Science fiction is more demanding than many other genres of fiction. Its fantastical technology, esoteric settings, and non-human creatures all require special effects to produce. Science fiction media has higher budget requirements even before factoring in cast members, props, and more.
This is especially true of television, which has to create more material than a film with less budget. Some of sci-fi's most beloved properties can be found on television despite the inherent challenges. Many television shows do admirable work with their budget and create realistic special effects. In other cases, the effects are a weak point despite the show's quality.
10 Smallville
In particular, superhero TV shows can be demanding on a special effects budget. Superpowers can be hard to depict on-screen, particularly fantastical or otherworldly ones. Smallville attempts to tell the story of one of the most powerful superheroes in all of comic book history: Superman.
Smallville is an impressive show that has colored an entire generation's view of Clark Kent. Its depiction of a young and inexperienced Superman does limit how many powers it needs to portray. Nonetheless, when Clark or his allies do make use of powers, it tends to look a lot worse than other shows of the era.
9 Doctor Who
Plenty of beloved sci-fi shows are decades old. This naturally limits their special effects, with CGI coming on leaps and bounds in recent years. Nonetheless, many shows look good, particularly for their time, through heavy use of practical effects over computer-generated ones. Doctor Who's effects, however, have always been inconsistent.
Classic Doctor Who monsters range from the iconic and intimidating design of the Daleks to obvious props spray-painted a strange color. Even the modern version isn't safe. The early seasons of Doctor Who's reboot are infamous for their cheesy and unrealistic monsters. This doesn't detract from the show's strong writing in either era, however.
8 American Horror Story: Double Feature
American Horror Story has often dabbled in science fiction, but never more overtly than in American Horror Story: Double Feature. Its first half, Red Tide, deals with a drug that turns creatives into vampiric monsters. Its second half, Death Valley, depicts the US government making a deal allowing aliens to reproduce with humans.
However, neither part of American Horror Story: Double Feature has amazing effects. The show has often been inconsistent. Seasons like Roanoke have been applauded for their visuals, while Coven and Apocalypse have faced more criticism. In Double Feature, poor special effects drag the well-liked Red Tide down and contribute to Death Valley's many flaws.
7 Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a BBC sci-fi sitcom that focuses far more on its comedic aspects than on science fiction. Part of its charm comes from its tongue-in-cheek approach to its genre rather than striving for realism. This, coupled with a distinct lack of budget from the BBC, results in a lot of effects that are clearly fake.
Red Dwarf doesn't phone in its effects. Lots of its model work is very well-done. However, many of its CGI effects are notorious among fans for flaws or generally low quality. Later seasons of Red Dwarf also have a much larger budget, allowing for much more impressive visuals.
6 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is famous for its heavy use of photorealistic CGI. It depicts superpowers, monsters, and other worlds in breathtaking detail. However, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law became infamous for its special effects as early as its first trailer. Many of the superpowers and monsters shown in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law match up to the MCU's typical standard.
However, the title character's appearance has divided fans. Jennifer Walters has a much more humanoid appearance than other Hulks and resembles actress Tatiana Maslaney far closer. This causes her hulked-out appearance to fall into the uncanny valley for many fans and look less realistic than far more inhuman monsters.
5 Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a classic piece of British sci-fi television that is still fondly remembered by many. It's an unoriginal series that shamelessly and lovingly draws from classic science fiction. It follows a ragtag group of rebels as they battle against the dystopian Terran Federation. The show's writing, characters, and themes all hold up to this day. Its effects do not.
Blake's 7 has infamously low production values, even for a show made in the 1970s. The show earned criticism at the time for its unrealistic visual effects undercutting its quality. This has only increased as visual effects have gotten better over the years. Blake's 7's writing is dark, gritty, and intelligent. Its effects are pure cheese.
4 Helix
Helix is a sci-fi zombie TV show that follows CDC scientists as they attempt to stop a bioweapon ravaging the Earth. Critics and fans have given it genuine praise for a lot of its aspects. Its premise, writing, and characterization are all very effective. However, it's hampered by underwhelming visuals.
Helix has to compete with the impressive makeup and practical effects of shows like The Walking Dead and simply doesn't have the budget. This may come as no surprise to some, given that it's made by SyFy, infamous for their B-movies and TV series of similar quality. Nonetheless, many consider it a worthwhile watch despite its questionable effects.
3 Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is one of the most famous science fiction franchises of all time, having inspired dozens in its wake. It has captivated fans for decades, even in its original iteration. Despite Star Trek: The Original Series' quality, there is no denying that its visuals are lacking compared to modern television programs.
However, most fans don't hold that against Star Trek: The Original Series. It's limited by budget and by the technology of its time. Even with these limitations, the show is realistic and striking enough to capture fans' imaginations. Its other strengths are more than enough to make up for its obvious age.
2 Primeval
Primeval is a British science-fiction dinosaur show. Its mixture of impressive monsters from the past and future, coupled with the mundane lives and struggles of its characters, makes for a compelling watch. However, Primeval does need to rely on its writing to hook viewers. Given how much it relies on CGI, it often faces criticism for its visual effects.
Primeval's monsters never look entirely real, and some look blatantly out of place. Its attempts to realistically render dinosaurs are undercut by the weak CGI. This doesn't stop it from being a funny, heartfelt, slightly campy science-fiction drama that many people can enjoy, particularly in its strong early seasons.
1 Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a fantasy-horror show, first and foremost, but it has plenty of sci-fi within its episodes. Buffy Summers and her friends go up against robots technologically-powered supervillains as well as fighting vampires and demons. Regardless of which genre Buffy's monsters come from, they often look questionable.
This doesn't apply to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's most iconic monsters. The vampires look impressive when they reveal their true nature. However, many other monsters and demons look very fake. This is especially true of Buffy's werewolves, as well as Adam in Season 4. In addition, CGI monsters are held back by the technology available in the 1990s and early 2000s on a TV budget.