Netflix's Lost In Space Wouldn't Exist Without The 21st Century's Best Sci-Fi Series

Published Aug 16, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics. Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the TV and movies team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time. Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check. The first decade of the 21st century delivered one of the greatest sci-fi shows of the last few decades, and one that still has not really been topped, with Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica reboot. Premiering in 2004, Syfy’s reimagining transformed the classic 1970s sci-fi show into a genre-redefining series. The Battlestar Galactica fanbase remains one of the most active in the genre, and its influence can still be seen throughout modern science fiction. For the uninitiated, Battlestar Galactica follows humanity's desperate survival after the Cylons, an AI race, launch a devastating attack on the Twelve Colonies. Led by Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the survivors travel through space searching for a new home while facing an enemy capable of appearing human. It took the campy 1970s version of Battlestar Galactica and completely reinvented it, creating a blueprint for masterfully rebooting classic sci-fi. It was a formula Netflix later followed in 2018 with Lost in Space. Netflix's Lost in Space is another modern reimagining of a classic sci-fi property, but it remains one of the streamer's most underrated shows. Across just 28 episodes, the series follows the Robinson family after their journey to establish a human colony on another world goes catastrophically wrong, turning the quirky 1965 show into a serious, straight-faced space opera. The appeal to Battlestar Galactica fans may feel immediately obvious, but Lost in Space offers much more than simply being another modern glow-up of a classic. As A Classic Sci-Fi Remake, Lost In Space Had Many Similarities To Battlestar Galactica The fact that both Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space are inventive reboots of classic sci-fi shows already gives them common ground. However, they’re much more alike than simply sharing creative origins. Both center on humanity attempting to survive a prolonged interstellar voyage, with resource scarcity being a constant source of tension. For the crew of Lost in Space's Resolute or Battlestar Galactica’s titular ship, the ability to maintain functioning communities in the face of dwindling necessities is just as much of a struggle as any sci-fi threat. Speaking of sci-fi threats, the man-versus-machine conflicts of both Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space are also incredibly similar. Battlestar Galactica builds its mythology around the Cylons, artificial beings who can imitate humans and challenge the definition of humanity itself. Lost in Space takes a different approach through Robot (Brian Steele), an alien machine whose relationship with the Robinsons becomes increasingly complicated, especially when other members of his species arrive. In both series, AI is not simply an enemy to defeat; it’s an unpredictable presence with goals and motivations as complex as any human characters. The central journeys themselves further connect the shows. Battlestar Galactica follows its survivors across the stars in search of Earth, while Lost in Space sends colonists toward Alpha Centauri after Earth becomes increasingly difficult to inhabit. Both series make long-range interstellar migration the central driving force of their narratives. Most importantly, both reboots understand that modernization requires more than updating costumes and visual effects. The original Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space were products of a more campy era of 20th-century science fiction. Their successors instead embraced darker storytelling, serialized plots, high-stakes survival, and morally complicated characters. They have much more in common with one another than they do with their source materials, and both are better for it. Why Lost In Space's Remake Couldn't Match Battlestar Galactica Netflix’s Lost in Space is a hugely underrated series, and should definitely be considered essential viewing for any sci-fi fan. However, the chances of it ever living up to Battlestar Galactica were always slim. Yes, it’s a good show, and even a great one in the eyes of many, but reaching the extraordinary standard established by Ronald D. Moore's reimagining was always going to be an uphill struggle. Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica wasn’t just great sci-fi TV; it was a masterpiece. The Syfy series is foundational for modern sci-fi for many reasons, especially when it comes to reinventions of classic properties. Battlestar Galactica demonstrated that a reboot could fundamentally reinterpret its source material without losing the essence that made the original recognizable. What’s more, its serialized storytelling and willingness to make major characters suffer genuine consequences helped establish expectations for prestige sci-fi TV that remain influential decades later. All in all, Lost in Space's failure to reach the same level of acclaim shouldn’t be considered a negative. Few, if any, modern sci-fi shows have matched Battlestar Galactica, let alone surpassed it. Netflix's Lost in Space reboot series succeeds on its own terms, offering a more family-focused and visually expansive version of survival science fiction. Its connection to Battlestar Galactica isn’t about imitation or comparisons. It’s about inheritance: without Battlestar Galactica's masterful reinvention of classic sci-fi, Lost in Space's own transformation probably wouldn’t have been anywhere near as strong. Release Date 2018 - 2021-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Burk Sharpless Cast Molly Parker Maureen Robinson Toby Stephens John Robinson Directors Tim Southam, Alex Graves, Neil Marshall, Stephen Surjik, Jon East, David Nutter, Fred Toye, Leslie Hope, Vincenzo Natali, Alice Troughton, Deborah Chow, Jabbar Raisani Writers Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Kari Drake, Katherine Collins, Vivian Lee, Zack Estrin, Ed McCardie, Daniel McLellan, Liz Sagal Franchise(s) Lost in Space Creator(s) Irwin Allen