Star Trek‘s influence is undeniable, and many of the shows on this list were directly inspired by The Original Series, The Next Generation, or any of the other spinoffs. However, they manage to surpass the show that inspired them, nevertheless. While die-hard Star Trek fans may disagree, these eight shows are better than Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Expanse
The Expanse didn’t start until 2015, but it is already a sci-fi classic. The series is set centuries in the future, after humanity has colonized the solar system. The United Nations and Mars are on the brink of war, and UN Security Council member Chrisjen Avasarala has to work alongside the show’s main cast to prevent it from happening. However, they soon uncover a massive conspiracy that involves almost everyone, making the situation even worse.
Star Trek is political, and its usage of sci-fi to explore modern-day issues is one of the franchise’s best aspects. However, The Expanse is even more so, with the entire series focusing on the complex interplanetary politics among the various governing bodies of the solar system. The world of The Expanse is thought out to an immense extent, with its thorough political commentary going a lot deeper than Star Trek‘s mostly one-off messages.
Scavenger’s Reign
While many of the most popular space TV shows are live-action, the medium of animation allows for the galaxy to be explored in a whole different way. One of the best examples of this can be found in Scavenger’s Reign, a short-lived HBO Max original that aired its only season in 2023. The series follows the members of a damaged cargo ship who find themselves stranded on an alien planet. The crew must reunite, survive, and find a way off the planet, while also learning about the interesting lifeforms that inhabit it.
Scavenger’s Reign feels like it could be a Star Trek episode, with the pretty simple sci-fi story playing with the same pieces as the massive franchise. However, what really makes Scavenger’s Reign special is its visuals. The series is absolutely gorgeous, with the alien planet being more visually compelling than anything from the original Star Trek series. The entire show feels otherworldly, which is the best you can hope for from a show that is trying to portray space.
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Although it will surely be controversial, I also believe that Battlestar Galactica is better than Star Trek. The series follows the titular ship as it carries some of the last human survivors of a genocide carried out by the android Cylons that killed billions. The humans set out to reach Earth, and while they hope to escape the Cylons, they don’t have much luck along the way.
Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek have similar settings and worlds, but that’s where the similarities end. Battlestar Galactica is decidedly much darker than Star Trek, and this tone makes the show so much more interesting. While Star Trek episodes often end on optimistic notes, Battlestar Galactica is essentially about a group of characters learning how to survive in one of the worst environments imaginable. The enemy is unstoppable, and death is inevitable, yet these characters live on. This dynamic is what makes Battlestar Galactica so interesting, and it’s a major element that Star Trek misses out on.
Cowboy Bebop
The 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop is one of the most stylized animated shows ever, and it uses this style to explore space in an incredibly interesting way. The show follows a group of bounty hunters who travel throughout the solar system in the year 2071. Although it was only 26 episodes, the show has become iconic, with it inspiring memes, later animated shows, and even a poorly-received live-action Cowboy Bebop remake.
Like Scavenger’s Reign, Cowboy Bebop‘s animation allows it to be stylized in a much more interesting way than Star Trek. The show’s fashion, editing, music, and more are all so compelling that it is hard not to fall in love with it. While Cowboy Bebop is a great sci-fi show, it is also a great Western, giving it a narratively unique blend of genres that is missing from Star Trek.
Firefly
When discussions about shows that were canceled too early occur, a mention of Firefly is inevitable. The one-season show was released in 2002, with it being created by Joss Whedon. Set in the aftermath of a galactic Civil War, Firefly follows a group of characters who act as space pioneers. They travel the galaxy taking jobs and attempting to survive, although it isn’t always easy.
Like Star Trek, Firefly follows a space-faring group of characters as they engage in adventures that closely align with the political environment of today. However, after decades of Star Trek, Firefly was finally the breath of fresh air that this concept needed.
Andor
Star Trek‘s main sci-fi competitor is Star Wars, with both shows being pitted against each other by fans for decades now. However, when it comes to TV, Star Wars finally won with the release of Andor. The Rogue One prequel tells the story of Cassian Andor, chronicling his development into a Rebel spy and his subsequent revolutionary activities.
20 Greatest Sci-Fi Franchises Of All Time
One of the most popular genres in movie history is the sci-fi genre, and the best franchises include ideas that stretch a viewer’s imagination.
Similar to The Expanse, Andor takes Star Trek‘s politics through the lens of sci-fi and kicks things to a whole other level. It is shocking that the political messaging in Andor was even allowed to be in a Disney+ TV show, with it seeming far more revolutionary than basically any other TV show from the 2020s. Andor also packs so many stories, worlds, and expansions of the Star Wars universe into its two seasons, with every moment of the show being incredibly compelling.
Futurama
Hulu
Matt Groening made an explosive entry into the animation world with The Simpsons, but his true masterpiece is Futurama. His Simpsons successor tells the story of Phillip J. Fry, a pizza deliveryman from the year 1999 who emerges in the 31st century after he falls into a cryogenic freezing chamber. After taking in the sights of New New York, Fry joins the Planet Express crew, where he, Bender, and Leela go on quests to distant alien planets in order to make deliveries for the package company.
Futurama is obviously heavily inspired by Star Trek, with the former even reusing sound effects and pieces of worldbuilding from the latter. While things like Futurama‘s parody of Star Trek‘s interplanetary organization are silly, the show is a lot more than just a homage. Futurama explores surprisingly complex sci-fi topics, with some of Futurama‘s stories being just as serious and intellectually intriguing as those of Star Trek. While its storytelling is on par, Futurama is a far funnier series, with its comedy angle giving it an extra layer of enjoyment that Star Trek doesn’t lean into nearly as much.
Doctor Who
Star Trek is huge, and while it outshines basically every other series on this list in terms of notability, the same can’t be said for Doctor Who. Doctor Who is the longest-running sci-fi show of all time, and it is still going to this day. The series follows the titular Time Lord as he goes on adventures through time and space in his TARDIS.
Much like Star Trek, Doctor Who tells mostly disconnected stories of random alien planets, sci-fi concepts, and fantastical happenings. While they both have things to love, I believe that Doctor Who is just better in execution. Doctor Who‘s extensive run gives the show a lot more variety than Star Trek, and its premise is far more unique. The constantly switching protagonist keeps the show fresh, the major arcs are more memorable, and by slightly outshining Star Trek in almost every way, Doctor Who comes out as the overall better show.