We're embracing a subset of 20th century themes. Star Trek: The Next Generation was a very popular XX century series, and yet after it, never again[0] did sci-fi embraced the themes like optimism about the future, exploration, diplomacy, a society as a protagonist just as important as the heroes, etc. I'm saddened about it (and about post-ENT Star Trek reboots). I want my TNG back, and I'm not ashamed of clinging to it.

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[0] - With the possible exception of Disney's Tommorowland, and of course DS9, VOY and ENT Star Trek series from the same universe as TNG.

The Orville is the spiritual successor to TNG in my opinion.

If you can get past the somewhat juvenile humor in the early episodes it's surprisingly good.

Thanks for recommending and reminding me of it. I've seen the first two or three episodes and then stopped because life interfered; I'll revisit it!

DS9 had an all-out war, Section 31, and Sisko being compliant in murder to further the war effort.

DS9 was definitely the darkest of Star Trek series of the era, and made the realities of the Federation seem a bit less rosy. But it was dark relative to the very bright Star Trek baseline; in absolute sense, there's lots of positivity to be found in the series.

have you seen the recent DS9 documentary "what we left behind"?

https://ds9documentary.com/

Didn't know about this, thanks for the link!

There's a Star Trek: Picard coming that might offer you some hope.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Picard

I'm waiting for it, but I've already heard rumors that they're taking it in the new direction and don't feel particularly obliged to the original Picard character, so I'm not too hopeful.

Even aside from rumors, just watching the trailer for it alongside the trailer for Terminator: Dark Fate does not give high hopes.

The very popular Culture series by Iain M. Banks offers a very optimistic vision of the future.

Viewed through a certain lens it does; viewed more cynically it's a decadent utopia that engages in CIA-eqsue interference programs purely to stop a small percentage of dissatisfied citizens going haywire within the boundaries of the Culture. All controlled and directed by quasi-omniscient, paternalistic machines.

I think it's a very interesting exercise in exploring the space of post-scarcity, and Banks does a good job of looking at those consequences. It's telling though how little of narrative interest happens within Culture borders.

EDIT: But you're not wrong that it's at the upper end of the optimism scale!

Probably the latter. Because as you say, studios have found their formula and want to stick to it as much as possible to minimise the likelihood a new film/TV series/book/game flops.

This makes perfect sense for a company (since they're almost always very risk adverse), but doesn't work so well if you want more original works or creativity. Entertainment requires outsiders, non corporations, etc to provide at least some of the works there, otherwise you'll get endless sequels, reboots and rehashes until they stop selling.

Por que no los dos?

Indeed, I am patronizing the indie cinema much more these days. Mainly, because they have actually interesting movies, unlike the bland drivel that being spooned out of Hollywood.