Stargate Universe.

[Taw Makto]

Indeed. This series is what the old Lost in Space could have been had the writers not turned Dr. Smith into comic relief (more like comic disaster). But that was the 60's, and we've learned an awful lot about "science fiction" since then.

Carlyle is magnificently evilish, in a typically elegant, British sort of way.

The thing that's best about the writing: you never really know what twist the characters are going to bring up. Rush is a good example. You know he's got an ego the size of Australia, but he's also had some amazingly human moments where you actually feel for the guy. And Matt! Good grief, they don't get any squeakier clean behind the ears looking, yet he's obviously got demons....and a rather prolific sex drive. Illegitimate kid back home and everything. TJ....no saint she....

Spoiler:  

...and she's going to have a lot of fun in another trimester or two. I wonder how they're going to handle an infant on board ship?

All in all, an interesting random chunk of humanity, all bottled up in an enormous ancient starship. Anything goes...