17 Best Television Shows About Space

The origins of Space Exploration Day actually date back to when man first walked on the moon. The day itself was first observed to commemorate this historic event during celebrations held in the early 1970s.

However, as years went by it became more than just the moon landings and more about space exploration itself. Now it is intended to pay homage to the amazing achievements of the past and also to inspire a new eagerness for space exploration efforts in the future.

So grab the crew and let’s begin the journey as we discuss the best 17 television shows about space.

1. Andromeda (2000-2005)

Set in deep space, this series revolves around the adventures of Dylan Hunt, captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, his crew members, and their efforts to bring unity to the galaxies by restoring the Systems Commonwealth after being frozen in time by a black hole.

My favorite line from series: Tyr Anasazi — “I have faith in nothing but this – when the universe collapses and dies, there will be three survivors — Tyr Anasazi, the cockroaches, and Dylan Hunt, trying to save the cockroaches.”

2. Babylon 5 (1993-1998)

This futuristic space opera is about the lives of those aboard the 5-mile-long space station, where personal drama played out against a tense political backdrop of looming war between bitter enemies. This show is viewed as having launched the new era of television CGI visual effect, and its popularity inspired six TV movies.

My favorite line from series: Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair —  “ Everyone lies, Michael. The innocent lie because they don’t want to be blamed for something they didn’t do and the guilty lie because they don’t have any other choice.” 

3. Battlestar Galactica (2004 – 2009)

This reimagined story of the 1978 series takes a darker tone as what’s left of humankind struggles for survival against the Cylons, a cybernetic race of their own creation, who have killed millions. The Galactica protects a patched-together fleet of civilians in search of a mythical planet called Earth.

The end of the series reveals that Battlestar Galactica took place in our past, which means that unlike most science fiction stories, this series was a fictional tale of our own ancient history.

My favorite line from series: Commander William Adama — “The Cylons never asked us what we wanted. Welcome to the big leagues.”

4. Dark Matter (2015 – present)

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, this series is about a group of six people who wake up with amnesia aboard a starship called the Raza. They have no memories of their identities or their lives before awakening, so they assume the names One through Six, in the order in which they left stasis. They stabilize their vessel and set about trying to determine who they are and what happened to them.

My favorite line from series: Two — “Don’t do that. Don’t make her a damsel in distress. She’s a hell of a lot better than that.”

5. Doctor Who (1963 – present)

This is the longest series on our list, and while there has been a recent announcement that some are not entirely behind, we are excited to see Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. The eccentric show is about an extraterrestrial Time Lord who zips throughout time and space to solve problems and battle injustices across the universe.

My favorite line from series: 11th Doctor — “The universe is big. It’s vast, and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen, and we call them miracles.”

6. Farscape (1999 – 2003)

This series is about an astronaut who is thrown across the universe when an experimental mission goes haywire. He teams up with a starship crew made up of alien rebels who are involved in an intergalactic battle all while trying to find a way back to Earth.

There was a lot of drama surrounding the series because of the Season 4 finale major cliffhanger after SyFy decided to pull the plug a season early. However, a 2 part mini series allowed the showrunners to wrap up the story lines they needed to.

My favorite line from series: John Cricton — “Ah, screw it. But I am not Kirk, Spock, Luke, Buck, Flash or Arthur frelling Dent. I’m Dorothy Gale from Kansas.”

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