Author: johnnyjay Published Date: December 13, 2025 Comments: Leave a comment 0 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 animated sitcom from Hanna-Barbera is set in a cheerful, gadget-filled future where flying cars, robot maids, and push-button conveniences define everyday life. The series follows George Jetson, his family, and their dog Astro as they navigate humorous domestic and workplace mishaps, offering a lighthearted, optimistic vision of the future. Aired: ABC, 1962-63, 1 Season Totaling 24 Episodes Starring: George O’Hanlon, Penny Singleton, Janet Waldo, Daws Butler, Mel Blanc, Don Messick Created By: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows: The Jetsons arrived on television in 1962 following the success of Hanna-Barbera’s other animated sitcom The Flintstones, and it captured the imagination of Prime Time audiences at a time when technology was quickly advancing and the U.S. was focused heavily on the space race. In the process, it introduced one of the most iconic and influential visions of the future ever put on screen, complete with plenty of laughs. As science fiction on television was just starting to grow up, the series delivered a bright, optimistic, and highly imaginative world filled with flying cars, smart homes, robot maids, videophones, and instant food machines. Rather than presenting the future as dangerous or dystopian, The Jetsons showed a technologically advanced society where everyday life was effortless and entertaining. Its playful approach made futuristic concepts accessible to mainstream audiences—especially families and children—helping popularize sci-fi ideas long before they became common in TV or film. The show also had a fair amount of talent behind it, with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at the height of their creativity and voice actors like Mel Blanc and Don Messick onboard. The Jetsons family mirrored the suburban ideal of the time, and each of the voice actors was perfectly suited to their parts, helping the characters come alive and solidify their iconic status. And the show was simply funny. It may have borrowed heavily from sitcom tropes, but it put a nice spin on those and gave the series a sense of originality. And while it only lasted one season (two more were later produced in the ’80s with most of the original voice cast), it lived on in reruns—mostly on Saturday mornings—for years, and many kids grew up watching it. It was sci fi with a sense of fun and acted as a gateway to the genre for many young fans. It influenced them and also had a lasting impact on television, and it certainly deserves consideration as one of the all-time greats. Argument Against: The Jetsons was a fun sitcom for its time, but the fact is that it was just that: a sitcom. It had a sci-fi twist and threw in plenty of crazy gadgets that generated laughs, but it was essentially a one-joke show. The characters delivered a pastiche of Prime Time comedy standards, and the series did not offer much in the way of original stories. It mostly took what had come before and dressed it up with fanciful futuristic inventions to bring the laughs. And even those grew tired after a while, much like the many cave-punk versions of modern conveniences that The Flintstones threw at audiences. The Jetsons delivered a fun show—just like The Flintstones—but after a few episodes it becomes repetitive, and diminishing returns set in quickly. This one is definitely worth a look as an early Prime Time entry that made sci fi more palatable to general audiences, but counting it as an all-time great may be too much of a stretch. Johnny Jay’s Take: Full confession: as a kid, I preferred The Flintstones over The Jetsons and spent much more time watching that caveman comedy (of course, that one did have more episodes). I would watch The Jetsons if it was on (we didn’t have many options in those days), but it was not one I sought out. I liked the relationship between Fred and Barney and thought they had some funny routines, and in general, I just enjoyed the world of The Flintstones more. But revisiting The Jetsons, I can see where it was an important show for its time. It made sci fi more audience-friendly for viewers who had grown up watching cop shows, variety shows, sitcoms, westerns, and more, and it offered some pretty humorous future takes on modern conveniences. And I have to admit: I did laugh at the show and still find it rather funny today. Hanna and Barbera did not develop the characters quite as well for The Jetsons as they did for The Flintstones (though they had more time with the latter show), and the goofy gadgets could get a little ridiculous at times, but the series is still great fun. And when it was revived in the ’80s, that continuation followed the spirit of the original surprisingly well. As to whether The Jetsons counts as a sci-fi TV great? You have to acknowledge its influence, and it certainly counts as classic television. I wouldn’t put it in the Top 20 genre shows, but it deserves to be considered at some point on the list. Where Can You Watch It? The original series has been released on both DVD and Blu-ray . It is available on streaming (including the second and third seasons) on Hulu. Do you consider The Jetsons to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows, or is it too silly and too dated? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV . Read about more of the Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows of All Time at this link . Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com . Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers. Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production. Source: https://www.cancelledscifi.com/2025/12/13/the-greatest-sci-fi-tv-shows-of-all-time-the-jetsons-1962/