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In multiple episodes the incredible distance between The Milky Way and Andromeda is dealt with fairly accurately or at least consistently: even at highest warp the 2 million light years that separate the two galaxies mean that it would take many lifetimes to reach it. (This is in "By Any Other Name" -- even with Kelvan modifications, the ship will still take centuries to reach Andromeda.)

I am not sure about Lost in Space or Outer Limits in this respect -- but both of these shows tended to play loose with speed and distances.

Later shows, like Stargate, nod to intergalactic distances but allow such travel using wormholes or indeed Stargate's.

Was Star Trek the first TV series or even movie that dealt with the great distances between galaxies?

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    Note that Star Gate requires specially-significant levels of power for intergalactic gates, such that they are only used very occasionally. Otherwise the distance between galaxies is still an obstacle for the FTL ships, though they did get it down to ~a month to fly between the Milky Way and Andromeda with sufficient drive power.
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Apr 30 at 8:51
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    @OrangeDog Pegasus certainly? I don't remember Star Gate having any episodes in Andromeda. Commented Apr 30 at 9:18
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    @EikePierstorff yes, my mistake. Both Andromeda and Atlantis start with an A.
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Apr 30 at 9:55
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    I don't see why intergalactic distances would ever need to be dealt with. It seems to me that the Milky Way is big enough for almost any story you'd want to tell in a TV series or even a movie.
    – user14111
    Commented Apr 30 at 10:29
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    @user14111 well, if you wanted to make a movie about traveling a huge star-less void it would be a good fit. Our if the fictitious universe already has FTL travel and you need to come up with a new border to conquer for your heroes. Frankly, you wouldn't even need the Milky Way, most of Star Trek would work as soap opera in someone's living room. It's just a bit of window dressing that makes the conflicts displayed on screen more fun to watch. Commented Apr 30 at 12:09

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