Star Trek was canceled after just three seasons, then grew into one of the most popular and influential franchises in science fiction history. Ever since, fans of the genre have pointed fingers, accusing TV networks of being too quick on the phaser with science fiction shows, canceling them without allowing time to build an audience.

True enough. But despite fans' frustration at the loss of such series as Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, this is a rich time for science fiction and fantasy on both network and cable TV.

On Friday, Fox debuted Virtuality, Ronald D. Moore's still-alive pilot for a series about virtual reality on a space ship. BBC America resurrects David Tennant's Doctor Who on Saturday.

Later this summer, SyFy (the renamed Sci Fi Channel) will introduce Warehouse 13, about FBI agents assigned to a top-secret warehouse housing mysterious artifacts, and bring back the wacky scientists of Eureka.

In the fall, new network offerings exploring global catastrophes, unexplained phenomena, vampires, witches and past-life regression will join the returning Dollhouse and Fringe on Fox, Chuck and Heroes on NBC, Supernatural on the CW and Lost on ABC.

Moore, whose popular and critically acclaimed Battlestar: Galactica ended its run this season, has the prequel Caprica on hold for an expected debut on SyFy early next year.

But Virtuality has endured more ups and downs than the space shuttle. After ordering the pilot last year, Fox asked Moore and co-writer Michael Taylor to cut it to one hour from two, and when that didn't work, the network passed. Most observers assumed the project was dead.

Not yet, Moore said in a recent telephone press conference.

''It's a pilot for a series, and Fox . . . broadcast it as a two-hour movie,'' he said. ``They haven't picked it up to date. . . . I think right now it doesn't look like it's going to series, but I think if enough people watched and enough people got excited about it, anything is possible.''

Sci-fi fans couldn't be blamed if they were reluctant to get excited about a project clinging so tenuously to life. But here's a look at other new shows on the schedule that fit into the sci-fi and fantasy genre.

• Doctor Who, 9 p.m. Saturday and July 26 on BBC America: Tennant's last two appearances as the Doctor are a Christmas special and, next week, an Easter outing. Matt Smith takes over the role next year.

• Warehouse 13,'' 9 p.m. July 7 on SyFy: FBI agents Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock are put in charge of retrieving supernatural artifacts and returning them to a secret warehouse in a series with X-Files overtones.

• Torchwood: Children of Earth, 9 p.m. July 20 on BBC America: The five-episode Series 3 airs as a miniseries, five nights in a row.

• Being Human, July 25 on BBC America: A 20-something vampire, werewolf and ghost are roommates.

For fall and beyond:

• Flash Forward: The whole world blacks out in a mysterious event that also produces flashes of the future. Fall on ABC.

• Vampire Diaries: A high school girl is fascinated by a new boy who's a centuries-old vampire. Fall on the CW.

• Eastwick: A new spin on The Witches of Eastwick. Midseason on ABC.

• V: The 1980s alien miniseries is updated. Midseason on ABC.

• Day One: A limited-run series follows a group of survivors after a global catastrophe. Midseason on NBC.

• Past Life: A team investigates past lives to solve problems in present lives. Midseason on Fox.

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