The Two Biggest Sci-Fi Franchises On TV Face The Same Existential Crisis

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Science fiction is thriving on television right now. Apple is creating critically acclaimed shows like Foundation and Pluribus, and we can look forward to adaptations of popular series like The Culture and Neuromancer. Thanks to shows like The Expanse and Dark, the streaming age has delivered plenty of excellent science fiction entertainment.

It’s natural to think the most popular science fiction shows are doing well right now, and when it comes to influential franchises on television, Star Trek and Doctor Who are at the top. Both shows started in the 1960s and essentially created the sci-fi genre as we know it, and they’ve both successfully updated themselves for today’s audiences. Recently, Star Trek has been praised for its series Strange New Worlds, while new episodes of Doctor Who starring Ncuti Gatwa, like “Boom” and “The Well,” have also been highly acclaimed.

Looking at the bigger picture, while science fiction in general is thriving, Star Trek and Doctor Who are facing a serious challenge that could fundamentally change what these shows are all about.

Star Trek & Doctor Who Both Face Uncertain Futures

As of today, fans of both Doctor Who and Star Trek are worried about the future of their favorite shows, wondering what will happen next.

The future of Doctor Who is now uncertain. Although Ncuti Gatwa’s first two seasons as the Doctor were well-received, news about upcoming seasons suddenly stopped, despite initial plans for more stories. Disney is no longer involved, and while the BBC says the show will continue, they haven’t followed through with concrete plans. A Christmas special is planned for 2026, and a full season will eventually follow, but it’s unclear when these will happen, if Russell T Davies will still be showrunner, who will play the next Doctor, or if a new partner (like HBO) will step in to replace Disney.

Similar to Doctor Who, Star Trek is facing some challenges. Things were looking good recently, with several shows available on Paramount+ and other platforms. However, multiple series have since been canceled or ended, including Discovery, Prodigy, Picard, and Lower Decks. While Star Trek still has some upcoming content – new seasons of Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy have been announced – both of those shows are also planned to conclude soon, and there are currently no plans for new series to follow them.

Both Doctor Who and Star Trek are facing significant challenges. Doctor Who is going through its most difficult time since it was briefly cancelled in 1989, and Star Trek hasn’t been in such a precarious position since the announcement of the Discovery series.

Recent Star Trek & Doctor Who Releases Have Suffered Very Similar Problems

It’s natural to wonder why both Star Trek and Doctor Who, after initially planning extensive, interconnected storylines, now seem to have more focused and scheduled seasons. When we look at the numbers, it’s clear that ratings played a role. Doctor Who’s recent season 14 didn’t perform as well as hoped, and the showrunner, Russell T Davies, has acknowledged this. Disney’s decision to end its partnership with the series suggests that there were concerns about its performance behind the scenes.

The situation with Star Trek‘s viewership is complex because there isn’t one central show driving the franchise. Despite this, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy were all cancelled prematurely. While many things can contribute to a show’s cancellation, it’s likely they would have continued if they were attracting a large audience. The most recent example, Starfleet Academy, struggled to gain traction on streaming platforms.

It’s possible both shows tried to do too much, too soon. Doctor Who may have thought it could attract a much wider global audience than it realistically could, and Star Trek might have launched more series than it could successfully maintain.

It’s interesting how similar the reactions to the newer versions of Doctor Who and Star Trek have been. Both shows consistently receive positive reviews from critics, but fans are much more divided – some love the new direction, while others wish they’d return to what made the shows great in the past. Like Doctor Who, Star Trek has also been criticized by some who feel it’s strayed too far from its roots. Interestingly, both franchises have also been accused of being too politically liberal, even though episodes from the original Doctor Who and Star Trek series in the 1960s were often quite progressive for their time.

Star Trek & Doctor Who Reveal The Big Contradiction Behind Modern Sci-Fi

These days, it might actually be simpler to launch a brand new science fiction series than to try and revive an old one. Established franchises like Doctor Who and Star Trek come with a lot of baggage – fans have strong ideas about what they should be, and it’s often impossible to please everyone. This is especially true when those expectations are filtered through fond memories and current social issues.

When completely original shows like Pluribus or Foundation debut, there’s nothing similar to compare them to, which usually leads to more neutral reactions. If Doctor Who season 14 and Star Trek: Discovery had premiered as brand new series without the weight of existing history, they probably would have been universally praised.

This creates a paradox: despite constant reboots and sequels, studios, networks, and streaming services clearly still think these established franchises – like Star Trek, Star Wars, Blade Runner, Terminator, Alien, Predator, Stargate, Doctor Who, The Matrix, and The X-Files – are valuable and worth investing in.

It’s generally less risky for studios to revive well-known sci-fi franchises than to create entirely new ones. However, there’s growing evidence that the high expectations attached to these franchises are actually causing problems, especially for those with a long history. This seems to be happening with both Star Trek and Doctor Who, which made big promises but now face uncertain futures in 2026.

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2026-04-12 23:43