Sci-fi fans were recently blessed with not only The Mandalorian, but also the final season of The Clone Wars and the first season of Star Trek's Picard. It was a sci-fi fan's dream. Until the next property comes along, Star Wars and Star Trek fans want other shows to keep them entertained.
In lieu of new science fiction content, there are some great older science fiction shows to fill those holes in everyone's hearts.
Stargate
A mix of action and scientific intrigue, Stargate is the love child of Star Wars and Star Trek. While there may be a bit too much governmental interference for some folk (there's too much governmental interference for the characters, too), it's a great series to enjoy when one loves space, science, and the possible mysticism of it all.
There are also several series (17 season total with a handful of movies), so a fan can spend a lot of time watching and enjoying themselves.
Samurai Jack
While this show is marketed as a kid's show, Samurai Jack is a masterwork of blending fantasy and science fiction; cinematic, animation, and action artistry. The series debuted in 2001 and ran for four seasons, with a finale season not coming out until 2017. Even though there were shockingly long stretches of silence, the show and pacing were so well done that it didn't matter.
Just like Star Wars, Samurai Jack blends fantasy and science fiction in a very dramatic, action-packed way.
Samurai Jack himself is a fantastic protagonist and any sci-fi fan looking for a new show to watch should check it out.
Battlestar Galactica
A reboot of the 1978 series, Battlestar Galactica expanded on the ideas of the first outing. They extended the insidious nature of the cylons, the struggles of humanity, and the stress it put on its people. But it also focused on how that struggle brought other people together.
A drama-filled, action heavy series, it was a galactic conflict that put humanity on the brink of destruction. Fans loved it at the time and any Star Trek or Star Wars fan would find it gripping now.
Futurama
Futurama does a great job of reveling in and poking great fun at it. And, even better, there are quite a few Star Trek actors who lend their voices to some famous talking preserved heads.
Futurama, as a show, loves science fiction and pays constant homages to it. Any Star Trek or Star Wars fan looking for a lighthearted show to watch in weird times should give it a shot. Especially since the show managed to throw some decent life lessons in there, too.
Cowboy Bebop
Anime classic Cowboy Bebop is heralded as one of the best science fiction stories ever. The series is set in a galaxy where Earth is basically uninhabitable and humans have relocated to local planets to survive.
However, with all the spread and chaos, crime is a bit of a problem, so bounty hunters are a big deal. The main cast are a ragtag group of hunters working on the ship Bebop. Together they deal with money problems, ghosts from their pasts, and some fearsome foes.
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is a fantastic anthology series exploring the fiction curiosities of the universe's mysteries. It starts off every episode asking "what if?" and exploring that idea until its end. It's notable among Star Trek fans because several Trek actors also starred in episodes. William Shatner himself leads multiple episodes, the most famous of which is the wild and wacky "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."
This series has always boldly gone where no one has gone before and explored every moment where someone had a bad feeling about this.
Babylon Five
Much like Star Wars, Babylon Five is described as a space opera, and what a great one it is. With so many alien and human diplomats on one station, of course things would get dramatic and complex fast. On said station (Babylon Five itself) these various characters dealt with the troubles of the universe and tried to work together to make a better future.
It gives similar vibes of Star Trek's Deep Space 9 with the drama and scale of Star Wars. If any science fiction fan hasn't seen it, they should start watching now.
Dark Matter
Picking Dark Matter breaks the "classic" rule, but this show is still worth noting. It includes ex-criminals, political intrigue, cyborgs, adventure, exploration, and more. It takes the galactic scale of Star Wars' conflicts and applies it to a ship full of ex-cons travelling in a Star-Trek-esque way.
Unfortunately, the show got cancelled before it could have all the seasons it planned, but that doesn't take away the awesomeness of what is done. Also, Anthony Lemke's Three is very reminiscent of a Han Solo for a new generation.
Firefly
One cannot recommend a space adventure without recommending Firefly. It has an amazing ensemble cast of diverse people, working together to run a ship, survive, and just happen to make the galaxy a better place. Has less good guy purpose that Star Trek and Star Wars, but they happen to be too good at their core to leave people hanging.
Their story is like if the Rebellion was a ragtag group of runaways who end up fighting against and undermining the big brother at every turn. If only the show got longer to shine.
Farscape
Farscape worked closely with the Jim Henson company to create some of the greatest sci-fi puppets and make-up for its aliens.
This show is a great little adventure about one of the most dysfunctional found families imaginable. Enjoy every weird, wild, rebellious step of the way.