urbanriot I feel a big part of the issue is that network executives never respected science fiction and they don’t recognize when a science fiction show has staying power.
As you know, Star Trek was killed by NBC after its initial 3-year run (1964-1967), but eventually came back with a vengenance (maybe too much so!)
A lot of good SF is hard to translate into the screen.
The 1988 attempt at Asimov’s “Nightfall” which I’ve never seen but which is universally described as awful.
The movie versions of Asimov’s “I, Robot” and “Bicentennial Man” which were noble attempts but ultimately flawed.
The current Apple TV production of Asimov’s “Foundation” which I have not seen, and from everything I’ve heard, have no desire to see.
Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers” was really botched, and there were a couple of sequels that were abominations.
Sometimes things just suck from the beginning, such as the production of “The Starlost” which Harlan Ellison had to disown.
“Space 1999” was torn apart the 2nd (and final) season by network/syndication problems and by a descent into some ridiculous scripts.
Harlan Ellison once described a particular executive as “a cauliflower that walks” or something like that.
There’s a lot of that around.