5 Forgotten Sci-Fi Shows From The '90s That You Have To Watch

When most people think about '90s sci-fi shows, their minds are immediately drawn to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Stargate: SG-1" and "The X-Files." Other folks might dig deeper and recall "Babylon 5" and "Farscape," which have stood the test of time thanks to their passionate fan bases keeping their memories alive. Audiences even got some great sci-fi cartoons back then, as evidenced by "Futurama," "Cowboy BeBop," and "Batman Beyond." Long story short: sci-fi thrived on the small screen in the '90s, but some of the best series flew under the radar.

With that in mind, this list will look at the underdog series that have since been relegated to the fogs of time. These shows weren't particularly successful back in their heyday for whatever reason, but not every great show can be a hit. From space-traveling war dramas to adventures set in the Old West, there is something here for all sci-fi buffs to enjoy. So, without further ado, here are five underappreciated genre shows from the '90s that you should add to your watchlist.

Sci-fi Westerns don't get much better than "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.," a one-season wonder starring Bruce Campbell as the eponymous bounty hunter. Created by Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam, the show follows Brisco as he hunts down the bandits who killed his father. What's more, the baddies want to acquire a mystical Orb that grants its wielders superpowers and the ability to time travel. "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." was conceived after Fox asked Cuse and Boam to develop a show like "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

The end result is a pulpy adventure yarn that embraces the tropes of old Western serials while throwing modern technology, ninjas, and ghosts into the mix. Elsewhere, there is an eccentric inventor who's reminiscent of Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) from "Back to the Future," and one episode features a sheriff who acts like Elvis Presley, despite the story being set in the 1880s. As you've probably guessed, "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." isn't a serious show. It is, however, a very entertaining one. If you like your sci-fi full of action, adventure, humor, and weirdness, look no further than this gem.

These days, any series that runs for five seasons on a major network would be considered successful. However, "Sliders" came out in the '90s and has since been overshadowed by more popular genre shows. No one talks about "Sliders" anymore, but they should, as it explores concepts that might interest modern audiences. It tells the story of heroes who spend their time traveling between parallel dimensions.

This leads them to a realm where the Soviet Union controls the United States and a San Francisco that's become a haven for dinosaurs, among other places. If that isn't enough to tickle your fancy, alien invasions, wizards, and Jack the Ripper copycats are thrown in for good measure. Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned multiversal madness into a billion-dollar enterprise, "Sliders" feels like the perfect show to reboot. Be that as it may, the '90s series still holds up today thanks to its originality, charm, and young Jerry O'Connell in a starring role.

Why "Space: Above and Beyond" didn't take off is a sci-fi mystery. The series was created by Glen Morgan and James Wong, a pair of acclaimed writers known for working on hit shows like "The X-Files." Meanwhile, it boasts a militaristic premise that echoes the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot, which came along almost a decade later. Maybe "Space: Above and Beyond" was just too ahead of its time to succeed in the '90s.

Taking place in the year 2063, the story follows the Wildcards, a group of soldiers tasked with combating alien invaders known as The Chigs. Stationed on their USS Saratoga, the troops travel the galaxy, getting into tussles as they aim to stop the extraterrestrial menaces. To further complicate matters, the aliens are also in cahoots with human-made androids who rebelled against their creators in a previous conflict.

"Space: Above and Beyond" aims to showcase the horrors of war, and the opening episode tosses viewers right into the action without overloading us with exposition. The world-building is subtle at first, but it all starts paying off in grand and interesting ways as the story evolves. Unfortunately, "Space: Above and Beyond" was canceled after one season, so fans never get to see it realize its full potential.

Alien invasion shows are like sci-fi's bread and butter, but "Dark Skies" deserves more respect. This one posits the question: what if some of history's greatest conspiracies involved aliens who are trying to take over the Earth from the shadows? Set in the 1960s, the story follows John Loengard (Eric Close) and Kim Sayers (Megan Ward), a young couple who realize that the truth is out there, putting them in the path of extraterrestrial invaders and government agents who want to cover it up.

A conspiracy show about aliens that centers around a male and female pairing? It's clear that "Dark Skies" was greenlit to capitalize on the success of "The X-Files," but don't mistake it as a knockoff. The show mines inspiration from real-life history and bends it to include otherworldly conspiracy theories, which is a fun concept that's a little bit out there. 

What's more, audiences meet fictionalized versions of familiar figures, including The Beatles, Ronald Reagan, and members of the Kennedy family. The alternate history aspect is a fresh spin on alien invasion stories, but "Dark Skies" still boasts the twists, turns, thrills, and chills that make the best ones so great.

"Seven Days" sees Jonathan LaPaglia play Frank Parker, a former Navy SEAL who gets recruited into a secret government agency with access to a time travel device known as the Chronosphere. Frank's job is to go back in time and stop disasters and atrocities, which range from terrorist attacks to political assassinations. The "seven days" alluded to in the title is the only window Frank has to work with in order to rewrite history, which adds some high-stakes drama to the proceedings.

The Chronosphere isn't advanced enough to go back further, so all of Frank's adventures are a genuine race against time. It's like "24" with a sci-fi twist, and that isn't a bad thing. That said, "Seven Days" might be off-putting to some viewers for the simple fact that Frank is a jerk. If you like flawed protagonists, you'll have fun watching his time-racing adventures. However, if you need more clear-cut heroes in your entertainment, Frank probably won't get your support. Even so, "Seven Days" is an exciting thriller series that ticks all of the right boxes for shows of this ilk.