The best science-fiction TV show of all time....

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I think I did a poll on this about a year ago or so. I'm just doing another one 'cos I feel like it.

NOTES: Any series that have 'spin-offs' or follow-ons (like Star Trek or Stargate) will be considered a single series, as will both versions of Battlestar Galactica and the old/new series of Doctor Who.

The shows are:

Doctor Who: The longest running, and with the most episodes, Doctor Who is the epitome of British science fiction, about the adventures of an eccentric and enigmatic alien known as the Doctor, who travels through time and space, fighting evil. The series was created by Sydney Newman. Cancelled in 1989, the series was revived in 2005 and doesn't look like stopping yet.

Star Trek: Gene Roddenbery's 'wagon train to the stars' series took the concept of a wild-west frontier exploration show and applied it to outer space. Known for 5 seperate shows within the same franchise, 10 movies, and a movie retcon of the original series, this is well-known as the epitome of American science-fiction, most of them about the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.

Battlestar Galactica: A post-apocalyptic space adventure, Battlestar Galactica tells the story of the last survivors of the human race after a devastating attack by the cybernetic race the Cylons. Only a few thousand human survivors have made it to what seems to be the last refuge, the great ship Battlestar Galactica, and they intend to find the mythical planet of refuge known as Earth. While first made in the 70s, a popular reimagining of the series appeared in recent years.

The X-Files: In this cerebral series from Chris Carter, a pair of FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, work through mysterious happenings and fight for the truth about massive global conspiracies that have the potential to change the world, often for the worse. As the motto of the show goes, The Truth is Out There.

Red Dwarf: A rare breed. While Red Dwarf can be considered a comedy, it is also very much a science-fiction show, one grounded in very human realities. Things break down and blow up a lot. The last human alive is lowly repair technician and good-natured slob Dave Lister, put into suspended animation for keeping a cat on board ship. But he is not alone. A hologram of his dead bunkmate, the anal-retentive Arnold Rimmer, and a human-like being who evolved from Lister's cat (called, imaginatively, Cat), along with senile computer Holly must deal with a universe full of hazards, later joined by a neurotic droid called Kryten, and even later, a paralell universe version of Lister's old girlfriend, Kristine Kochanski.

And that's it for the moment. I will add more as they come.

Oh crap, nearly forgot:

Blake's 7: Created by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks from Doctor Who, Blake's 7 is a popular science-fiction show in its own right, being the adventures of a rag-tag group of rebels lead by Roj Blake, whose charges were exaggerated to the point of dangerously ridiculous. His group of rebels were somewhat reluctant, given that they were a bunch of criminals, but with the ruthless and totalitarian Galactic Federation on their tails, they don't have much choice. Blake's 7 only went for four seasons, but left a lasting impression on British society, almost as much as Doctor Who.

Of them, Star Trek. I think it's had the biggest impact on our culture.

Trekkie.

Star Trek is a classic.

Doctor Who hands down no other series has run longer or captured the imagination of more
people than Doctor Who.

Red Dwarf is a close second. I really wish they would start making more of them those two
shows kept me going at a time in my life when they were all I had.

My first choice: Battlestar Galactica (the new series, not the awful 1970s version)
Runner up: Red Dwarf

I would have to say my first choice, although not my favorite would be Star Trek, for its influence on our culture. My second choice would be Doctor Who, for being the longest continuing scifi series. My third choice would be Battlestar Galacticia, the new series, which has really been a breath of life into scifi. Finally my personal favorite Red Dwarf, which made scifi funny instead of dry and boring like Star Trek TNG was. I won't include Xfiles since I didn't consider it scifi, although it sure inspired conspiracy theorists.

See, the problem here is lumping things together, just because they have the same name. New Battlestar Galactica is well-written science fiction, taut and fascinating; old-school BSG was space opera of the worst sort, infected with early New-Age memes and Ancient-Astronauts crap. Doctor Who has, in its almost three decades, veered all over the map; in my personal opinion, the revamped version, with doctors Nine and Ten, is the most - well - science-fictional (although the Tom Baker era was sometimes pretty good at that too).

I'd cast my vote for new BSG - they actually pretend to pay attention to little things like the easiest way for a small fighter to attack a larger craft (get a good head of speed up, then kill thrust, rotate 90 degrees, and strafe the big guy as you slide past - there's no friction to slow you down, nor atmosphere to change your course. See the attack on the Resurrection Ship in the aptly-titled "Resurrection Ship Pt II", just before Lee Adama transforms before our eyes into Emo-Boy).

I don't get why Stargate is not a choice, it would be mine

not a trekkie nor a trekker...

Definately Doctor Who. I've only seen the new series but I'm not keen on Star Trek so it's the Doctor for me.