Dark Matter and the Return of Defiance on SyFy

SyFy has new space-based show, Dark Matter, that premieres on Friday June 12th.  It has some aspects that remind me of Firefly, which cannot hurt the show.  It is the tale of a six member crew awakening on a spaceship with no idea about themselves or the mission.  Over time they begin to gain some understanding of their past skills (ship-flying, sword-fighting, etc.) as well as the dangers of their new situation.  They almost look like pirates being chased by some strange government authority.  Sound familiar?  Check out this clip for a better understanding of the story and see if you agree with the overlap with Firefly.   

Update: Dark Matter has been renewed for a second season. I have enjoyed this show as it slowly unfolds and we learn more about the past of each character. And it continues to remind me of Firefly as this close-knit crew spends most of their time on the ship, though this ship seems endlessly large compared to the cramped quarters on Mal's ship. I am still not sure about the Seven of Seven ship droid who is eerily similar to Seven of Nine on Star Trek. She is a good character, but why this parallel (or maybe it is homage)?  All in all, it's been a solid and fun series that I look forward to following into its next season.
 
I know, I would rather Mr. Whedon return with a continuation of his series, but that is not being offered.  He seems to be spending all of his time with super heroes these days, so we need to take what is offered. Of course, this new show may be more like Stargate since it comes from the same creators of that series, yet it should be a unique story given it is based on the graphic novel of the same name. 

And if you are torn, maybe you should stick to Defiance, a SyFy classic, now in its third season and premiering on the same evening.  This Earth-based program has plenty of adventure (and alien races) to keep you interested.  You may think there is little story to tell after the considerable damage to the primary city of the Earth Republic government, but don't forget that last season ended with a kidnapping of Alak and a pregnant Christie as well as the unresolved fates of Nolan and Irisa.  Plenty more tales to tell, it would seem.  And if you need to catch up on the episodes, you can do that here.