Over 40 years ago, Steven Spielberg brought ET into our lives. And we have never looked back since. Although there have been shows on extra terrestrial beings before, Spielberg paved the way for a future generation of content creators, directors and writers to explore the realm of outer space more deeply and present us with TV shows that have not only transported us to a whole new world but also made us believe, at least once, that there is a possibility of life beyond Earth.
This World UFO Day (July 2), we bring you five of the best TV shows that narrated tales of the supernatural:
Roswell (1999-2001) – Set in Roswell, the city famous for its UFO sightings and UFO incident, the show revolves around the lives of six teenagers: Liz, Maria, and Kyle who are humans and their classmates Max, Michael, and Isabelle who belonged to the spaceship that crashed in Roswell in 1947.
The X-Files (1993-2002) – Way before Roswell aired, Chris Carter created this science fiction drama, centered around two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Together, they investigate the X-Files: marginalised, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena.
First Wave (1998-2001) – In this Sebastian Spence show, Kincaid Lawrence Foster’s life goes for a toss as he is chosen by a group of extraterrestrials – called the Gua – as a subject in an experiment to test human resilience.
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) – Created by Gene Roddenberry, this show follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. The ship, led by Captain James T Kirk, is on a five-year mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and civilisations.
Lost in Space (1965-1968) – Perhaps the most short-lived show on aliens and extraterrestrials, this show is the inspiration behind the current Netflix programme of the same name. Created by Irwin Allen, the series follows the adventures of a family of space colonists who struggle to survive in a strange and often hostile universe after their ship is sabotaged and thrown off course.
