Top 5 Sci-Fi Shows not on best of decade lists

I'm not going to make a best of the 00's list mostly because everyone has the same shows, and I think they all belong. A general rundown of what everyone has: The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, The Shield, West Wing, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, and a random spattering of comedies.

Other than Lost and Battlestar Galactica, there is a lack of sci-fi shows which is understandable. The award shows and critics regularly pass over the genre entirely, but I love the genre, so here's a list of sci-fi shows of the decade that I liked that made few or no lists.

1. Firefly

I know Firefly made it onto several lists, but for the most part, the show gets much more credit from the fans than the critics. Seamlessly blending humor, science fiction, and Westerns, Joss Whedon came up with another hit that viewers didn't care about. I know there are lots of excuses made the the show and Whedon shows in general, but in the end, there is one valid excuse. Joss Whedon belongs on cable. The potential for FIrefly was endless and the 14 episodes only scraped the surface of what it could have been. But even still, the 14 episodes by themselves represent an untouchable level of science fiction. The casting, settings, and writing is as close to perfect as I can imagine.

2. Alias

The last two seasons and most of the third were difficult to watch, but the first two seasons are my favorite two consecutive seasons of television ever. Whenever someone praises Fringe and its relationships, I always think back to Alias. There is no competition. Sydney, Jack, Dixon, Vaughn, Marshall, etc made the show and the acting was fantastic. Jennifer Garner may never been a hit on the big screen, but she is the greatest television ass-kicker of all time.

3. Supernatural

The WB/CW may have low budgets, but that doesn't mean they can't make an occasional gem. The show evolved from two brothers chasing down the creepy crawlies and branched out into an epic struggle of heavenly proportions. The relationship between the Winchesters rivals the best of cable, but the award shows continue to ignore it.

4. Farscape

Underrated by the critics and overrated by the fans, Farscape took big leaps and never turned back, giving those still watching an exhilarating ride. The writers were never afraid to take risks and significantly shake things up. Sometimes it didn't work, but I have to commend them for bold choices few shows take. The range of the series was incredible, and I'm not sure there are any series out there that matches it. What show could have a Farscape version of Looney Tunes (Revenging Angel) and in the very next episode have a gut wrenching episode focusing on Aeryn (The Choice)?


5. Stargate SG-1

Unlike Buffy and The X-Files which aired bad episodes in the 2000s that make me consider them solely shows of the 90s, I consider SG-1 as much a show of the 00s as the 90s. The writers never made the characters too complex (which is why I think SGU doesn't work), but Stargate was always a fun show. The dialogue and humor worked well, and the action speaks for itself.