The 40 most popular 1970s sci-fi & fantasy TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Kamen Rider
1971 · JP
Takeshi Hongo is a promising young man with a passion for motorcycle racing. However, his dreams are suddenly ruined when he gets kidnapped by Shocker, the evil secret organization planning to dominate the world. After being remodeled into a cyborg, Takeshi escapes and swears to protect the world from the inhuman monsters.


Doraemon
1979 · JP
Doraemon is an anime TV series created by Fujiko F. Fujio and based on the manga series of the same name. This anime is the much more successful successor of the 1973 anime.


Lupin the 3rd
1971 · JP
Follow the exciting adventures of Arsene Lupin III, the grandson of the world's greatest thief, Arsene Lupin. Together with Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa and his love interest Fujiko Mine, he carries out the greatest robberies of all time, all the while evading the control of Inspector Koichi Zenigata.


Sítio do Picapau Amarelo
1977 · BR
The stories created by Monteiro Lobato take place at the "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo" (Yellow Woodpecker Farm), where various characters experience magical tales and star in unforgettable adventures.


The Six Million Dollar Man
1974 · US
Follow the adventures of Steve Austin, cybernetically enhanced astronaut turned secret agent, employed by the OSI, under the command of Oscar Goldman and supervised by the scientist who created his cybernetics, Rudy Wells. Steve uses the superior strength and speed provided by his bionic arm and legs, and the enhanced vision provided by his artificial eye, to fight enemy agents, aliens, mad scientists, and a wide variety of other villains.


The Incredible Hulk
1977 · US
During an experiment gone bad, radiation turns a scientist into a raging green behemoth whenever he becomes agitated. Unable to control his transformations, David Banner searches for a cure as he crosses the country, fugitive-style, with a dogged tabloid reporter on his trail.


Fantasy Island
1978 · US
A magical island hosted by Mr Roarke and Tattoo where weekly guests learn valuable life lessons in their pursuit of fulfilling their dreams. Not all dreams are fulfilled as expected.


Super Friends
1973 · US
The most powerful heroes ever--Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman and Robin--join forces with teenagers Wendy and Marvin and their dog, Marvel the Wonderdog, to defend justice and guard the innocent.


Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
1972 · JP
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a five-member superhero team that is composed of the main characters in several anime created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and later adapted into several English-language versions. It is also known by the abbreviated name Gatchaman. The original series, produced in 1972, was eponymously named Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman and is most well known to the English-speaking world as the adaptation titled Battle of the Planets. The series received additional English adaptations with G-Force: Guardians of Space and ADV Films' uncut 2005 release. Tatsunoko also uses the official translation Science Commando Gatchaman, as shown in numerous related products and media. Because the English-language versions are notoriously inconsistent not only with one another but also with the original Japanese series, viewers most familiar with the English versions often experience some confusion upon re-examining the series after a long hiatus. The original 1972 Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman series was followed by an animated film, two sequel series, Gatchaman II, and Gatchaman Fighter. In the 90's, episodes from both series were dubbed into English by Saban as Eagle Riders. In 1994, the original series was remade as a condensed OVA series.


Night Gallery
1970 · US
Rod Serling narrates an anthology of fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories from a set resembling a macabre museum. A chilling work of art serves as the connective link between the stories.


Space: 1999
1975 · UK
The crew of Moonbase Alpha must struggle to survive when a massive explosion throws the Moon from orbit into deep space.


UFO Robot Grendizer
1975 · JP
The story revolves around Duke Fleed who is a survivor of the Vega Star, raised by Dr. Umon as his adoptive son, and known as Daisuke Umon on Earth. Years after his arrival, he's faced with the threat of King Vega and his army, who want to conquer the Earth. With his friends Koji and Hikaru (and later his kid sister Maria Grace), Duke decides to fight back using his best weapon, the almighty Grendizer.


Mazinger Z
1972 · JP
Mazinger Z, known briefly as Tranzor Z in the United States, is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. It was adapted into an anime television series which aired on Fuji TV from December 1972 to September 1974. A second manga series was released alongside the TV show, this one drawn by Gosaku Ota, which started and ended almost at the same time of the TV show. Mazinger Z has spawned several sequels and spinoff series, among them UFO Robot Grendizer and Mazinkaiser. It was a very popular cartoon in Mexico during the 1980s, where it was dubbed into Spanish directly from the Japanese version, keeping the Japanese character names and broadcasting all 92 episodes, unlike the version aired in the U.S.


Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
1975 · JP
A powerful terrorist organization known as the Black Cross Army threatens to destroy the Earth, with only the defense organization EAGLE (EArth Guard LEague) able to oppose them. In retaliation, Black Cross Army destroys multiple EAGLE headquarters across Japan, killing all but five people. Now, these five remaining EAGLE members are called to form a secret, powerful team known as Gorenger, the only force left that has a chance to stop the Black Cross Army and their evil leader, Black Cross Führer.


Mork & Mindy
1978 · US
A wacky alien comes to Earth to study its residents and the life of the human woman he boards with is never the same.


Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979 · US
20th-century astronaut Buck Rogers awakens in the 25th century after a freak accident puts him in suspended animation for 500 years. Upon returning to Earth and discovering the planet is recovering from a nuclear war, Buck uses his combat skills and ingenuity to protect Earth and fight evil throughout the galaxy alongside starfighter pilot Colonel Wilma Deering and robot companion Twiki.


The Bionic Woman
1976 · US
After fully recovering from her near fatal bout of bionic rejection, Jaime Sommers, the first female cyborg, is assigned to spy missions of her own.


Blake's 7
1978 · UK
A group of convicts and outcasts fight a guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation from a highly advanced alien spaceship.


UFO
1970 · UK
A secret, high-technology international agency called SHADO defends Earth from alien invaders.


Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974 · US
Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter who investigated mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly those that law enforcement authorities would not follow up. These often involved the supernatural or even science fiction, including fantastic creatures.


Future Boy Conan
1978 · JP
After the great disaster of 2008, a war that destroyed the planet, the world is now largely ocean with the continents having sunk. Conan lives on a remote island with his grandpa and nature, never having seen another human being. But one day a mysterious girl, Lana, washes up on his beach. The two become quick friends, but she’s soon kidnapped and taken to Industria, a technological remainder from the world before. Conan leaves his island in pursuit, braving new lands and many hardships with new friends and enemies just beyond the horizon.


Wonder Woman
1975 · US
With the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury and the beauty of Aphrodite, she’s Wonder Woman. Beautiful Amazon princess Wonder Woman travels to 1940s America disguised as Diana Prince, assistant to handsome but trouble-prone Major Steve Trevor. Using her golden belt, which imbues her with astonishing strength, her bullet-deflecting bracelets, a golden lasso that dispels dishonesty and an invisible supersonic plane, Wonder Woman combats evil.


Mobile Suit Gundam
1979 · JP
What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a war? Teenager Amuro Ray sees his life shattered when war comes to his home. During the chaos, Amuro finds himself inside the mobile suit Gundam, the Earth Federation's new secret weapon, and he somehow gets it to work. Amuro and the other refugees flee their homeland on the warship White Base. This group of children and inexperienced soldiers will change the outcome of the war.


Gordian Warrior
1979 · JP
The Earth had become a wasteland of deserts as the survivors work to rebuild communities. Daigo Otaki is a young orphan raised by his uncle. Becoming an adult, Daigo discovers that Victor City was in fact planned by his father who was a genius scientist. Daigo's sister Saori had been managing it. She pleaded with Daigo to take on the inheritance that Daigo's father left him, a super robot system known as Gordian. Daigo would join the Mechacon mechanic combat 18th regiment unit, an organization of law enforcers that defend Victor City against attacks from the Madokuta organization.


Battlestar Galactica
1978 · US
When the 12 Colonies of Man are wiped out by a cybernetic race called the Cylons, Commander Adama and the crew of the battlestar Galactica lead a ragtag fleet of human survivors in search of a "mythical planet" called Earth.


Galaxy Express 999
1978 · JP
In a distant future, Tetsuro is a human boy who wants his body replaced with a robotic one. This is possible, but to do so he has to reach the Immortal Planet onboard the space train Galaxy Express 999. Maetel, a beautiful and mysterious blonde woman dressed in Russian style, joins him in the long journey through space. Every episode sees our heroes arriving in a new planet's space train station.


Maya the Bee
1975 · JP
The adventures of a young and happy bee who is sent by her queen to search for pollen, and in doing so she finds a new world that surrounds her, making friends with various forest creatures.


Starzinger
1978 · JP
Three powerful cyborgs must assist Princess Aurora on her dangerous journey to the Great Planet, in order to restore balance in the universe.


Getter Robo
1974 · JP
From deep within the Earth's surface, the Dinosaur Kingdom make their move to wipe out mankind and conquer the planet with their mechanical dinosaurs. After a prototype Getter Robo is shot down by a mechanical dinosaur, the Saotome Research Institute decides to use the real Getter Robo, which is combat-capable. Due to a lack of pilots in the institute, Ryo Nagare goes to his college to persuade martial artist Musashi Tomoe and outcast Hayato Jin to join him and pilot the Getter Machines to combat the new threat and protect mankind.


Little Meg the Witch Girl
1974 · JP
Majokko Megu-chan is a magical girl anime series. The manga was created by Tomo Inoue and Akio Narita, while the 72-episode anime series was produced by Toei Animation between 1974 and 1975. This series is considered an important forerunner of the present day magical girl genre, as the series' characterization and general structure exerted considerable influence over future shows in the same genre. Most notably, several of the show's recurring motifs were recycled in Toei's Sailor Moon, AIC's Pretty Sammy, and Wedding Peach.


Battle of the Planets
1978 · US
G-Force, a five-member superhero team, fights to defend Earth and its space colonies from the threat of the planet Spectra.


Planet Robot Danguard Ace
1977 · JP
Planet Robo Danguard Ace is a Japanese science fiction anime series created by Leiji Matsumoto with Dan Kobayashi. It was licensed by Jim Terry Productions as part of the Force Five promotion as simply "Danguard Ace". English dialog was written for re-dubbing by Lynn Garrison who then combined a number of episodes into a feature length presentation which gained a cult following on the Showtime network during the eighties. The titular robot also appeared in Marvel Comics' Shogun Warriors series, as well as the toy line of the same name. In 2009, William Winckler Productions produced three all new English dubbed movie versions edited from the original series. Producer William Winckler, known for Tekkaman the Space Knight, wrote, produced and directed the English films, which are seen on broadband in Japan. Dangard Ace is Matsumoto's only contribution to the giant robot genre.


El manantial del milagro
1974 · MX
No overview available


Star Trek
1973 · US
The animated adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the crew of the Starship Enterprise.


Sindbad the Sailor
1975 · JP
More than 1200 years ago, the impish Sindbad, a mischievous boy full of curiosity, sneaks into the royal palace to watch the acrobatic performances and learns that a wide world awaits beyond Baghdad. Hearing of the travels of his uncle Captain Ali, Sindbad decides to become a sailor and travel around the world. Leaving behind a note to his father, young Sindbad boards Captain Ali’s ship and-accompanied by a myna called Sheila-sets out for the greatest adventure of his life.


J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
1977 · JP
Cyborg warriors were created by the Special Science Investigation Squad to bear nuclear, gravitational, magnetic, and electrical forces. They fight the crime empire known as "Crime".


Ultraman Leo
1974 · JP
After being brutally maimed by evil aliens, Dan Moroboshi (Ultra Seven) takes under his wing a fierce young Ultra-like being from L-77, and christens him "Ultraman Leo," to continue his mission to defend the Earth.


Return of Ultraman
1971 · JP
Another being from Nebula M-78, identical to the original Ultraman, combines with car racer-turned-MAT patrol member Hideki Gô, and fights assorted menaces in a frightening new "Age of Monsters."


Space Pirate Captain Harlock
1978 · JP
When a mysterious invader from the stars catches Earth unawares, only the legendary space pirate Captain Harlock and the crew of the Arcadia have the will to stand against them.


Inazuman
1973 · JP
Ban Daisuke of Kikaida fame takes the lead role in this classic series pitting a college student against the hostile forces of the Neo-Human Empire. Unique among live action tokusatsu shows, this innovative series features the extraordinary double henshin transformation, the Raijingo supercar, and psionic (psychic) abilities. Watari Goro (Ban) clashes with Emperor Bamba's grotesque corps of mutant monsters, and exclaims, "Summon Supreme Power” (Choriki Shorai!) to initiate his final transformation into Inazuman.
1970s television grew markedly more socially engaged, with sitcoms and dramas taking on subject matter the previous decade wouldn't touch.
Science fiction and fantasy on television get to build worlds across dozens of hours, which is why the genre's most detailed universes are TV universes. Effects costs long constrained it; streaming budgets no longer do.