Hi all, maybe this community can help recommend some new shows. I’m looking for Star Trek-like ‘world-of-the-week’ stuff.
I’ve already seen the following:
The Orville
The Expanse
Battlestar Galactica
Farscape
Babylon 5 (I forgot that I never finished it, so it’s going back on the menu)
Stargate SG-1
Quantum Leap (looooove Scott Bakula)
Doctor Who (Not all of it, but pretty caught up since Eccleston)
Firefly
Sliders
Foundation (really enjoyed this one, especially the Cleon clones storyline)
Andor (not a big Star Wars guy, but I really liked this series)
Is Andromeda worth watching? What else is out there?
Thanks in advance!
It didn’t exist at the time this was posted, but this is the kind of content that would fit right in at our new community, [email protected] .
Took me a bit to get into Star Trek: Lower Decks but I recommend it to any star Trek fan!
You don’t watch other shows. You start over with Star Trek.
😁
I’ve watched and can recommend X-Files, Fringe, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Mrs. Smith, and Station Eleven.
These are some that people have recommended that seem interesting, but have not watched yet: Orphan Black, Killjoys, Humans, The 100, Dark Matter.
Thanks for these recommendations! I actually never watched X-Files, and a friend of mine binge watched all of it earlier this year and was sending me funny clips. I should add it to the list.
LOVED Station Eleven. It might be a top 5 show of all time. The first episode felt like a slog until that last minute. Partially ‘cause we were kinda living that pandemic.
But I was absolutely hooked and psyched to see more. And every episode after was “holy crap!” moments through to the very end.
Some of the best storytelling I’ve seen on TV. Really rich character development and such a beautiful concept altogether. It made me really hopeful.
Same writer/creator as The Leftovers (which I also recommend, very cool show - 3 seasons with an ending, gets progressively weirder and wilder).
Is The Expanse worth it? Thinking of starting that after strange new worlds.
In a word, yes. In three words oh fuck yes.
The expanse is great! Highly recommend it, and the books are even better.
@maino82 @oehm Agreed. The show because of Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose casting was a stroke of genius. And the books because it’s a great story. Silo (on Apple TV) is also great. #ScienceFiction
Oh boy you’re in for a treat! The first season is my favorite one. Not very Trekky though, I get a vibe of Alien mixed with cyberpunk.
I’m a huge fan of the first few seasons. When Amazon bought them I feel the quality really dropped (especially in the set pieces/visual effects) but the story is still good. A lot of people didn’t care for the first season or Miller’s character but I really enjoyed it.
It’s wild to me when fans of the show disregard the first season. To me, that season is pretty much perfect. Three arcs - a detective story, a motley crew, a political thriller - pay off feels so great when it all comes together at the end. Season 2 was such a drastic change in pacing, concept and ‘feel’ that I didn’t want to keep watching. I felt a little betrayed that Miller wasn’t actually the main character.
Besides Amos, I don’t really care about the Roci crew. I had to wait until Ashford came along in Season 3 for a new favorite character.
All in all - Avasarala, Bobby and Drummer carried the series for me.
It’s interesting that you felt betrayed by Miller not being the main character. In the book his chapters are a good example of unreliable narrator.
He comes across as a good guy and a good cop. It’s only later you realise he is unpopular which is why he was dumped with the Earther and his reputation as a drunk earned him an investigation they wanted done poorly.
Maybe the show got a similar result to the book in a different way.
I liked him too though and was gutted by his fate.
Yes, the Expanse is wonderful … I miss it TBH. As “blasphemous” as it might be here, I’d be more excited for a new Expanse series than new a Trek series.
You may have heard already, but give the show 3-4 episodes before you give up on it.
I was told this and I recall a specific moment even where I felt myself switch from, “this is fine” to “ok I like this”. May not be that way for everyone, but give it 3-4 episodes.
Also, and others have said this, each season is different with a different vibe, however that alters your viewing.
They’d need to reduce the time jump between books 6 and 7 to make another series work. I think where they ended it was a really good point. That said I would love to have seen like a fucking valkyrie on screen.
Haven’t read the books so maybe easy in spoilers.
I’m aware of the time jump, and agree it ended on a good point. But I’d still be hyped about continuing the story which was clearly hinted at in the ending too.
Other than the time jump I thought my reference was cryptic enough that to get it you’d either need to have read the books, or already been spoilered. Sorry if it wasn’t.
But I’d still be hyped about continuing the story which was clearly hinted at in the ending too.
Yeah. Hopefully there’ll be some kind of follow up, maybe a film or something.
No worries! Just a warning that you might not have realised I’ve not read the books.
I’m gonna throw this in here since no one has mentioned it —
Dark Matter
A fun SyFy show that was cancelled way too early and run by Joseph Mallozi who contributed to SG-1 and SG: Atlantis.
Going to keep the British end up here
Red Dwarf
Blake’s 7
Hyperdrive
Classic Dr Who (not all great but some classics in the run)
Altered Carbon (Netflix). This is what Blade Runner 2 should have been in terms of cinematography and story telling. First season especially is great.
I have mixed feelings on AC. I really loved the first season. Beautiful cinematography, amazing acting (Joel Kinnaman is incredible), great concept and plot. Pacing could’ve been a little better, but it really evoked that Blade Runner vibe in a cool way.
Season 2 didn’t really resonate with me :/ Felt like a cheap Marvel movie.
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I’m also going to give a curve ball: M*A*S*H.
Definitely watch the rest of the Stargate movies and then get into Atlantis. The Stargate series is very much Star Trek but with a more grounded premise. Yeah there are aliens out there, but the majority of the powers are not interested in getting along with these plucky Earthlings.
Also seconding the SyFy shows, especially Eureka and Dark Matter. Eureka is much more comedic and optimistic than the usual science fiction show. About 5 seasons and was given the chance to end properly. Dark Matter is, well, dark. Opposite of the Star Trek universe, but has great character arcs and plot lines. Absolutely worth watching the 3(?) seasons even if it ends on a cliff hangar.
Lexx
Here’s a bit of a left field one for a movie: Master and Commander the Far Side of the World
https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/13/review-of-master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world
@andthenthreemore @startrek Good one — I’d also recommend the Hornblower series (although they are nowhere as good as the books IMO). Supposedly Roddenberry once described Star Trek as “Hornblower in space”.
(But really, read the books — the character in the novels is fascinatingly complex, an introvert full of self-doubt who is also incredibly talented.)
For All Mankind is by the same writer as ds9/bsg and is pretty entertaining. There’s some bad personal drama, but the space and alternative timeline stuff is good.
For All Mankind is the Star Trek prequel we should have had.
I feel it works better as a prequel to The Expanse.
Babylon 5 has an epic story, character development, and space battles.
“I have always been here.” ~deleted by creator