TV REVIEW : ‘Science Fiction’ on Fox Is a Journey Into TV History

Science fiction has been a programming staple throughout television’s history. Yet it has never been a big ratings getter; the only sci-fi shows that have ever finished in the Top 20 for a season have been “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman” (unless you count “Bewitched” or “My Favorite Martian” . . . or “The Millionaire”).

Why this is so, and why TV executives keep trying such series anyway, are questions that never get asked in tonight’s “Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown.” Instead, the Museum of Television & Radio, which produced the two-hour program, is content to chronicle the shows that have populated this genre--from the standard-bearing “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone” to such forgettable efforts as “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Invaders.”

The effort serves as a pleasant reminder that, ratings notwithstanding, there have been a lot of memorable sci-fi shows on the tube--some of which managed to comment on the human predicament as pointedly as any contemporary drama, some of which simply offered cool monsters and special effects. The clips are grouped by subject--aliens, outer space, time travel, robots, the macabre--and cover a wide array of programming that includes “Time Tunnel,” “Max Headroom,” “Babylon 5,” “Lost in Space,” “The Outer Limits” and “The Prisoner.”

But no mention of cable’s Sci-Fi Channel? For shame.

* “Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown” airs at 8 tonight on Fox (Channels 11 and 6).