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The Iron Giant

Right now the top kids’ movie in the country is Big Hero 6, Disney’s computer-animated comedy that stars a cuddly, heroic robot.

As someone who grew up with a host of adorable aliens and ‘bots—E.T., R2-D2, Paulie’s robot in Rocky IV, etc.—I’m excited by any pop-culture creation that might pique kids’ interest in science fiction.

If you’ve exhausted every episode of Clone Wars on Netflix and find yourself thinking that your little one isn’t quite ready for retro fare like Back to the Future or Tron, I’ve rounded up several streamable options that should appeal to sci-fi aficionados of all ages.

“Supermarionation” Standouts: Thunderbirds/Stingray/Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s puppet-filled sci-fi shows are a half-century old, but they’re still highly entertaining. The most popular series, Thunderbirds, follows a family’s “high-tech” rescue operations in 2065. [Where to stream Thunderbirds]
Grownup Trivia: The look of these “Supermarionation” shows has been spoofed many times in pop culture, most notably in Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 2004 comedy, Team America: World Police.

Top-notch Animation: The Iron Giant. The 1999 animated feature sets the standard for what a kids’ sci-fi flick should be and marks the first movie helmed by Oscar-winning director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille). [Where to stream The Iron Giant]
Grownup Trivia: The film is adapted from a story by Ted Hughes, the late poet who was once married to Sylvia Plath.

For Tiny Trekkies: Star Trek: The Animated Series. If you’re counting down ‘til the day your kid is ready for Captain Kirk in the flesh, this short-lived ‘70s ‘toon might be a good gateway. [Stream Star Trek: The Animated Series on Hulu]
Grownup Trivia: Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted several years after the live-action show was canceled. Amazingly, it features the voices of almost every original cast member.

For Little Whovians: Though Doctor Who is a fairly family-friendly series, the British franchise has produced a few offshoots aimed at kids. My favorite is The Sarah Jane Adventures, a live-action adventure show starring Doctor Who alum Elisabeth Sladen and a young ensemble cast. [Stream The Sarah Jane Adventures on Hulu Plus]
Grownup Trivia: Sadly, Sladen died of cancer in 2011. The show’s final episode aired a few months after her death.

Something New: The Invaders. Recently I became hip to this web series about a tech-savvy 7-year-old girl who details an alien invasion via her YouTube vlog. The short episodes are clever and have surprisingly good special effects, and it’s particularly exciting to see a young lady take on the universe. [Stream The Invaders on YouTube]
Grownup Trivia: Creator Mark Cabaroy has a long resume that includes writing for Sesame Street and The Electric Company.

Nick Classics: My Life as a Teenage Robot and Space Cases. Nickelodeon has produced a handful sci-fi shows for kids. The best might be Teenage Robot, a ‘toon about a young female ‘bot who (of course) just wants to live a normal life. As for Space Cases, the ‘90s live-action show is pretty cheesy but features tons of fun guest stars, like Mark Hamill and George Takei. (Shaky eps of Space Cases are also on YouTube.)
Where to stream: Nick Reboot (all), Amazon (Teenage Robot)
Grownup Trivia: Space Cases is chock full of geek cred, from its creators (comics writer Peter David, former Lost in Space star Bill Mumy) to its cast (a pre-Firefly Jewel Staite).

Whitney Matheson (@whitneymatheson) is a pop-culture writer and mother. She parks her spaceship in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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