In the 1980s, British television had to do something radical to reinvent the Sci-Fi sitcom genre from the ground up, and in came dark and high-concept storytelling. As we look at Astronauts, Kinvig, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Red Dwarf, we will see how the 1980s shifted the focus away from broad theatrical gags and toward character isolation, psychological paranoia, and genuine sci-fi worldbuilding.