The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
This early anthology series focused mostly on science fiction stories drawing from classics such as “The Crystal Egg” (H.G. Wells), Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) as well as works from other genre authors.
Aired: ABC, 1951-53, 2 Seasons Totaling 85 Episodes
Notable Guest Stars: Lon Chaney, Jr., Boris Karloff, James Dean, Cloris Leachman, Leslie Nielsen, Paul Newman
Developed By: Theodore Sturgeon, Mort Abrahams
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
While there is certainly an argument that The Twilight Zone is the greatest anthology series in the sci fi/fantasy genre (more on that at this link), it was not the first and there were some notable predecessors that hit the air in the 1950’s. 1955’s Science Fiction Theatre delivered some interesting episodes based on the science known at the time, and 1949’s Lights Out was the earliest genre anthology, though it had just as many mystery and suspense episodes as it did supernatural and sci fi. Then there was 1951’s Tales of Tomorrow, which stuck mostly to science fiction and delivered an important early entry for the anthology format and genre television.
This show is not known very well these days because the episodes that still exist are kinescopes–recordings of the live broadcast with a film camera focused on the television screen–and the poor quality of those meant that it did not have much of a life in syndication. It also had a relatively low budget which often fell short of the ambitious scripts that were produced for the show. But as formative sci fi TV, this is definitely an important series, and one that is worth searching out. Most importantly, Tales of Tomorrow did not follow the kiddie space opera format that was popular at the time as exemplified by Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Space Patrol, Tom Corbett Space Cadet, etc. Instead, it pulled its stories from science fiction and fantasy authors and tried to appeal to the adult audience as well. And since the creative team did not have much in the way of SFX to work with, they had to focus more on the story and characters to carry the episodes (and they had some notable acting talent available).
The show is definitely crude when compared to modern productions, looking more like stage adaptations of sci fi stories. But that was the way television worked in the early ’50s, and Tales of Tomorrow pulled it off. Like Space Patrol–which I have also included in this exercise—ToT is an important formative entry for sci fi TV that had a notable impact on genre entries that followed it. You certainly have to adjust expectations when watching these early shows, but they still deliver some good television and Tales of Tomorrow should be considered among the greatest sci fi TV entries. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
While it is true that Tales of Tomorrow is an important early sci fi TV series, it simply has not stood the test of time. The argument could be made that even the original Twilight Zone, with its low-budget television production, is too outdated, so going back further to the barely watchable kinescopes of the early 1950s is that much more of a stretch. ToT certainly had ambition by trying to adapt works like Frankenstein and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but it fell short because of the constraints of its budget and live television at the time. Some episodes worked better when they had less of a need for special effects, but they tended to lack the poignant endings that made The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits much stronger anthology shows. ToT is certainly notable as an early sci fi TV entry, but pales in comparison to many of the greater shows from the genre that would follow it.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
Tales of Tomorrow is certainly a rough one to watch, especially for modern audiences, but if you adjust your expectations properly, you can definitely find some strengths in the show. This was produced during the era of live television, so it can be quite cheesy with stilted acting and stiff directing. But as mentioned above, because of the production limitations at the time, they focused on the story and characters and that is where this series shines. It had plenty of good source material to draw from, bringing in works from known authors. And it also delivered original episodes that were good as well. And while it did not always have that Twilight Zone-style twist ending, the stories got their point across quite well more often than not. The hardest thing about watching this show is dealing with the poor quality of the kinescope recordings, but if you can tough that out, there is a gem of a show to be found here. And while Tales of Tomorrow may not be in the upper echelon of sci fi and fantasy TV shows, it is an important entry and should considered in the mix.
Where Can You Watch It?
The series is now in the public domain so it is widely available, but unfortunately I have not found one location with all 85 episodes. There were DVD releases, but those only cover about half of the show’s episodes and are now out of print. There are multiple Roku channels with old sci fi and fantasy shows that typically have episodes available, including one dedicated solely to the show. You can also find episodes on YouTube.
Do you consider Tales of Tomorrow one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows of all time or is it far too outdated? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
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