By Joshua Tyler
| Revealed
The perfect science fiction universes operate in accordance with a algorithm, guidelines which make them what they’re.
Battlestar Galactica, as an example, operates in a gritty world based mostly round complicated human dynamics and questions of religion and perception.
Star Wars operates like a basic journey film. The unique film is usually utilized by instructors as a technique to educate college students about the easiest way to construction a basic heroes journey.
In a previous video, which you’ll find linked to within the description of this one, we dug into the foundations of Star Trek. These guidelines are what make Star Trek really feel like Star Trek, they usually embody issues like a deal with human progress and technological consistency and tales instructed round teams of individuals exploring the unknown.
However precise Paramount-owned Star Trek productions aren’t the one issues utilizing guidelines.
Among the best Star Trek ever produced isn’t Star Trek in any respect.
To show my level, I’d like to begin speaking about how nice Galaxy Quest is, besides we get demonetized each time we talk about Galaxy Quest.
Fortunately, Galaxy Quest isn’t the one instance of one thing that captures the essence of Star Trek, with out being Star Trek.
Among the greatest Star Trek isn’t even science fiction!
Activate your warp drive, or energy up your quantum flux drive, or simply unfurl your sails.
That is the very best Star Trek that isn’t Star Trek!
The Final Ship
Impressed by William Brinkley’s novel of the identical identify, The Final Ship was a 2014 tv sequence centered on the crew of the USS Nathan James, a Navy destroyer left by itself after a worldwide pandemic wipes out all governments and militaries.
The present facilities round Captain Tom Chandler, performed by Eric Dane, a Captain Kirk-style character main his crew on a mission to avoid wasting the world.
In The Final Ship’s first season, when the Nathan James is completely by itself and touring the world searching for scientific discoveries to remedy the plague, the present performs out precisely like an incredible season of Star Trek.
In subsequent seasons The Final Ship morphs into one thing else, however that first one is a superb modern-day navy tackle the Star Trek aesthetic and value watching as a single-season, self-contained story.
Misplaced In Area
The unique Misplaced in Area debuted on tv in 1965, a 12 months earlier than Star Trek. Like Trek, the present follows a small crew on a journey by way of the galaxy.
The largest distinction between them is within the crew dynamics. Misplaced in Area focuses totally on the Robinson household, a part of a colonist group that veers off track, emphasizing a survival narrative in unknown environments over exploration.
There was a 90s Misplaced in Area film starring Matt LeBlanc, which in all probability isn’t price watching, and the unique sequence is now fairly dated.
Fortunately, Netflix just lately pulled off a reasonably unbelievable reboot of the sequence, which captures plenty of what made each Star Trek and the unique Misplaced in Area so nice.
Stargate
The 90s Stargate film launched a complete tv franchise based mostly on the adventures of people touring by way of Stargates to go to unknown worlds.
Aside from visiting alien worlds, Stargate SG-1 is fairly totally different from Star Trek. It’s not set sooner or later and it’s extra militaristic.
Nevertheless, Stargate’s two spinoff exhibits, Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate Universe, seize a extra Star Trek vibe.
Stargate Atlantis is ready in a futuristic misplaced metropolis, which the crew makes use of as a base for exploration and discovery. It touches on most of the acquainted themes that make Star Trek nice.
In the meantime, Stargate Universe follows a bunch of people trapped aboard an historic starship in a far-off galaxy with no means residence. The sequence hits on most of the acquainted crew dynamics that Star Trek followers love most.
Incredible Voyage
Just a few months earlier than Captain Kirk’s arrival on display in 1966, Disney launched a unique story of exploration referred to as Incredible Voyage.
As a substitute of exploring outer house, it takes the crew of a small ship contained in the human physique, boldly going the place nobody has gone earlier than in its personal means.
Incredible Voyage was the technical marvel of its day. The film’s authentic trailer heralded it as “a brand new sort of moviegoing expertise,” and for as soon as, that wasn’t hyperbole. It was a truth.
Like Star Trek, Incredible Voyage stands out as a turning level in sci-fi by exploring a model new setting that had by no means been executed on this scale earlier than. It nonetheless holds up as a technical development and a enjoyable journey.
SeaQuest DSV
The Steven Spielberg sci-fi sequence SeaQuest DSV first launched in 1993 on NBC with excessive hopes and with the intention of dovetailing of the recognition of exhibits like Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology and Deep Area 9.
It takes the Star Trek formulation and applies it to a close to future the place mankind has developed new applied sciences for exploring underwater.
SeaQuest follows the crew of a futuristic submarine as they discover the ocean depths, and likewise often become involved in time journey shenanigans or, in a very bizarre twist, find yourself on an alien planet.
Roy Scheider stars because the lovable and really Picard-like captain Nathan Hale Bridger. There’s additionally a speaking dolphin named Darwin, a precursor to the Cetacean Ops navigators proven on Star Trek: Decrease Decks.
Prometheus
The 2012 Ridley Scott film Prometheus is a prequel to Alien and a part of the Alien franchise. And there aren’t many issues much less Star Trek than the Alien films.
Aside from this one, which is, in a really weirdly particular means, truly a stealth remake of Star Trek V: The Last Frontier.
The story of each Prometheus and Star Trek V includes a seek for the creator on a journey led by scientists who’ve deserted logic in favor of blind religion and perception. Each films hinge on a vital crew betrayal to maneuver the plot alongside.
Even Prometheus’ manufacturing design resembles The Last Frontier. The planets they go to seem like the identical place, and we meet each of the film’s scientist characters digging round in a desert.
And naturally, ultimately, the gods they discover in each films are murderous jerks. Embrace the eerie similarities by watching The Last Frontier and Prometheus again to again.
The Orville
The Orville is essentially the most Star Trek present to hit tv for the reason that cancellation of Enterprise, and that’s a vibe sequence creator Seth MacFarlane fostered on function.
It’s not Star Trek although, so right here it sits.
It’s a couple of crew of explorers wandering their means by way of the cosmos, encountering the wonders of the universe, and difficult the human spirit. You understand, precisely what Star Trek was again after they had the bald man accountable for the ship. Again when it was nonetheless good.
The Orville will scratch the Star Trek itch that hasn’t been happy by Paramount’s present Trek choices and generally, particularly in season one, it’s additionally actually humorous.
Grasp & Commander: The Far Facet of the World
Based mostly on the ebook sequence by creator Patrick O’Brian, the film Grasp and Commander: The Far Facet of the World follows Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, a British naval officer through the Napoleonic Wars. He and his crew are tasked with chasing down a French vessel much more highly effective than their very own.
Which may not sound very Star Trek, nevertheless it’s a film a couple of ship crusing into the unknown, exploring unusual locations making scientific discoveries, whereas additionally locked in battle with one other ship.
Russell Crowe’s Jack Aubrey is an ideal Captain Kirk and Paul Bettany, because the ship’s physician, performs out as an amalgam of each Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock.
Mainly, it’s the whole lot you’ll see in a superb Star Trek film, it occurs on a ship powered by the wind, as a substitute of a warp core.
If we have been allowed to speak about Galaxy Quest, it may need been primary on this listing.
However be happy to chastise us for excluding it anyway.
