Battlestar Galactica isn’t just the best sci-fi TV show of the 21st century, it practically recreated sci-fi TV for the 21st century. No disrespect intended to the Star Treks, Stargates, and Babylon 5s of the world, but this 2004-2008 Sci-Fi (now Syfy) series expanded both science fiction and nerd culture itself to a whole new audience.

Of all the concepts to have breakaway mainstream appeal, Battlestar Galactica was one of the least likely going into its late 2003 miniseries debut. The miniseries-then-show was created by Ronald D. Moore (who wrote on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and was a remake of a 1978 series that very few regarded as a classic. The original Battlestar Galactica sought to recapture the magic of Star Wars but instead came to be remembered as a corny pastiche of the regrettable space opera genre.

Impeccably timed for the post 9/11-era, the dark Battlestar Galactica remake was an immediate critical darling and fan favorite. Like the original, this BSG followed the remnants of humanity as they escaped annihilation from their robotic creations known as the Cylons and drifted out into space in search of a new home, protected only by the titular Battlestar Galactica. While things got admittedly a little loopy in the end, Battlestar Galactica’s four seasons, one miniseries, one spinoff, and two TV movies represent some of the most thrilling science fiction the medium of television has to offer.