The 9 best one-season space and sci-fi shows of all time

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Not every space show is here for a long time. Some of them are just here for a good time – or in this case, only a single season.

There's an argument to be made that one season is not enough to determine a series' worth, since everyone is still trying to figure things out in real time. Having said that, would you rather the show get in and out in one piece, or drag its feet into the pit of "bore-me-to-death" like "The Walking Dead" (which was like watching actual dead people walk by the seventh season) or "How I Met Your Mother" (which made no one care how they met by the end)?

Sometimes, less is more. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that yada yada. With that said, in modern-day streaming, it's a miracle if any series lasts beyond two seasons before receiving the death march, so this list might be getting much longer in the near future.

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So, let's take a look at the best one-season space shows of all time. These are in no particular order because frankly, they're all worth your time.

And the best part? You'll be able to binge most of them over a single weekend!

1. 'Crusade'

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Television)

Release date: June 9, 1999 | Episodes: 13 | Cast: Gary Cole, Tracy Scoggins, Daniel Dae Kim, Peter Woodward

A "Babylon 5" spin-off, "Crusade" sees Captain Matthew Gideon (Gary Cole) and the crew of the Excalibur zipping around the cosmos in search of a cure for a deadly virus that the Drakh unleashed on Earth. They have five years to find something — anything, really — or else that's it for this planet!

The original plan was for a "Babylon 5"-inspired five-season run, but conflicts between network executives and producers resulted in the series' cancellation before it debuted in 1999. In fact, not all the episodes of the first season were filmed, and the network didn't care even enough to air the completed episodes in the right order. Ouch.

Regardless of the passive-aggressive Hollywood politics and boardroom pettiness, "Crusade" has all the thrills and unpredictability to keep everyone wondering what happens next in this race-against-time space voyage. It's also helmed by "Babylon 5" creator and sci-fi master J. Michael Straczynski, so you know this isn't any old rubbish churned out for the sake of content.

Crusade - The Complete Series [DVD]: $18.95 at Amazon

In 2267 A.D., the Earth is quarantined, having been infected with a deadly plague by an attacking alien force. Scientists estimate that it will kill every inhabitant within 5 years, not nearly enough time for a cure to be developed. 

Also available digitally on Prime Video: $24.99

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2. 'Silver Surfer'

(Image credit: Marvel)

Release date: February 7, 1998 | Episodes: 13 | Cast: Paul Essiembre, Camilla Scott, Colin Fox

There was a time before the MCU in the '90s when Marvel's animated world created its own interconnected universe. One of the shows that aired was 1998's short-lived "Silver Surfer".

The series serves as an origin story for how Norrin Radd (voiced by Paul Essiembre) becomes the herald of Galactus (James Blendick), then breaks free from the clutches of the Devourer of Worlds to surf around the galaxy and help others. It rides the waves of both the superhero and sci-fi genres to unleash a highly imaginative show that's unlike any of its counterparts.

While the likes of "X-Men: The Animated Series" and "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" keep the action grounded on Earth for the most part, "Silver Surfer" takes place in Marvel's cosmic universe, seeing the Surfer interact with the likes of Thanos, Beta Ray Bill, and Adam Warlock. It's one of the few Marvel programs that captures the full scope of Jack Kirby's psychedelic space adventures and embraces the surrealism of it all. Plus, it's a much better depiction of Silver Surfer lore than any of the movies have provided to date.

Watch Silver Surfer on Disney+: Disney+ (With Ads): $11.99/month Disney+ Premium (No Ads): $18.99/month or $189.99/year

3. 'Star Cops'

(Image credit: BBC)

Release date: July 6, 1987 | Episodes: 9 | Cast: David Calder, Erick Ray Evans, Trevor Cooper

Police procedurals are a dime a dozen, but what about chucking the police into space? Sounds a whole lot better than "Line of Duty", doesn't it? In 1987, the ambitious "Star Cops" came out all guns blazing on British television but left without much of a bang.

Created by Chris Boucher, who knew a thing or two about sci-fi after working on "Doctor Who" and "Blake's 7", the show takes place in the far-off future of 2027, where people travel freely from planet to planet, so a space law-enforcement unit is formed to keep the stars safe from criminal elements.

Sure, it's ridiculous to imagine common space travel in 2027, given that we can't even do a Windows update without breaking some program on the laptop, but it's cute to see how optimistic people were about the future in the '80s. If only the 2020s were that exciting…

Even so, "Star Cops" is a sci-fi show written by people who love the genre for those who adore space and all its various frontiers. It's only nine episodes long, so it's certainly worth checking out if you haven't before. It's not on any streaming service, and DVD copies are rare, but you can watch the whole thing on the Internet Archive.

4. 'Firefly'

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Release date: September 20, 2002 | Episodes: 14 | Cast: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin

If Han Solo is your favourite "Star Wars" character, then "Firefly" will hit the right spot. Quite often, the series has been described as what would happen if Solo and a crew flew around space and experienced high-stakes adventures. In this case, Nathan Fillion's Mal Reynolds plays the wisecracking and morally ambiguous Solo-type role, while he's accompanied by a ragtag crew aboard his ship, known as Serenity. Sadly, there's no fluffy Chewbacca here, but you can't win them all.

"Firefly" only aired for 14 episodes, but its influence surpassed its brief stint on TV. It turned into a multimedia franchise complete with comic books and its own movie. Also, in March 2026, Fillion confirmed that there's an animated series in the works, set to feature the return of the original cast. The fact that this show is still relevant more than two decades after it ended speaks volumes to what it means to its fans.

For many viewers, "Firefly" remains the best one-season space show of all time. Taking into account its legacy and how it's still viewed today, it's tough to dispute that.

Watch Firefly on Disney+: Disney+ (With Ads): $11.99/month Disney+ Premium (No Ads): $18.99/month or $189.99/year

5. 'Nightflyers'

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: December 2, 2018 | Episodes: 10 | Cast: Eoin Macken, David Ajala, Jodie Turner-Smith, Angus Sampson

George R. R. Martin made a name for himself with fire-breathing dragons, weird ice zombies, and questionable relationships between siblings in "Game of Thrones", but the wielder of words proves he's more than a fantasy guy with his novella "Nightflyers". It received a TV adaptation in 2018, turning into a terrifying sci-fi horror series that's perfect for fans of "Alien" and "Event Horizon".

"Nightflyers" follows scientists tasked with making contact with other alien lifeforms. On this journey through space, they begin to experience disturbing events and unusual happenings, leaving them to believe that something malevolent is on board the ship with them. Oh, dear, you know how this goes.

Being real for a second: "Nightflyers" doesn't have the budget of "Alien" or other sci-fi horrors – and it is a Syfy series, meaning it's on the low-budget side of TV, but it makes the best with what it has. In addition to a gripping story, the show features terrific performances from Eoin Macken, David Ajala, and Jodie Turner-Smith.

Watch Nightflyers on Netflix:

Standard with ads: $8.99/month Standard: $19.99/month Premium (4K): $26.99/month

6. 'Stargate Origins'

(Image credit: MGM)

Release date: February 15, 2018 | Episodes: 10 | Cast: Ellie Gall, Connor Trinneer, Aylam Orian, Philip Alexander

Now, this entry might be cheating a little, since "Stargate Origins" was released as bite-sized episodes, then eventually stitched together into a feature film titled "Stargate Origins: Catherine", but hey, it was a show first, so it finds its way onto this list.

The "Stargate" franchise is like "Star Trek" in the sense that it can be hard to follow if you don't know where to start, since it all seems so overwhelming to figure out. "Stargate Origins" is technically the beginning – really, it's in the title – and helps the viewer understand what the heck Stargate is and why it matters so much.

Considering how short the series is, it's easy to breeze through "Stargate Origins" in one sitting. It's not overly complex or fancy in its ambitions, but it helps demystify this franchise that's more than capable of getting lost in its own convoluted storylines and wormholes to who-knows-where.

Watch Stargate: Origins on Amazon Prime Video:

Amazon Prime: $14.99/month or $139/year Amazon Prime Video: $8.99/month

Ad-free add-on: $2.99/month

7. 'Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'

(Image credit: Columbia TriStar Television)

Release date: August 30, 1999 | Episodes: 40 | Cast: Jamie Hanes, David DeLuise, James Horan, Bill Fagerbakke

Paul Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers" remains a beloved sci-fi classic, even if the filmmaker views the story through his own lens of critique rather than sticking to the themes of the 1959 original novel. For those who prefer more straight-up military action as the humans blast their way through alien bugs, "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles" might be exactly what you're looking for.

Featuring many of the beloved characters from the movie, such as Rico, Dizzy, and Razak, this is 40 episodes of computer-animated madness that never falls short on the action. Yeah, at times it feels like you're watching video game cutscenes from 1999, but there's a lot of entertaining squirmishes and worldbuilding to be had here.

"Starship Troopers" is an odd franchise; the first film is great, and everything else thereafter deserves to be squished from existence. However, "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles" makes a case for being the second-best adaptation from this universe.

Sadly, you won't find it on any streaming platform officially, but there are some fan uploads on YouTube.

8. 'Space: Above and Beyond'

(Image credit: Fox)

Release date: September 24, 1995 | Episodes: 23 | Cast: Lanei Chapman, Kristen Cloke, Joel de la Fuente, James Morrison

How about a space show written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, two prolific screenwriters who had a helping hand in making "The X-Files" as great as it is? Released in 1995, "Space: Above and Beyond" should have been the next big thing on TV. Instead, it was exiled after one season because of poor ratings.

This military sci-fi show sees Earth colonising the galaxy. A team of space marines known as the Wildcards needs to maintain law and order, but their lives are made infinitely harder by aliens who like to wreak havoc across space. What are the marines expected to do but fight back, right?

Loud and explosive, "Space: Above and Beyond" leaves nothing on the table, pumping out an all-action space show. It may not have the nuance and deftness of "Star Trek" in addressing themes and providing food for thought, but if big, dumb fun is what you're after, you'll find it here.

Space - Above and Beyond - Collector's Edition [DVD]: $39.68 at Amazon

It's the year 2063, and after 150 years of deep space exploration, the people of Earth feel certain they are alone in the universe. Then word comes that two Earth outposts, light-years away from home, have been brutally attacked by an advanced alien civilization.

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9. 'The Lone Gunmen'

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Release date: March 4, 2001 | Episodes: 13 | Cast: Bruce Harwood, Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, Zuleikha Robinson

Speaking of "The X-Files," let's not forget "The Lone Gunmen," the one-and-done 2001 spin-off that told us the truth is out there (just not on social media right now). This series isn't quite as stern and serious as Mulder and Scully's adventures, though. Instead, it's more of a lighthearted spy-fi series.

The Lone Gunmen are Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood), John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), and Richard Langly (Dean Haglund), who you might recognize for giving a hand to Fox Mulder on "The X-Files", as well as running their own conspiracy theory publication. They're actually pretty useful as investigators and prove to be resourceful under duress, uncovering all types of government shenanigans and wrongdoing around the world. Plus, it gets even more interesting when they team up with Jimmy Bond (Stephen Snedden), who has a license to shill for the Lone Gunmen.

The short-lived series ended on a cliffhanger, but this was the 2000s — a time before executives just ignored creatives and their audiences — so the story found resolution in an episode of "The X-Files". "The Lone Gunmen" is available to watch for free on YouTube, so don't say that the Space team never offers you gifts.

The Lone Gunmen: The Complete Series [DVD]: $21.09 at Amazon

All 13 episodes from the popular US sci-fi series created by Chris Carter ('The X Files'). The computer-hacking, conspiracy-exposing Lone Gunmen are always looking for that next big government cover-up that would bring their newsletter, 'The Lone Gunman', national attention.

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Logout Sergio PereiraFreelance contributor

Sergio Pereira is a scriptwriter and entertainment journalist covering movies, TV, video games, and comic books. His work has appeared in Looper, /Film, CBR, Screen Rant, IGN, and SYFY Wire. Sergio lives in sunny Johannesburg, South Africa with a clan of Chihuahuas that rule his bed and life.