What are the essential elements of a good space opera?

Lasers and feelings.

The "opera"part of the term space opera is referring to actual opera not soap operas ya know.

Where is Space: Above and Beyond on this chart?

Now I wanna see a Mexican Space Opera.

It's in low-mid tier.

Low-Mid tier, it's on the chart

Wrong, it refers to "horse operas", i.e. hokey cliche laden westerns that early space operas often aped if not outright copied

Better taste than this chart has would be a start.

>"Ay, dios mio, it's the dreaded 'El Guapo' in his battleship 'Cazador de putas'!"
Yeah, nah thanks.

Ah, sorry for bothering.

>Babylon 5 not god-tier

I can understand if you have qualms with the CGI, but everything else is fantastic.

What about a Mexican luchador space opera? This is the closest file I got to luchas

Space Operas are going to be very character and narrative driven despite being in space. The idea being the space part is accepted or almost mundane in the setting. A space opera is any other drama told on a grander tale

Also missles

What about a Telenovela Space Opera?

I do not understand why people like star trek as a setting, it's so fucking dense and weird. Any story that is good in star trek would be better in another setting.

>I do not understand why people like star trek as a setting

The answer to that question predates the internet. Star Trek always mystified me. It has a lot of cool, interesting shit but for some reason I just can't get into it. I like a couple of the movies and I'll watch an episode of TOS or TNG every now and then but beyond that? Nah.

It's something I don't like but wish I could, in contrast with say the Star Wars EU which is something I hate and am glad I do.

Telenovelas are basically soap operas, so go see & call your proctologist in the morning ...

The entire chart is dubious as fuck, I wouldn't pay too much attention.

While it has a lot of stupid shit, TOS also has a cool vibe and great character dynamic. Like Babylon 5, you have to be able to look past the bad parts to enjoy the awesome stuff. TNG is a nice comfy episodic show with generally good energy from the cast. Just skip the first two seasons and any episode that's about something that doesn't appeal to you (like Wesley, or any story centered around the holodeck).

If you haven't seen it, I recommend The Doomsday Machine for TOS. For TNG, I like a good quandary episode, so something like Timescape works out well.

As far as the movies go, none of them capture the spirit of the series on which they're based (particularly not the TOS stuff). Even a good movie like Wrath of Khan introduces a cool new vibe in place of the old one. But overall, I find the movies to be disappointing and only half alive.

Oh shit LEXX. Did anyone actually watch that?

Simply put, it's because for many people Star Trek was their first dive into sci-fi, it has a little bit of everything so there's gotta be at least one episode that appeals to someone's flavor of science fiction bullshit, it doesn't take a lot of effort or in-setting knowledge to just jump into the middle of it, and the setting is clear-cut and easily identifiable.

Same reasons many people enjoy D&D even when the mechanics are bad.

Is firefly really a space opera? It doesn't have aliens, it implies a lack of FTL with weeks of time in the void between planets or days when hopping between the moons of a gas giant, it sticks to one solar system, the only really out there part is that the system has five suns and multiple planets and moons with gravity comfortable enough to allow for basic atmospheric terraforming, which for all we know took a timescale requiring they send probes and drone ships out way ahead of the generation ships that got humanity there.

>Bucky O'Hare
Oh my god. I'd forgotten that until this very moment. The nostalgia is real and tangible and just kicked me in the terth.

Why do people still.like Red Dwarf? I don't know if it was funny when it came out but it's aged like hot garbage.

Some people are British.

Characters drive the narrative, multiple developed characters, drama, reconciliation, tragedy, overcoming, revelations, mystery, I can go on but at that point it all comes down to execution.

>Bucky O'Hare
>very low tier

B... But 7 years old me really liked it.

>Lexx being that low on the list

Pleb tastes, friendo. Should be high-might to high at least.

Poor lads.

>Season 5
>The anti climactic end of the shadow war

So star trek discovery can be in its own tier. because, I feel that is very much deserves such.

Got to love official fan fiction.

Dark Matter should be God tier bc I found my waifu in it

I genuinely liked the last episode. I'm sort of hoping that like it'll just take a series or two to get good, like NG and Voyager
I know Voyager is pretty shite, but it does get *better* about series 3-4, and it does make for good background watching

...do you still love me user?

The ideal space opera, as described by Brian Aldiss, contains most if not all of the following criteria:

1. The world must be in peril.
2. There must be a quest,
3. And a man or woman to meet the mighty hour.
4. That man or woman must confront aliens and exotic creatures.
5. Space must flow past the ports like wine from a pitcher.
6. Blood must rain down the palace steps,
7. And ships launch out into the louring dark.
8. There must be a woman or man fairer than the skies,
9. And a villain darker than a Black Hole.
10. And all must come right in the end.

Personally I'm liking Discovery much better than Voyager. If they can slow down the pacing and put more focus on some of the other characters I think more people will come to enjoy it. Hopefully It'll end up like DS9.

Cute girls. Especially alien and/or robot girls.