1. Max Headroom
That stuttering digital suit, man. Max Headroom was pure '80s cyberpunk, a TV show about a TV star. It was a commentary on media saturation before we even knew what that really meant. The practical effects and early computer graphics gave it this unsettling, glitchy reality. Felt like a nightmare from the future, broadcast directly into your brain. And the way they did the effects, it still holds up as a weird, visual oddity. A cult classic that pushed boundaries.
2. Twin Peaks
David Lynch just dropped a bomb on network TV with this. You started watching for the murder mystery, but then it spiraled into pure, unadulterated surrealism. Log Ladies, backward-talking dwarves, cherry pie, and coffee – it was a soap opera gone completely off the rails, but in the best possible way. The analog visuals, that dark, atmospheric vibe… it changed what television could be. And it still messes with your head.
3. The Maxx
MTV Animation was wild in the '90s. The Maxx was a dark, gritty dive into a hero’s fractured mind, blending a bleak urban landscape with a psychedelic 'Outback' dream world. Sam Kieth’s art came alive with this raw, almost grotesque animation style that felt utterly unique. It was adult animation before that was even a genre, pulling you into its psychological chaos with every surreal frame. Totally punk rock TV.
4. Æon Flux
Before The Matrix, there was Æon Flux. This was pure, unadulterated experimental animation from MTV, all about style, movement, and a complete disregard for traditional narrative. Peter Chung built a dystopian future where the action was balletic, the visuals were stark, and the meaning was often left up to you. It was sleek, violent, and provocative, a true '90s cable fever dream. Definitely not for passive viewing.
5. Liquid Television
This was MTV's sandbox for the truly bizarre and experimental. Liquid Television birthed Æon Flux and Beavis and Butt-Head, but it was so much more than that. It was an anthology of short-form animation, live-action oddities, and digital experiments. Felt like flipping through channels on a psychedelic drug trip, a raw, unfiltered blast of creative energy that defied categorization. It was where new talent cooked up truly groundbreaking stuff.
6. Xena: Warrior Princess
Talk about syndicated gold. Xena was pure, glorious camp, blending ancient mythology with martial arts, melodrama, and just enough self-awareness to make it iconic. Lucy Lawless owned that role, kicking ass and taking names across fantastical landscapes. It wasn't prestige TV, but it was endlessly entertaining, a proto-genre hybrid that knew exactly what it was: a fun, action-packed ride with a genuinely magnetic lead. And those battle cries!
7. Lexx
Man, Lexx was just… wrong. And glorious. This Canadian-German co-production embraced its low-budget weirdness, throwing together a giant, living spaceship, a sex-crazed zombie, and a bunch of misfits across a dark, surreal universe. It was part sci-fi, part dark comedy, part existential horror. The analog effects and deliberately cheesy dialogue gave it a unique, almost accidental charm. Pure cult TV, the kind that stuck with you because it was just so damn odd.
8. Babylon 5
Before long-form serialization was cool, Babylon 5 was doing it, mapping out a five-year arc from day one. It was ambitious sci-fi, a space station as a melting pot of alien politics and intergalactic war. The early CGI was clunky, sure, but the writing was sharp, tackling complex themes with a soap-operatic grandeur. You got invested in these characters, in this vast, unfolding narrative. A true precursor to modern serialized dramas.
