And just as venerable franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars adapt to the changing times, Lost in Space has launched on Netflix in a shiny new production, looking to mirror the progressive ideals of the current cultural landscape. And even though some may argue that sci-fi is a saturated genre, Lost in Space – whose original version actually predates the original Trek by a year, hitting CBS in 1965 – does try to set itself apart. It keeps the focus not on the intrepid crew of Starfleet-esque officers, or on a rag-tag group of rebels taking down an evil empire, but on a family unit.
Read MoreFor its part, Doctor Who gets the special distinction of throwing a splashy ending every few years, whenever the lead actor playing the Doctor decides on a career change. Fans and critics alike focus in: what will the show leave us with to remember a particular actor’s interpretation of the character? How will the handoff to the next Doctor work? More pointedly, what kind of show was Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi in the lead, and what will keep us watching as we continue into the sixth decade of Who?
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