Red Dwarf voted best sci-fi show

Red Dwarf has been named the best sci-fi show of all time.

The BBC2 space sitcom, which starred Craig Charles, ran for 10 years and was a cult hit.

It topped a poll of 3,000 Radio Times readers – who were barred from choosing Doctor Who because it was “too obvious”.

The X Files was second, followed by Lost, Life On Mars and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Radio Times editor Gull Hudson said: “Seeing Life On Mars and Lost in the top 10 was no surprise – they are perfect examples of ’unreality TV’ which is becoming one of the defining trends of the Noughties.

“But Red Dwarf at number one? That did surprise us. It hasn’t even been on TV this century.

“By taking Doctor Who out of the running – which usually wins every sci-fi and fantasy show poll going – we’ve obviously blown the field wide open. But it also goes to show the kind of long-term loyalty that these shows inspire.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation, starring Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was sixth – two places ahead of the original Sixties series.

The top 20 also featured The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Quantum Leap, Twin Peaks, Battlestar Galactica and new show Heroes.

Top 20

1 Red Dwarf

2 The X Files

3 Lost

4 Life On Mars

5 Buffy The Vampire Slayer

6 Star Trek: The Next Generation

7 Stargate SG-1

8 Star Trek

9 The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

10 Quantum Leap

11 Heroes

12 Blake’s 7

13 Twin Peaks

14 V

15 Torchwood

16 Babylon 5

17 The Prisoner

18 Battlestar Galactica

19 Thunderbirds

20 Lost In Space