TV SHOWS THAT LOVE A BIT OF STAR TREK

In honor of last months 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek TV series, some pals and I have decided to compile a list of films and television shows which have taken inspiration from its expansive legacy. So come on, lets buckle up and get ready for light speed, fellow Trekkies, for it's time to see what no man has ever seen before.





Doctor Who (TV Series) 1963 to present

Since it's inception in 1963 Doctor Who has attracted a similar fan base than Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. Not only have they been following the good doctors adventures for fifty plus years, but on top of that, they've also grown accustomed to his varying faces, his varying sidekicks, and his varying enemies too. Heck, since his 2005 reboot, he's been played by such great actors as Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi.

Galaxy Quest (Film) 1999

In 1999 Galaxy Quest received its cinematic debut and featured many of the original cast from the popular spin-off TV show. Over time the success of the film spawned 18 annual conventions around the world, and during one of them, director Dean Parisot and star Tim Allen revealed that the original tone of the film was much darker than what was ultimately produced. Turn's out, that after the first test screenings, the film was re-cut to emphasize the comedy so they could obtain a PG rating.

Firefly (TV Series) 2002 to 2003 + Serenity (Film) 2005

The basic pretext of Firefly involves a motley crew of misfits from the future who decide to take a small spacecraft and try to survive in unknown parts of the galaxy, smuggling cargo and occasionally people along the way. The show eventually became such an unprecedented cult hit that it evolved into the 2005 film, Serenity, which was also created by the legendary writer-director, Joss Whedon.

Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) 1997 to 2007

This action-packed TV series focuses on the adventures of a secret military team which was formed to explore the universe via the technologically advanced, 'stargate system'. Eventually the franchise transformed into the 2007 film, Stargate, and since then it has spawned two further spin-off series: Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.

Battlestar Galactica (TV Series) 1978 to 2009

This updated version of Battlestar Galactica has taken an unquestionably darker tone compared with it's original 70s incarnation. So gone are the days where the fans can gawp at people dressed up like cotton candy, and here to stay are evil robots killing humankind, dusted off with doctors contracting cancer. Ouch-Ouch-Ouch!

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Film) 2014

In this modern interpretation of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series, we see an unlikely group of individuals, including a talking tree and a genetically modified raccoon, forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe. Although the film was a big hit at the box office, grossing over $700 million worldwide, it was the sound track that proved a truly exceptional hit, reaching the number one spot in the Billboard 200 chart, and becoming the first soundtrack album in history consisting entirely of previously released songs.

Andromeda (TV Series) 2000 to 2005

Unlike many of the other productions on this list, Andromeda shares a deeper tie to Star Trek than just being set in outer space. It was based on the notes Gene Roddenberry left behind after he passed away, and, surprise-surprise, has been heavily compared to it by default. The show also stirred up attention for using Star Trek’s main writer, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, which led to parallels being drawn between the two show’s key characters: Captain Dylan Hunt and Captain Kirk. Even though Andromeda didn’t garner the same commercial success that Star Trek did, it ran for 5 series, was re-syndicated on multiple networks, and received several awards and accolades, proving that there is still a healthy appetite for sci-fi!

Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection is now on sale.