Decades of Destiny Sci-Fi TV Tournament Results (Matchups 1-4)

The first results for our Decades of Destiny sci-fi tournament are in, and to say they are shocking is an understatement! From the 1970s classics to the prestige television of the 2000s, so many of you cast your votes.

While some heavy hitters held the line, we just witnessed a historic giant-killing that will disrupt brackets everywhere. Let’s break down the winners, the losers, and the statistical heartbreaks from the opening matchups.

The Results of Round Two

Here are the results of the second round of our tournament, and there are a ton of upsets and surprising results in our March Madness bracket.

The 70s: The Bionic Man Dominates the Doctor

When Steve Austin intercepts the Fourth Doctor outside his TARDIS, the Doctor quickly draws his sonic screwdriver to disrupt Steve’s cybernetic systems. However, Steve’s sheer speed and physical resilience prove too fast for the Time Lord’s calculations; before the Doctor can fully recalibrate his sonic frequencies, Steve utilizes his bionic legs to leap past the sonic waves and lunges forward. Pinning the Doctor with his bionic grip, Steve neutralizes the sonic screwdriver and demands answers, proving that top-secret government engineering and rapid reflexes can successfully shut down even the most brilliant alien minds.

Matchup : (1) The Six Million Dollar Man vs. (8) Doctor Who (Tom Baker)

Our top-seeded cybernetic hero proved his bionic strength. The Six Million Dollar Man didn’t just win; he dominated the Fourth Doctor with a massive 173.5 to 113 point spread. It seems nostalgia for Steve Austin is running at maximum velocity.

The Rest of the 70s Bracket

• (4) Space: 1999 holds off (12) Planet of the Apes (155 to 136).
• (6) The Incredible Hulk smashes past (3) Mork & Mindy (153.5 to 130).
• (2) Battlestar Galactica narrowly edges out (10) Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (159.5 to 152).

The Takeaway: The 1970s were a battle of heavyweights, but the narrow 7.5-point margin between Galactica and Buck Rogers proves that space-opera fandom remains fiercely divided.

The 80s: Star Trek Ascends and the ALF Upset

The 1980s held a bunch of surprises for the bracket. In a bizarre twist of fate, Dr. Sam Beckett leaped into Willie Tanner just as ALF was trying to install a “ham radio” (which was actually an intergalactic distress beacon) in the garage. Sam, as Willie, tried to gently talk ALF down, but the feisty alien, mistaking Sam’s confusion for a direct threat to his rescue plan, used a can of compressed air to briefly stun the “new” Willie. Before Sam could fully orient himself to the chaotic situation, ALF outsmarted him by leading him into a makeshift closet trap, locking him inside just long enough for the distress beacon to activate. Though a slightly confused Sam was eventually released when the true Willie returned, ALF had won the immediate battle of wits, claiming a chaotic, compressed-air victory in the Tanner garage.

Matchup: (5) ALF vs. (4) Quantum Leap

Here is our first major upset of the week! Despite Sam Beckett’s heroic time-traveling adventures, the wisecracking alien from Melmac ate the competition. ALF pulls off a stunning 5-seed victory over the 4-seed Quantum Leap.

The Rest of the 80s Bracket

• (1) Star Trek: The Next Generation easily cruises past (8) Alien Nation.
• (3) V: The Series repels the invaders from (6) The Twilight Zone (1985).
• (2) Knight Rider outruns (10) The Greatest American Hero.

The 90s: Star Trek Voyager Blasts Babylon 5

The sleek USS Voyager utilized its superior speed and regenerative shields to run circles around the four lumbering Omega-class destroyers. While the Earth Alliance ships unleashed a massive barrage of plasma fire, Tom Paris effortlessly danced the starship through the heavy crossfire. Seizing the opening, Tuvok returned fire with pinpoint phaser strikes and photon torpedoes, swiftly dismantling the destroyers’ forward weapon arrays and disabling their engines. Drifting and defenseless, the massive fleet was forced to stand down, clearing a path for Janeway to sail peacefully past the defeated giants.

The 90s Scoreboard

• (5) Star Trek: Voyager defeats (4) Babylon 5.
• (2) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine holds the wormhole against (7) Farscape.
• (3) Stargate SG-1 narrowly knocks out (6) 3rd Rock from the Sun
• (1) The X-Files sought the truth from (8) Sliders

The X-Files and Sliders continue to trade mysterious numbers, but the federation dominance is the story of the decade.

The 2000s: A Number 1 Seed Crashes!

The first number one seed has been knocked out in a stunning upset for the 2000s. If you had Lost winning it all, your bracket is officially busted. In the biggest shocker of the tournament so far, the Man of Steel flew right past the Island. Smallville pulled off a legendary 9-seed vs. 1-seed upset over Lost. It turns out Clark Kent’s ten-season legacy has a much tighter grip on sci-fi hearts than the Smoke Monster.

The Mega-Upset: (9) Smallville vs. (1) Lost

The jungle of the Island rustles as the Smoke Monster swirls into a towering wall of black obsidian, its mechanical clicking echoing through the banyan trees. Standing on the beach, Clark Kent doesn’t flinch. As the monster lunges forward to sweep him into the abyss, Clark blurs into super-speed, his red-and-blue jacket a streak against the tropical sand. The monster’s heavy, misty tendrils slam into Clark’s chest with the force of a freight train, but the Boy of Steel holds his ground, his feet digging deep into the island soil. “I don’t know what you are,” Clark says, his eyes glowing a fierce, fiery red as he unleashes a blast of heat vision that shears straight through the smoke, scattering the anomaly into the atmosphere. The island’s mysterious pull and psychological games find no purchase against an alien who can simply bench-press its heaviest hatches and see through its deepest bunkers with a single glance.

The Rest of the 2000s Bracket

• (4) Doctor Who (David Tennant) defeats (5) Fringe.
• (3) Firefly keeps flying, defeating (6) Heroes.
• (2) Battlestar Galactica (2004) intercepts and defeats (7) Stargate Atlantis.

What’s Next for Decades of Destiny?

Did your favorite classic show get snubbed by the voters? Is Smallville the ultimate dark horse, or will the Star Trek juggernauts steamroll the competition?

The next round heats up as our Elite 8 drops March 28-29! Make sure you check back to vote!

Ready to crown the GOAT? Participating in the Decades of Destiny bracket is simple. Whether you’re a tactical “bracketologist” or just want to support your favorite childhood show, here is how you can get involved:

1. Download Your Printable Bracket

Before the Elite 8 round begins, grab the official Decades of Destiny 64-Show PDF. Print it out, fill in your winners, and share a photo of your predictions on social media using the hashtag #DecadesOfDestiny.

[Download the PDF of the Official 2026 Bracket Here]

Leave a comment below and let us know where your bracket stands!

Don’t miss a single vote! Check out our complete Decades of Destiny Master Bracket here.