When I first read that the creators of the underrated “Masters Of Horror” were creating a similar show in the Sci-Fi genre, I was excited to say the least. Aside from “The Twilight Zone,” there has never been another consistently great Sci-Fi anthology series and I had hopes that the creators could whip up something special. Alas, “Masters Of Science Fiction” is neither special nor rewarding. It’s simply a dull, throwaway series.

“Masters Of Science Fiction” includes six episodes. Here’s the rundown of each one:

Clean Escape- If you want to know why this series died a quick death then look no further than this poorly written pilot about a psychiatrist trying to help a patient recover his memories in a post-apocalyptic world.

The Awakening- This tale has a promising premise about the discovery of an alien and stars the great Terry O’Quinn of “Lost” fame, yet the episode manages to squander them both.

Jerry Was A Man- This is literally the only quality episode of the entire set. It’s an intelligent, provoking, funny futuristic story of an anthropoid (a robot slave of sorts) that manages to dig into meaty themes like freedom and humanity. The episode stars Anne Heche.

Discarded- This episode revolves around a ship full of mutated people whom are forbidden to return to Earth. While the premise is intriguing, the execution is flawed. However, the high production values (especially the costume and makeup work) makes it worth a look.

Little Brother and Watchbird- These were the two episodes that never aired on television. ‘Brother,’ which revolves around a society in which machines are judge and jury, sounds good on paper, but the episode is a complete talky bore. “Watchbird,” on the other hand, isn’t half bad. The story involves an armed robot security force that winds up becoming uncontrollable. It’s slow to start, but it makes one think about the dangers of technology. The cast (James Cromwell and Sean Astin) are also in fine form here.