many of your must-watch series made the final countdown!
10. “Invader Zim”
Original Air Dates: 2001-2006 | Seasons: 2 | Cast: Richard Horvitz, Rosearik Rikki Simons, Andy Berman, Melissa Fahn
Doom! We had to add one quirky animated sci-fi series onto our list, as this was the decade when more mature animated projects rose to their prominence on channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.
Formulated around a tiny tyrannical alien named Zim (Richard Steven Horvitz) who was sent here by the Irken Empire on a mission to our solar system with his wonky robot named GIR to enslave Earth, he soon learned conquering a planet isn’t exactly easy. “Invader Zim” is the brainchild of comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez, and its sophisticated, esoteric humor and distinctive design style were far ahead of its time.
The 2019 Netflix animated film, “Invader Zim: Enter The Florpus” will have you rolling in riotous laughter! This weird franchise still has a massive following that includes a 2015-2020 comic book series from Oni Press, a gorgeous Abrams art book, and even a spinning theme park ride!
9. “Andromeda”
Original Air Dates: 2000-2005 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Kevin Sorbo, Lisa Ryder, Keith Hamilton Cobb, Lexa Doig
If you‘ve never seen “Andromeda”, then you’re in for a real treat as this enormously entertaining series from the fertile mind of “Star Trek’s” Gene Roddenberry deserves a coveted place on our list.
Derived from Roddenberry’s never-used material, developed by Robert Wolfe, and produced by his widow, Majel Barrett, “Andromeda” was a Canadian and American production led by charismatic Systems Commonwealth starship captain Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo) (“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), who finds himself 300 years into the future after being stuck near a time-dilating black hole.
He awakes in a very different universe controlled by Nietzschean and Magog aliens after civil war rages. Hunt teams up with a motley group of mercenaries to traverse the cosmos while hoping to revitalize the Commonwealth and restore peace.
The sentient spaceship named the Andromeda Ascendant was a cool touch, and the show’s upbeat nature won over loyal genre audiences. Later seasons suffered from rotating writers, but it still has evergreen appeal!
8. “Stargate: Atlantis”
Original Air Dates: 2004-2009 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell, David Hewlett, Jason Momoa
This fan favorite Sci-Fi Channel TV series, often abbreviated as SGA, was a spin-off from sci-fi smash hit “Stargate-SG1” (itself a spinoff of the 1994 “Stargate” feature film directed by Roland Emmerich).
The narrative chronicled an international gang of scientists and military folks that stumble across a Stargate network deep in the Pegasus Galaxy and its insidious alien antagonists called The Wraith.
Starring Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, and Rachel Luttrell, “SGA” lasted 99 episodes over the course of five seasons and concluded with the titular city splashing into the Pacific Ocean near California’s landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. With its great cast chemistry, arresting visuals, realistic relationships, smart writing, and natural tonal balance, “SGA” still rocks.
Plus, it co-starred a young Jason Momoa as the team’s badass Satedan warrior, specialist Ronon Dex!
7. “Star Trek: Enterprise”
Original Air Dates: 2001-2005 | Seasons: 4 | Cast: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating
Had it not been for the bewildering series finale episode, this timely and thoughtful “Star Trek” prequel would have ranked a lot higher.
Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga and starring Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, “Enterprise” told the story of Earth’s first Warp 5 starship, the Enterprise NX-01, and her valiant crew exploring space back in the fledgling days of Starfleet a century before James T. Kirk.
The UPN Network was this show’s home base and after a couple seasons of standalone chapters, the creators introduced an overarching plot known as the Temporal Cold Wars and its alien adversaries, the Xindi, with a mystery figure from the future appearing sporadically to issue dire warnings.
Some standout performances from the cast, especially John Billingsley’s Dr. Phlox and Janine Blaylock’s T’Pol, helped the show grow on fans until it was cancelled by Paramount after four seasons. This would mark the end of “Star Trek” TV that would last 12 years until “Star Trek: Discovery.”
Fans may have hated the cheesy Velveeta-like theme song, “Where My Heart Will Take Me!”, but you can’t deny that this show had strength of the heart.
6. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”
Original Air Dates: 2008-2013 | Seasons: 7 | Cast: Tom Kane, Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was Lucasfilm’s first venture into CG animation, unspooling the titular galactic clash set between the events of “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” and “Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi.”
Here we witness noble Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi along with Anakin’s Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano as they command the Galactic Republic’s clone army against Count Dooku’s Separatist Alliance during that storied time in “Star Wars” lore known as The Clone Wars.
This cherished series from George Lucas and Supervising Director Dave Filoni is still being tapped for characters such as Clone Force 99, Cad Bane, Saw Gerrera, and Bo-Katan Kryze in more recent “Star Wars” shows like “The Bad Batch,” “The Mandalorian,” and “Andor.”
After initially airing on the Cartoon Network for five seasons, it made the leap to Netflix for season six and finally closed out its influential run for season seven on Disney+ in 2020.
5. “Doctor Who”
Original Air Dates: 2005-2025 | Seasons: 15 | Cast: Christopher Eccleston, David Tenant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, Ncuti Gatwa.
Ah, the half-decade of Christopher Eccleston’s 9th Doctor and David Tennant’s 10th Doctor showcased as our official Time Lords from Gallifrey was a wonderful experience with many fan favorite episodes like Dalek, “The Doctor Dances,” “Blink,” “Midnight,” and “The End of Time.”
This was a crucial period for “Doctor Who” as the beloved series had just endured a long 15-year hiatus since 1989 and this was the resurrection of the venerable British sci-fi adventure show. The modern revival was orchestrated by producer Russell T. Davies and a lot was riding on its success straight out of the gate.
Their adventurous TARDIS trips along the time stream helped bolster the show’s global fanbase with new and old recruits to kick off one of the most fruitful periods in “Doctor Who’s” existence.
The show’s future is up in the air at the moment, but he’s hoping it brings that 2000s Who energy with it when it returns.
4. “Battlestar Galactica”
Original Air Dates: 2004-2009 | Seasons: 4 | Cast: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, Tricia Helfer
Few shows stirred up more hardcore sci-fi fans’ delight than this remake of the old “Battlestar Galactica” space opera show from the late 1970s. But instead of being a family affair, this time around Ronald D. Moore and his writing staff amplified the grim joyless aspects of this ragtag fleet of colony ships trying to fin d a shining planet called Earth before the evil Cylons annihilated them.
Based on Glen A. Larsen’s brighter and more humorous version, this highly-regarded dark reboot was found on the Sci-Fi channel (now SYFY) for four seasons after a 2003 3-hour miniseries aired. Its gritty military-leaning stories carried a somber post-9/11 feel that seemed appropriate for a fractured world needing a serious reality check.
The ensemble cast included Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park. During its Emmy Award-winning 74-episode run aboard the Galactica colony ship while being pursued by the android antagonists, this last vestige of civilization helped define what it was to be human with dignity.
3. “Firefly”
Original Air Dates: 2002 | Seasons: 1 | Cast: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Has it really been nearly 25 years since Captain Mal Reynolds and his Browncoat smugglers visited us weekly on the Fox network for one single season?
Conceived by executive producer and creator Joss Whedon of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Avengers” fame, “Firefly” was a one-and-done space western starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, and Jewel Staite.
Although Fox unceremoniously pulled the plug after only 14 episodes, “Firefly” did spawn the 2005 feature film, “Serenity,” and in the proceeding years a passionate cult following has grown that spans toys, comic books, prose novels, a robust fan art community, and even a themed cookbook.
Loyal followers of the franchise have been clamoring for a live-action revival for ages to no avail, but we truly are getting a shiny new official “Firefly” animated series from 20th Television Animation soon.
2. “Lost”
Original Air Dates: 2004-2010 | Seasons: 6 | Cast: Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia
We’re heading back to the iconic island to once again immerse ourselves in the prophetic numbers, the puzzling timeline, polar bears, smoke monsters, and the totally bonkers wrap-up that alienated fans. Welcome to “Lost,” a dreamy pop culture phenomenon not seen since David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” in the ’90s.
It was must-see TV for millions who debated all the symbols, signs, and clues to dissect around the water cooler. The sci-fi mystery box centered around a group of plane crash survivors on a strange island that was once the home of a scientific think tank called the Dharma Initiative.
It could have been the show of the decade, with a mythology dense enough to sustain ten million flash-sideways headaches., but it collapsed under its own narrative weight towards the end, once ABC milked six seasons out of creators J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof.
1. “Fringe”
Original Air Dates: 2008-2013 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo
Don’t even try to argue with us or we’ll zap you into the alternate universe faster than you can whip up a Strawberry Supreme Shake.
Technically this remarkable show crosses decades, but it first aired in 2008 so it qualifies. Fox’s paranormal sci-fi series was absolutely beyond its time and still holds up well over a decade after its five-season run ended.
Here, eccentric scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) teams up with his son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) in the FBI’s Boston-based Fringe Division to solve a series of bizarre happenings and deaths relating to a recently discovered parallel mirror world and its many technological secrets.
This is the best thing that creators J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci have ever done and we were all grateful to have experienced its exceptional storytelling, superb acting, and conceptual sci-fi themes that nailed the finale perfectly.
The gift that kept on giving was “Star Trek’s” Leonard Nimoy portraying biotech genius Dr. William Bell, a role that Nimoy’s son, Adam, recalled was a bonafide favorite of his father’s.