Following the success of ’60s series like Doctor Who and Star Trek, the 1970s introduced a variety of inspired, fun science fiction adventures. Though the technology wasn’t as advanced during the ’70s and didn’t allow for elaborate special effects appreciated in today’s sci-fi TV shows, the low-budget quality of the series’ special effects adds a unique charm. While some shows leaned into the action-packed campiness of the decade, others preferred a grounded approach to the genre.
Shows such as Timeslip and Doomwatch have strong themes surrounding the dangers of reckless science experiments, tying these messages into their adventurous plots. However, the ’70s still had plenty of exciting stories to tell as well. The Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galactica are just two sci-fi TV shows that had strong heroic leads and absorbing conflicts set in space.
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10 UFO (1970-1971)
UFO was the live-action collaborative effort of couple Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, who had previously been known to work with puppets. Taking place a few years after the ’70s, UFO is about the efforts of an organization on Earth to keep the planet protected from alien invasions, particularly those with the intention of abducting humans and harvesting their organs.
Unfortunately, there are some complications surrounding the viewing experience of UFO. The special effects and costuming are average for the decade and don’t poorly stand out. Instead, the problem with UFO lies within the non-chronological order in which episodes aired. UFO’s 26 episodes were aired out of order, resulting in a narrative that was difficult to follow at the time. Luckily, there are now plenty of sources online that offer various viewing orders for audiences to choose from.
9 Space: 1999 (1975-1977)
Scientists Attempt To Survive The Unpredictable While In Space
Set in the titular year, Space: 1999 is a memorable sci-fi series that earned many positive comparisons to Star Trek. Space: 1999 hasn’t aged flawlessly in terms of its main performances and scientific accuracy, but visually speaking, Space: 1999 is among the more impressive sci-fi shows of the decade. The series follows a group of individuals aboard a scientific research center, Moonbase Alpha, located within a crater on the moon.
Under the direction of special effects artist Brian Johnson — who had previously worked on 2001: A Space Odyssey and would soon work on The Empire Strikes Back —, Space: 1999 has eye-catching visuals. A mixture of full-sized props and scale models was used to create cost-effective, realistic visuals that weren’t always common in the decade’s sci-fi media. Additionally, the vibrant colors of the characters’ uniforms and the interior of Moonbase Alpha brought a futuristic feel to the set and tied everything together.
8 Survivors (1975-1977)
Survivors Of A Deadly Pandemic Start Society From Scratch
Having run for three seasons in the late ’70s, the British series Survivors told a story that still feels relevant years later. Survivors follows a group of characters who survive a deadly illness that quickly spreads across the world. The remaining individuals come together and work toward rebuilding civilization as they once knew it.
As the series progresses, so do the technological developments. Survivors‘ main characters start by making tools from natural resources in season 1 and eventually make their way to the creation of a railway system later on. Considering the series’ emphasis on building a community among those who are still alive, Survivors has plenty of compelling characters to invest in. The stories shared about life before the pandemic are touching and allow audiences to easily root for the character’s success and return to normalcy.
7 Land Of The Lost (1974-1976)
A Family Explores An Alternate Universe
Mixing stop-motion animation with the live-action series, Land of the Lost is a lighthearted series the whole family can watch. Land of the Lost is centered around the Marshall family’s daily adventures while stuck in an alternate universe. Though the NBC series is aimed at younger audiences, there is a decent amount of worldbuilding that’s well-written and complex enough to draw in viewers of all ages.
During the series, the Marshalls come into contact with various creatures and technology that don’t exist in their world. The most common creatures seen in Land of the Lost are dinosaurs, but additional creatures such as primate and insect-like people are included as well. Land of the Lost‘s main goal is to entertain audiences, but scripts from the series’ earlier seasons featured input from writers in the sci-fi space such as Larry Niven and a few writers from Star Trek, giving a bit more credibility to Land of the Lost.
6 Blake’s 7 (1978-1981)
A Group Of Rebels Continues The Popularity Of Conflict In Space
Created by Doctor Who and Survivors writer Terry Nation, Blake’s 7 takes place far into the future and follows a group of rebels who find themselves at war with the totalitarian Terran Federation. Many aspects of Blake’s 7, such as its character’s backgrounds and motivations, are inspired by other films and real-life figures, including The Dirty Dozen, The Wild Bunch, and various Latin American revolutionaries.
Because of this, Blake’s 7 never felt original and led to many negative reviews during its run in the ’70s. Still, Blake’s 7 theme is strong and the passion and love for the genre is made clear in the series’ use of its most popular elements, including alien characters, robots, and elaborate spaceships. Though Blake’s 7 low budget is evident at times, the series is still packed with fun action and has garnered a strong fan base throughout the years.
5 The Bionic Woman (1976-1978)
A Cyborg Uses Her Powers To Complete Government Missions
After Jaime Sommers’ (Lindsay Wagner) first appearance in The Six Million Dollar Man, the character proved to be quite popular with fans, prompting a spin-off series called The Bionic Woman. As explained in the episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, Jaime got into an accident and was reconstructed with bionic body parts, including her right arm and ear. The Bionic Woman then picks up after her initial crossover with The Six Million Dollar Man‘s characters and sees Jaime completing government missions with her superhuman abilities.
Throughout The Bionic Woman‘s three seasons, there were many crossovers with The Six Million Dollar Man‘s Steve Austin, and Jaime’s popularity as a fan-favorite character grew. The character was so beloved by audiences partly because of Wagner’s captivating performance as the female cyborg, but also because of the evolving love story between Jaime and Steve.
4 Timeslip (1970-1971)
Two Kids Time Travel And Stop Unethical Research
Just like Land of the Lost, Timeslip is geared toward younger audiences, but it can still be enjoyed by everyone. The accessibility of Timeslip is in part due to its themes and messaging around the dangers that come with abusing science and technology. Topics such as cloning and climate change, which are frequently discussed in today’s media, weren’t as popular in sci-fi content at the time, especially in TV shows meant for younger audiences.
The adventures in Timeslip are led by two kids, Simon (Spencer Banks) and Liz (Cheryl Burfield), who time travel after discovering an anomaly in an abandoned field. Though Liz and Simon do explore the locations they are transported to, their main mission quickly turns into preventing the negative effects of an experimental longevity drug. Still, there is plenty of fun to be had in Timeslip. The contrasting personalities and eventual close friendship between Liz and Simon are entertaining to watch and follow along with.
3 Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979)
Survivors Of Interstellar War Search For Earth
The reboot of Battlestar Galactica lasted longer than the original series, but that’s not to say the ’70s TV show should be ignored entirely. The series saw a group of people board the titular spacecraft as they began their search for a new home after their planet was destroyed. The same special effects were used repeatedly throughout Battlestar Galactica and are a bit outdated by today’s standards, but there’s an undeniable charm to them.
A large part of Battlestar Galactica‘s appeal can be credited to its well-written and lovable characters, such as Captain Apollo, Lieutenant Starbuck, and Commander Adama. While Battlestar Galactica‘s large fan base wasn’t immediate, it was passionate. After the series’ cancelation was announced, fans protested outside of ABC studios in hopes Battlestar Galactica would be saved. Even though Battlestar Galactica wasn’t brought back, the original season was the start of the beloved media franchise that has become celebrated today.
2 The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978)
A Cyborg Carries Out Tasks For The Government
Starring The Big Valley and The Fall Guy’s Lee Majors, The Six Million Dollar Man is an action-packed sci-fi series that saw the actor take on the role of a heroic cyborg. Majors portrayed Steve Austin, a colonel who is badly injured and rebuilt with expensive bionic implants. Because of the superhuman abilities he now possesses, Steve works as a secret agent for the U.S. government.
The character quickly became an icon in the decade thanks to Majors’ performance. The character originates from Martin Caidin’s novel, Cyborg, where Steve never hesitated to kill others. However, Majors’ take on the character is softer. Though Steve doesn’t hold back his physical strength, he’s not as cold as the books make him out to be. The minimized darkness in the character had the potential to disappoint fans, but Steve’s everyman qualities — his bionic configuration aside — in The Six Million Dollar Man made for a protagonist that was easy for audiences to root for.
1 Doomwatch (1970-1972)
An Organization Puts An End To Reckless Scientific Research
Compared to many of the best sci-fi shows from the ’70s, Doomwatch isn’t as concerned with superhumans or conflicts in space. Rather, the drama in Doomwatch was rooted in realistic scenarios which added to the tension created in each episode. Airing on BBC1, Doomwatch was led by John Paul’s character, Dr Spencer Quist, who runs a government organization dedicated to keeping society protected from unchecked scientific research.
The consequences of such scientific tests varied in seriousness. One episode of Doomwatch is centered around a ferocious species of large rats that threaten the public, while another episode’s story revolves around the dangers that come with severe jet lag. Doomwatch was popular with audiences, drawing in 13.6 million viewers at one point. However, following its finale, many episodes of Doomwatch have gone missing after BBC wiped the series’ master tapes. A few episodes have been recovered over the years and, luckily, the excluded episodes don’t ruin the viewing experience too much.
