Uplifting sci-fi that isn't Star Trek

[Phil123]

Thanks very much to everyone! Some great new suggestions in there. Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, The Orville - I'm with you already!

Lost in Space though, I'll give that a try for sure. I don't know why I didn't when it came out, I think I heard some bad reviews but based on the comments here I'll watch it.

I'll keep an eye out for the other suggestions too, thanks again to all, and do keep them coming! (If they are on UK Netflix or Amazon Prime, that's a bonus)

 

[RandyS]

Oh yeah, The Orville, I don't know how I could have forgotten to put in a vote for that seeing as how its been my favorite new sci-fi show since at least the end of Enterprise. I like it even more than the new Lost in Space, which I guess is my second favorite new sci-fi show.

 

[captainkirk]

I think I heard some bad reviews but based on the comments here I'll watch it.

Most of the negative comments I've seen have complained that it has too many female characters and that it isn't dark enough. So you can safely ignore those.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Not dark enough? Hahaha! I for one am glad it's not so gloomy, and if anything we need more optimistic shows. I think those complaints forget that it's a family show.

 

[XCV330]

I've been trying to find more sci-fi movies (or shows) to watch that aren't depressing and/or dystopian. Like Start Trek!

It's depressingly difficult. When I Googled "sci fi movies that aren't depressing" I got nothing other than "The Future Sucks: 15 of the most depressing dystopian sci-fi ..." and "10 Utterly Bleak Science Fiction Movies To Ruin Your Day" and similar.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Don't mind if they are older or newer movies. I've seen Forbidden Planet, and liked it a lot. Could be cerebral in tone (TMP style) or lighter (TVH), I don't mind.

Thanks.

The Martian. Tomorrowland. Interstellar.

 

[Greg Cox]

Going back a ways:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Forbidden Planet
Things to Come (1936)

And, if we expand the topic to books, some of H.G. Well's later novels are very optimistic. The Food of the Gods, In the Days of the Comet, etc.

 

[tharpdevenport]

How about "Futurama"?

 

[tomalak301]

I will add my vote for Lost in Space on Netflix, Farscape, Doctor Who and add the first two Stargate series.

I was thinking about Farscape, but Farscape got a little dark from season 3 onward. It was still lighthearted when it needed to be though, but that was mostly in Season 2.

 

[captainkirk]

I was thinking about Farscape, but Farscape got a little dark from season 3 onward. It was still lighthearted when it needed to be though, but that was mostly in Season 2.

I still need to get back into Farscape at some point.

 

[Neroon]

If you are willing to go back a few years, try "The Abyss" but make sure that it's the director's cut. It gets intense but heroic

Do you care for fantasy stories, as oppose to sci-fi per se? If so check out the movie "Stardust" for a very fun, uplifting adventure

 

[matthunter]

Forgot SeaQuest DSV! And the original Knight Rider.

 

[Jayson1]

Seaquest season 1 though I don't think the show was very good it might be more interesting to others.

Hercules and Xena though I suppose these fall more under fantasy.

Sliders. Mostly the first two seasons. It's fun look at what if takes on how history could have played out but has on these alternate worlds.

7 days. Fun time travel show that doesn't get to dark.

As for movies

Some are ovious like Back to the Future and Classic Star Wars and E.T. Others would be...


80's movies starring kids would be Flight of the Navigator and Explorers.

Galaxy Quest of course is another.

Independence Day=For a movie about aliens coming along and destroying everything it's actually pretty uplifting.

Jason

 

[11Alive]

A couple of Asa Butterfield (one of your fellow Londoners) movies end hopefully. Ender's Game and The Space Between Us. Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Time After Time. Starman. Space Cowboys. Innerspace. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 version). The Last Starfighter. Tremors, the first couple of movies and the TV show. If you want to see an old TV movie, there's Earth II from 1971 (not related to the Earth 2 series of the 1990s).

And one of my absolute favorites: Cocoon.

 

[tomswift2002]

Flash Gordon (1950’s TV series)
Rocky Jones Space Ranger
SeaQuest DSV
SUPERBOY (1988)

 

[jclark14]

"Voyage to see what's at the bottom" 60's TV show ( stolen title from the Mad Magazine satire of it )

Hee!

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The Syfy series Vagrant Queen coming out March 27 looks like it should be fun.

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[RandyS]

Does TIMELESS and QUANTUM LEAP count?

 

[captainkirk]

Does TIMELESS and QUANTUM LEAP count?

Quantum Leap I'd say counts as the whole premise is that Sam's main mission is to help people. Timeless is a bit harder as while it does have a fairly positive ending, a lot of the time things don't go well for the team.

 

[RandyS]

Many of us voted for the new LOST IN SPACE, but I'd say the old one counts as uplifting too.

 

[RandyS]

Quantum Leap I'd say counts as the whole premise is that Sam's main mission is to help people. Timeless is a bit harder as while it does have a fairly positive ending, a lot of the time things don't go well for the team.

True, but I wouldn't classify TIMELESS as dystopian. It was more of a drama than anything else.