Classic Sci-Fi Series Starring 90s Heartthrob Now Streaming Without Netflix

In the distant future, humanity is one part of the Systems Commonwealth, and we follow the adventures of a Commonwealth captain (Kevin Sorbo) as he commands the Andromeda Ascendant. This ship gets frozen in time for more than three centuries, and now that the Commonwealth has fallen, the captain must assemble an unlikely group of misfits to resurrect the Commonwealth and generally bring peace and inspiration to a galaxy that has grown chaotic and unruly.

Given that description, it’s not hard to see why Andromeda has become a cult hit over the years. It’s basically like a mashup of Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy that focuses on a guy who became famous for his swords and sandals adventures. Fans who like Star Trek will particularly enjoy this series because of the high (if unconventional) pedigree of its premise.

Andromeda didn’t premiere until 2000, but it was based on ideas from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry who passed away in 1991. If you’re wondering how that worked, it was simple: Roddenberry had developed some of these ideas (including Dylan Hunt, the name of Kevin Sorbo’s character) back in the 1960s and 1970s. After his death, his widow Majel Barrett Roddenberry (better known to fans of The Next Generation as Lwaxana Troi) worked as a producer of a show run (at first) by Deep Space Nine writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

With that being said, Andromeda is not part of the Star Trek universe, and it’s a show that tried different identities for size over time. For example, show creator Wolfe had envisioned the show to be more of an ensemble cast whose overarching story built towards something greater, which was the ambitious storytelling model followed by Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5. After he refused to make a more casual show almost completely focused on Kevin Sorbo, Wolfe was booted from his own show so that Andromeda could basically become Hercules: The Legendary Space Journeys.

That’s disappointing for anyone who wanted to see Wolfe’s ambitions fully realized, but let’s be honest: “Hercules in Space” is already a premise worth checking out, especially if you’re on the lookout for some casual sci-fi. Some critics were annoyed the show wasn’t more like Star Trek, but others enjoyed the fact that the series never takes itself seriously and that it now serves as a time capsule for nostalgic nerds.

If you’d like to judge Andromeda for yourself, that’s easy enough to do. Without spending a single dollar (or should that be credit?), you can watch this show on Tubi, Roku, PlutoTV, Freevee, and Plex. Afterward, you might just find yourself among the growing number of fans hoping for this series to get its own reunion show.