I'd say the The Expanse fits the bill. It is a book series with a very successful television adaptation.
100%. Just finished watching the entire series a couple days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Concur. I'm a huge Trek fan, and The Expanse fits that blend of optimism and realpolitik.
I'd have enjoyed it a lot more with a better main character. He really is the blandest white man in the universe.
I love the expanse i think it is one of the best recent space sci fi shows.
But its not really a startek style show and i dont think its what op is looking for.
I think the show sliders would be much better if stargate is a good example of a non startrek franchise that fits the bill.
But then so is Doctor Who now that i think about it
Huh, I didn’t really think of Dr Who and Star Trek in the same terms. I guess? Dr Who is great, but it’s so much campier than anything after TOS. Also, I’ve only watched New Who. I did try watching the first old ep a while back but it wasn’t really something I could watch. But it’s such a long running series, are there any seasons of the old show that are super worth watching?
I’ll also check out Sliders.
civilizations, diplomacy, and exploration
Babylon 5 - It has a bit of a slow start with the first season (just the 1990's Trek shows), but it picks up about midway through season 1 and gets progressively better (higher stakes) until season 4. Season 5 is okay, and then there are series of movies, and recently even an animated show in the universe.
To add to this, they have been talking about remaking the show.
So what you’re saying is, I should watch it now so I can complain when the remake isn’t as good. /s
My favorites have all been mentioned, so consider this another recommendation for any duplicates:
I might also throw Quantum Leap, Lost Girl, and Adventures of Brisco County Jr as possibly of interest.
And if you haven't watched Lower Decks, it's one of the best Star Trek series imo.
^ This person right here knows their sci-fi. A lot of good recommendations here.
Special shout-out on Dark Matter. I found the first episode almost unwatchable, but that was because I went into it with the wrong attitude. If you don't take it to seriously it's a really fun show (as I discovered when I gave it a second chance). And it just gets better and better. Such a shame it was cancelled too soon (though that seems to go for about 95% of science-fiction TV shows!).
Lexx is fun too, just in a really weird and raunchy way.
STARGATE!
Goofy, but also deep enough. It captures some of that Startrek: TNG vibe in a totally different way. Not a lot of modern stuff has come close to that balance, closest would be Orville and while closest that leans far more into the comedy (I also still effing love that show, I'm just saying it's different).
Also totally agree re: SGU. I loved it. I get why it's divisive, but it's still one of my favorites.
::: It's the first part of the series where humans are on the cutting edge, not behind. Everyone else is gone, everything we knew is outdated, we are finally carrying the burden of being "the fifth race". It's dark because it has to be. It's an amazing addition that was just starting to spread its wings when it got cancelled, :::
It's an amazing addition that was just starting to spread its wings when it got cancelled.
Seaquest dsv is what they want. They changed it to seaquest 2023 for the last season, but I'd skip that anyway, I rewatched it a couple of years ago and that season is just straight garbage. Big changes to the cast, apparently the cast and the producers etc were constantly bickering, and boy does it show. Easy to see why it got canned before the season had even ended.
Babylon 5 and Farscape are great.
Babylon 5 is more like Trek with diplomacy and semi-realisitic plots, while Farscape leans a bit more toward Star Wars; fun, campy, weird at times but well-written.
You may also like Red Dwarf which is like the IT crowd, but in space.
Yass red dwarf!! Grew up watching the series on public television.
This comment includes all the shows I would also recommend.
Babylon 5 came out about the same time as Star Trek DS9. The first season is sometimes hard to get through, but well worth it. The character development and storylines are mostly excellent as they grow and intersect throughout the show. Season 5 can take or leave.
Farscape is another one where some people are turned off by the Jim Henson puppetesque characters. Another older show but has some great storylines and character development.
Red Dwarf, older British Humor, silly.
Highly recommend giving Farscape and Bab5 a try.
I mean, the Expanse is fantastic sci fi, both book and show. It's not that Star Trek like though.
In particular I really like the episodes that deal with interacting with other civilizations, diplomacy, and exploration more-so than say, an anomaly episode.
In light of this, and since you were able to work through the not-so-stellar episodes of ST, I'd strongly argue that Babylon 5 should be your next stop.
It has a slow start, some more mixed episodes, dated special effects and both main characters (they switched after season 1) are plain "heroic American leader" types, but virtually everything else is top tier even today. An excellent political plot, humor, great characters with genuine growth.
Just be aware that it is different from DS9 (personally, I like both).
Battlestar Galactica (the new one) and The Expanse are probably worth pointing out, too. To me, they're the best high-production-value sci-fi shows that didn't sacrifice their plot. Nevertheless, both are far more grim than the shows you've mentioned and overall "feel" different.
Was going to say Babylon 5, but yeah it's very 90s at this point. I do love it very much
For All Mankind is the Star Trek prequel we should have had. Co-created by Ron Moore (Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica), the show has a bunch of Trek alumni working behind the scenes. It features human drama (and sometimes melodrama), geopolitical diplomacy, sweeping cultural change and scientific adventure against the backdrop of a multi generational future history, starting with the first moon landing.
I'm going to tag on to this and say another more adult themed Sci-Fi trip you should take on Apple TV+ is Foundation. It is somewhere between GoT, The Expanse, and Star Trek. It is loosely based on the Foundation book series by Isaac Asimov. I highly recommend it.
If you have read the Foundation books, the series will piss you off. Not just because it has very little in common with the books but because it goes against what the books stood for. And the most interesting parts of the Foundation tv series are the emperor arcs, which are original and arent from the books.
It seems to me that the creator wanted to make a scifi series of his own but just used the Foundation name for branding, name dropping and some abstract story elements. And then try to marry all the elements with some inane movie alchemy bullshit.
Nice to see For All Mankind getting some love. Absolutely fantastic show, and definitely feels true to Roddenberry's vision.
The other science fiction series that I feel most-closely mimic the energy of Star Trek:
(This list is for anyone reading. Enjoy B5, OP! Let us know when you get to that part where everyone cries.)
The Expanse is an amazing sci-fi series that just gets better every season. Politics, war, discovery of new life, all within new civilizations cataloguing the early expansion of humans from the Earth to within our local system. Acting is top tier, graphics get better each season due to it's meteoric rise in popularity.
But yeah, nothing quite like those pure gold episodes of Star Trek: TNG. The new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is more like TNG than the other series going on right now, but only has 2 seasons at this point I believe.
I don't know if you gave Stargate Atlantis a try. It doesn't reach the heights of SG1, but it has it's moments and is enjoyable overall.
Stargate Universe was awesome. I will die on this hill.
Season 1 has some rough episodes, but the second season was great.
We watched Atlantis then some of the movies. When we looked into SGU it was on a different streaming service and we read it wasn’t great and got canceled early. Still worth seeing the little that’s there? Does it feel like it got to end on its own terms or is the cutoff jarring?
The obvious answers are outside TV media.
Mass Effect 1, the video game, was originally conceived as a Star Trek game, but they couldn't secure the IP rights, so ended up pivoting to a new universe that feels Star Trek like. Play it on story mode.
In print, there are literally a hundred reasonable options, some more or less like different elements of Trek. A good choice (in my opinion) is The Spiral Wars -- rogue ship and crew, diplomacy, great combat, alien civilizations that are non-monolithic... Or CJ Cherryh's Alliance Union universe (a good entry point is Downbelow Station, a good overview of the universe) -- many different scenarios and topics and a lot of ethical dilemmas that would make Trek proud.
Of course, if TV is your thing, try out Babylon 5, Stargate, or Farscape. They all sort of start slow.
If you're not into games I can recommend the excellent playthroughs by NitaZera. There's no player commentary, just pure game. It's like watching a TV show. Of course you miss out on making your own choices but the author has made sure to pick interesting ones. There is continuity because the events of each game (and the choices) build on each other.
Highly recommend the Culture Novels by Iain M Banks. They're not necessarily family friendly due to some adult themes and moments, but diplomacy, exploration and intrigue are the main focuses with a bit of action sprinkled in.
... (or maybe some books)...
.
Then how about the Bobiverse series? That should fit the bill perfectly. Even has a Riker! I'm a big fan of the audio books.
And definitely Project Hail Mary as a one off.
And maybe Expeditionary Force. That one is a bit much militaristic for my taste but I got to love the audio books anyways.
We just watched Scavenger's Reign, If exploration is your thing. Not much diplomacy there tho
I don't understand, aren't you supposed to start it all over again from the beginning and continue until your death? Are you allowed to watch ST just once?
I haven't seen Battlestar Galactica mentioned here. Great sci-fi show, although there is pretty much no alien life to speak of. Instead it's a juggling act between humans and the robots they created, in space. I'd almost say it's a long-form version of Blade Runner, where the robots actually beat humanity and forced them to run from Earth for survival.
If you want something that's in the vein of episodic sci fi and is family friendly, try find Seaquest DSV.
In that same vein again, i would recommend Andromeda as it was created by Gene Roddenberry but the lead was Kevin Sorbo who had gone full maga mode, so maybe pirate that one 😁
Edit: did you also watch all of Stargate Atlantis & Universe?
If you like reading leftist utopian sci-fi, it doesn't get much better than The Culture series by Iain M. Banks. It gets dark though!
Blake's 7: 70s BBC, cheesy FX, some great acting and a largely unprincipled crew which is fun.
Space 1999: if you had enjoyed TOS more you would love this: outlandish 70s episodic antiphysics
Vagrant Queen: space opera SyFy show that's pretty funny. Some blood, one season
Andromeda: Season 1 is okay
Babylon 5 is the show you're looking for :)
Doctor Who is essentially Britain's louder Star Trek.
I've mention a couple of shows in some replies but thought of some others so ill but them all here for both of our convenience
Based on this part of what you were asking fyi.
I really like the episodes that deal with interacting with other civilizations, diplomacy, and exploration more-so than say, an anomaly episode.
Space oriented
Firefly
Farscape
Lexx (maybe i didnt watch it, just caught some episodes here and there memory is foggy)
If you like the idea of a show about just the startrek episodes where they go back in time to various points in earth history and especially alternate earth history then i have the perfect show for you Its very similar to stargate in set up but not at all the same show
Sliders (this one and firefly are my top 2 picks for episodic style shows)
Honorable mentions
for just good space sci fi but more drama driven
Space: Above and Beyond
Battlestar Galactica (I never saw the original so cant recommend it)
Babylon 5
Maybe even Doctor Who? And Torchwood (these might be getting a bit off topic now)
For novels, i would recommend
Battletech books¹
¹read in chronological order. The universe of battletech has a big time scale all the collected stories take place over. You do get some spoilers here and there but i think not knowing what events took place ready when the authors wrote their book adds some good flavour to the overall experience
I don’t see Firefly mentioned yet. Also if you liked TOS, try the 70’s Buck Rogers.
Watched Firefly and loved it. Too bad it got canceled before it's time.
This was probably something I should have said in the OP, but TOS is definitely my least favorite of the franchise. (outside of some of the new stuff.) We watched the first few episodes, bounced off the camp, went on to watch TNG and beyond, then eventually looped back around to it. This time we did finish it. It has it's moments and I can appreciate what made it special for its time, but it just feels inferior to everything that came after it. To me, TNG is the thing of when I think of Star Trek more-so than the original.
The Expanse is the best sci-fi TV show in recent memory. Though it's not really close to Star Trek.
Not quite what you wanted, but the Alien Nation TV series is pretty good, if you don't mind a little buddy cop drama in your science fiction.
There's so much modern Trek at this point I don't even know if that's necessary.
Anyway, I'd say I see a ton of overlap between liking Trek and liking The Expanse, although it's more political and less "alien of the week diplomacy". Still, it goes places, give it a look.
For me and a few other fans Discovery and first 2 seasons of Picard don’t exist. Season 3 of Picard and Strange New Worlds I like.
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