The CW network recently premiered its new original sci-fi series, Pandora, a show that tries to present an optimistic view of the future rather than a dystopian one. Creator Mark A. Altman named both Star Trek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer among his influences for this show. However, some reviewers such as The Hollywood Reporter seem skeptical of the show’s potential, and though there are few critical analyses of the show as of yet, Pandora currently holds mere 25% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Pandora follows the story of Jax, played by Priscilla Quintana, as she makes her way through Space Training Academy on a futuristic Earth. There, she meets a variety of other characters, that fill in some of the classic sci-fi stereotypes, illustrating what Collider calls “a decent grasp of what the cast of a college-aged Star Trek might look like.” In a press release regarding the premiere of Pandora, Altman stated that this was his intention, to “ do a series which reflected the classic storytelling we loved in the original Star Trek.” Altman went on to say that “the show is about a group of people who come together as a family, and in the course of their adventures, do great things for the galaxy. We brought the fun back to sci-fi.”
However, reviewers of Pandora were not so optimistic. Gizmodo writes, “Its latest venture into hard sci-fi, Pandora, accomplishes something the CW hasn’t done in years: It’s made something bad.” A reviewer for The Hollywood Reporter stated, “There’s no character I particularly liked, no relationship that seems particularly interesting and no mystery embedded in the pilot to which I’d like to get any answers.” Overall, the critic consensus for Pandora is overwhelmingly negative. Pandora doesn’t seem to be pulling in many viewers either, with The Wrap reporting that the show received a “0.1 rating among adults 18-49 and 736,000 total viewers” during its premiere.
Pandora will continue to air on the CW every Tuesday at 8:00pm Eastern Time. Episodes will also be made available on the CW app after time of airing. You can watch the trailer for the first season of Pandora below.