GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

How could they do space sci-fi different?

POSTED BY: NERVOUSPETE
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 7, 2004 13:27
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Sunday, July 4, 2004 1:38 PM

NERVOUSPETE



I wonder sometimes if the people who write sci-fi shows have trouble thinking outside of the ground-rules set up by previous efforts. Most shows seem to revolve around a ship with a lovable bunch of heroes/anti-heroes with a general quest. There'll be bombastic music, a story arc/problem-of-the-week and end of season cliff-hangers. There will be lessons learned and characters will develop, though not too much. (Excepting G'Kar and Londo of course. The mentalists)

Firefly is the exception of course, no bombastic music, a realistic-natural story that flows like real life and a strong sense of realism.

But is even that show of splendid aceness as far as the genre can go?

It seems that nearly all the space operas - Farscape, Enterprise, Lex, Stargate, Crusade - have been treading on each other's toes. Can't they try something different? A different way of writing? I'd follow one character, who would start of at home in peacetime only join up when the threat of a civil war looms. The difference is that it would be completely naturalistic, you'd only see what he gets to see. No shots of battle unless he looks out a window or through a camera, or sees some on the news. He'd hang with his friends, make a few petty enemies who'd give him a hard time but generally get along with this massive ship's crew. The plot would develop slowly and in the background, the life on board ship taking the foreground (think the below decks life of Master & Commander, only less cramped and with soft furnishings) and he would hardly ever, ever make a difference. Ten episodes in he would be forced to abandon ship with a random selection of crew, crash on a planet in the midst of a ground war, get wounded, go home on leave and then return just in time for the end battle. And then he'd pick up the pieces of his life and depending on whether he won or lost be all bitter like Mal or quite content. Or 'she' obviously, (in fact that would be even more interesting - see Alan Moore's 'The Ballard of Halo Jones') but I can't be bothered now to go back and put in he/she. The emphasis would be on the writing and a realistic feel, and there'd be no real heroics or anything. But everything would seem convincing and human, and it would only last the duration of a short war. Hmm, I think it could work.

Just think! The writing of first series Homicide: Life on the Street meets Star Trek budget effects and Kubrick direction. Mmmm.

("Clearly you are alone in this, Pete," - Ed.)

Anyway, I think sci-fi needs to get away from the nine crew member adventures in single ship ongoing story. Except Firefly, which I am ready and willing and am indeed seeking legal permission to make human sacrifice for a new series.

So, what would your idea of a great, fresh, innovative new sci-fi show be? Disregarding Firefly, natch.

All bow before mighty Joss!

Pete

P.S: Above guff written while sleepy so blame late nights and not me, okay?

"If you can keep your head whilst others... eurgh! Ack! I've spilt my ink! Ugh! Ink on my trousers! Agh! Ink on my shirt! My only hope! The window! Aieeeeee!" (Falls to death)
- Jonathan Nash

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Sunday, July 4, 2004 1:54 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.


Quote:

Originally posted by NervousPete:
Just think! The writing of first series Homicide: Life on the Street meets Star Trek budget effects and Kubrick direction.


Sounds like Serenity to me.
Quote:

Anyway, I think sci-fi needs to get away from the nine crew member adventures in single ship ongoing story. Except Firefly, which I am ready and willing and am indeed seeking legal permission to make human sacrifice for a new series.

Okay, what will it be? Are you going to commit ritual hari kari, or do you want to meet me at the volcano?





wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, July 4, 2004 2:08 PM

JELLO


My pitch to networks would be to have a 20-something, gorgeous female as the lead. Have her travel to distant planets and try to spark a relationship with one of the locals and follow them on their various romps. It would be a sci-fi reality show. Since that's all these morons seem interested in making, then why not go outside the box and place the characters in space instead of some popular city, Real World style. And since most people that degrade themselves by watching Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire or The Swan, or some other garbage in the form of entertainment, would continue on by watching this and might not even realize it's all staged. That's my pitch and it would probably work too, which is the sad thing.

------------------------------
I'll be in my bunk.
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Tuesday, July 6, 2004 11:53 AM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES


Quote:

Originally posted by NervousPete:
I'd follow one character, who would start of at home in peacetime only join up when the threat of a civil war looms. The difference is that it would be completely naturalistic, you'd only see what he gets to see. No shots of battle unless he looks out a window or through a camera, or sees some on the news. He'd hang with his friends, make a few petty enemies who'd give him a hard time but generally get along with this massive ship's crew. The plot would develop slowly and in the background,



Sounds a little like David Feintuch's "Hope" series of (I think) 7 novels following a young man from academy onwards - won't say where it goes as that gives away some of the story (though the clue is in the increased rank's of each title - Midshipman's Hope etc. etc.). Borrows liberally from Hornblower, but is fairly entertaining - you may enjoy it if that's the sort of SF you're looking for.

"I threw up on your bed"

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Tuesday, July 6, 2004 3:53 PM

DIXIEFLATLINE


Quote:

Originally posted by Misguided By Voices:
Sounds a little like David Feintuch's "Hope" series of (I think) 7 novels following a young man from academy onwards - won't say where it goes as that gives away some of the story (though the clue is in the increased rank's of each title - Midshipman's Hope etc. etc.). Borrows liberally from Hornblower, but is fairly entertaining - you may enjoy it if that's the sort of SF you're looking for.



Good recommendation, although I would mention that you may find it viciously depressing (occasionally to the point of exasperation). The overall storyline goes in a number of interesting directions, but the one constant is the protagonist's ever-widening streak of masochistic self-hatred -- I gave it up after #6 just because I couldn't stand the man any more. It's quite enjoyable at least up through #4, though.

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Wednesday, July 7, 2004 11:54 AM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES


Quote:

Originally posted by DixieFlatline:
Good recommendation, although I would mention that you may find it viciously depressing (occasionally to the point of exasperation). The overall storyline goes in a number of interesting directions, but the one constant is the protagonist's ever-widening streak of masochistic self-hatred -- I gave it up after #6 just because I couldn't stand the man any more. It's quite enjoyable at least up through #4, though.



I was debating whether to add that caveat - essentially every problem in the book involves breaking some military code, and even the smallest breach is punishable by the cat o' nine tails (I exaggerate... a little) - so most chapters have this internal debate before every action, then the lead character offering his resignation/confession.





"I threw up on your bed"

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Wednesday, July 7, 2004 1:27 PM

ANNIK


Quote:

Originally posted by Jello:
My pitch to networks would be to have a 20-something, gorgeous female as the lead. Have her travel to distant planets and try to spark a relationship with one of the locals and follow them on their various romps. It would be a sci-fi reality show. Since that's all these morons seem interested in making, then why not go outside the box and place the characters in space instead of some popular city, Real World style. And since most people that degrade themselves by watching Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire or The Swan, or some other garbage in the form of entertainment, would continue on by watching this and might not even realize it's all staged. That's my pitch and it would probably work too, which is the sad thing.



Aren't there some who claim that the 1960s moon landings were all staged, and only supposed to *look* like reality?

Hmmm ... once again everything old becomes new again.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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