5 Forgotten 1990s Sci-Fi Shows That Grown ’80s Kids Need to Rediscover in 2026

The 90s were a fantastic decade for television, and 80s kids had the good fortune of spending their teen years watching it all. That is especially true for science fiction series, of which there was a veritable treasure trove available for viewing. Some would even argue that the 90s were the best decade for the genre (a run that continued into the early 2000s). Flipping through the channels, audiences had no shortage of sci-fi entertainment to watch. Even The X-Files got its start in 1993. Unfortunately, there was so much to watch that some shows have fallen through the cracks and been forgotten. Here are five underrated 90s sci-fi shows that 80s kids need to rediscover.

Beast Wars: Transformers (1996-1999)

By the mid-90s, the popularity of the Transformers brand had largely waned. The original 1984 animated series had ended, and anything new since had combined minimal new content with a lot of repackaged Generation One scenes. Hasbro had to do something to bring it back to the public eye and save the brand. In walks Beast Wars: Transformers. Premiering in 1996 as one of the earliest fully CG-animated series, the show followed an entirely new set of warring factions and characters descended from the Autobots and Decepticons. It followed the heroic Maximals, led by Optimus Primal, and the evil Predacons, led by Megatron, as they continued the Cybertronian war. Starting 300 years after the end of The Transformers and then traveling back in time to before the main events of that series, the characters traveled back in time and crash-landed on prehistoric Earth.

The Cybertronians adopt organic Earth forms; the Maximals becoming animals like gorillas and cheetahs, and the Predacons becoming insects and dinosaurs. Through the course of their battles, they came across Mt. Saint Hilary, the volcano that the Autobot Ark crashed into in Generation One, and found the Autobots and Decepticons inside, locked in stasis, just as viewers saw them in the series until their awakening in 1984. The series was a hit, and it saved the franchise from being forgotten. Beast Wars kept Transformers alive, creating further media for fans to enjoy, including a new live-action film in development. The series doesn’t get nearly the love it deserves amongst fans, though it did see a bit of a resurgence after the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 2023, featuring characters from the show. While the animation is outdated, the voiceover performances and storytelling remain high quality. With three seasons and 52 episodes, the series is well worth a watch in 2026. The series is available to stream for free on Tubi.

SeaQuest: DSV (1993-1996)

SeaQuest DSV is a live-action series that aired from 1993 to 1996. Set initially in 2018, the show followed the adventures of the crew aboard an advanced submarine called seaQuest DSV 4600. It was designed and commanded in the first two seasons by Captain Nathan Bridger, played by Roy Scheider of Jaws fame. In the third season, the series jumped to the year 2032, and Captain Bridger was replaced by Captain Oliver Hudson, played by Michael Ironside. Alongside a strong cast of supporting characters (including a dolphin), audiences followed the crew of seaQuest as they explored the ocean depths. Along the way, they conducted rescue missions, handled geopolitical crises, faced off against ghosts, and interacted with aliens.

A good way to describe the series is an underwater version of the cult classic series Firefly. In Firefly, humans had to colonize space as Earth became unlivable. In SeaQuest DSV, land resources were depleted, so humanity colonized the ocean. SeaQuest was used for missions and had everything the crew needed to live. This is much like the ship Serenity in Firefly. However, SeaQuest was highly advanced, unlike Serenity. The submarine could best be compared to the Nautilus in the novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Despite these comparisons, SeaQuest DSV was a very unique series. It ran for three seasons for a total of 57 episodes. Ratings declined in the third season, causing it to be cancelled halfway through. Fans of 90s science fiction are sure to love it, though, especially those raised in the 80s. The series is available to stream on Peacock.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1999-2002)

Premiering in the fall of 1999, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World is an often-forgotten sci-fi classic. Loosely based on the 1912 novel of the same name by Doyle, the series followed a group of British adventurers on an expedition to locate a rumored isolated lost world in 1919. When their hot air balloon crashed, they became stuck in that lost world. While trapped there, they face off against a variety of threats ranging from barbarians to dinosaurs, all while searching for a means of escape. They are assisted by a woman named Veronica Layton (Jennifer O’Dell), who had been trapped there herself as a child after her parents disappeared and managed to survive and thrive. The character was known for her somewhat revealing outfit, which O’Dell herself designed.

The series ran for three seasons with a total of 66 episodes. A fourth season had been planned, but the funding fell through, and the series was cancelled on a cliffhanger in 2002. The series ran on syndication in the United States in its second and third seasons on many Warner Bros. owned networks, and the first part of season one was released through DirecTV on pay-per-view. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel has been adapted in many projects through the decades, but none were as popular or had as much staying power as this series. While the CGI effects are very outdated by today’s standards, and it can be a bit cheesy, it has become the most definitive take on its source material and a fun series to watch. The series is available to stream for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription.

Millennium (1996-1999)

The X-Files was arguably the biggest sci-fi show of the 90s. But a lot of fans of that series don’t realize that it had two spin-offs. One such spin-off was Millennium. Created by Chris Carter, it was originally its own stand-alone project, not connected to The X-Files. It followed the investigations of Frank Black (Lance Henriksen), a former FBI agent and profiler turned consultant with the ability to see inside the minds of criminals. He was also working with the Millennium Group, a mysterious and sinister organization investigated throughout the series. The first season focused primarily on Black catching serial killers and murderers, the second explored more supernatural elements like demons, and in the final season, he returned to the FBI.

The three seasons of the series totaled 67 episodes. Originally not part of The X-Files universe, though it could have been given the supernatural elements in season two, the series would officially cross over with the show in the seventh season. Airing after the end of the series, the episode “Millennium” featured Frank Black and the Millennium Group, giving closure to the series and the story of Black. A high-quality series often forgotten, Millennium is a must-watch if you can find it. The series is currently not available on any streaming platforms in the United States. DVDs are probably the best bet.

Dark Skies (1996-1997)

Imagine a show with the tagline: “History as we know it is a lie.” It immediately grabs the attention and generates intrigue. That was the tagline for the series Dark Skies. Taking place in 1960s America, the series was about a couple on the run from both an extraterrestrial “hive” that had been on Earth since the 1940s and a secret government group called Majestic-12 that seeks to cover up the existence of aliens. The pair must do whatever they can to protect themselves and prevent the aliens from reaching their goal of invading the planet. Through the course of the story, they thwart alien interference in multiple events that would have altered the course of history, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They prevented the aliens from messing with history, while simultaneously ensuring that the events happened as we know them in the real world, for better or for worse.

Dark Skies was created by NBC to rival The X-Files, which had premiered three years earlier and become a success in that time (and continues to be popular now, with a reboot in the works). The network naturally wanted to claim some of that series’ popularity. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t succeed. The show ran for only one season, beginning in 1996 and ending in 1997 after just 19 episodes. Ratings were so poor that NBC issued the cancellation order partway through the season. Despite its failure, the series was nominated for multiple awards and did win an Emmy for its main title design. In the years since, it has maintained a solid fanbase. Dark Skies is well worth a watch for any 90s kid, but like Millennium, it’s if they can find it. It is not currently available on any streaming platforms.