Since the 1960s, great space sci-fi television shows have been overshadowed by new Star Trek projects on the way.

Shows that follow any part of the Star Trek formula are inevitably compared to the sci-fi juggernaut, even when trying to break away from their inspiration. Sometimes, simply being set in space is enough to push a great sci-fi show into the long shadow cast by Star Trek. Criteria for these shows are their use of Trek-like tropes like ethical dilemmas, future technology, and humanoid aliens to tell stories about humans exploring and surviving in space; but not quite reaching the same level of recognition as Star Trek.

10 Red Dwarf (1988–1999, 2009–2020)

Created By Rob Grant & Doug Naylor

The British sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf wasn't widely available in the U.S. during its first run, so it was easily overshadowed by the 1990s trifecta of Star Trek shows. Red Dwarf stars low-ranking officers, dealing with all the absurdity that space has to offer on the eponymous mining ship, while generally failing to get along. As a comedy with an everyman perspective, Red Dwarf has more in common with Star Trek's animated sitcom, Star Trek: Lower Decks, than its contemporary, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

9 Babylon 5 (1993–1998)

Created By J. Michael Straczynski

Accusations of J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5 plagiarizing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine meant Babylon 5 had a difficult time standing on its own merits when it aired. Both shows were set aboard space stations during a pivotal interstellar war, with a human commander fulfilling an alien prophecy. Babylon 5's planned five-year arc tells a tightly written, ambitious story with sweeping political intrigue as several alien species attempt to forge alliances. B5 might look like Star Trek on the surface, but it's an early deconstruction of the formula that works.

8 Earth 2 (1994–1995)

Created By Billy Ray, Michael Duggan, Carol Flint, & Mark Levin

NBC's Earth 2, about a female-led expedition towards a promised destination, coincidentally aired one year before the premiere of Star Trek: Voyager. Earth 2 was just as ambitious in production value as its sister show, seaQuest DSV, and also capitalized on the ongoing mystery storytelling style that made The X-Files so popular. With the DNA of so many hits, and Tim Curry as a recurring villain, Earth 2 should have been an easy win for NBC, but only lasted one season.

7 Space: Above and Beyond (1995-1996)

Created By Glen Morgan & James Wong

Space: Above and Beyond was the kind of sci-fi space show that, on its surface, seemed like the opposite of Star Trek — at least until DS9's Dominion War played with similar tropes. Above and Beyond's young Marine cadets, the Wildcards, are tested in battle as some of Earth's last remaining defenses against a hostile alien enemy that seeks to prevent human colonization beyond our solar system. With morally gray heroes and skepticism, Space: Above and Beyond was as ahead of its time as DS9.

6 Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007)

Created By Brad Wright & Jonathan Glassner

Stargate SG-1 applied the Star Trek formula to Roland Emmerich's 1994 film Stargate, expanding the movie's premise with new alien worlds inspired by Earth mythology. Each week saw the SG-1 team travel through the Stargate to visit a new planet, often with a Star Trek-style moral dilemma. Stargate SG-1's episodic structure evolved into longer arcs with rich lore and strong character development. Eventually, Stargate became a franchise with spin-off shows, which further distanced it from the parent film.

5 Farscape (1999–2003)

Created By Rockne S. O'Bannon

Farscape is a beautiful fever dream of a show that flew under the radar when it aired on the Syfy Channel but has since been embraced as a cult favorite. When John Crichton finds himself the lone human among a colorful cast of distinctively alien misfits on the living spaceship Moya, getting back to Earth isn't really an option. Compared to Star Trek: Voyager's Delta Quadrant, Farscape feels truly alien. With non-humanoid aliens from Jim Henson's Creature Shop and storytelling that pushes the limits of sci-fi tropes, Farscape is deeply weird, unexpectedly funny, and surprisingly full of heart.

4 Firefly (2002)

Created By Joss Whedon

In an awkward time for sci-fi TV, Firefly was a risky space western that hardly stood a chance. The 13 episodes comprising Firefly's single season aired out of order on FOX in 2002, botching the introduction of Nathan Fillion's Captain Mal Reynolds' Serenity crew as a found family of outlaws trying to survive in a scrappier version of the final frontier. While Firefly's mysteries were solved and wrapped up in its follow-up film, Serenity, its ionate fanbase still decries Firefly's early demise.

3 Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)

Created By Ronald D. Moore

Battlestar Galactica did earn a strong following in its own right, but still owes a debt to Star Trek. BSG executive producer Ronald D. Moore was a TNG and DS9 writer responsible for adding the depth and realism that made DS9 hit differently. Moore took the DS9 approach to remake 1978's Star Wars-inspired Battlestar Galactica, crafting a tenuous political climate charged with realistic characters in the wake of the Cylon war.

2 The Expanse (2015–2022)

Created By Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby

The Expanse, based on the book series of the same name, beat Star Trek: Discovery's premiere by two whole years, but a stronger focus on the franchise name put more attention on Star Trek's return to television. Like Discovery, The Expanse took a darker, grittier approach to its mystery. Unlike Star Trek, The Expanse's extrapolation from real-world science and politics imagined space as a harsh and unforgiving setting that requires tenacity to survive, instead of a utopia.

1 The Orville (2017–2022)

Created By Seth MacFarlane

The Orville wasn't just overshadowed by Star Trek; it played exclusively in the house that Star Trek built, down to its color-coded uniforms, moral dilemmas, and technology. When Star Trek: Discovery took a hard turn into new territory for Star Trek, The Orville delivered a 2010s take on TNG, and even involved Star Trek talent like director Jonathan Frakes to make sure the 1990s nostalgia hit just right. Surprisingly, The Orville evolved beyond its initial premise and became far more than a tongue-in-cheek throwback.

Star Trek is one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of our time, but Star Trek is not the end-all, be-all of sci-fi TV shows about space. These space shows are important for their different perspectives and views of the future, which further capture the "infinite diversity in infinite combinations" that even Star Trek itself espouses as a philosophy.