Here are three non-Star Trek shows to look forward to in 2022.
Star Trek has a big year ahead for fans, especially when it comes to their television series. There could be a potential five shows that air in 2022 alone, with Star Trek’s Discovery and Prodigy finishing their fourth and first season’s respectively. Picard will air its second season, while STrange New Worlds will debut later this year. Then of course there are Lower Decks, which is expected to have a third season later this year.
So with all that Trek going on, we thought it’d be good to look at something else. And with 2022 here, there’s a lot to look at. So we’ve decided to take a look at three science fiction series that isn’t Star Trek. With so many types of science fiction on television, so much beyond just Trek, looking at alternatives is never a bad thing. It allows us to be able to appreciate both Trek and non-Trek alike, after all.
There are some shows that aren’t on this list that maybe you’d enjoy, like The Expanse, Foundation, and For All Mankind but we’re focusing on a bit lighter fair this time.
Also, yes, we are aware that there is a lot in the world of Star Wars as well, but as this is a Star Trek site, we’ve opted to ignore them. We have a sister site that covers Star Wars called Dork Side of the Force. Go check them out for your Star Wars fix.
The Orville
The Orville is coming back soon, finally. The date for its third season premiere is March 10, 2022, and it will debut on Hulu. It won’t be as long as past seasons, going from 12 episodes in season one to 14 episodes in season two, and now to 11 episodes in season three. That’s not necessarily all bad, however, as the show will have longer episodes this time around. Not only will there be longer but some will be an hour if not more.
You’re looking at episodes long enough to pad out a Hallmark movie runtime. That’s not a bad thing at all. A season four hinges on whether or not Hulu sees a nice return on their investment. New subscribers and watch times will be important for the series to get a second life on Hulu beyond this one season.
The show is a comedic take on Star Trek’s most popular era, which saw series like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise find fanbases. It’s shot similarly to those shows and embraces the tones of those series as well. Choosing to look at contemporary issues through the lens of futuristic science fiction. If you love classic Star Trek, The Orville’s third season is for you.
Resident Alien
The first season of Resident Alien was incredible. If you haven’t seen it, the series features Alan Tudyk as the titular alien who crashes on Earth during his attempt to destroy the planet. The alien is reeling from the death of his romantic partner and is seriously depressed. After killing a local doctor, Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (also played by Tudyk), the alien takes his form and begins to befriend those that live in the small town he’s now stuck in.
It’s an incredibly heartwarming, charming, and fun story about an alien trying to fit in with humanity while wrestling with his desire to destroy everything. For those coming into season two having not seen season one, you may want to. The first season ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and which sets up a season two wonderfully, but if you haven’t seen season one you may be a bit lost.
The show features a great crop of newer, lesser-known actors, many of whom steal the show but if you’re looking for a bit of firepower in the name-brand arena, the series also features sci-fi icon Linda Hamilton as an antagonist.
The show returns on Jan. 16, 2022, on SyFy, so be sure to save the date.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
Ok, so technically this isn’t a science fiction show; as it’s more in the realm of fantasy but we’re counting it. So deal with it. The series is set as a prequel and will most likely focus on the origin of the mogwai’s and gremlins, as well as explore the youth of 10-year-old Sam Wing, presumably the same Wing that Keye Luke played in the original film.
It doesn’t have a release date but it’s already been picked up for a second season on HBO Max. It’s going to be an animated adventure, presumably for all ages as it will also be airing on Cartoon Network. It also features an all-star cast including Ming-Na Wen of the Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, B.D. Wong from Jurassic Park and Law and Order: SVU, as well as James Hong from, well, everything.
The series has no release date as of now but an HBO Max 2022 preview revealed the first look at the show, which saw Gizmo doing his best to not fall off of a birdcage of sorts. The animation may take some time to get used to but by all accounts, the series should be a lot of fun for fans of the original movies.