20 Years Before The Expanse, A 5-Season Sci-Fi Showed How Space Operas Should Be Done

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Many fans consider The Expanse to be one of the best science fiction space dramas of the past few years, but a different, equally impressive show paved the way with its fantastic stories. While The Expanse continues to set a high standard for the genre, this earlier series, released thirty years ago, also deserves recognition.

Sci-fi shows like Foundation and For All Mankind are examples of space operas, telling large-scale stories across the stars with a mix of fantasy and science. While there are several space operas available to watch, The Expanse remains a particularly memorable and impactful series in the genre.

For six seasons, The Expanse skillfully combined realistic science fiction with intense political storylines, all while staying faithful to the original books. But even earlier, Babylon 5 raised the bar for complex, ongoing space dramas with its strong, long-term narrative approach.

Babylon 5 Made Space Operas Look Easy Long Before The Expanse

Each season of The Expanse adds even more depth to its storytelling. Despite the show taking place in the vastness of space, it cleverly creates a feeling of being trapped and in danger, highlighting how limited things can feel for those facing constant hardship.

With its complex political landscape—a three-way Cold War—and unsettling, almost otherworldly elements like the Protomolecule, The Expanse stands out as a unique addition to science fiction. But long before The Expanse arrived, Babylon 5 demonstrated the ideal way to create a space opera. Even with the visual limitations and small budget common for television at the time, Babylon 5 fundamentally changed the rules of the sci-fi genre.

When Babylon 5 first aired, many science fiction shows avoided complex, ongoing storylines, instead telling self-contained stories each episode. But creator J. Michael Straczynski had a different vision. He deliberately planned the series as a five-season arc, ensuring that every plot point would eventually be resolved and have meaning.

Compared to The Expanse, Babylon 5 isn’t defined by complex scientific ideas. Instead, it’s a show that truly shines through its characters’ journeys and thought-provoking themes. It’s also famous for some of the most powerful and unforgettable lines ever spoken on a science fiction television series.

Many consider The Expanse to be one of the best adaptations of a book series to television, and it truly lives up to the praise. However, Babylon 5, despite being an original story, often feels more like a fully realized novel. Its carefully developed characters and the way space battles build in intensity are intentionally crafted, resembling the structure of a classic Shakespearean drama.

Babylon 5 Has Aged Incredibly Well

Looking back, it’s clear to me that Babylon 5 was truly groundbreaking. We’re seeing now with films like Project Hail Mary and Arrival how much people appreciate aliens being shown as complex and fully realized. But Babylon 5 was doing that years ago! It never fell into the trap of portraying alien races as just one big, scary enemy – they were always thoughtful and multi-faceted, and I think that’s why it still resonates with me today.

Rather than portraying aliens as simply ‘other,’ Babylon 5 explored their cultures and struggles in such detail that its alien characters often felt more relatable and human than the people on Earth.

Even today, Babylon 5 looks surprisingly good considering it first aired almost thirty years ago. While some of the visual effects might seem a little dated – similar to graphics from the original PlayStation – the show’s depiction of how things move in space feels more realistic than in huge franchises like Star Wars.

Like The Expanse, Babylon 5 explores realistic human struggles such as PTSD, addiction, and the growing threat of fascism back on Earth. These relatable themes are what continue to make it a compelling show today.

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2026-04-08 05:18