17 Classic Sci-Fi TV Shows to Watch Now That Paved the Way for Today’s ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Doctor Who’
Explore the groundbreaking shows of the ’50s and ’60s that shaped the genre forever
It’s hard to imagine a world without Star Trek or Doctor Who, but back in the 1950s and 1960s, science fiction on television was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be. The genre was new to the medium, still shaking off the shadow of movie serials, pulp magazines and ’50s features about bug-eyed monsters, and the early experiments were equal parts ambitious and charmingly crude. Yet these shows laid the groundwork for everything that came after.
If you were a kid in the early ’50s, chances are your first exposure to televised science fiction came through the likes of Captain Video and His Video Rangers or Space Patrol. They were live, low-budget productions filled with cardboard sets and pie-tin spaceships, but that didn’t matter. To young viewers, they were pure adventure with their stories of heroes protecting Earth from galactic villains. Around the same time, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger introduced audiences to disciplined young astronauts and serialized storytelling—predating streaming by decades—bringing just a little more polish to the genre.
By the end of the decade, the tone shifted. Men Into Space took a hard-science approach, depicting astronauts and rocket launches with Air Force cooperation, making it one of the most realistic depictions of space travel to hit TV early on. But realism soon gave way to allegory. The Twilight Zone, which premiered in 1959, was Rod Serling’s way of tackling big issues—war, prejudice and paranoia among them—under the cloak of fantasy and science fiction. Each episode was allegorical, wrapped in mystery, often with a twist ending that left audiences buzzing.
Across the Atlantic, 1963 brought us Doctor Who, which began as an educational program but quickly turned into one of the longest-running sci-fi shows ever. Around the same time in America, The Outer Limits was giving us weekly chills and unforgettable “monsters of the week.” The genre was spreading its wings and starting to fly.
The mid-to-late ’60s became the era of the big, ambitious space shows. Irwin Allen dominated with Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants, each one bigger and louder than the last. And then there was Star Trek, a show that struggled in its original run but went on to become the most influential science fiction television series of all time.
Together, these programs shaped not only how TV viewers saw science fiction, but how they imagined the future itself, the catch-up to reality oftentimes disappointing them.
1. ‘Captain Video and His Video Rangers’ (1949–1955, DuMont)
Cast: Richard Coogan/Al Hodge (Captain Video), Don Hastings (The Video Ranger).
Premise: A futuristic lawman, Captain Video, leads his Video Rangers in protecting Earth and the solar system from various intergalactic threats. Episodes mixed adventure with educational science segments.
Behind-the-scenes: Produced live on a shoestring budget, it was one of the earliest television sci-fi series and extremely popular with children. Its crude special effects have since become legendary.
2. ‘Space Patrol’ (1950–1955, ABC)
Cast: Ed Kemmer (Commander Buzz Corry), Lyn Osborn (Cadet Happy), Virginia Hewitt (Carol Carlisle).
Premise: Set in the 30th century, the Space Patrol protected the United Planets from space pirates, mad scientists and alien forces.
Behind-the-scenes: Originated as a local L.A. show before ABC picked it up nationally. It aired on television and radio simultaneously, with merchandise tie-ins (comic books, toys) making it one of TV’s first multimedia sci-fi hits.
3. ‘Tom Corbett, Space Cadet’ (1950–1955, CBS / ABC / NBC / DuMont)
Cast: Frankie Thomas (Tom Corbett), Al Markim (Astro), Jan Merlin (Roger Manning).
Premise: Follows cadets at the Space Academy as they train for interplanetary missions and uphold law and order in the Solar Guard.
Behind-the-scenes: Based loosely on Robert Heinlein’s juvenile novels, this is a rare example of a show that cycled through all four major networks of the time. Its popularity spawned radio dramas, comics and books.
4. ‘Rocky Jones, Space Ranger’ (1954, Syndicated)
Cast: Richard Crane (Rocky Jones), Sally Mansfield (Vena Ray), Scotty Beckett (Winky).
Premise: Rocky Jones and his team journeyed from planet to planet, battling villains and aiding civilizations.
Behind-the-scenes: Unlike many contemporaries, it was filmed instead of broadcast live, allowing for higher production values and later syndication. Story arcs usually ran three episodes.
5. ‘Flash Gordon’ (1954–1955, Syndicated)
Cast: Steve Holland (Flash Gordon), Irene Champlin (Dale Arden), Joseph Nash (Dr. Zarkov).
Premise: Adapted from Alex Raymond’s comic strip, the series followed Flash, Dale and Zarkov on interplanetary adventures, combating Ming the Merciless and other foes.
Behind-the-scenes: A French–West German–American co-production filmed in Europe. Budget limitations were evident, but the show capitalized on nostalgia for the earlier movie serials starring Buster Crabbe.
6. ‘Men Into Space’ (1959–1960, CBS)
Cast: William Lundigan (Col. Edward McCauley), Joyce Taylor (Mary McCauley).
Premise: A realistic depiction of U.S. astronauts preparing for and undertaking space exploration missions.
Behind-the-scenes: Produced with technical input from the U.S. Air Force and inspired by real-world rocketry. Praised for scientific accuracy, it foreshadowed the coming space race.
7. ‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959–1964, CBS)
Cast: Rod Serling (Host/Narrator), various guest stars, including Burgess Meredith, William Shatner and Agnes Moorehead.
Premise: Anthology of self-contained stories blending sci-fi, fantas and morality tales, often with twist endings.
Behind-the-scenes: Created by Rod Serling, who wrote or co-wrote most episodes. Pushed network boundaries with allegorical storytelling on racism, war and paranoia during the Cold War era.
8. ‘Doctor Who’ (1963–present, BBC)
Cast: William Hartnell (The First Doctor), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman), William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright).
Premise: The Doctor, a mysterious time traveler, explores the universe in the TARDIS, a time machine disguised as a police box, often accompanied by human companions.
Behind-the-scenes: Conceived as part educational show, part adventure. Despite budget struggles, it quickly became a British institution. The “regeneration” concept (introduced in 1966) allowed the series to continue indefinitely with new actors effortlessly stepping into the role of the Doctor.
9. ‘The Outer Limits’ (1963–1965, ABC)
Cast: Various guest stars including Robert Culp, Martin Landau, and Sally Kellerman. Narrated by Vic Perrin (“The Control Voice”).
Premise: An anthology series of speculative fiction stories, often centered on alien encounters and futuristic experiments.
Behind-the-scenes: Created by Leslie Stevens and Joseph Stefano (the writer of Psycho). Known for its atmospheric production design and memorable “monsters of the week.” While only having a two season run, it became highly influential and a cult favorite.
10. ‘My Favorite Martian’ (1963–1966, CBS)
Cast: Ray Walston (Uncle Martin), Bill Bixby (Tim O’Hara).
Premise: A Martian anthropologist crash-lands on Earth and hides his identity while living with a young reporter.
Behind-the-scenes: One of the earliest sitcoms to mix comedy with science fiction. Special effects for Martin’s powers (telepathy, invisibility, extending antennae) became hallmarks of the series.
11. ‘My Living Doll’ (1964–1965, CBS)
Cast: Bob Cummings (Dr. Bob McDonald), Julie Newmar (Rhoda the Robot).
Premise: A psychiatrist is entrusted with a female android designed by the government. Much of the comedy comes from teaching her how to function in society.
Behind-the-scenes: Julie Newmar’s breakout TV role before Batman. Production was troubled when Cummings left midway and the series ended after one season.
12. ‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’ (1964–1968, ABC)
Cast: Richard Basehart (Admiral Nelson), David Hedison (Captain Crane).
Premise: Adventures aboard the futuristic submarine Seaview as it patrols the oceans and confronts threats ranging from Cold War saboteurs to sea monsters.
Behind-the-scenes: Created by Irwin Allen, spinning off from his 1961 feature film of the same name. Known for Allen’s increasingly fantastical plots and elaborate underwater sets.
13. ‘Lost in Space’ (1965–1968, CBS)
Cast: Guy Williams (Professor John Robinson), June Lockhart (Maureen Robinson), Billy Mumy (Will Robinson), Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith), Bob May/Dick Tufeld (Robot).
Premise: The Robinson family becomes stranded in deep space, encountering strange planets and aliens.
Behind-the-scenes: Another Irwin Allen series, originally conceived as a serious adventure but evolving into campier comedy centered on Dr. Smith, Will and the Robot.
14. ‘It’s About Time’ (1966–1967, CBS)
Cast: Frank Aletter (Mac), Jack Mullaney (Hector), Imogene Coca (Shad), Joe E. Ross (Grong).
Premise: Two astronauts travel faster than light and accidentally end up in prehistoric times, where they befriend cave dwellers. Later, the cavemen travel back to the 20th century with them.
Behind-the-scenes: Created by Sherwood Schwartz (Gilligan’s Island). Despite a catchy theme song, it lasted only one season due to ratings struggles and premise fatigue.
15. ‘The Time Tunnel’ (1966–1967, ABC)
Cast: James Darren (Dr. Tony Newman), Robert Colbert (Dr. Doug Phillips), Whit Bissell (General Heywood Kirk).
Premise: Two scientists trapped in a secret U.S. government time machine project jump uncontrollably through history.
Behind-the-scenes: Another Irwin Allen production, featuring lavish sets and heavy use of stock footage from 20th Century Fox films. Cancelled after one season but fondly remembered.
16. ‘Star Trek’ (1966–1969, NBC)
Cast: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), James Doohan (Scotty), Walter Koenig (Chekov).
Premise: The starship Enterprise explores the galaxy on a five-year mission “to seek out new life and new civilizations.”
Behind-the-scenes: Created by Gene Roddenberry. Initially low-rated but embraced in syndication, it spawned one of the most enduring media franchises in history.
17. ‘Land of the Giants’ (1968–1970, ABC)
Cast: Gary Conway (Captain Steve Burton), Don Marshall (Dan Erickson), Deanna Lund (Valerie Scott), Kurt Kasznar (Alexander Fitzhugh).
Premise: A suborbital spaceship crash-lands on a planet where everything is 12 times larger than Earth scale. Survivors must evade giant people, animals and technology.
Behind-the-scenes: Irwin Allen’s fourth sci-fi series and the most expensive TV show of its time. Special effects and oversized props were groundbreaking but costs led to cancellation after two seasons.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
