The Worst Science Fiction and Fantasy Television Shows of All Time

With every best-of list, a worst-of list has to follow. I have compiled my best-of Science Fiction and Fantasy television on the Axiom's edge site along with my Top 10 list. So with the cream of the crop covered, now it is time to look at the bottom-feeders.

While you definitely face challenges in compiling a list of the best Science Fiction and Fantasy television series, amassing the worst examples of the genre presents an even more precarious endeavor. While some might disagree if you throw a show like Land of the Lost onto a best-of list, they can easily dismiss it as a matter of taste or simply an issue of not seeing eye-to-eye. However, relegate one of their cherished shows to the worst-of list and you have a fight on your hands. People get attached to a show for various reasons. Perhaps it brings back good memories, perhaps it was their first foray into the genre, or perhaps they just like it, no matter the quality. There is no accounting for taste, and if somebody likes a show, you had better not disrespect it.

With this in mind, I am still going forward with the list while also knowing full well that some of the shows on my worst-of list are on many others' best-of list. And I admit there are probably several shows that are not on this list that should be like The Man from Atlantis, Manimal, Automan, etc., but it's been a while since I have seen any of these so I will hold off until I get a chance to revisit them. In the meantime, here's the list presented in reverse order from least worst to worst. Feel free to ravage it and present your own. (Go to the Axiom's edge site for my full survey of the best and worst of Science Fiction and Fantasy television.)

7. Space: 1999 (1975) - This re-imagining of the Star Trek format from former Supermarionation guru Gerry Anderson threw science out the window as it attempted to make grandiose, self-important statements. By the second season it had devolved into little more than threadbare plots that presented some excuse for an alien menace to run amok on Moonbase Alpha.

6. Wonder Woman (1975) - This combination of cleavage and mind-numbing stories probably set back the Women's movement a decade or two.

5. Battlestar Galactica (197 - This series could have revitalized the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre on television the way Star Wars did for the big screen. Instead, we got hackneyed scripts delivering "family-friendly", grandiose statements with cute kids and cuddly robots thrown in for good measure.

4. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) - Started out as a high-tech espionage thriller then quickly devolved into the crew of the Seaview vs. such absurdities as werewolves, evil leprechauns, lobster men, and killer toys.

3. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) - It started out as a tongue-in-check romp then did a 180 and decided that it had something serious to say. Lesson of the day: if you have bad scripts, it's much better not to take yourself too seriously.

2. Galactica: 1980 (1980) - ABC decided they made a mistake pulling the plug on Battlestar Galactica and quickly attempted to reboot the series. Then they discarded the few redeeming qualities of the original and turned the sequel into a mindless kid's show. Even fans of the original Galactica are hard-pressed to come to this one's defense.

1. Lost in Space (1965) - This bombastic, camp romp embodied the worst excesses of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre and the television medium in general. Do I even need to mention the giant, talking carrot episode to convince you that this show deserves its place on this list?

Other shows considered for the list