I hear Babylon 5 and The Expanse is nice, but I hear so little about those two shows I don’t know what to expect of these stories.
live action as animated recommendation is allowed.
Here to fanboy over Babylon 5.
B5 is a political comfort show for me, especially these days. It was brazen for the 90s, with characters facing questions like: recovering from drug addiction, cross-cultural romantic relationships and their hurdles, colonization and genocide, bisexual representation, the loss of family members, and what to do if you’re a military member serving a regime that you hate. It’s deeply philosophical and mature, and it’s had a profound impact on my life.
It had the time to develop complex relationships between characters. One of my favorite characters is an alien ambassador named G’kar, played by Andreas Katsulas.
Andreas KatsulasHe was an absolutely brilliant actor. The world lost a treasure when he passed.
Just to add while the CGI aged the content of the dialog hits harder to me an adult than it did as a kids. Top work.
Babylon 5’s is great if you like serialization. The first season is very weak due to a major health crisis in the principal character that occurred between the shooting of the pilot and the launch of the series. The story was adjusted so that a new station head and actor could take on the lead.
Farscape is an absolute gem and a wild ride. It really picks up after the first 12 episodes. It’s so incredibly influential on so many science fiction shows in the streaming era that it’s worth watching just for that alone. Be aware that the show was canceled before it could wrap up its full arc. A limited series was made later to wrap up the storyline — make sure you’ll be able to be able to get it.
I’m a fan of many of the old 1960s and 1970s shows but watching them really depends on your tolerance for older production styles and scripting. Space 1999 is worth tracking down for sure.
In terms of more recent shows, three serialized shows that involved time travel that actually stuck the landing are Continuum, Travelers, and 12 Monkeys. All are very good, with strong ensembles, but reflect the darker sci-fi trend of the 2010s.
I highly suggest the skip/watch list for Farscape so people don’t waste time on the filler episodes and mandatory flashback episodes.
Definitely a YMMV situation.
Many episodes that may be described as ‘filler’ are ones that have side adventures or character development. Farscape isn’t rigidly serialized. Just because it’s not moving the main plot narrative doesn’t mean it’s filler.
The flashback episodes are a scourge of that time period.
Stargate had these dumb episodes every season where they found some reason like a court martial to show us flashbacks in case we forgot or missed an episode.
plus one to farscape. should have listed it in my mentions.
Farscape had absolutely no right to be that good on a $4.99 AUD budget
The Orville is very good, as it also explores ethics and philosophy like Star Trek and has refreshing ship designs (for example, more vulviform or squid-like, instead of the usual saucer or phallic designs)
The Orville needs a disclaimer, reassuring people that Seth McFarlane’s humour is reined in eventually (starting in season 2, iirc) and it grows from an okay parody of Trek and scifi into a show with surprisingly deep plot and character development and gags sprinkled on top. (SMF is a cool guy and he can be funny as long as he’s not trying to)
Everything about the Moclans is some of the most courageous stuff I’ve seen on TV, with obvious and still clever parallels to reality and no easy answers offered. And I hate that some people are probably turned off by Seth being Seth in the beginning and never see those storylines.
Yeah the Orville is pretty open on that. The first couple eps were written for fox execs who wanted frat boy humour. If the stars should appear (ep 4) is the point where you go “oh shit this is real trek!”
Orville is the most TNG since TNG.
There’s no greater ship than LEXX!
Battlestar Galactica (2004) is my all-timer. A lot of it feels incredibly salient today imo.
Yes, I’d say BSG is where they take the concept of a federated military in space but move from story of the week to an overarching plot.
Babylon 5 did it too, but not to the same extent. TV was moving from weekly broadcast to streaming and binging.
I think I’m due a rewatch!
I’m here to recommend The Expanse. It’s more of a near-future dystopian scifi setting than Star Trek, with humanity petty much limited to our own solar system by technology. I read the books before the show became a thing, and I like them both.
I read the books before the show became a thing, and I like them both.
Because the books are great and the show is great I would actually suggest reading it all before watching the show.
Good call.
Babylon 5 is fantastic - I guess if I were to describe it briefly (and vaguely), it would be “interstellar political drama with mythological undertones.”
Any of the classics really are worth a watch.
The Expanse - more realistic sci-fi that actually accounts for thrust as gravity and slingshots around planets and such. Dystopian but not quite depressingly so. I’m on season 2. Much more serious. Still good. Read the books with a friend.
Babylon 5 - Deep space 9 basically. Complete with godlike alien beliefs and a Vulcan like character. Honestly holds up really well from what I recall though it’s been a while since I watched it.
Stargate - very fun. Campy. Not afraid to make fun of itself. Much more action and tropy but a very fun watch. Added bonus, between all three shows you’ve got like 18 seasons. Plenty to bite into. Honestly one of my favorite shows still.
Firefly - A Western, in space. Very good. Very fun. Love it.
Farscape - almost but not quite a sci-fi parody, but good. Guy gets lost in space, meets aliens, goes on adventure. Several of the actors also got roles in later seasons of Stargate.
Apple TV has had such an amazing run of good sci-fi lately
Silo, Foundation, For all mankind, Murderbot (honestly my favorite), Dark Matter, Pluribus
They are putting out a ton of great stuff.
Murderbot is fantastic and the Trek type show he’s obsessed with has actors who’ve been in actual Trek shows, it’s brilliant
Their scifi is pretty much the only reason I keep my AppleTV subscription. They put out so much good stuff.
And Pluribus surprised me. I had no interest in it until I found out there are aliens.
They had me at Vince Gilligan.
bc i havent seen anyone else post it… Galaxy Quest!
Since that IS just Trek in disguise, everybody probably assumes OP has seen it.
fair, fair… i think i’ve even seen it on a couple of lists of the “best” star trek movies lol.
The Expanse is nice, but the later seasons left me disappointed.
Andor is top of my list still for good story mixed with sci-fi.
Did you watch SeaQuest? Worth a look.
Babylon 5
Stargate SG-1
Farscape
Well, I’d do a disservice to my hyperfixation if I didn’t at least bring up Doctor Who which does count as science fiction. If you’re looking for more in the vein of Star Trek, disregard and do go watch B5 and The Expanse.
Somebody’s got to mention Red Dwarf. It’s kind of like if The Office (UK) and Farscape had a baby and raised it on an old Dr. Who set.
If you want funny scifi but with a frequent emotional edge, Red Dwarf is fantastic.
I don’t know anything about Babylon 5. But just watch the expanse without knowing anything first season is a slow burn but the payoff in season 2 is well worth it. Some of the best scifi I’ve watched
