An interesting thing about Sci-Fi on television is that television itself was actually at one time science fiction. The idea of broadcasting pictures over the air was a fantasy that soon became factual. This was a just one of many things that were thought of on Scif-Fi many years before they were actually created: travel in space and robots come to mind.

During the early sixties, as the race for space was beginning, many humans were already there watching it on television. Many shows about fantasies such as space travel were already taking place on our television. Captain Video that was aired between 1949 and 1956, Space Patrol that started in 1965, Space Cadet in 1954, and Fireball XL-5 from 1963 all brought the worlds beyond our eyesight down to where we could see them on Saturday morning. Children seemed to love these shows and they were a staple-mate on the time slots for many years. Despite their extremely low budget effects and poor craftsmanship (e.g., Fireball XL-5, even though revolutionary in its use of puppetry, the strings were clearly visible) the audience was especially hard-core being faithful to their shows and doing all in their power to not miss one show. The use of outer space imagery appealed to the children's sense of imagination and a belief that it really could happen because Neil Armstrong was going to walk on the moon or already had. Space represented a parcel of land in the West that had yet to be settled. The desire to have colonies of the Untied States of America outside of earth was far more desirable than to have colonies across a small ocean. America had to be in control of outer space even if it was only on television. The Cold War was happening everywhere.

 The fear of the cold war was everywhere and especially easy to see on Sci-Fi. Aliens on television were very popular during prime time and the scare and panic they created was unparalleled by mere humans. One of the earlier prime time Sci-Fi shows was The Outer Limits. Every week it had a different plot always ending in a revelation of what was right. This show also created some of the scariest monsters of the time. Aliens were only a part of the package but they were an essential piece. When people think of Science fiction they automatically think of outer space and also the "Outer Limits". Fear was essential. The sight of aliens was always followed by the trademark blood curdling scream. The humans were never willing to sit down and talk to the aliens because of the strong lack of knowledge they possessed of the person across from them.

 Another good example of the fear that was around during the cold war was the popular show called "The Invaders". In the show an architect who is lost and practically driving on a road to nowhere stumbles upon an unidentified flying object full of aliens preparing to take over earth. The aliens cleverly disguise themselves as humans and invade small local towns on a quest to take over the planet. The United States places itself in a world of denial and refuses to believe that their lives are endangered by people they cannot distinguish from themselves. The phrase "it can't happen here" seemed to echo through out the show. A small group of people form and do their best to fend off the invaders but are prosecuted for it. During the run of the show from nineteen sixty-seven to sixty-eight the small group of protectors gather support from some unlikely sources, the aliens themselves. In the finale a combined force of humans and sympathetic aliens regain control of their beloved Earth. This show is an excellent comparison to the Cold War with the aliens being the Russians who try to take over the democratic world. The denial also closely resembles that of the Americans during the Cold War.

 Also running at the end of the sixties was a show called the prisoner. The prisoner was a former Central Intelligence Agency agent who resigned from duty. Unfortunately, the government did not agree with this and did all that they could do to hinder his leaving. However, after he leaves he is promptly drugged, kidnapped and taken to a place in which there appears too be no escape and also no entry. The people there are not known by their names but by a number, (e.g., Number six, was the star of the show, and nobody really ever found out his real name) and all appear to be almost insane. The place where all of the people live in supposed happiness is called The Village. Throughout its run, number six tried to escape several times but was stopped by a large ball of something that appeared to swallow him. He also tried to figure out why he was there and for what but he never learnt. In the final episode Number six finally meets the man in charge, referred to as Number one and tries to discover his true identity by ripping off his mask. The Prisoner ends with Number one being every person in the world. It then says that the only real controller or Number one is yourself, you are not controlled by anything, meaning the government, family, threats, just yourself. If people involved with the Cold War had realized this the war would have been over much sooner than nineteen eighty-nine.

 The most well known Science Fiction series of all time has been run through reruns and through syndication throughout the worlds and also spanning nearly four decades. The television show that I am talking about is of course Star Trek and its many different sequels. (e.g., Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek Voyager.) When the original Star Trek was first released the critics claimed it as a Space Western. They also claimed that it did not belong on prime time it belonged on Saturday Mornings because it was far too brainy and confusing. The many people who tuned in every Thursday night thought completely different. Star Trek that had a multicultural crew that all interacted with each other, showed an optimistic future where things were as you would want them. This optimistic idea is what the majority of the Woodstock generation believed in and hoped for. There were few injuries aboard the Spaceship Enterprise and the humans tried with all of their might to stop the death that was forced upon them by way of cruel enemies. In one episode a godlike figure is contemplating doing away with the human race and sends a monster after captain Kirk. Kirk does not kill the helpless monster and the god returns and says that there may be hope for your kind after all. I believe this is a perfect parallel to the Vietnam War. All of the death seemed to be pointless when compared to the greater route of things. The fact that Star Trek was pacifist in most of its choices also helped it to identify with the generation it was trying to appeal to. Throughout Science Fiction history no other ideas have spawned such a fantastic following with as much passion and allegiance for a television program. Many Sci-Fi buffs now realize that Star Trek was the venture from which all television shows afterward were and will be judged against.

 During the late seventies the world of Science Fiction changed abruptly again. The technology surrounding science fiction almost caught up with that which was in it. Star Wars and its huge budget that dealt millions to the special effects department created a new wave on television also. Shows such as Space 1999 used huge budgets to create eye popping effects. The center of that television show was the fact that Nuclear waste on the moon exploded causing dire effects on Earth. This is an exact parallel to the growing environmental problems that faced the world in the seventies and still face it now.

 During the nineteen eighties's, several key shows were released including one that was created by Steven Spielberg called Amazing Stories. This show generally dealt with the topic of other dimensions and always ended with a happy ending. Several of these shows also starred big name stars such as Clint Eastwood, Drew Barrymore, and Kevin Costner. The goodness and happiness of these stories reflected directly on the time period of the eighties, when things were good, money didn't matter and jobs were in more places than could be held.

One of the most important Science Fiction television shows of that decade was the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation that began its run twenty-one years after the original was released. The year, nineteen eighty-seven, was prosperous as was the television industry, so the effects on ST:TNG were second to none on television. The shows principle was that all men were brothers and created equally. This meant that the conflicts had to come from outside of the ship. ST:TNG changed the idea that all that was outer space was planets and stars. It explored these but more important it explored its inhabitants. Many things about this show make it still commercially viable three years after its final episode was aired. Data the drone on the Enterprise reassured humans that there would always be something that computers and robots can never have no matter how convincing they can be; they can never have emotions. In a world that was being taken over by computers at home and at work that was very reassuring.

 The nineties have created a whole new generation of television Science Fiction. The X-Files is just one of them but also one of the most successful of them. The X-Files team of Mulder and Scully investigate unusual occurrences that are hidden behind some sort of government cloak team, which nobody will admit to. In the X-Files world everything ends up being a conspiracy, an attempt at hiding something that may not be good for the public to know. Many individuals also believe in this theory that the government has far too much control over people and their lives. This is the reason why many people watch the show, and why Chris Carter created it.

 Throughout the generations of the television, people have changed their morals their values and their ideals. The television family and its shows tend to run a decade or two behind what life is really like outside of that little screen. Science Fiction, though it may appear much different is almost a total parallel to the times in which it was created. Whether it is the fear of the Cold War in the sixties being broadcast on The Invaders, the peaceful ideal preached on Star Trek, or the impending environmental dilemma developing in the seventies, Sci-Fi always managed to have a show on the box which resembled real life only in a different way. The history of Science Fiction on television shows its viewers where we have been in the past and also where we will be in the future.

        Science Fiction does and always will have a strong standing, and a vast audience in the world of television.  A category of television which allows one to imagine, and to become a part of stories and adventures in areas and places that we may only dream of. The only category of television where the only limitation to the story line, is the limitations of the viewers imagination.  Over time, it is only logical that ideas change, situations change, and images of the future change, but some things always remain the same;  Science Fiction is and always has been constructed on the Foundation of three key elements:
                a)  Imagination,
                b)  Scientific Basis, and
                c)  Ties to the present.
        Science Fiction has been riding the air waves since the beginning of the radio, with various types of entertaining programs.  Thousands of listeners crowded daily around their household radios and listened intently as the sound of the speakers voice told the story.  Imagine, a tool that's power could hold thousands, maybe millions of listeners nervously on the edges of their seats, night after night, week after week, with only the sound of a single mans voice coming through a small black box plugged into the wall.
        Science Fiction became a visual part of the world in the early fifties with the invention of the television.  A new technology, a new way of conveying information, and this time not orally but visually.  I have chosen to use the television to prove my thesis within this project.
        Science Fiction first met the television in the early fifties with television shows such as 'Captain Z-Ro', and animated series' such as 'The Adventures Of Superman'.  Captain Z-Ro was one of the first Science Fiction series that donned the air waves, and consisted of the traditional 'aliens trying to take over the world' theme.
        To this point in Science Fiction television, most themes agreed with the one just stated, but the Adventures Of Superman defied the norm. Superman was the first Science Fiction television series that allowed the alien to be the hero.  Superman was a character that was loved by all.First started as a comic book series, this continuing saga enabled the people of the world to co-exist with an alien, one which watched over and protected them.  "Faster than a speeding bullet", words which will be remembered by every adult as a salute to their childhood hero.
        Even these early Science Fiction series' contained the basic Foundation structures.  IMAGINATION:  To fully enjoy and understand Science Fiction, one must open their minds to the thoughts and ideas presented to them by the program.  The viewers must allow themselves to become a part of the action, and feel as if they are a part of the story.  They must make educated
guesses,  and dig deeply into the most secluded corners of their imaginations in order to fully appreciate the ideas and concepts being presented to them. SCIENTIFIC BASIS:  All Science Fiction relies on some knowledge of the Scientific World.  Gravity.  Elasticity. Buoyancy. All
scientific forces that have been proven logical, and defied again and again in Science Fiction. "What goes up, must come down", a phrase that every child learns in early life, and one that defines the force of gravity roughly, but well.  The defying of scientific principals is a key omponent of every Science Fiction endeavor, and one that must be conquered before the project may truly be called Science Fiction.  Scientific Laws are taught to be definite, and absolute.  According to any educated teacher, 'There are no exceptions'.  Those exceptions are what make Science Fiction interesting and enjoyable.  Viewers must be forced to say, "That's not possible", and "They can't do that". Terms like these are what make science fiction fly.  What's Superman without his ability to fly, his X-Ray vision, and his tremendous speed.  He's normal, and normal just doesn't sell.  TIES TO THE PRESENT: For Science Fiction to interest the public, it has to contain fundamental elements that can relate to the present.  It has to relate to things that we already know about and want to explore further.  In the fifties, Science Fiction Space Travel had to do with trips to the moon, and to Mars.  As our knowledge of the Universe increased, so did the travels faced by the Science Fiction Industry.  In the seventies, and eighties, the public faced
adventures to Saturn, Mercury, and Pluto.  Endeavors that seemed centuries away, and indeed may have been.  Now in the nineties, our Space Travel has entered entirely new areas of the Universe, areas which lie so far away, that imagining is all we can do.  Science Fiction truly has the ability to take us to new places, and to new heights of excitement and exploration.
        Science Fiction entered the realms of space early in it's illustrious life. Early Programs such as 'The Invaders", and 'V' portrayed space bearing vehicles, as saucer like projections, with hundreds of lights, trap doors, and antennae, much the same as a hub cap (which is exactly what they used to portray enemy vessels in 'The Invaders').  Space Craft like this led the way to vessels known as  'The Battlestar' (Star Wars), and 'The Enterprise' Star Trek (shown below).
 
        It's pretty tough to call a ship like this a 'flying saucer'.  As societies views of technology change, so do the visual quality, and believability  of space bearing vehicles produced by the Science Fiction Industry.  Society will not accept that a ship capable of flying through space has to be filled up with gas, or turned on with a key.  These ideas have been forced to become obsolete due to the demands of the public.  People want to look at a Starship on Television and think, "Yeah, I can imagine that flying through space", not "What junk yard was that thing picked up from".  Compare the picture below to the ones above.
       Does this really look like the same quality of ship?  Of course not. These Photos show the differences between one-hundred twenty years of Science Fiction Fantasy Time.  The Picture seen directly above is the U.S.S. Enterprise taken from the Science Fiction Series 'Star Trek', taped during the 1960's.  At this time, I'm sure that the viewing public felt that this did in fact, accurately portray a space bearing vehicle in the twenty-second century.  The two pictures above this one are taken from the Science Fiction Series, 'Star Trek- The Next Generation' which was taped during the late 1980's, and portray a ship from the twenty-forth century.  As you can see, the public's expectations of a Starship had quite drastically increased, and therefore the industry had to provide for that.
        Below is another comparison of visual quality over a period of time.  These are photos of the command areas of both of the ships shown above.  These areas are known as the Bridges".
        The one on the left is obviously the more modern of the two models, and again accounts for one-hundred twenty years of Science Fiction Time.  As you can easily see, the instrumentation, and overall visual appeal of the command area has drastically improved, and adapted to the viewing publics expectations.
        The Public wants to be forced to use their imaginations, and if photos like the one on the right were implemented, their imaginations would not be necessary.  Even today, there are hundreds of Command Centers that exist and  look more technologically advanced than the one pictured on the right.  NASA, Bell Canada, and AT&T are only a few companies which operate command  centers that look far more technologically advanced than the 'Bridge'  pictured above.  The Bottom-Line is that the Public has to be convinced that  what they are looking at is real, fits the time frame being portrayed, and  scientifically challenges what we already have proven successful.
        For a Science Fiction Story Line to be understandable, and gripping, it  needs to have some ties to the present.  Any 'Sci-Fi' story must have some  component that relates to our time, and can interest the Public.  The  1970's television show 'The Time Tunnel' portrayed a man with the ability to  go back in time, to any event he wished, and at any time.  In one of the episodes, this character traveled back to the day that J.F.K. was assassinated, and attempted to change history, unsuccessfully of course. The fact is that the assassination of John F. Kennedy relates to the present, and interests a great many people.  All Science Fiction must relate to the Present in some manner or another in order to interest the viewers. Whether it is a Scientific Breakthrough, or simply an occurrence in history, Science Fiction must somehow relate to the present.
        Imagination. Scientific Basis.  Ties To The Present.  Perhaps no two programs best defined all three of the key elements than 'Quantum Leap', and 'The Twilight Zone'.  Through time travel, aliens, and practically any science fiction feat possible, these two programs may be remembered by many as the finest 'Sci-Fi' programs of all time.
        However, no series more defined the term 'Science Fiction', as Star Trek. Along with 'Star Wars' these two blockbuster hits would likely top most peoples 'Sci-Fi' Favorites of all time, and again those three elements are clearly present:  IMAGINATION, SCIENTIFIC BASIS, and TIES TO THE PRESENT.
        Science Fiction Programs will always have their place in the Television Hall Of Fame, as the only types of programs that allow viewers to use their imagination and get right in the middle of the plot.  The only type of program where it's viewers can continue the story line in their own minds, and where the story really never ends.
        No two Science Fiction stories are the same, no two plot lines alike, and every story has a different twist, but they all have those same three elements; Imagination, Scientific Basis, and Ties To The Present.
        Science Fiction is, was, and always will be a great part of Television Programming, and as a huge fan, I look forward to seeing future 'Bridges' of the Enterprise, and Starships of the future.  One thing is for sure;  The Science Fiction Story Line does not stop here  .  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .
                                                                                                                    - Chris Roberts