Over the last few years my family and I have binged all of Star Trek, then moved on to Star Trek adjacent shows like The Orville and Stargate. At the moment we’re not really watching anything sci-fi. I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for similar shows (or maybe some books) that fill the void left by Star Trek. In particular I really like the episodes that deal with interacting with other civilizations, diplomacy, and exploration more-so than say, an anomaly episode.

      • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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        711 months ago

        I’d have enjoyed it a lot more with a better main character. He really is the blandest white man in the universe.

        • @user134450@feddit.de
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          211 months ago

          the infuriating thing is that according to the books he is a pretty unique mix of … checking … ”the only child in a family co-op of five fathers and three mothers“

          they could have done almost anything with the character in terms of appearance and chose this sigh

        • @Dhrystone@infosec.pub
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          211 months ago

          Definitely. There were a few things that could have been optimized a bit more, like dat invented language wot dey speaking in. David Strathairn totally sounded like Bruce Lee when he tried to get the accent down. But I appreciated their attention to details, like requiring “juice” for high-g burns (as opposed to Star Trek ships hitting near light speed with the crew only needing to hold the edge of a nearby desk to handle the acceleration).

          I’m still wondering what the heck the storyline idea was with those weird dog like creatures 🤷🏻‍♂️

      • Chetzemoka
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        511 months ago

        Concur. I’m a huge Trek fan, and The Expanse fits that blend of optimism and realpolitik.

    • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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      611 months ago

      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

      • @darthelmet@lemmy.worldOP
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        311 months ago

        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.

        • Aa!
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          211 months ago

          Classic Who went through enough changes that there might be something you enjoy in there. It was arguably at its best during the Tom Baker years. (Season 12). If you can’t get into that, then it may just not be your jam. A lot of the charm to the old series came from the low budgets and aggressively short production times. But with the 4th Doctor they had gotten a little more confidence from BBC and I think their budgets started getting bigger for a few years.

          The original Doctor Who in the 60s was more like original series Star Trek, in that it sometimes felt more like a stage production than a television show, and that kind of writing is understandably dated.

        • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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          211 months ago

          I was worried about it being a bit of a departure, but it does fit if we apply your interest broadly

          And no i cant recommend any of the old Who because i also could not watch it.

          Sorry friend, but i hope you find something that scratches your itch! Ide love an update if you find something that fits the bill! Even if its just s DM letting me know what you settled on

    • @darthelmet@lemmy.worldOP
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      111 months ago

      Oh that’s one I’ve seen. I enjoyed the first few seasons but got kind of tired it after trying to watch the first few eps of a recent season. Around the time where that spacer started hucking rocks at Earth. I don’t know how it was gonna go from there, but it was starting to feel very… supervillain has a good point so let’s make them do awful things so you can’t sympathize with them. Idk, I could probably be convinced to give it another try if people thought it got good.

  • partial_accumen
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    4211 months ago

    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.

    • ThePowerOfGeek
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      11 months ago

      ^ 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.

    • @batmaniam@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      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.

    • @StorminNorman@lemmy.world
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      511 months ago

      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.

    • @Pacmanlives@lemmy.world
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      311 months ago

      Very solid list. I have not thought about Seaquest in a very very long time. Might need to rewatch it here. I remember its originally airing like it was yesterday.

      Also Sliders is a great 90s sci-fi TV show for up to the 3rd or 4th season from what I remember. As soon as the doc left it went down hill from what I remember 20 some years ago

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️
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    11 months ago

    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.

    • ShaunaTheDead
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      11 months ago

      I found Farscape impossible to watch because of the main character. The show suffers because of the classic misogynistic writing where all the female characters are tripping over themselves to get noticed by the bland, aggressive, stupid, and overly cocky “average Joe” that was thrust into an unusual situation. It’s extremely dated writing and as a woman, it really irritates me.

      The rest of the show is great! But the main character just ruins it for me completely. Unfortunately that kind of writing is everywhere in older sci-fi. I started and gave up on Stargate: Atlantis for the same reason. I wish someone would release an edit with the more obnoxious parts removed because I can tell that I’m missing out on some great sci-fi but it’s just unwatchable to me.

      On the other hand you’ve got shows like ST:TNG, ST:DS9, Battlestar Galactica, even Lexx, where either women are treated with respect and not overly sexualized, or if they are sexualized then so are the men, and the men are kind, intelligent, and curteous, or if they’re not then they’re probably a villain.

      • Seven
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        311 months ago

        Mmm, I know exactly what you mean. I’m tired of limp lead characters who just tick the boxes of a target demographic to self-insert into.

        The Expanse suffered a bit from that (the main guy had all the magnetism of limp celery) but was saved because every single other character was genuinely interesting. Farscape had a much smaller cast, so there was no escape!

      • @machinin@lemmy.world
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        211 months ago

        I always thought Farscape could be amazing if they rewrote it and got some good actors. The plot of good and the character development could be magnificent. It is such a great concept.

        • Seven
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          211 months ago

          That could be said of a lot of things … a great concept let down by lazy writing and poor casting. Yet these things get money thrown at them - great effects, lighting, locations, makeup, etc etc

      • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Its very old, be prepared for some content that is not appropriate today.

        Also if you do watch it. Kryten’s way of speaking is based on Robert Llewewllyns visit to vancouver canada and how he felt people in vancouver spoke, or at least thats the story i remember. Doesnt really factor into the show, i just thought it was an interesting choice given the distinct way Kryten speaks

      • Seven
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        111 months ago

        Start with series 3, that’s where it was up to speed and you don’t miss much

        • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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          111 months ago

          You do miss out on how the show got better over time. It’s painful but its worth it for the overall enjoyment of the show.

          Not trying to convince you though, just expressing a counter perspective for otthers on why it might be worth not skipping

    • Zathras
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      411 months ago

      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.

  • Chaotic Entropy
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    3011 months ago

    I mean, the Expanse is fantastic sci fi, both book and show. It’s not that Star Trek like though.

  • Prouvaire
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    2811 months ago

    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.

    • @Riccosuave@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      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.

    • @Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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      411 months ago

      Nice to see For All Mankind getting some love. Absolutely fantastic show, and definitely feels true to Roddenberry’s vision.

    • @Rascabin@lemmy.ml
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      311 months ago

      Man, FAMK was dragging its feet for me. Too slow, i could only force myself to watch the second episode before i stopped completely. Foundation however was damn good. Almost like Raised by Wolves but a different dimension.

    • @AA5B@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Yeah, I just signed up for Apple TV primarily for this show! Haven’t started it yet npbut that may be my weekend

      I’m curious about The Foundation as well, since that was one of my favorite book series, but I just don’t see that working on TV

      • Prouvaire
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        211 months ago

        As others have pointed out, Foundation isn’t a particularly faithful adaptation of Asimov’s stories, but there good things in it. It might be more accurately titled Foundation and Empire IMO, because it focuses as much on the Empire side of the story as the Foundation. The first season was lopsided. The Empire plotline was compelling, the Foundation ones were… not. Haven’t watched the second season yet, but apparently it’s more consistent.

        • @AA5B@lemmy.world
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          211 months ago

          Thanks. It is still on my list to check out, but I’m giving it three months to decide whether to keep that streaming service. So far, I’ve watched some fantastic shows and movies, but do get annoyed at the lack of separation between what I’ve paid for and what they want to sell me.

          I’m still trying to figure out how to browse: all too often I’m guided toward things that cost extra instead of the things I’ve paid for. At least as importantly, after watching something, why do I see so many potentially I terestng choices that I can never seem to find by browsing? It seems like the Home Screen only lets you browse a limited selection, half at extra cost, and you can only see the rest if you happen to watch some5ing they think is related

  • @foyrkopp@lemmy.world
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    2611 months ago

    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.

    • ThePowerOfGeek
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      311 months ago

      BSG (the 2003 remake) was amazing. So much better than the original version. And it really ushered in a new era of more gritty, darker science fiction on television. My only complaint with it was that they largely botched the ending (especially the whole Starbuck thing. But I won’t elaborate on that as it is spoiler-heavy).

  • @aeronmelon@lemmy.world
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    2511 months ago

    The other science fiction series that I feel most-closely mimic the energy of Star Trek:

    • Star Gate SG1/Atlantis - Episodic planetary exploration and adventure with overarching serial universe-building
    • Babylon 5 - Space politics and looming galactic war (the show pitched to Paramount right before they made Deep Space Nine)
    • The Orville - Space utopia and moral dilemma seen from the outside (The Next Generation with all the funny outtakes left in)

    (This list is for anyone reading. Enjoy B5, OP! Let us know when you get to that part where everyone cries.)

  • @jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    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.

  • SSTF
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    1711 months ago

    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.

    • @darthelmet@lemmy.worldOP
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      311 months ago

      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?

      • @AA5B@lemmy.world
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        311 months ago

        Yeah, SG1 was outstanding, SG:Atlantis had its moments but was annoying, SGU was just bad.

      • SSTF
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        211 months ago

        I personally couldn’t get into SGU. I don’t know how it ends because I never finished it. It felt like it was trying too hard to be like the Battlestar Galactica reboot.

  • @StarshipBistromath@ttrpg.network
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    1211 months ago

    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.

  • Troy
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    1211 months ago

    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.

    • @darthelmet@lemmy.worldOP
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      311 months ago

      We watched that recently. Pretty good show. It kind of makes me wish Star Trek had some better ecology episodes. Although now that I’m thinking about it, Star Trek would have had a hard time with that kind of stuff because of the costumes and effects. You can make a lot weirder creatures with animation.

      • @OpenTheSeaLegs@lemmyf.uk
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        111 months ago

        Yes, those were exactly my thoughts! The animations allow you to create all manner of creatures & environments that would be pretty hard to do otherwise

  • Blackout
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    1011 months ago

    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?

    • @darthelmet@lemmy.worldOP
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      311 months ago

      I’ll have to rewatch it in a few years to refresh my memory enough so I can keep saying “This is like this one episode of Star Trek” to my friends all the time.

    • teft
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      211 months ago

      This is what i do. Star Trek playlist gets put on when i’ve got nothing else to watch. Random episodes of all trek is my happy place.