2020-12-05

It’s almost unbelievable but since the year Star Trek: The Next Generation began in 1987 we were blessed with 24 seasons in a row of sci-fi set in space! Stargate Universe, which was cancelled in 2011, was the last one. As I said it began with TNG which ran till 1994. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine began its first season in 1993 and Babylon 5 had its pilot in 1993 and started in 1994 with its first season. Both series ended towards the millennium. Space Rangers also started in 1993 but only had short season 1 run.

Space Precinct started in 1994 and ran only one season. In 1995 Star Trek: Voyager began and in 1997 Stargate SG-1 started its first season. In between there of course also was Space: Above and Beyond which ran from 1995-1996. Like Stargate SG-1, Lexx also started in 1997 but ended in 2002. Of course, objectively speaking, SG1 was not really set in space but along the way the series more and more went into outer space. In 1999 Farscape began its first season and ended in 2003 and concluded in 2004 with The Peacekeeper Wars miniseries. Crusade, the follow-up series for Babylon 5, started and ended also in 1999.

Andromeda started in 2000 and ran for five seasons. Starhunter also began in 2000. Its second season, called Starhunter 2300, aired in 2003 & 2004. Voyager’s seventh season ended in 2001, in the same year of course when Star Trek: Enterprise started. In 2002 Firefly had it’s one and only season, what a mistake was that from FOX to cancel it! In 2003 Ronald D Moore brought his Battlestar Galactica remake. Stargate Atlantis was born in 2004. 

Doctor Who began in 2005 but don’t think this is a show that belongs on this list or am I wrong? Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, Stargate SG-1 was cancelled in 2007 after 10 seasons but at that point we still had two shows: Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica. Both shows ended (or were cancelled) in 2009 and in that same year Stargate Universe started, which only ran two seasons and ended in May 2011. In 2009 Defying Gravity also started but unfortunately was cancelled after 8 or 9 episodes. 24 seasons of sci-fi set in space, without a single season break.

For about 4 seasons it was quiet with the space travel TV shows, it felt like an eternity but finally in 2015 this finally changed! The Expanse, Dark Matter and Killjoys were released! The Expanse is of course still running, and we get a 6^th and final season which probably will air late 2021 of perhaps early 2022. Dark Matter was cancelled after 3 seasons in 2018. I still hate Syfy for that! Killjoys was given a full run, 5 seasons, ended in 2019. It would be much more satisfying if Syfy renewed both shows for a 10 episode season instead of cancelling Dark Matter and renewing Killjoys for 2 10 episode seasons. But that’s just my way of thinking.

In 2017, we got two more shows which currently still are running: Star Trek Discovery and The Orville. For The Orville it has been a long wait between seasons, however it’s still running. Star Trek Discovery is currently in it’s 3^rd season while a 4^th seasons already has been announced. So in 2017 we suddenly have 5 (!) space travelling TV Shows! So in 2018 we lost Dark Matter but we gained Nightfyers which is a horror/sci-fi TV Show on a spaceship. Unfortunately Nightflyers was cancelled after only one season.

Lost in Space also started in 2018 on Netflix, not entirely sure it belongs here, but given the title, I have to! Season 3 will be its last and probably will air sometime next year. In 2019 we got the first live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian, which currently is in season 2. It looks like the show will be back for season 3 and even perhaps season 4! In 2019 we also had Another Life with Katee Sackhoff and it has been renewed for a second season which will probably air mid or late 2021.

Early 2020 we got Star Trek: Picard first season, second season (2021) is in production and if I am not mistaken 3^rd season, which also already has been announced, is in production back2back with the second season. Means that Picard, which will end with its 3^rd season, will be there till 2022. Another one I have to mention is Avenue 5! It is a comedy in space. Launched this year and has been renewed for a second season. Of course Away also started in 2020, it is about the journey to Mars, however, not keen to add it on this list for obvious reasons. Furthermore this already has been cancelled by Netflix.

Of course next year or so we will get the third new live-action Star Trek series called Strange New Worlds with Captain Pike! Really looking forward to this one. Probably will start after the summer of 2021 of perhaps even 2022. Of course there still is also the rumored Star Trek series Section 31. Apple TV comes next year 2021 with Foundation, which seems like a space opera aka Babylon 5 perhaps? Check the trailer here. In TV land you normally can’t look that far into the future but I think it’s fair to say that there will be at least one show set in space in the year 2023 but I believe it will be more than one.

It there something more on the horizon? Well there still is talk about a new Stargate series! It’s a long interview with Joseph Mallozzi, a Stargate Writer and Executive Producer. But of course Corona is holding back any progress at this moment. It's mind boggling why after almost 10 years a new Stargate series hasn’t been announced. Of course there already has been announced another reboot/remake of Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica. Rumored for quite some time is also the TV remake of the Star Trek Spoof Galaxy Quest! One of my favorite movies ever! So perhaps 2023 is as very safe estimate but as I said, it is TV/Streaming land.

Below on overview of the space travel series from 1987 until 2011

• Star Trek: The Next Generation 1987-1994
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1993-1999
• Space Rangers 1993
• Babylon 5 1994-1998
• Space Precinct 1994-1995
• Star Trek: Voyager 1995-2001
• Space: Above And Beyond 1995-1996
• Stargate SG-1 1997-2007
• LEXX 1997-2002
• Crusade 1999
• Farscape 1999-2004
• Andromeda 2000-2005
• Starhunter (2300) 2000-2004
• Star Trek: Enterprise 2001-2005
• Firefly 2002
• Battlestar Galactica 2003-2009
• Stargate Atlantis 2004-2009
• Defying Gravity 2009
• Stargate Universe 2009-2011

Below on overview of the space travel series from 2015

• The Expanse 2015- still running
• Dark Matter 2015-2018
• Killjoys 2015-2019
• The Orville 2017-still running
• Star Trek: Discovery 2017- still running
• Nightflyers 2018
• Lost in Space 2018- still running
• Another Life 2019- still running
• The Mandalorian 2019- still running
• Star Trek: Picard 2020- still running
• Avenue 5 2020- still running
• Away 2020
• Foundation 2021 – New
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – 2021/2022 - New

Am I complete here or do I miss one or more? Thought about Mars but that one also does not seem to fit between the TV Shows which are mentioned above. Please let me know what your thoughts are, do you any upcoming show which has not been mentioned here? 

Update: Also I didn't take Red Dwarf into consideration apparently, probably because, although I am aware of Red Dwarf, I never watched it. So if we would take Red Dwarf into account, it would have taken 25 seasons because Red Dwarf's 10th season was in 2012, well a year after the final episode of Stargate Universe. Last few years Red Dwarf has also been back on TV, from 2016 to 2020.