It was made in 2001 by Channel 4 here in the UK and is presented by Tom Baker in full scenery chewing mode with commentary by Nick Frost. There's a whole host of talking heads from the various shows along with fans and critics such as Kim Newman and various other sci-fi magazine editors and contributors.
These sort of lists are always contentious (i.e. they're a bit rubbish) but are an opportunity to revisit some old favourites and disagree with other peoples choices. Personally I can't for the life of me imagine who voted for #9, I was never much of a fan of #1, couldn't stand #4 and think #2 is the greatest thing ever.
Buck Rogers deserves to be on no list of SF ever. Even if you do call it sci-fi. "Hitch-Hiker's Guide" was much poorer than the radio version. As you say, "Thunderbirds" deserves little appreciation, though perhaps a nod to the model work. At least "Captain Scarlet" had an excellent pilot episode. "Star Trek" obviously deserves the number one spot, but only if we restrict it to the original series. It stands up even today, with writers and plots other shows would have given their left tentacle for.
ReplyDeleteSome lost shows deserve more consideration. "Logan's Run" was ropey, but had one amazing episode written by Harlan Ellison. "Starlost" is a better bad show than some on this list. One might also want to give a shout out to "Max Headroom".