TV takeover

We have already tackled the best and worst of alien action on the smaller screen, so it is only fair that we do the same for the small screen right? And before you get riled up, know we aren’t counting stories that take place in space or in the distant future, so no Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica.

The best

Roswell (199-2002) – This aliens-in-high school drama came to us at the height of the WB’s late ‘90s revolution and it’s probably the most underrated show of the bunch. Less pretentious than Dawson’s Creek and just as intriguing mythology-wise as Buffy, this program was canceled way too soon.

The X-Files (1993-2002) – The most obvious choice on the list, The X-Files pushed UFOs, abductions and the subsequent cover-ups into popular culture. Though believe it failed to deliver on some of the arcs introduced earlier in the series, it’s impossible to deny that this program was damn good.

Alien Nation (1989-1990) – Nation was a spin-off of a film of the same name touched on social issues like racism and bigotry, but FOX’s precursor to The X-Files was less accessible to mainstream audiences. It did, however, build a strong enough cult following to get the network to make a few made-for-television movies.

Invasion (2005-2006) – A compelling serial that had the misfortune of being the first show to air in the post-Lost timeslot and also featured ill-timed hurricane story element in the right-after Katrina world, Invasion was nearly as intriguing as ABC’s island adventure.

V (1983-1985) – Spanning two mini-series and one full season, V is the definition of ‘80s camp. But that’s why we love it. And that birth scene still gives people the creeps.

The worst

Threshold (2005-2006) – Invasion’s poorly-written, terribly-placed cousin, this NBC show couldn’t even muster a full season. Aside from the gorgeous Carla Gugino, nothing about this “aliens trying to rewrite our DNA with a signal wave” story was interesting.

Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) – Mork was conceived through a backdoor pilot of Happy Days where the Fonz meets Mork. Not only was this the original “jump the shark” moment before the “official” one, it also tells all we need to know about Mork & Mindy: it sucked.

3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001) – We don’t care how many Best Actor in a Comedy Series awards the dumb Emmy voters gave John Lithgow, this “comedy” was more annoying than funny.