WhatNext TV recommendations

Shows Like The Expanse

If The Expanse worked for you because of its world-building, large-scale conflict, and big-idea sci-fi, start with Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica. The list leans toward sci-fi & fantasy and drama stories with a similar sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. It is built from both audience viewing patterns and close-match recommendation signals, then filtered more aggressively for relevance and title quality.

See the matches Search another show

24 recommendationsStart with Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Battlestar Galactica

Recommendations tuned for fans of The Expanse

Audience fit

Why The Expanse fans may like these shows

If you enjoyed The Expanse, try Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica. These recommendations focus on sci-fi & fantasy and drama shows that share scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a similar storytelling rhythm.

Ranked recommendations

The closest TV shows to watch after The Expanse

Each recommendation includes the reasoning behind the pick, so you can see why it may suit fans of The Expanse.

Stargate Atlantis

Stargate Atlantis is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, With the Ancients' city of Atlantis discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy by Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Major Sheppard lead a scientific expedition to the ancient abandoned city. Once there, the team not only…

Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1 is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a…

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is 75 years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

Andor

Andor is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, In an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue, Cassian Andor will discover the difference he can make in the struggle against the tyrannical Galactic Empire. He embarks on a path that is destined to turn him…

Foundation

Foundation is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Follow a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, During the mid-22nd century, a century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the…

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected…

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Audience behaviour signal: viewers discussing similar shows often move toward this title. In practical terms, After the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness has spread throughout the galaxy. A lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches, earning his keep as a bounty hunter.

Farscape

Farscape is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, A freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults Astronaut John Crichton across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield.

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.

The Orville

The Orville is a strong follow-up to The Expanse because it offers scale, politics and long-form sci-fi payoff and a comparable sense of epic sci-fi storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Follow the crew of the not-so-functional exploratory ship in the Earth's interstellar fleet, 400 years in the future.

What makes a good show like The Expanse?

A good replacement for The Expanse is not just another show in the same broad genre. The best matches keep the parts viewers remember most: world-building, large-scale conflict, and big-idea sci-fi, a sweeping atmosphere and epic sci-fi storytelling. That is why the ranking combines several signals before a title reaches the final list.

How these recommendations are chosen

Audience behaviour: Reddit-style co-mentions and pair signals help identify shows viewers naturally compare or recommend together. Recommendation graph: TMDB recommendation data helps identify titles that sit close to the anchor show. Story fit: genre overlap, semantic keywords and concept-specific guardrails reduce lazy matches that share only a surface-level category. Quality control: vote average, vote count, popularity and freshness checks help remove weak or low-confidence titles from public SEO pages.

Editor's verdict

The strongest starting point is Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica because the list balances similarity, quality and viewer behaviour. For best results, choose the recommendation that matches the part of The Expanse you liked most: tone, characters, setting, mystery, tension or long-form payoff.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Which shows scratch the same itch as The Expanse?

These are not just similar on genre. They were chosen because they offer a related mix of mystery, world-building and long-form payoff for viewers who connected with The Expanse.

What should I watch after The Expanse for more big-idea storytelling?

Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica are a good place to start if you want another series that unfolds gradually and rewards attention over time.

Are these recommendations more about mood or plot?

Usually both. The strongest matches tend to share atmosphere as well as structure, so the page does not just chase shows with similar premises.

How do I find more shows once I finish these?

Build up your favourites and ratings in WhatNext and the app can keep narrowing in on the sci-fi and fantasy shows that suit your taste best.

Keep exploring

Explore more recommendations

Shows like Stargate Atlantis Shows like Stargate SG-1 Shows like Battlestar Galactica Shows like Star Trek: Voyager Shows like Andor Shows like Foundation Shows like Star Trek: Enterprise Shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Shows like The Mandalorian Shows like Farscape

Create an account to save favourites and get personalised recommendations