The Orville and 4 Other Best Sci-Fi TV Shows About Space for Those Who Miss Star Trek
Dashing space westerns, dramas about life on an alien planet, and cult sci-fi series.
When we talk about science fiction, we usually mean space. Starships and their crews, aliens and extraterrestrial civilizations, amazing distant planets, star wars in space – that's what the series from this list are dedicated to.
1. The Orville, 2017-2022
The Orville, a comedy-sci-fi series, was originally conceived as a parody of Star Trek, but at the same time became a homage to the iconic project.
The action of The Orville takes place in the distant future aboard a research spacecraft plowing through space under the command of Captain Ed Mercer.
Among the guest stars who appeared in the series are Charlize Theron, as well as Rob Lowe, Liam Neeson and others. In 2018, The Orville received the Saturn Award in the category of Best Sci-Fi Series, leaving behind Doctor Who and The X-Files.
2. Avenue 5, 2020-2022
Avenue 5 is a luxury spaceship that goes on a cruise for a few months. However, due to technical problems, the passengers have to spend at least three years on board.
But that is not the main problem of the space tourists: it soon turns out that the entire crew are hired actors who have no idea how to operate the ship.
The captain of Avenue 5, Ryan Clark, was played by House M.D. star Hugh Laurie, and Herman Judd, the eccentric owner of the company that started this cruise, was portrayed by Josh Gad.
3. Lost in Space, 2018-2021
Netflix's Lost in Space is a remake of the 1965 series of the same name and the 1998 feature film based on it. The stories focus on the Robinson family, who are forced to adapt to life on an unknown planet.
The project lasted for three seasons. In 2019 and 2021, it received several Saturn Award nominations at once: first in the category Best Streaming Series in the Sci-Fi, Action or Fantasy Genres, and then – Best Sci-Fi Series.
4. The Silent Sea, 2021
The Silent Sea takes place in 2075, when the Earth is running out of water. The problem can be solved with the help of samples from an abandoned scientific laboratory, where a radiation leak occurred several years ago.
The characters who face a dangerous expedition to the moon are played by South Korean movie stars: Gong Yoo, known to many for his role as a recruiter in Squid Game, and Bae Doona from the movie Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, which became the first part of Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy.
5. Firefly, 2002-2003
In 2002, the creator of the cult series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, presented viewers with the space western Firefly, which tells the story of the adventures of a team of smugglers from the ship Serenity. The team is led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion.
The series was canceled before the end of the first season. However, to the delight of fans, it later received a full-length sequel called Serenity.