8 Sci-Fi Space Opera TV Shows That Are Better Than 'Dune'

In 2024, when I walked out of Dune: Part Two, I was convinced I had just seen the best space opera in years. However, by the next morning, I was already picking it apart, looking for what it didn’t include. Paul Atreides becomes a messiah in roughly 90 minutes of screen time. The Fremen transform from a people Paul barely understands to an army that would die for him with maybe three scenes bridging that gap. Of course, none of that is because of Denis Villeneuve. In fact, the filmmaker deserves credit for making the impossible seem possible: telling the story of a 500-page novel in two movies (with a third on the way).

Sci-fi television doesn’t have that limitation. A space opera show gets 40, 50, or 60 hours to let an empire rot from the inside or let you watch someone become reinvented by power. These series are slow enough that you see every stage. The gap between the two is vast, and that’s where this list comes from. TV shows like Andor, Battlestar Galactica, and The Expanse have had dozens of hours to build their worlds, and they spent their extra time on things that Dune skips over, which makes them even better than Dune.

Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve spent nearly four years covering movies and TV shows as a writer at MovieWeb, and the sci-fi genre is one of my main areas of expertise. I’ve closely followed modern space operas like Silo and Foundation, and also return to older favorites like Battlestar Galactica, whose influence is evident in the shows we watch today. Dune comparisons are thrown around loosely, so I only chose the ones that belong in the same sandbox.

‘Andor’ (2022 – 2025)

The Star Wars Series That Became a Great Spy Thriller

Watch This If: I know Dune fans don’t necessarily look at Disney+ or the Star Wars franchise for the same type of story. However, Andor makes a strong case for itself as a space opera. Strip away the Jedi and the lightsabers, and you have a tense political thriller about rebellion, surveillance, sacrifices, and people forced to make dangerous choices. Tony Gilroy gives the series an adult, grounded tone. However, what really puts Andor ahead of Dune for me is how much time it spends on world-building. Season 1 introduces several corners of the galaxy, while Season 2 covers four years of Cassian Andor’s journey. If Dune made you hungry for more political sci-fi, this is an easy recommendation.

Skip This If: You want the kind of huge-scale spectacle that Dune: Part Two delivers. Andor has some fantastic action, but it cares more about ordinary people.

‘Firefly’ (2002 – 2003)

The Space Western I’ll Never Stop Recommending

Watch This If: Joss Whedon’s short-lived series traded Dune’s imperial court intrigue for something scrappier. Firefly follows a crew of smugglers barely getting by on the fringes of a solar system controlled by a distant, overreaching Alliance. 14 episodes weren’t enough time to build out the galaxy the way Frank Herbert’s novels do. However, Firefly didn’t need scale to make its politics mean something; every planet Mal Reynolds and his crew visit tells you something about what happens to people the world leaves behind. It’s warm, beautiful, and elaborate. Firefly’s cancellation after one season remains one of the most painful what-ifs in sci-fi history.

Skip This If: You need your sci-fi to have the grand political scope of Dune. Firefly is a simpler and more intimate story, and its structure feels different from today’s serialized streaming shows.

‘Dark Matter’ (2015 – 2017)

The Underrated Space Thriller That Deserved More Time

Watch This If: You like the idea of a space crew slowly figuring out who they are. Dark Matter presents a ridiculously fun version of that setup. The crew wakes up aboard a spaceship with no memories and must piece together their identities while navigating a dangerous galaxy. I won’t spoil where the story goes, because half the entertainment comes from discovering things alongside the crew. Dark Matter also quickly turns a simple mystery into a proper space opera. The characters develop distinct personalities, the relationships get complicated, and the show keeps expanding its universe. While Syfy canceled it after three seasons, I still think the show had more stories to tell.

Skip This If: You’re looking for the polished visuals and enormous production design. Dark Matter didn’t have the budget or prestige of the Dune movies. It comes from a very different era of television, and its effects and production values occasionally show their age.

‘Sliders’ (1995 – 2000)

This Sci-Fi Adventure Made Parallel Worlds Feel Endless

Watch This If: Before multiverses became Hollywood’s favorite word, Sliders had fun with the idea. The premise is wonderfully simple. It follows a group of travelers who jump between parallel versions of Earth, and every new world can change the rules. Sometimes the differences are huge. Sometimes they’re hilariously small. Either way, I enjoyed the feeling that the next slide could take them somewhere wild. It doesn’t have Dune’s enormous scale, but it belongs in any conversation about ambitious, world-building-heavy sci-fi television.

Skip This If: You want a “space opera” TV show to mean actual space, and you’re looking for modern production values. Sliders never leaves Earth’s orbit. It has some dated effects, and the quality becomes uneven as the series goes on. However, I’d recommend starting with the early seasons and adjusting your expectations as you go.

‘The Orville’ (2017 – 2022)

Thrives on Optimism and a Lot More Heart

Watch This If: I will admit that The Orville had to win me over. Since Seth MacFarlane created and starred in the series, I expected a comedy. However, the series quickly proved it could handle serious sci-fi ideas when it wanted to. Yes, there are plenty of jokes, but the show also tackles war, artificial intelligence, religion, relationships, prejudice, and what happens when people with different beliefs have to live and work together. Where Dune is fascinated with power and prophecy, The Orville takes a much more heartfelt and optimistic approach, asking what happens when people try to build a civilization.

Skip This If: You want every episode to feel like a massive sci-fi event. The Orville can go from emotional to unhinged within the same episode, and that tonal swing is either part of the magic or something you’ll have to get used to.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004 – 2009)

The Anti-Dune, and Just as Devastating

Watch This If: If Dune is about a prophecy Paul Atreides ultimately can’t escape, Battlestar Galactica is about a civilization stripped of any comforting prophecy at all. Ronald D. Moore’s reimagined series follows the last remnants of humanity as they flee genocide, and it uses that premise to interrogate religious extremism, torture, and the seductive lie of destiny. Dune is soft enough to only gesture at all those things from a safe distance. Battlestar Galactica‘s Season 2 arc is particularly bold. Watch it, and you’ll see why.

Skip This If: You want a quick, breezy space adventure. Battlestar Galactica becomes heavy at times, especially as it digs deeper into its political and religious ideas. It also asks for a proper commitment across four seasons. This isn’t a “let me watch an episode before bed” kind of show.

‘Foundation’ (2021 – Present)

Asimov’s Answer to ‘Dune,’ Finally Onscreen

Watch This If: If the grandest part of Dune for you is the world-building, start with Foundation. Apple TV clearly went big with Isaac Asimov’s notoriously difficult source material, and the result looks spectacular. While I’ve watched several sci-fi shows with a massive scope, this one is even bigger. An empire spanning millions of worlds? A prophecy nobody can verify until centuries after the prophet is dead? Dune follows individuals caught in a huge political and religious struggle, while Foundation thinks on a much larger timescale thanks to Hari Seldon’s psychohistory. Season 3 pushes the Mule storyline further, and Season 4 is expected to premiere in 2027.

Skip This If: You want a straightforward story you can follow without keeping track of names, planets, and time jumps. Foundation rewards patience, and its huge timeline can take some getting used to. If Dune feels dense, this one won’t make things any easier.

‘The Expanse’ (2015 – 2022)

The Space Opera That Makes Everything Else Look Small

Watch This If: I could talk about The Expanse all day because I think it belongs in almost every conversation about great modern sci-fi. Dune’s empire runs on spice and bloodlines. The Expanse’s runs on water rights, ice hauling, and the genuine desperation of an underclass born and raised in zero gravity. That grounding in economics and physics is what makes it so special. James S.A. Corey’s novels gave the show a five-book head start on plotting. Over six seasons, it fleshed out a solar system where Belters, Martians, and Earthers all have legitimate, competing claims on survival. It’s the best sci-fi show on this list by a wide margin, and it makes Dune look very small in comparison.

Skip This If: You want your space opera to look like Dune. The Expanse deliberately keeps its science and technology grounded in realism. So you won’t get giant sandworms, mystical powers, or planets that look like they popped right out of a painting. Give it a few episodes, though, and watch how that grounded approach becomes its biggest strength.