Science fiction as a genre has a long history. HG Wells and Mary Shelley gave us to a concept that has since become one of the most popular genres of our day. Authors such as Philip K Dick, Robert A Heinlein, and Douglas Adams later gave science fiction the impetus it needed to carry it into previously uncharted and unexplored realms. It was common practise for prose to be adapted into films, which impacted television shows.
The 90s were no strangers to this kind of borrowing, with a slew of shows ranging from the tense X-Files to laugh-out-loud sitcoms like 3rd Rock From The Sun. Great concepts, on the other hand, come with larger risks, and just a few of them turned out to be more than what they set out to be. However, there are a slew of forgotten Sci-Fi episodes from the 1990s that have vanished into obscurity for a variety of causes, both known and unknown.
Now, just because these serials have been forgotten doesn’t mean they aren’t worth revisiting, since they helped to reshape and revolutionise the genre as we know it, combining politics and satire.
In this video, we’ll resurrect some of the best sci-fi shows from the 1990s that have been lost to the sands of time.
SeaQuest 2032 – (1993–1996)
SeaQuest 2032 is set in a futuristic Earth when humanity has invaded the underwater depths. Humans began to live underwater as natural resources on land became depleted. The countries have organised a UN-like entity called United Earth’s Oceans, or UEO, for policing and sustaining peace.
This body commissions a highly advanced deep-sea reconnaissance vessel to aid in peacekeeping, but when an effort is made to seize it, Captain Nathan Bridger is summoned from retirement to defend it. Captain Bridger, the designer of the SeaQuest, had gone to an isolated island to research dolphins and mourn the death of his wife.
After he takes charge, he is faced with a myriad of problems. He will have to use his men and women to take on the oceanographic, environmental, and political challenges as they raise their ugly heads from the depths of the ocean.
SeaQuest DSV features a deep-sea vessel and adventures in and around it. The soft spot that this show developed was because of its premise and setting. The world that lies beneath the water surface has been intriguing to scientists and sci-fi fans alike.
Furthermore, having Roy Schneider as Captain Bridger leads the show and the ship with equal grace and expertise. Apart from Schneider, the first season was abundant with skilled cinematization, great character development, and a rich script. The story was a mixed bag of various natural and political problems, and ultimately felt grounded in reality despite being set in a futuristic world.
The story in the second and third seasons, on the other hand, lacked comparable depth. The creators proceeded to incorporate additional sci-fi themes, such as marine monsters, which irritated Roy Schneider, who requested that his contract with NBC be terminated.
Yet, on the acting front, the show swam swiftly. Be that as it may, it couldn’t stand against the tide of low ratings, and NBC ultimately sank it.
Alien Nation – (1989–1990)
This one-season show takes place in the not-too-distant future. The United States government recognises the extraterrestrials known as Tenctonese or Newcomers as the next wave of immigrants when a slave vessel lands in the Mojave Desert of California.
The newcomers are humanoids with anatomical differences, such as the fact that the men of this educated and robust race have children and become pregnant. They are assimilated into the human population due to their status as immigrants. The plot follows George Fransisco, a Tenctonese who joins the police department and battles crime alongside his human sidekick Mathew Sikes.
In their various adventures, George and Mathew learn about the vices and virtues of each other’s culture. Parallels are drawn between the dominant alien race called Overseers who had enslaved the Tenctonese and human organizations and cults that seek to dominate and victimize racial, sexual, and religious minorities.
The show is based on the 1988 film Alien Nation. It’s a sci-fi aliens-fighting-human-crimes with elements of romance, comedy and satire. It pulls you out of reality and drops you right in the middle of a heavy plot with a lot of comical elements.
We think that this is one of those shows that has all the features of an addictive enterprise but also sends a social message. The treatment of the aliens resembles the oppression and discrimination faced by racial minorities and even sexual minorities like homosexuals and transgender people.
Feminism hovers throughout Alien Nation with the males getting pregnant and saying things like, “If you females had to feel the pain that we males feel during pregnancy, there wouldn’t be any babies.”
Aside from being a fantastic social criticism, the show is well-acted and has a compelling story. Detective Mathew Sikes is played by Gary Graham, and Detective George Fransisco is played by Eric Piermont. The show did well with fans and critics, but Fox Network had to cancel it as part of a major guillotine of all their drama series between 1990 and 1991. However, the series was revived as a series of five television movies with the same ensemble.
Seven Days – (1998–2001)
Following the acquisition of alien technology, the NSA creates a time travel device that can send one person back in time for seven days. The device’s limitation is owing to the device’s restricted fuel supply. Project Backstep is the codename for a team working on this technology in a location akin to Area 51.
The White House is attacked by terrorists, and Project Backstep is approved. The CIA, the National Security Agency, and the United States Army work together to go back in time and prevent the attack. The first Chrononaut, or person to use the Chronosphere, is Frank Parker, a former Navy Seal and CIA agent. He has strict orders to find those responsible, or the US will lose its only chance to avert the tragedy.
We’ll be honest, the show doesn’t take itself seriously, and we shouldn’t either. It’s a fact that making a tine-travel film is a tough job and requires hours of scientific and physics homework. Not everyone can be Christopher Nolan or the Russo Brothers. Yet, this show ran for three highly entertaining seasons.
And, if you ignore a few sinful plotholes, goofs and the laws of quantum physics, you’ll have a great time watching it. It is one of those serials that has a little something for everyone. The action sequences are tremendous and Jonathan La Paglia has aced the role of Frank Parker. He has a romantic and sexual entanglement with Justina Vail’s sultry Russian scientist. Additionally, there are humorous parts that serve as the icing on the cake.
The great performance of ancillary characters like NSA Agent Nathan Ramsey, played by Nick Seary, and the ideal US Navy Captain Craig Donovan, played by Don Franklin, is noticeable in Seven Days. The programme could have been so much more and done so well for itself if it hadn’t been for the flawed storyline aspects, which resulted in a slow drop in popularity.
M.A.N.T.I.S. – (1994–1995)
Dr. Miles Hawkins is a wealthy African American scientist who is paralysed while rescuing a child by a police sniper. When all appears lost, he constructs a formidable exoskeleton and body armour and becomes the Mechanically Augmented NeuroTransmitter Interactive System, or MANTIS.
This heinous piece of machinery grants him incredible speed, strength, and stamina, as well as the ability to walk once more. When Mantis first became a crime-fighting superhero, he only got involved when his family and friends were in danger, but later he uncovers a broader scheme and battles from the front lines.
His enemies weren’t just corrupt officials, oppressive businessmen and criminals but also prehistoric monsters and supervillains. And well, since it’s a superhero sci-fi show, he also had to deal with accidental time travel!
Packed with a bundle of cool gadgets, a sexy suit and a high-tech laboratory, Mantis is one of the best sci-fi shows that you haven’t watched. He’s a superhero who is rich and intelligent like Batman, disabled like Daredevil, and is of African descent like the Black Panther.
However, this amazing superhero show was axed due to creative reasons but many fans and critics held racism responsible. As the series progressed, the social commentary on racism was sacrificed in favor of fantasy elements. Mantis was a superhero with lightning speed and Herculean strength, but the world probably wasn’t ready yet.
Space Rangers (1993–1994)
In the year 2104 AD, an escape pod lands on Avalon, the home planet of the Space Ranger Corps. They are the interplanetary criminal Zaaka’s last and only line of defence. Captain Boon, the Corps’ commander, discovers that his mentor, Ranger Decker, has been kidnapped by Zaaka and brought to the planet Skaraab in search of an ancient weapon placed there a thousand years ago.
The sun’s heat melts all life on Skaraab’s planet, and the plants renew every night. Plants have become so violent in their quest for existence that they can now swallow even animals! The show features other strange and interesting planet like New Venus, an Amazonian body with matriarchal polity, and Vee’lon Prime, which is dominated by reptiles.
There’s honestly not much to say about this one apart from the fact that it’s a personal favorite of many creators at Marvelous Videos. The show is an extremely short, six-episode mini-series with decent VFX and SFX, but the greatest plus point about Space Rangers is that it knows action entertains the audience, and all the episodes consequently come with plenty of action.
The premise and setting are also gripping but in a strange way. However, an acute variation lies in the performances of actors. Some of them, like Captain Boon, are hot-headed and strong, while the others are more cartoonish. Having said that, the final battle will definitely give you an adrenaline rush.
Earth 2 (1994- 1945)
The year is 2192, and the majority of Earth’s population has relocated to space stations. Children who live in space have a mystery ailment that causes them to die before they reach the age of ten. Ulysses Adair, the son of billionaire Devon Adair, is afflicted with an unexplained disease known only as The Syndrome.
Devon joins forces with other parents whose children have the same problems as Ulysses, and they decide to settle on G889, a planet 22 lightyears from Earth. Even if they make it to their new home, they’ll have to collaborate with G889’s two indigenous humanoid species, the Grendlers and Terriians.
Grendlers are semi-intelligent kleptomaniac traders, while Terrians are intelligent and share a symbiotic relationship with the planet. If they are killed, the planet itself will be destroyed.
The show was aired on NBC and had a reasonably decent opening but ratings gradually dropped ever since and it was axed after the first season of 22 episodes. Despite this, it was promising and could have done great if it continued.
Plus, the imagination put behind the conceptualization and picturization of G889 was intelligent. Like most sci-fi shows, it had a few story holes that were difficult to overlook, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. Even a marvel like The X-Files only achieved popularity after its third season, if we think about it.
G889 is full with stunning views and sceneries, and the camerawork was excellent. None of it, however, was able to prevent Earth 2 from its untimely fate, leaving a cliffhanger conclusion that will almost certainly never be resolved.
TekWar – (1994–1996)
Tek is an illegal computer-based medication that modifies reality but is harmful to humans in the year 2044. Jake Cardigan was a police officer who was wrongfully accused of human trafficking in Tek and sentenced to 15 years in a cryo-detention facility.
After four years in prison, he is released thanks to the CEO of a security agency, Cosmos. Sid Gomez, Jake’s former partner, works for the Cosmos and persuades Jake to see Walter Bascom, the company’s CEO. In exchange for Bascom restoring his identity, Jake pledges to help with Cosmos in its war against drug traffickers.
The first season of Tek War has four made-for-TV movie-like episodes, and the second season was a proper show with 18 episodes. In addition to creating the show, William Shatner starred as Bascom.
Shatner was definitely doing something good,with the show being pretty impressive in its premise and story. As a copshow with a sci-fi twist, it boasted beautiful visual effects and efficient acting. In all of the four long episodes and the 18 shorter ones, action and plot never ceased to entertain the viewers.
We think that the set and props used were top-notch with metallic finishes and luster. This gives the viewer a feel into the futuristic world that it is set in but never feels forced, unlike many other shows that have an artificial setting and theme.
In terms of the screenplays, the conversations not only addressed a variety of societal themes, but the entire plot revolved around the inescapable relationship between crime and humans: no matter how advanced technology grows, someone somewhere will undoubtedly commit crimes.
However, Tek War’s greatest foe was its appalling promotion, which led to its quick demise.
Millennium – (1996–1999)
Frank Black was an FBI profiler who nearly lost his mind after becoming deeply involved in a case. He has a unique ability to see inside serial killers’ and murderers’ minds, and he understands how their minds work.
After being removed of his duties, he joins the Millenium Group, a mystery group whose main concentration is on researching conspiracy theories concerning an imminent apocalypse at the millennium’s turn. Frank currently resides in Seattle with his adoring wife Catherine and lovely daughter Jordan, who inherited her father’s psychic powers.
Millennium was created by Chris Carter, who also created The X-Files. The show premiered with solid ratings but couldn’t hold its popularity for long. However, critics and fans had positive reviews for all three of its seasons.
With a gripping premise and dark storyline, Millenium was backed with skilled acting. Lance Henriksen played Frank Black and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in Television Drama for each of the three seasons. His character was that of a tired and exhausted man adorned with a soothing and patient look on his face.
This is indispensable when you’re a psychic who works for a notorious organization that deals with serial killers.
The first season dealt mostly with gut-churning and chilling crimes while the second season brought in more supernatural elements with apocalyptic and misanthropic tendencies. However, the final season was genre-blending and contained themes of betrayal, conspiracies and revenge.
These were interspersed with elements of the paranormal, demonic, and mystical. Millenium and Frank Black were given a fairly disappointing conclusion in the X-Files crossover episode Millenium after their demise in 1999. In this episode, Frank assists Mulder and Scully in stopping four Millenium Group extremists from bringing an apocalypse at the crossroads of two millennia, i.e. New Year’s Eve 2000.
Night Man (1997-1999)
Johnny Domino is a superb jazz musician who is accidentally struck by lightning. When he discovers that he can now telepathically identify criminals and evil, the odd accident turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
But it comes at the cost of terrible insomnia, so he bravely fights crooks in the dark of night. Johnny has no other superpowers save his enhanced aural sensation, but he does have a bulletproof exoskeleton. His archenemy, though, is Kieren Keyes, a tech billionaire.
This live-action TV series is based on the lead character of the Night Man comic book published by Malibu Comics, which was later bought by Marvel Comics. Glen Larson thought this was the perfect superhero to make a series about, and no, we are not complaining.
It is not everyday that you find a musician with superhuman auditory senses who shoots laser beams and stops bad guys. The entire story and its crux might feel a bit dodgy at times, but you’ll enjoy it while it lasts. The gadgets and types of equipment are equal parts cheesy and enjoyable. And while we are on the subject, Night Man walks the same roads as Batman but, fortunately, never tries to become the Dark Knight.
Steve Englehart was the creator of Night Man’s character for Malibu Comics, and he wrote three episodes for the series. Many reasons were cited for its continually falling ratings but the most potent of them was its drift from the comic and original storyline. If you adapt and base your show on another source, you can’t claim to be unique.
Having said that, all sci-fi lovers will adore the show for what it is, and because it never tried to be anything other than what it is. It remained a decent superhero show, with elements of childish imagination thrown in for good measure.
Aeon Flux (1991-1995)
The show is set in the year 7698 AD, in the distant future. Civilizations have crumbled, and the world has become terrifying; vast swaths of wilderness are home to mutants, clones, robots, and a few humans. After human activities provoked a cataclysm that killed off nearly the entire global population, only the cities of Monica and Bregna have survived.
The two neighbouring cities have been at odds for a long time, with no clear winner or end in sight. Bregna is a well-organized and orderly police state with a self-proclaimed ruler, but Monica is an anarchist society where regulations have no value.
Aeon Flux is sent to infiltrate Bregna and seek control. She is a tall, attractive master spy who doesn’t hesitate from killing. Bregna is ruled by her love interest and archenemy Trevor Goodchild who holds unlimited scientific and technological expertise. Whenever these two polar forces collide, the resulting explosion feels catastrophic.
Because of the method they were made, animated miracles like this one are sometimes overlooked on lists of sci-fi series. However, we thought it was wicked to sweep Aeon Flux under the brush because it was one of MTV’s greatest triumphs of the 1990s.
There are no traditional storytelling or cinematization techniques used in the show. It was a watershed moment in the development of cyberpunk action animations at the time. It’s a psychological thriller with historical allusions, dystopian images, and espionage.
As an exceptional and unorthodox mode of storytelling, series creator Peter Chung violently kills Aeon Flux multiple times, only to reviver her in the next episode. The show did so well that it was adapted into a live-action film of 2005, starring Charlize Theron, as well as several video games.
Dark Skies (1996-1997)
Dark Skies claims that the twentieth century and its key events are not true because humanity have been controlled by a covert alien race since the 1940s. This parasitic race, which seeks to rule Earth and its inhabitants, is responsible for major events such as the assassination of John F Kennedy.
John Loengard and Kimberley Sayers have discovered the secret and are fighting the intruders, but they are also up against Majestic 12, a government group with hidden agendas.
The show was canceled by NBC even before it could finish its first season. However, it was aired again by Sci-Fi Channel. The brilliant and novel concept of aliens diverting the course of history was initially hailed by critics but failed to garner the desired interest, and the subsequent low ratings led to its axing.
The alien race, known as The Hive, would enter humans through cavities such as the nose, ears, or mouth and take over control of the brain. It was one of the first sci-fi shows about aliens to use real historical events, as well as portraying real-life figures such as J Edgar Hoover, The Beatles, Jim Morrison, and Robert F Kennedy.
We believe that this novel approach to storytelling did not resonate with consumers and that it was much ahead of its time. Even a great veteran cast comprising of Jeri Ryan, Eric Close and JT Walsh couldn’t save it from doomsday.
Total Recall 2070 (1999)
Total Recall 2070 is set in the distant future, after the events of Paul Verhoeven’s masterpiece, in a world where Mars has been colonised by a corporate behemoth. Douglas Quaid is a regular construction worker on Earth who has nightmares about Mars. Rekall Inc., a corporation that replaces one’s memories with false ones, is soon discovered by him.
He joins Rekall Inc and orders a memory package that transports him to Mars to work as a secret agent. Quaid finds himself in the midst of a hail of gunshots. This programme takes place after the events of Quaid, and by this time, a group of corporations known as The Consortium has gained significant control over the government and its policies.
The only thing close to a police force is the Citizens Protection Bureau and its officer David Hume, who fight against the white-collar criminals who own the city. Total Recall 2070 owes its conception to Philip K Dick’s literary works of We Can Remember It For You, Wholesale and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
However, people in the 90s compared it more with the Arnold film and that’s where the ratings dropped as the show followed the events of the movie yet didn’t take any large inspiration from it.
However, sci-fi fans who have read any of Dick’s works, especially those mentioned earlier, will happily appreciate the show. It features a compelling plot and formidable villains in the form of tax-paying multinational corporations. For a 90s show, the camerawork and cinematization were above average and did credit to the sci-fi genre.
The premise and setting felt like any other sci-fi serial, but it lacked humour and effective character development, both of which are required for any series to be addictive. So, despite a few drawbacks and several advantages, any sci-fi fan will appreciate Total Recall 2070.
Time Trax (1993–1994)
Mo Sahmbi created the Trax time machine, which he utilised to elude the 22nd century’s law enforcement. He travelled 200 years back in time from 2193 AD to 1993. Daniel Lambert is the Captain of the futuristic world’s Fugitive Retrieval Section.
He is sent back in time with a credit card-sized computer dubbed SELMA (Specified Encapsulated Limitless Memory Archive). Captain Lambert’s orders are clear and straightforward: he must apprehend all fugitives and return safely.
We suggest this show primarily because of its excellent premise and the acting of Dale Midkiff as Darien Lambert. He is often belittled as a secondary actor but certainly displays his skills in this one.
Every episode has thrilling action with simplistic stories and plots. In its entirety, it’s a profoundly entertaining show with interconnected stories that serve a larger purpose. If you happen to be a Time Cop fan, then this one is your go-to series. Interestingly, Time Trax was aired in 1993, and Time Cop hit the theatres in 1994.