Television: The Sci-Fi Space Shows of 2026

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Image from the TV series Star City. (Apple TV)

It has already been a pretty good year for television shows set in space, with the following series already premiering their first or new season since January:

  • Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, first season, Paramount+, premiered on January 15, 2026
  • For All Mankind, fifth season, Apple TV, premiered on March 27, 2026
  • Star City, first season, Apple TV, premiered on May 29, 2026
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, fourth season, Paramount+, premiered on July 23, 2026
  • The Ark, third season, Syfy, premiered on July 29, 2026

So what else can we expect to see this year? Here is a list of other series that are due for their next season as well as a new series almost ready to go.

  • Blade Runner 2099, new series, Amazon Prime, premiering November 25, 2026 (see trailer)
  • 3 Body Problem, second season, Netflix, premiering later this year
  • Dune: Prophecy, second season, HBO Max, premiering later this year
  • Alien: Earth, second season, FX on Hulu, premiering in 2027
  • Foundation, fourth season, Apple TV, premiering in 2027
  • Murderbot, second season, Apple TV, premiering in 2027
  • Pluribus, second season, Apple TV, premiering in late 2027 or 2028

As shown, we can expect three more sci-fi space series to premiere new seasons this year, with more to follow later. Eight new seasons in 2026 is an impressive number.

If you break down these 12 television series by the parties producing them, you have the following count:

  • Apple TV – 5 shows
  • Paramount+ – 2 shows
  • Amazon Prime – 1 show
  • FX – 1 show
  • HBO Max – 1 show
  • Netflix – 1 show
  • SyFy – 1 show

Kudos to Apple TV for backing so many of these space series over the years.

And stay tuned for the 2026 release dates for 3 Body Problem and Dune: Prophecy. The dates will be posted here as soon as they are known.

Update: One more show needs to be added to the list – Star Trek: Ahsoka. It is expected to return on January 20, 2027.

Sci-Fi Quote: Lt. Erica Ortegas and Strange New Worlds

Posted on by onespaceman2000

“I say that it’s not over, it’s never done, it’s never done. Because I always say the fans are the other half of what we do. So, I there’s a world for Ortegas that still exists, without giving anything away. She’s a character who I think was just a wonder to play. I’m so happy that they created the character in the first place. And as a pilot, as a maverick, as somebody who I have gotten to see has influenced so many younger fans, older fans, I keep saying it’s not over. There’s many places yet for Ortegas, and the world that she lives in to go.”

-Statement by Melissa Navia, who plays Lt. Erica Ortegas on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, during an interview with Trekmovie. Season four of the Paramount+ series premieres on July 23rd. Filming for season five was completed late last year, with this final season of the series expected to be broadcast in 2027.

TV/Podcast: Neil deGrasse Tyson on Real Time with Bill Maher

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Simon Six

The most recent episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher including an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was chatting up his new book Take Me To Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter.

Bill Maher has invited Dr. Tyson multiple times to his program, and it is always a fun show.

The interview covered a variety of topics, but one interesting discussion (following a discussion about anal probes) revolved around how Hollywood almost always portrays aliens as humanoid versus something completely different, such as the rock-like alien in the book and movie Project Hail Mary.

Dr. Tyson noted that most life on earth does not look human, even though all the life on our planet has DNA in common. For example, we share about 20 percent of our genes with a banana. Hence, there is every reason to believe that aliens from distant civilizations will look as different from us as humans are from a banana. It is certainly a different way to look at the galaxy (and the missed opportunities on Star Trek). Here is a clip with him expanding on this argument.

Check out the podcast if you want an entertaining diversion for a few minutes.

Note: If you are interested in the book itself as part of your summer reading, here is the jacket summary:

Take Me to Your Leader is the culmination of a lifetime of fascination, speculation, and the amassing of scientific data about the possibility of Aliens visiting Earth. Drawing on a wealth of depictions from history, literature, pop culture, and film, Tyson applies the universal laws of physics to make the case for what Aliens might look like, act like, how they might travel through the universe to reach us, and what they might think of us upon arrival. Should such an event occur, Tyson further offers useful etiquette tips for your first close encounter.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many UFO sightings, or whether Aliens might already be among us, Tyson offers an informed perspective that is both factual and fun. Take Me to Your Leader is a tantalizing exploration of what would be the most mind-blowing experience of your life—the book for anyone who has ever wondered: Are we alone?

Astronomy Question: The Klingon Language

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Paramount Skydance Corporation)

Multiple Choice: When was first use of a fully constructed Klingon language?

A. 1967 in the “Errand of Mercy” episode of the television series Star Trek.
B. 1979 in the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
C. 1984 in the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
D. 1987 in the “Encounter at Farpoint” episode of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Astronomy Question Answer Sheet” page.

Note: I know these are not really “astronomy” questions. Maybe a separate “Sci-Fi Question” section will need to be developed.

Sci-Fi Quote: William Shatner Defends Starfleet Academy

Posted on by onespaceman2000

“Star Trek exists in more than one world. It exists in the fantasy of science fiction – weird and wonderful things that play unimaginable possibilities of exploration and human endeavor. But it also exists in the fantasy of human beings, the perfection of human beings, the exploration that human beings have made since the dawn of time and the continuing exploration – physically mentally and morally. It’s that aspect of Star Trek that I’ve always loved, to look at something physically that doesn’t exist now by these talented writers & designers but also to tackle the eternal human questions the agonies, the ecstasies. Star Trek should exist for a long time to come based on those truths. I for one would love to see its continuity. It’s with sorrow that I hear about the cancellation of the new Star Trek series.”

-William Shatner’s comments on Twitter/X regarding the recent announcement that Star Trek’s Starfleet Academy will end after two seasons. In a follow-up post, highlighting the criticism that the new series was too woke, he continued:

During the first airing of my Star Trek series where a kiss was objectionable; many southern stations pulled the episode & condemned the show. Using today’s vernacular it would absolutely be called “woke DEI crap” because it went against “norms” of society for its time. Not a lot seems to have changed.

Note: Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Mary, is one of the parties criticizing the new series and the direction of Star Trek, but some of it sounds like sour grapes.