Say Goodbye To Star Wars As Apple TV Has Found The Better Space Opera
While the Star Wars live-action shows promised to be the greatest live-action space operas on TV and streaming, Apple TV’s iconic three-season hit has replaced the legendary franchise. Ever since Star Trek: The Original Series debuted, there has been a battle for the title of the greatest space opera series on TV. The best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation prove that the iconic franchise is one of the most influential titles in the genre’s small-screen history, but there’s another obvious contender.
Ever since The Mandalorian debuted in 2019, the Star Wars franchise has been hard at work attempting to create the greatest live-action space opera series of the streaming era. From The Book of Boba Fat to Obi-Wan Kenobi, to the critically acclaimed Andor, 2023’s Ahsoka, 2024’s The Acolyte, and the same year’s Skeleton Crew, there is no shortage of competitors for the title coming from the Disney franchise. As such, it is surprising that Apple TV’s The Expanse replacement is the true greatest space opera on TV right now.
Based on the book of the same name by Isaac Asimov, Foundation takes place in a distant future wherein “Empire,” a collective of three leaders, reigns supreme and decides the fate of the galaxy. Emperor Cleon’s clone Brother Day, his successor Brother Dawn, and the advisor Brother Dusk are Empire’s three members, while Laura Birn’s enigmatic humanoid robot Demerzel plays an initially unclear but evidently pivotal role in their dynamic. However, Empire’s iron grip over the fate of the future is challenged by the emergence of a new hermeneutic, “psychohistory."
Foundation Is A Stronger Series Than Any Recent Live-Action Star Wars Show
Proposed by Jared Harris’s gifted but troubled mathematics professor Hari Seldon, “psychohistory” is a paradigm that proves seemingly capable of predicting the actions of large swathes of humanity under given conditions. This means Seldon and his gifted prodigy, Lou Llobell’s Gaal Dornick, are thrust into a power struggle with Empire as their academic discoveries threaten to disrupt the triumvirate’s claim to leadership.
What follows is a dense, complex, morally ambiguous story of betrayal, deceit, and double-crossing that calls into question the motives and morality of all its protagonists. Not only is Foundation a better show than the recent live-action Star Wars series, but the series can even go toe to toe with Prime Video's iconic hit The Expanse as one of the best sci-fi series in recent history.
Anyone who has seen the level of investment streaming services have made into the genre will know that this is a big claim. Prime Video has titles like The Peripheral and the upcoming Blade Runner 2099, Netflix boasts Sense8, Black Mirror, and Altered Carbon, and even Foundation’s own Apple TV also plays host to Silo, Severance, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Foundation Is The Best Space Opera Since The Expanse
That said, when it comes to the sprawling space opera format, wherein a large ensemble cast of characters interact in a complex storyline that spans generations, Foundation is the title to beat. Admittedly, Apple TV’s multiverse thriller Dark Matter might be superb, and the corporate satire Severance feels like a modern spin on The Twilight Zone.
However, Foundation’s sheer scope, depth, and scale make the show feel like a different breed of sci-fi story. With a believable but visually sumptuous world that viewers can get lost in and a compelling set of lead characters who never feel like one-dimensional stereotypes, Foundation is an exciting shot in the arm for the space opera format.
At a time when well-established sci-fi franchises like the Star Wars and Star Trek shows increasingly revert to nostalgia, Apple TV’s standout space opera is fresh and daring. Thus, the innovative Foundation is a stronger space opera series than anything the Star Wars franchise has to offer in 2026.