Star Wars Meets Peanuts In David Tennant's 36-Episode Space Opera

Published Sep 14, 2026, 7:45 PM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

Although most space operas are movies, TV has had some great shows from this genre as well as some hidden gems, such as a short-lived one starring David Tennant. Various sci-fi TV shows can be found among the best TV shows of all time, and one of the best things about this genre is its versatility. Sci-fi TV shows can be as terrifying as The X-Files, as bizarre as Rick & Morty, and exciting yet sometimes dramatic as Doctor Who.

The sci-fi genre isn’t only about live-action TV shows, as there are also plenty of animated sci-fi shows that have earned praise from critics and general audiences. Shows like Arcane, Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Invincible are some of the best animated sci-fi shows as well as the best animated TV shows of all time, but as always, the success of some leads to other great shows being overshadowed. Such is the case for Final Space, created by Olan Rogers.

Final Space is an adult animated space opera comedy show that aired on TBS and Adult Swim from 2018 to 2021 for three seasons. Despite its concept, animation, and an impressive voice cast, Final Space was canceled too soon, and while it got a proper ending in extended media, it deserved a lot better – but, on a brighter note, with just 36 episodes, it’s a perfect binge-watch for sci-fi comedy fans.

Final Space Is An Animated Space Opera With An All-Star Cast

Final Space introduces viewers to Gary Goodspeed (voiced by Olan Rogers), an energetic but not very brilliant astronaut in the last days of his five-year sentence aboard the prison spacecraft Galaxy One. Gary meets a green alien named Mooncake (Rogers), who he quickly befriends, but what Gary doesn’t know is that Mooncake is a powerful weapon that can destroy planets. However, the evil telekinetic tyrant Lord Commander (David Tennant) wants to capture Mooncake to use its power to open a breach into a dangerous dimension where Titans live.

Gary gathers a crew to keep Mooncake safe, and together they travel across space on different adventures while also learning more about that monstrous dimension, the title Final Space. The show was a critical success, with most praise going towards its voice cast, especially Tennant’s villainous performance. Tennant’s performance in Final Space is especially significant as his biggest role to date is that of the Doctor in Doctor Who, so this felt fitting with his sci-fi legacy.

Joining Rogers and Tennant in the voice cast of Final Space are Steven Yeun, Tom Kenny, Fred Armisen, Conan O’Brien, Jane Lynch, Keith David, Ron Perlman, and Alan Tudyk, among many others. The voice cast of Final Space is one of its biggest strengths, and combined with its concept, animation, and humor, makes it a must-watch for sci-fi fans. Unfortunately, Final Space was canceled after three seasons, but it got a continuation in the graphic novel Final Space: The Final Chapter, which served as the show’s end.

The Adult Swim Series Feels Like Star Wars Crossed With Peanuts

Final Space has some clear Star Wars influence (after all, many sci-fi shows and movies do), but it’s also reminiscent of Peanuts, making it a strange but interesting combination. Final Space has a classic soap-opera structure, just like that of Star Wars, with a main character going on an adventure across space and facing a destructive and tyrannical enemy that threatens to destroy planets and more.

Surely, Final Space is a lot more comedic than Star Wars, but they share many similarities, though in different tones. Now, Final Space is also reminiscent of Peanuts, with its underdog and misunderstood main character accompanied by a one-of-a-kind friend and sidekick, and a touch of existential dread underneath all the comedy. Final Space deserved more than just three seasons, but its unfair fate doesn’t make it any less great.