5. The Bedford Falls Experience
Liberty FilmsFor the unfamiliar: Bedford Falls is the setting for seminal schmaltz-fest Its A Wonderful Life. While strictly a fantasy film, Frank Capras classic managed to popularise an idea that would go onto become a staple of sci-fi what would the world be like if the protagonist never existed? The films source book draws more inspiration from A Christmas Carol than from scientific notions, but the ideas survived for over sixty years because its such a common and intriguing consequence of science-fiction. When considering time travel and the grandfather paradox, the main character rarely understands the consequences of their actions until they return home and see a world without a place for them. When multiverse theory captured the publics imagination, sci-fi was on hand to depict alternative realities where the main cast had never met or even been born. Its A Wonderful Life is still shown every Christmas and thats part of the problem. Whether its Back to the Future or Sliders, theres very little about the idea that sci-fi hasnt already covered, often superbly. Weve seen the full spectrum of what-ifs, from a world thats happier because Ebenezer Scrooge is dead to a universe thats crumbling without the Doctor to save it. As a sci-fi or fantasy fan its almost impossible not to have seen this plot a dozen times before, and as great as Bedford Falls may be, Im getting a little tired of visiting.