Shows set upon a "lost" ship...

[Snowman37]

Today, I wondered... How many TV shows have come and gone about a lost ship or at least one far from home? I can think of Andromeda (to an extent), Battlestar Galactica (original & remake), Lost in Space, Star Trek: Voyager, and Stargate: Universe. I include Andromeda, because the ship and it's captain were thrust into the future via time dilation thanks to a black hole. It's the same thing as being far from home or... you could say lost to the future.

[SaberBlade]

There was also shows like Land of the Giants whose ship crash landed on a huge version of an alternate Earth. If Lost in Space counts, then I don't see why it (Giants) and Swiss Family Robinson or Gilligan's Island wouldn't count because they all involved a ship wreck (be it in space or on water) and landing on a new, unexplored land and being stuck there. It's been a while since I've seen Lost in Space, but I don't remember them ever leaving that planet once they arrived.

Farscape would count, as Crichton is far from home as are the others, while they try to return home and not get themselves caught or killed. Space 1999 involved the moon being thrown out of Earth's orbit and travelling through space and perhaps even Flash Gordon (same basic principal as Lost In Space, ship used to visit another planet and stranded).

Not involving being lost, just far from home, Buck Rogers season 2, Dr. Who, Firefly, Blake's 7 (been a while, but basically freedom fighters on a ship).

[thekillman]

i think we can make a long list for every standard Sci Fi setting. how many shows have the classic naval designation system?

but as to lost ships: Destiny isn't "lost". this is it's purpose, though delayed. Galactica wasn't lost. and it had a small fleet. Galactica left on purpose.

Voyager did an ACTUAL "lost" in space. Andromeda did it too. not sure about lost in space.


anyway, it's a common trope. there are many others which can qualify as such because of the atmosphere of the show.

[MattSilver 3k]

Look, putting a bunch of dynamic characters on a deserted island makes for some good plot most of the time. The sci-fi equivalent is either putting them all on a ship or all on a planet, with aliens and whatnot. Now, from there, we have to think: do we want these characters to go places and experience different adventures? If so, keep the ship. If not, keep the planet. Ta-da instant story idea, but you can do it either which way - stranded from home in some freak accident? Last of your race desperately trying to go somewhere?

It's just a simple trope to use, and it's been used. No different than vampire shows or anything else.

[escyos]

Also "Escyos: Killan" and to a lesser extent "Escyos:Oporoti" and "Escyos: Titon"

[Blencathra]

Red Dwarf - An on-board radiation leak of cadmium II kills everyone on board the Jupiter Mining Ship Red Dwarf, except for low-ranking technician Dave Lister who is in suspended animation at the time. Following the accident, the ship's computer Holly keeps Lister in stasis until the background radiation dies down—a process that takes three million years. Lister therefore emerges as the last human being in the universe -but he's not alone on-board the ship. The main story line is Lister's desire to return home to Earth.

[Snowman37]

SaberBlade: I'm asking about ship-based shows, so Land of the Giants, Swiss Family Robinson, and Gilligan's Island don't count: these are shows about people ship wrecked, stranded. I don't think Space 1999 would count... it's based upon a celestial body, not really a space ship. Also, wouldn't the removal of the moon from Earth's orbit devastate the planet? If the moon were hurled that far away that fast, wouldn't everyone inside the base be paste up on the walls? I'm not familiar with Flash Gordon nor Blake's 7... Can't the Doctor (from Dr. Who) go home whenever he wants? He's a timelord. The crew of the Serenity in Firefly can go home whenever they want. Well, everyone except River and Tam. They just choose not to.

In Lost in Space, the ship spent most of the series traveling through space and from world to world. The ship may have been stranded on a world at some point, but not for the entire series' run. I guess Farscape would count, John Crichton would stand apart as a man alone, far from Earth. Was anyone else on the ship in the same situation as Crichton?

Thekillman: Did you read my opening post? I said lost or far from home. Destiny counts, because they can't just turn the ship around and fly home. They'd die of old age before the ship could get anywhere near the Milky Way galaxy. They are stranded in a starship far from home, traveling further out into the cosmos. I'd say that counts. In BSG, isn't the ship and fleet traveling away from their home world in search of the mythical Earth? They can't go home, they can't fly to Earth in the next episode... I'd say that counts. Finally, we come to Star Trek: Voyager. The ship wasn't lost, it was just far from home. Again, this would count, because they couldn't just fly back to Earth by next week's episode. As for Andromeda, the ship wasn't lost, but I figure it counts due to the time displacement.

MattSilver 3k: We're not just talking ship based, we're talking the ship either being lost or stranded far from home. As for planet based... well, that's off topic. I'm specifically asking about ship-based shows. It may be a simple trope, and yes, it's been done more than once. I'm just asking what other shows have done it.

Escyos: Eh?

Blencathra: Red Dwarf definitely fits the criteria. That's kind of sad, being the last of your species.

[magictrick]

In Lost in Space, the ship spent most of the series traveling through space and from world to world. The ship may have been stranded on a world at some point, but not for the entire series' run. I guess Farscape would count, John Crichton would stand apart as a man alone, far from Earth. Was anyone else on the ship in the same situation as Crichton?

In Farscape, they were all far from home. Granted, not as far away as Crichton, but the entire crew, except Aeryn, was lost and were constantly looking for navigational charts to plot a course home.

[SaberBlade]

Every episode of Lost in Space I remember watching involved them being stuck on the same planet time after time. Not once I do remember an episode involving them traveling through space.

Since the idea of a ship being lost/crashing on an far off place doesn't count, then Flash Gordon wouldn't count either. It usually involves a spaceship with Flash and two others being lost in space and crashing on an alien planet, where Flash becomes a hero fighting Ming. However I think some of the older serials involved other planets as well.

Bit annoyed I forgot Red Dwarf, but could remember stuff like Space 1999 and Blake's 7. I can't really comment on the science behind Space 1999 but I think the basic concept still stands, a crew lost in space. The only difference is Space 1999 decided to use a Moonbase rather than a ship.

Firefly, not sure. Earth is the original home of humans so they are pretty much off in deep space. They also don't really have a home other than the ship because they are all pretty much wanted for crimes. It's not lost, or really stranded but circumstances that keep them away from a place to call home.

Blake's 7 is basically a group of freedom fighters on an advanced ship, fighting the evil Federation. Not lost but it's heavily based on being on board the ship and unable to go home as they are all wanted. I guess with that description you could consider it in line with Firefly, as they know where home is but can't visit it as they are wanted criminals.

As for Dr. Who, he can't return home. His entire planet is in a "time lock" along with a huge war that was taking place. Not sure why a time lock makes his planet unvisitable but it seems that the period during the war isn't off limits but the entire history of his planet. So he can't go home.

Farscape, most of the characters were lost. Pilot's home was Moya, Moya was the home and Ayern was a Peacekeeper so didn't really have a home as she was raised on a Peacekeeper carrier. In the show, starbursts (Moya's fastest way to travel) were fairly random so if you did a full starburst to increase your chance of escaping a dangerous situation, no telling how far away you'd end up. As a result, the prisoners on board the ship want to return home but can't because they aren't sure where to go. As a result, it's mostly avoiding being captured while trying to get home and they even spend a while in the uncharted territories because it was the safest place for them to avoid being caught (which didn't really help).

[maneth]

Could the Farscape prisoners go home if they wanted to, though? Five episodes in I'm unsure of whether they're wanted by just the peacekeepers or by their own worlds as well. If the former, they might be able t return home, if the latter, unlikely without some sort of amnesty.

[magictrick]

Could the Farscape prisoners go home if they wanted to, though? Five episodes in I'm unsure of whether they're wanted by just the peacekeepers or by their own worlds as well. If the former, they might be able t return home, if the latter, unlikely without some sort of amnesty.

They are only wanted by the Peacekeepers, not their home planets. They all can (and want to) return home if they choose to (since you're only 5 episodes in I'll say that for now the only exception is Aeryn). The problem is they are lost in a section of space without a map. That's why they are in search of maps and charts to plot their way home.

[Snowman37]

Every episode of Lost in Space I remember watching involved them being stuck on the same planet time after time. Not once I do remember an episode involving them traveling through space.

Every episode I saw featured the ship in space. I can't remember seeing an episode where the ship had set down. I looked up the show, we're both right. The first season saw the ship stranded on an alien world. The second season saw the ship stranded on a second alien world. The third and final season saw the ship remaining in space while a smaller ship, the space pod, would travel between the ship and the planet below.

Since the idea of a ship being lost/crashing on an far off place doesn't count, then Flash Gordon wouldn't count either. It usually involves a spaceship with Flash and two others being lost in space and crashing on an alien planet, where Flash becomes a hero fighting Ming. However I think some of the older serials involved other planets as well.

As I said, a lost ship counts, but if the ship has crashed... then it's not really about the ship, it's about whatever world the ship crashed on.

Bit annoyed I forgot Red Dwarf, but could remember stuff like Space 1999 and Blake's 7. I can't really comment on the science behind Space 1999 but I think the basic concept still stands, a crew lost in space. The only difference is Space 1999 decided to use a Moonbase rather than a ship.

The premise is beyond lost in space, it's the moon (not just the base) hurled out of orbit into deep space. First off, the moon would still be in our solar system and likely trapped by the sun's gravitational well. If it was moving fast enough to break free from the sun's gravity, everyone would be pizza paste up on the walls. The whole premise is downright stupid. It would have made more sense for the transport ship that goes back and forth from the Earth to the moon to simply go off coarse.

Firefly, not sure. Earth is the original home of humans so they are pretty much off in deep space. They also don't really have a home other than the ship because they are all pretty much wanted for crimes. It's not lost, or really stranded but circumstances that keep them away from a place to call home.

Earth hasn't been home to anyone for several hundred years. The ship isn't lost, and they're not stranded far from home. As I said, they just choose not to go home. The only ones whom we know can't go home are Simon and River. Everyone else can go where they please.

Blake's 7 is basically a group of freedom fighters on an advanced ship, fighting the evil Federation. Not lost but it's heavily based on being on board the ship and unable to go home as they are all wanted. I guess with that description you could consider it in line with Firefly, as they know where home is but can't visit it as they are wanted criminals.

I would say that's more a premise of simply being on the run, not lost or far from home.

As for Dr. Who, he can't return home. His entire planet is in a "time lock" along with a huge war that was taking place. Not sure why a time lock makes his planet unvisitable but it seems that the period during the war isn't off limits but the entire history of his planet. So he can't go home.

Fair enough.

Farscape, most of the characters were lost. Pilot's home was Moya, Moya was the home and Ayern was a Peacekeeper so didn't really have a home as she was raised on a Peacekeeper carrier. In the show, starbursts (Moya's fastest way to travel) were fairly random so if you did a full starburst to increase your chance of escaping a dangerous situation, no telling how far away you'd end up. As a result, the prisoners on board the ship want to return home but can't because they aren't sure where to go. As a result, it's mostly avoiding being captured while trying to get home and they even spend a while in the uncharted territories because it was the safest place for them to avoid being caught (which didn't really help).

Yeah, that'd definitely count given that some of the crew were effectively lost.

[SaberBlade]

Could the Farscape prisoners go home if they wanted to, though? Five episodes in I'm unsure of whether they're wanted by just the peacekeepers or by their own worlds as well. If the former, they might be able t return home, if the latter, unlikely without some sort of amnesty.

I don't want to give away spoilers, but as the show progresses we learn some of the crew are innocent, some were convicted of crimes against Peacekeepers and others are lost or have no where else to go. The characters are all fairly unique with their back story so generally the biggest half of them are there because they can't go anywhere else.

[mr_kennedy]

Lets not forget TNG has done it a couple of times aswell, as has TOS & SG-1 too

Would LEXX count? i believe they travelled into "our" universe and couldnt get back? idk ive never watched LEXX all the way through but i seen them travelling to another universe

Also does Cowboy Beebop count?

[SaberBlade]

I think Lex would half count, because after the first or second series they spent a lot of time on quasi-Earth and the fire/water planets. Bebop wouldn't count because they aren't lost, stranded or unable to return home.