If we take the list apart we might see why each was chosen. Trying to fit other show/movies into the list is all personal opinion, as is the list of course, but...
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25. V: the Miniseries (1984) - Amid a sea of comedies, dramas, and Magnum, this show made the networks re-evaluate sci-fi on TV after the original Battlestar Galactica run kinda ruined it. It had a rabid weekly following, and I can remember my oldest sister and I watching it while the rest of the family wondered what kind of crap we were watching when the aliens started eating rats. Talk about controversy!
24. Galaxy Quest (1999) - Think of any other spoof movie out there and you think of low budget O.J. flicks with some great one liners, but not its own plot. Throw in some endearing actors (Sigourney folks! Miss panties fightin' aliens twenty years prior), good effects, and comedy writing not reliant on the one liners, and this movie comes out near the top of any good comedy top 25, and does belong here.
23. Dr. Who (1963-Present) - Classic. If you've seen it you know it belongs here and why, although one could make a good argument to have it closer to the top ten.
22. Quantum Leap (1989-1993) - Good science fiction because the story and people make the show, with compelling themes that challenge our notions of the way things were, and often times still are, but shouldn't be.
21. Futurama (1999-2003) - Good show, good parody, good format. Not the best in any area, but it does deliver.
20. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005) - I liked this series of shorts, but I'm still trying to figure out why this is here in place of any of the movies???
19. Starship Troopers (1997) - Symbolism, over-the-top characters and story, massive battles between invaders and the invaded (notice which is which), and a fun movie. Exteme sci-fi at its finest.
18. Heroes (2006-Present) - So far it hasn't changed much of anything that I can tell in the TV business, other than to let the execs know that the superhero crowd is willing to make the jump to the small screen with a good show. It is interesting for the super-hero crowd to watch to get a 'more realistic' idea of how people would act and react given superpowers. Definately no spandex, although they are still an attractive bunch.
17. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Help me out here someone.
16. Total Recall (1990) - Talk about changing your mind! Instead of just an Ah-nold shoot 'em up with ray guns, this movie had some brains and a message.
15. Firefly / Serenity (2002/2005) - Fandom carries over with its creator. OK series, watchable movie. Joss' fans put this on the list for there fervor and tenacity in getting Serenity greenlit, and the show and movie on this list.
14. Children of Men (2006) - Stunning movie, visually and emotionally. The theme and story seem like you've seen them/read them before, which is probably why some people glossed this one over.
13. The Terminator / Terminator 2 (1984 /1991) - The apocalypse is caused by our Commondore 64, oh crap! Computers just started hitting it off in the public sector and someone tells us that automation and reliance on the artificial will be our doom. Who isn't rooting for the machines just a bit. That, and "the future is what we make of it" and not set in stone combined years of science fiction thought together in two great flicks.
12. Back to the Future (1985) - Change your future or your past to get the hot girl, family you always wanted, and re-make your dull parents into cool ones! Where can I get a DeLorean time machine? Before this, time travel was about changing the world for the betterment of mankind. BttF personalizes it, making it accessable and fun.
11. Lost (2004-Present) - Just when you have it figured out, bam, you're Lost again. The use of the internet to keep up interest between seasons was a good example of internet hype working for a show/movie.
10. The Thing (1982) - I love BG in its current format, however the show borrows heavily from Carpenter for its paranoia element. The setting and the gross-out effects set this movie apart from similar concepts and movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
09. Aliens (1986) - Edge of your seat action and thrills. Great special effects and timing make even a known threat fresh. Alien had a synthetic screwing the humans over, but this one gave it a human face for that face hugger.
08. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) - The original series set the standard, and DS9 reaped the benefits of TOS and TNG's successes, however TNG paved the way for all successive ST shows, and for a lot of science fiction television as well. They were serious about the science, about the characters, about continuity, and about the fans.
07. E.T. (1982) - There is a reason this is one of the highest grossing films of all time, but most of us grew up with E.T., or became jaded from flashier, smarter, and hipper movies and shows that came after, but this one gave sci-fi a heart and soul.
06. Brazil (1985) - Still not sure about this movie, I'll have to rewatch it in the near future to see if it affects me more than it did when I was a teenager when it came out.
05. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - ST: TMP didn't start any fires, but Khan reintroduced a classic villain from the show while giving him a doomsday machine en route to his revenge binge on Kirk. Another good sci-fi movie released in a Star Wars dominated stretch helped establish the genre as a viable medium for good storytelling and profits for the studios.
04. X-Files (1993-2002) - It seems like more than a decade has passed since Mulder and Scully fought aliens and monsters. It embedded itself in the culture and psyche of fans and detractors so well that it became a phenomenon that transcended cult statis to go mainstream.
03. Blade Runner (1982) - Hypnotic view of the future with so many nuances and takes on what it is to be human. Violent and beautiful with a dark vision of our future that makes you take notice.
02. Battlestar Galactica (2003-Present) - Everyone laughed at the concept of remaking Battlestar. Cheesy part 2. No one is laughing now. God, man, machine. Paranoia, survival, redemption. The fight for humanity isn't always a fight against the toasters.
01. The Matrix (1999) - Philosophy and sci-fi. Existentialism and kung fu. Could Neo be anywhere on the list other than at number 1? Is this for real, or is it part of the Matrix?
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