CREDIT: THE X-FILES
The X-Files doesn’t try hard to be edgy and fall flat, making it still enjoyable.

The '90s saw a boom in everything, and the world of television was swept up along for the ride, mainly around the content aired. It was the decade that saw the rise of cable TV, edgier, more boundary pushing content, which arguably helped create some pretty ground breaking stuff. Free reign combined with ever-improving special effects gave us the rise of some of the best science fiction TV shows to date.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The first incarnation of the Star Trek show since the original of the '60s did begin in late '80s, however, high ratings into the '90s secured a path for other enterprising sci-fi TV shows. We all know and love TNG for giving us Star Trek staples like Captain Picard, the Borg, subsequent spin-offs like Deep Space 9 and Voyager, as well as the Generations films. An influential show, not just for creative inspiration but for convincing bigwig TV executives that there's money to be had in shows that were swansongs to nerd-dom.

Sliders
The best way to describe Sliders would be junk food TV, and I mean that in the best way possible, really. The story of a young college student who invents a device that allows the operator to “slide” between parallel dimensions in a universe of unlimited possibilities, it follows Quinn Mallory as he accidentally drags along his professor, Arturo, his friend Wade (who totally does not have a crush on him, really) and an unwitting stranger in the form of Rembrandt Brown, a has-been soul-singer from the '70s, as they jump between random universes in order to find their way home. The show's premise basically allows zero continuity, at least for the first three seasons, and despite the sillier moments (a dimension where Texas rules all of America and thus legal matters are resolved with gunfights), it's fun to see the motely crew of unusual characters trying to survive their way in whatever unusual world they've landed into, before jumping into the next. Just... avoid the last two seasons of the show, and all will be good.

Quantum Leap
Predating Sliders, Quantum Leap brings the approach of multiple universes with a bit of a twist. Rather than simply hopping between universes, show protagonist Dr. Sam Beckett instead embodies alternative universe versions of himself, meaning that he gets dropped right plumb into the middle of a situation he knows nothing about. With talks of a movie coming to fruition, Quantum Leap is a cult favourite you should definitely look at.

Farscape
Starting at the tail end of the '90s, Farscape was a show with one of the most rabid fan bases around. So unquenchable were they that the numerous petitions they signed lead to the funding of a miniseries to make up for the fourth season's cliffhanger ending. Following earth astronaut John Crichton's adventures as his NASA shuttle is launched into the far end of the universe right between an ongoing war between various alien factions, Farscape never takes itself too seriously, the characters maintaining a sense of humour without compromise to the excellent storyline. Available on Netflix too!

The X-files
Even with all the jokes about David Duchovny's monotone voice and Scully's idiotic stubbornness against the paranormal well into the show's later seasons, The X-Files is a strong '90s sci-fi show that carried on well into the 2000's, and necessarily for the best. At the very least, if you feel scared off by the mixed reception the show's lore has gotten, you'll still enjoy the anthological nature of the early seasons, the so-called “monster-of-the-week” format.