Science fiction has always been a major part of the TV viewing experience right from the 1950’s when Nigel Kneale with Quatermass and then Rod Serling with The Twilight Zone were testing the boundaries through to the current obsession with all things Doctor Who – which of course began way back in 1963.
Here we salute our ten favourite creative guiding lights of the genre.
Nigel Kneale’s The Quatermass Experiment.
Nigel Kneale – for Quatermass, the TV adaptation of Orwells 1984, Beasts and any number of thought provoking one-off plays.
Rod Serling – for The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.
Lost and JJ Abrams
J.J. Abrams – for Alias, Lost and being the current king of all things Scifi, not least for helming the return of Star Wars.
Gene Roddenberry – For Star Trek and all it’s off-shoots.
Terry Nation meets the Daleks and although he didn’t design the look of them he did create them.
Terry Nation – For Survivors, Blake’s 7 and inventing the Daleks.
Sydney Newman – for Doctor Who and honorary mention to Russell T. Davies for bringing it back.
Chris Carter – for The X-Files
J. Michael Straczynski – for Babylon 5
Glen A. Larson’s Knight Rider
Glen A. Larson – for Knight Rider, Battlestar Galactica and the genius of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Joss Whedon – for Firefly and honorary mention for the non scifi but genre busting Buffy The Vampire Slayer.