OT - Good sci fi TV shows?

javaslinger · #1 February 13th, 2003, 02:59 AM

The only Sci Fi shows i ever see anymore are Lexx (not very good), ST-Voyager (Not bad), ST-NG (I've seen 'em all), Andromeda (bleh), and some other horrible owe I never heard of late night.

Anyway, seems they just don't make sci-fi like the used to... Babylon 5 was good but seems gone... The new star trek seems so lame... Just no energy and it's like on one channel in the country...

So what's good these days?

Ken

P.s. any recommendations for any good sci-fi movies that I may not have seen? B movies that weren't bad?

Omega_Prime · #2 February 13th, 2003, 03:13 AM

Stargate SG1 was a suprise, considering its parrent film.

It has a story arc. It has continuity. It uses established story line in developing plot. The cast has a chemistry that would have brought some life, to the otherwise good, but dry B5.

It single-handedly revised my interest in sci-fi.
I was so used to Rodenberryesque fantasy, I forgot what Science Fiction was.

I was never a Richard Dean Anderson fan either, until now. And I must say, I like his show more than his politics.

Atrocities · #3 February 13th, 2003, 03:22 AM

Farscape - Good show
Andramada - I think it is ok
Earth Final Conflict - Never got into it.
Star Trek Enterprise - Good show
Taken - Never seen it

Top Sci-Fi Shows of all time according to me.

1. Babylon 5
2. Deep Space 9
3. Stargate SG-1
4. Farscape
5. Star Trek Next Generation
6. Star Trek
7. Enterprise
8. Andromada
9. Battlestar Galactica (Damn good show, too bad it was dropped in the first season.)
10. Buck Rogers

SamuraiProgrammer · #4 February 13th, 2003, 04:22 AM

Babylon 5 is my all time favorite Sci Fi show. In fact, it is my all time favorite TV series (closely followed by Hill Street Blues).

I have enjoyed every episode of Star Trek : Deep Space 9, but have not seen that many of them (scheduling problems)

I have enjoyed Star Trek : Enterprise very much also.

Ragnarok · #5 February 13th, 2003, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Taken - Never seen it

I must comment on this one. I would strongly recommend seeing this miniseries. It was a awesome show and very well written. What do you expect from Spielburge though. It was only 5 or 6 shows but everyone of them were great.

DavidG · #6 February 13th, 2003, 04:50 AM

IMO if you want good Sci-Fi forget the TV, get a book or even better, a magazine like Analog

gregebowman · #7 February 13th, 2003, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ragnarok:

quote:

Taken - Never seen it

I must comment on this one. I would strongly recommend seeing this miniseries. It was a awesome show and very well written. What do you expect from Spielburge though. It was only 5 or 6 shows but everyone of them were great.

I just didn't have time or opportunity to watch the mini-series. I'll just wait for it to come out on DVD.

Now for some of my favorite shows, I can't believe no has mentioned Britain's contribution to sci-fi shows. Let's not forget a little show called Doctor Who, which has run longer than all of the Star Trek shows put together. And there's also Red Dwarf. Now who says the Brits don't have a sense of humor? This has to be one of the funniest shows of all time, and it's sci-fi.

Of all of the sci-fi shows I can remember seeing, either in prime time or once they were in re-runs, here's what I would call my best

1. Star Trek
2. St: TNG
3. Voyager
4. DS9
5. Enterprise
6. 6 Million Dollar Man
7. Dr. Who
8. Red Dwarf
9. The Time Tunnel
10. Star Blazers

Some of these shows may have started out slow, like ST: TNG, but got better as they went along, and some others started out good and then devolved, like the 6 Million Dollar Man.

Most of the modern shows that are on Sci-fi channel I just don't get the chance to watch, so I can't rate them. Or they're on Showtime, which I don't get.

javaslinger · #8 February 13th, 2003, 05:29 AM

What's that god awful series wehre people crash land on some planet. There some kind of underground race there called diggers?

It's a recent show.

It's kind of strange when you think about it just how many relatively new Sci-fi shows there have been. And so few any good. I think the networks are giving up on them so it's hard to get the money to put together a good one.

On another genre and speaking of british shows, I just saw a comedy series called Blacks Books or something. Funny as ****!

On the comedy channel one night but can't find it anymore.

Ken

orev_saara · #9 February 13th, 2003, 05:52 AM

Well, Farscape was the best show on television, but I'm afraid you missed the boat on that one. So did a lot of people, which was the problem really. Produced by Jim Henson's creature company, the show had outstanding production values. The stuff didn't have that sleek, expensive look you expect from any recent ST shows, but it was very imaginative. Picture "The Dark Crystal" as a sci-fi TV show.

Sadly, Farscape was too good for it's own good. It had strong plot development throughout the entire four-year run, and intricate character arcs. So anyone who hadn't been watching couldn't just jump in and have any idea what was going on. And since Sci-Fi, like any good network, doesn't care as much about the quality of a show as the quantity of its viewers, it got cancelled.

Sometimes I blame Stargate, but that's just petty, I know.

I can't believe, though, that several people have rated the best sci-fi of all time and forgotten the best TV show ever, "The Prisoner"! This show was great! Psychological philosophy disguised as entertainment! And darned entertaining too! If any of you haven't seen the show in its entirety, I command you to rent it or buy it immediately and go mend!

Omega_Prime · #10 February 13th, 2003, 07:00 AM

I not only have the complete Prisoner series on tape, but several McGuin interviews and the Gurps Prisoner RGP.

I don't think of it as sci-fi though. You never know if it is a dream, aliens, his government, another government. Instead of a sci-fi mythos, it builds psychological tension using fantasy/action elements, sometimes in the guise of science. I think that is a different animal, but it is one of my all-time Favorites.

Battlestar Galactica was canceled not because of a lack of interest, or return on capital invested, but because George Lucas kept suing the production.

He claimed he owned "capsule shaped laser fire", sound in space, the design for the viper, etc, etc. He litigated one of the best Sci-fi series ever, off the air.

He is a hack at best, and the best of the Star Wars universe was written by other people than himself. Jealous of real talent, he went after Galactica with every tool at his disposal.

I wish him well on his new project. To make himself look like a Death-Star. It is coming along nicely. Soon he will not be able to leave his own home, and will spend his days playing his level 60 necro on EverQuest.

[ February 13, 2003, 05:00: Message edited by: Omega_Prime ]