6. Star Trek
When Star Trek first aired in 1966, nobody could imagine what would come from that first show. Set 300 years in the future aboard the starship the USS Enterprise, it followed the adventures of Captain Kirk and his multicultural, multi-species crew of science explorers. It was also the first show to feature a black woman in a role of power; the ship’s communications officer, Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols. In time, fans came to refer to it as Star Trek: The Original Series because several other series came out under the Star Trek universe. Other than Star Wars, the Star Trek universe has been the most influential science fiction storyline in Hollywood.