Netflix Deserves Kudos For Rebooting One Of The Best Space Operas In TV History

Published Oct 25, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Memory Ngulube joined Screen Rant in April 2024 as part of the Movies and TV team. Since then, she has written for the Perennials and Streaming team, covering a wide range of topics from new releases to old movies and TV shows. Memory is currently a Classic TV writer. Before joining Screen Rant, Memory was a freelance copywriter who specialized in email marketing and social media management. While she enjoyed her job, her true passion was always movies and TV. When she isn’t writing for Screen Rant, Memory can be found reading, baking (which is one of her passions), or watching her favorite K-drama. Netflix isn’t particularly known for its reboots. However, the streaming giant took a chance by bringing a beloved 1965 space opera to life, and it paid off. Understandably, some classic science fiction TV shows are betterleft in the past. Either they don’t translate well to modern television, or they're limited by ideas that seemed ambitious in the past but aren’t as revolutionary today. Luckily, other science fiction TV shows have premises so creative they can stand the test of time. Netflix deserves credit for recognizing the potential of one such science-fiction classic and giving it a new lease on life. The streaming giant’s reboot of the 1965 series, Lost in Space, understood that the show’s concept could be far more than a nostalgic trip back to an era when television was still finding its footing in science fiction. Following the Robinsons, a family of space explorers who discover different planets, the series excelled as the kind of reboot fans of the original show wouldn’t write off. Premiering in 2018, Netflix’s Lost in Space eventually concluded after three seasons. Its ambitious storytelling and stunning visuals demonstrated how a classic science-fiction property could be reinvented for a new generation without abandoning its original spirit. While audiences are starved for new original shows, the Lost in Space reboot proves that revisiting a bygone-era TV property can sometimes be the right move. Netflix's Lost In Space Is Far Superior To The Original TV Show The original 1965 Lost in Space series holds a special place in television history, but its campy tone and often outlandish situations can feel dated to modern audiences. Netflix’s 2018 reboot, by contrast, understands that being lost in space should be genuinely terrifying. The threats the Robinsons face feel more immediate and, in some cases, harder to overcome than in the original series. Visually, Netflix's Lost in Space also benefits from cinematic production values that make its alien worlds feel enormous, beautiful, and frightening all at once. The space opera took a risk, especially since the success of revivals is often a coin toss. However, critics praised its ability to keep the original show’s spirit while adding elements that make it stand out. The 1965 Lost in Space may have established the Robinsons as an iconic science-fiction family, but Netflix's version gives their journey an emotional core and adds nuance to its characters. The series basically reimagines what Lost in Space can be when the joy and wonder of exploring the universe is matched by the very real possibility that nobody will make it home. How Netflix's Lost In Space Holds Up Compared To Other Space Opera Reboots Reboots of beloved science fiction shows have been happening for years. Some of these revivals have hit it out of the park, while others struggle to capture the magic of their originals. Bringing a show to life that aired years ago has an advantage, since today’s technology can pull off elements that weren’t particularly well done back then. Lost in Space is a great example of a series that not only did justice to its predecessor, but also made it better. Airing in 1978, Battlestar Galactica changed how space operas are brought to the small screen. In fact, the TV show was initially meant to run for one season, but its success spawned a sequel series, Galactica 1980. The show's popularity never waned, as it was successfully rebooted in 2004. The early-2000s BSG actually fared better than the original, with critics giving it a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score. Star Trek has also had several iterations over the years. Most have been hits or misses, but Star Trek: Discovery captured why the franchise has endured for so many years when other sci-fi shows have failed to do so. Compared to the aforementioned space operas, Lost in Space’s reboot is on par with Discovery. However, Battlestar Galactica is the far superior reboot based on critical and audience acclaim. Release Date 2018 - 2021-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Burk Sharpless Cast Molly Parker Maureen Robinson Toby Stephens John Robinson Premiering on Netflix in 2018, Lost in Space is a reboot of the 1965 sci-fi TV series focused on the Robinson family, who crash-land on a strange but habitable alien planet after their colonizing mission to the Alpha Centauri system goes awry.