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

Published Apr 7, 2026, 10:16 PM EDT

In its six-season runtime, the show perfectly balanced hard science fiction with gripping political drama while ensuring that it stayed true to most beats of its source material. Even before The Expanse's TV adaptation saw the light of day, however, Babylon 5 set an incredibly high benchmark for serialized space operas with its solid long-form storytelling.

Babylon 5 Made Space Operas Look Easy Long Before The Expanse

The vastness of the storytelling in The Expanse only continues to grow with each new season. Yet, the show brilliantly manages to instill a sense of claustrophobia and danger in audiences by showing how even the ever-expanding space can feel small to those who are constantly oppressed.

Its portrayal of a three-way Cold War and the incomprehensible nature of almost Lovecraftian elements like the Protomolecule make it one of the most distinct additions to the sci-fi genre. However, decades before The Expanse premiered, Babylon 5 showed how space operas should be approached. Despite being limited by the dated visual effects of its time and its modest TV budget, Babylon 5 redefined the rules of the sci-fi genre.

It premiered around a time when even some of the best sci-fi shows shied away from following long-term storytelling. Almost all shows of the genre hit reset with each episode, unfolding more as anthologies. With Babylon 5, though, showrunner J. Michael Straczynski wanted to bring something unconventional to the table. He planned a five-season run for the series from the beginning itself to ensure every development in its story was eventually paid off.

Unlike The Expanse, Babylon 5 would not qualify as a high-concept sci-fi drama. While it does ground some of its beats in scientific realism, Babylon 5's true appeal lies in its character arcs and philosophical underpinnings. The show also has some of the most memorable quotes and speeches in the history of sci-fi TV.

The Expanse is touted as one of the greatest book-to-screen adaptations of the century. It even deserves the title, but Babylon 5 arguably feels even more like a novel brought to life even though it is an original series. Everything from its meticulously planned character beats to its portrayal of the escalation of outer space battles feels deliberately structured like a grand Shakespearean play.

Babylon 5 Has Aged Incredibly Well

In hindsight, it is hard not to see how Babylon 5 was way ahead of its time. Modern sci-fi movies like Project Hail Mary and Arrival are gaining immense appreciation for their three-dimensional portrayal of alien species. Long before the movies, Babylon 5 approached stories surrounding the extraterrestrial with the same level of nuance by not reducing its alien species to monolithic invaders.

By capturing the full scale of their civilizations and conflicts, Babylon 5 made its outer space beings seem more human than the residents of Earth.

Even from a visual standpoint, Babylon 5 still holds fairly well despite premiering almost three decades ago. Some visual aspects of the series might still resemble the graphics of "PS1." However, when it comes to the portrayal of Newtonian physics, the show feels even more grounded than massive franchises like Star Wars.

Similar to The Expanse, Babylon 5 also dabbles with relatable human themes surrounding PTSD, addiction, and the rise of fascism on Earth, which make it highly watchable even to this day.

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  Babylon 5

  Release Date 1993 - 1998-00-00

  Showrunner J. Michael Straczynski

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  The Expanse

  

  10/10

  Release Date 2015 - 2022-00-00

  Network SyFy, Prime Video

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    Dominique Tipper

    Naomi Nagata