A brand spanking new update of Lost in Space launches on Netflix today (April 13), with big-budget CGI sprucing up the cheesy 1960s graphics of the original, and Black Sails’ Toby Stephens and House of Cards‘ Molly Parker replacing Guy Williams and June Lockhart in the lead roles.
It’s the latest classic TV show set in space to get the reboot treatment, after V, Star Trek, and even our own Doctor Who, which returned to our screens in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston helming the TARDIS after 16 years off-air.
Below are 10 gravitationally-challenged shows we think should be added to the list.
10. Space: 1999 (1975 – 1977)
The title of this classic 1970s show may have gone the way of Prince‘s exhortation to “party like it’s 1999,” but we think a reboot is possible nonetheless. In fact, a remake called Space: 2099 (clever) was in the works at the same studio that brought us the V remake, but five years later and it’s still not seen the light of day.
9. Hyperdrive (2006 – 2007)
Nick Frost led a likeable cast that included Miranda Hart and Kevin Eldon in this sitcom set on a spaceship, with guest appearances from across British comedy talent such as Paterson Joseph (Peep Show), Sally Phillips (I’m Alan Partridge), and Steven Mangan (Episodes). It’s no Red Dwarf, but it has its charm.
8. Lexx (1997 – 2002)
TV doesn’t get much weirder than Lexx. There’s the story, for a start: it concerns a maintenance man turned ship captain called Stanley H. Tweedle, an undead assassin named Kai, a love slave known as Zev, and a love-crazed robot head, all on the run from the evil ruler of the Light Universe. And then there was the set design, from oozing showers to spaceships in the shape of insects. A return is overdue.
7. Stargate (1994)
The original Stargate movie introduced the concept of an alien device that creates a “wormhole” through which people can travel the universe, a premise that has led to three TV shows and two additional movies. And while a reboot to the franchise has long-since been rumored, fans have had nothing but spin-off games to tide them over since Stargate Universe ended in 2011.
6. Futurama (1999 – 2003, 2008 – 2013)
This show from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has already had one resurrection, when Comedy Central revived it five years after its cancellation by Fox, but we think it deserves a second. The hilarious and critically acclaimed animated comedy about a pizza delivery boy called Philip J. Fry who wakes up in the year 3000 won three Emmys in addition to many other nominations since its 1999 debut.
5. Babylon 5 (1994 – 1998)
The real-world parallels of a series set on a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257 were clear: humans and aliens worked together to agree trade relations, solve intergalactic tiffs, and generally avoid the sort of warfare that would almost destroy the universe in the not-too-distant future. We think a reboot is in order.
4. Farscape (1999 – 2003)
Stargate‘s Ben Browder pops up again in this cult show from creator Rockne S. O’Bannon in association with The Jim Henson Company. He plays John Crichton, a human astronaut trying to test out his latest scientific theory when he accidentally slingshots himself through a wormhole and to the other side of the galaxy. A movie is supposedly in the works, but we haven’t heard much about it since 2014.
3. Blake’s 7 (1978 – 1981)
Pitched by Dalek creator Terry Nation as “the Dirty Dozen in space,” this ground-breaking BBC series is fondly remembered by fans. That hasn’t translated into a remake, however, despite numerous attempts over the years.
2. Firefly (2002 – 2003)
Buffy creator Joss Whedon‘s one-season wonder followed a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft in the year 2517, as they explored unknown parts of the galaxy, ran from warring factions, and evaded agents hunting them down. The 2005 movie Serenity picked up where the series left off, but we still want more from Captain “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his crew.
1. Battlestar Galactica (2004 – 2009)
BSG was itself a reboot, of a series that originally premiered in 1978 — and went on to win 24 awards, including three Emmys. It was popular for many reasons, but it created particular buzz because it dealt with controversial issues like war and torture when similar topics were also making headlines around the world.
Have we missed off your favorite?