# Why are there no good Space opera shows on Television? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221 "2014-06-20T17:23:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/41 "2014-06-23T01:11:21Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > I saw recently a trailer for the 4th season of Falling Sky’s. I never bothered watching it as I assusmed it would be cancelled after one season and it didn’t sound like it would be very good. How has that turned out? I gave up after season 2. Not for any particular reason - just when season 3 started up, I couldn’t be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/42 "2014-06-23T03:15:24Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > They can’t find anyone who can sing a decent space aria. The difficulties are understandable, though; in space, no one can hear you sing. Sorry, sorry, I’ll be leaving now . . . ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/43 "2014-06-24T00:29:58Z")
Those who want to see some TV space opera can check out a current Kickstarter campaign that’s financing a pilot for a TV series based on the Traveler RPG system. [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/spinward-traveller-tv-pilot?ref=category](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/spinward-traveller-tv-pilot?ref=category) (I’m just posting this for information. I’m not affiliated with the project.) The clips they have go part way towards explaining why space opera is not common on television. Cheap production values in some genres don’t affect the final product. But a space opera with cheap production values looks really cheap. It’s like you can see every dollar they didn’t spend. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/44 "2014-06-24T01:58:03Z")
Because nobody believes anymore that we will be flying around in starships any time soon. People used to extrapolate from the accomplishments of early space exploration and think we would actually be traveling the stars within a few centuries. Now we haven’t been doing anything for the last 40 years other than sending people into low orbit in little tin cans. The genre coasted on momentum for a while but eventually everybody gave up the dream. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/45 "2014-06-24T02:09:36Z")
I’m going to check out Dominion as well. Angels vs. other angels. Been done, but oh well. Could be fun. I thought CGI was coming down in price, so there’s no excuse for not having some decent sci fi. We’re probably just in an in-between period. Vampires and zombies are getting old. We’re big on super heroes now too. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/46 "2014-06-24T03:22:51Z")
It’s harder than we think to make \*good \*Space Opera. Even the mighty Trek franchise has had its rough patches. Hard to make + expensive to make relative to payback = less frequently done. > [@thirdname](#): > > Because nobody believes anymore that we will be flying around in starships any time soon. People used to extrapolate from the accomplishments of early space exploration and think we would actually be traveling the stars within a few centuries. Now we haven’t been doing anything for the last 40 years other than sending people into low orbit in little tin cans. The genre coasted on momentum for a while but eventually everybody gave up the dream. While of course we all are so attuned to the imminence of the zombie apocalypse and the very distinct possibility of brooding hipster vampires and werewolves living among us here on current-day Earth? Considering the 1990s/early 2000s had a decent run of space opera on TV, that must have been a lot of residual momentum. I’d say Space Opera was really revved up AFTER the space program had begun its slide into lameness, by _Star Wars_, which in turn made possible the Star Trek movies in theaters and on TV led to the original BSG; but other than that it then took 10 more years to bring up ST:TNG and its derivatives. Bigger problem with would-be mass market Space Opera is expectations. By now people don’t want a shot of the bridge crew saying “they are closing to 5,000 KM firing distance… INCOMING!” and then falling off their seats while sparks fly, they want to see huge amazing ships whooshing by and exploding things and weird but “lifelike” aliens and the whole thing must be in 3D & surround sound and have it look like \*\*nothing \*\*else ever… and next season had better one-up this one. Or at least, that’s what the folks doing development think. Which in turn means it’s not really worth it to them for the ever-thinner TV niche. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/47 "2014-06-24T12:23:59Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Columbo - Robot Detective Columbo - Zombie Detective He has brains enough to solve the case _and for breakfast tomorrow_. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/48 "2014-06-24T13:19:19Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > While of course we all are so attuned to the imminence of the zombie apocalypse and the very distinct possibility of brooding hipster vampires and werewolves living among us here on current-day Earth? That’s a response to terrorist attacks and economic collapse, a very real and contemporary fear for most of us. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/49 "2014-06-24T14:31:10Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Depends on how abundant gold is in the Universe, what with having atomic number 79… :dubious: 😕 Why would it not be equally abundant in any star system similar enough to ours to have native life? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/50 "2014-06-24T17:41:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Why would it not be equally abundant in any star system similar enough to ours to have native life? I think the point is that it WOULD be equally abundant. The only reason it would be worth their time to deal with the hassle and gravity well of pulling it off of Earth with all its pesky inhabitants would be if gold was much more abundant here than anywhere else in the universe, which is a silly idea. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/51 "2014-06-24T20:17:52Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Columbo - Zombie Detective > > He has brains enough to solve the case _and for breakfast tomorrow_. Columbo-Robot Zombie Detective… Cop: “I Wonder why he crashed into the concrete abutment when he had so much to live for?” CRZD: “Brrrraaaakes…” No, I won’t apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/52 "2014-06-25T13:55:28Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > No way Westerns are going to come back. I can’t imagine such a thing happening. They try it (in movies) every so often (“the Western is BACK!”) and it always flops. No one is interested (least of all me, I admit I am prejudiced and hate Westerns). Unless someone came up with a really outre good storyline, it’s dirty cowboys plugging along on horses, herding cattle, fighting the sheepherders, fighting the railroad, and of course the injuns, tumbleweeds, gunslingers…blah blah blah. It’s already back. AMC’s Hell on Wheels is a damn fine show. and HBO had Deadwood, which was another damn fine show that had a good run recently. And I say this as someone who isn’t a fan of the western genre in general. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221/53 "2014-06-25T20:00:59Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > It’s already back. AMC’s Hell on Wheels is a damn fine show. and HBO had Deadwood, which was another damn fine show that had a good run recently. And I say this as someone who isn’t a fan of the western genre in general. Justified is, for all intents and purposes, a Western. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-good-space-opera-shows-on-television/691221.md?page=2)