Favorite non-FIREFLY sci-fi shows by reginaroadie

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Favorite non-FIREFLY sci-fi shows

POSTED BY: REGINAROADIE
UPDATED: Saturday, May 14, 2005 03:00
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VIEWED: 7550
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Saturday, May 7, 2005 9:10 PM

I know this thread topic might've been done a long time ago and who knows how many times, but I felt like starting a thread that could be hijacked into discussions about one of these shows.

Some of us here are hard core sci-fi geeks. Others only have a mere assicoation with sci-fi in general. I was just wondering what are some of your favorite non-FIREFLY sci-fi shows.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1959-64): All sci-fi tv can be traced all the way back to this show. Social commentary about humanity and all it's aspects disguised as fascinating sci-fi stories. I've been watching these eps all over again on DVD and the emotional power of some of these shows still pack a punch. "The Monster's Are Due on Maple Street" is a great commentary on mob mentality and prejudice. "The After Hours" is a great little horror piece that still scares the crap out of me. "Pitch for the Angels" is a sweet parable on love and death. I've only just scrathced the surface on these timeless stories.

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES and VOYAGER: Of the six series in the franchise, these two are my favorites. The former a great relic of nostalgia and late 60's culture, as well as being a fascinating start to an enduring mythology that's permeated our culture and society. The latter is IMHO, the only spinoff to have both the integrity and the adventure, as well as humor, of the original series.

V and V: THE FINAL BATTLE: The best sci-fi serves as allegories of humanity at it's best and worst. The miniseries perfectly captures the horror of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany and serves as a good political allegory.

X-FILES: Fairly obvious. I didn't mind the addition of John Doggett during the last two years. Duchovny always had that laconic attitude that made him look and sound like he was about to fall asleep. But Robert Patrick really gave the series a shot in the arm of energy and adrenaline.

SLIDERS: I never saw QUANTUM LEAP, so I never thought of this as a knockoff of that. This was a cool adventure series that was always a thrill to tune in to see what kind of world they'd land on. Plus, John Rys-Davis's Prof. Arturo is by far the most intriguing character on any sci-fi series I've ever seen. The show really went downhill after he left. I wish that if FIREFLY was still on, Davis would've eventually guest starred on it. Would've been perfect to see him put the fear of God into Jayne. "WHY!!!!! BECAUSE I AM AN ENGLISHMAN, YOU BLISTERING IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!"

FUTURAMA: This is sci-fi comedy at it's best. With a cast and universe as colorful and distinct as our BDH's, this show might've only lasted a quarter length as the SIMPSONS, but was funnier in it's entire length than SIMPSONS have been during the last 6 to 8 years. And it ended on such a perfect high note.

DR. WHO: I had only seen one ep of the Tom Baker Dr. Who run. But the recent Chris Eccleson version of it is great stuff. Been watching it on CBC and I get now why it's such a phenom. The T.A.R.D.I.S. has to be the ultimate sci-fi vehicle ever imagined and the Doctor is another bizarre intriguing character. Can't wait to see what happens next.

And there's also the two big miniseries (TAKEN and THE 4400) that also really impressed me. Can't wait to see the follow up for 4400. Wonder when they're going to be on. And isn't Summer going to be in that as well? Figured she'd be one of them. Oh, and I almost forgot. I've seen the miniseries and the first ep of the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I like what I've seen so far. Got a bunch of the eps of the 1st season. Still havn't gotten around to watching them.

So who here likes the shows I've mentioned?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And wow! Hey! What's this thing suddenly coming towards me very fast? Very very fast. So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like ... ow ... ound ... round ... ground! That's it! That's a good name - ground! I wonder if it will be friends with me?

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 10:13 AM

FIREFLYWILDCARD1

Space: Above and Beyond: Wonderful sci-fi military series that of course ran on Fox and was cancelled before all the story lines could be finished. The only big flaw that got on my nerves about the show was the sound in space thing. Otherwise most of the acting was great, the cast worked well as an ensemble, and the writing was good.

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 11:00 AM

CHRISISALL

Star Trek (original)- don't own 'em 'cause I got 'em stored in my head with every detail (I'm like V'ger that way).

STTNG - gotta love Picard.

Outer Limits (original most/recent series pretty good)- favourite ep Demon With A Glass Hand.

Dark Angel - anyone reading threads knows how much of a NUT I am for this one!!!(I could go on and on, but there's two other threads here I did that on).

Twilight Zone (again, original most/recent series okay)- Richard Matheson my favourite writer on the series!

Battlestar Galactica (here's a twist: original okay/recent series ROCKS!!!!!)

UFO- dated, but it still holds a special place in my heart.

Oh, I almost forgot...Airwolf (S1 only)- I know it only barely makes it into the sci-fi catagory(if at all), but that first season was a doozy! Writing almost worthy of Joss! (dvd comes out the 24th of this month, BSMH*!)

Another one!! Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr.- this show completely ROCKED!!!Wild Wild West on acid! Love Bruce, baby.

Safe from spoilers on this thread(I hope) Chrisisall

* Be Still My Heart -C

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 11:08 AM

HOWDYROCKERBABY1

I loved Sliders when it was one...but my brother and I bought the season 1 & 2 set for my sister... man was it pretty hoakey. Especially Wade...she's a terrible actress...and now she has a job on Numb3rs...good thing cops don't have to emote. =D

Futurama is good as well.

My absolute favorite non-Firefly show would have to be an anime show called TRIGUN. I guess I have a thing for futuristic space westerns, because that's what Trigun is. =D
Similarities:
~Both lasted for a season or less
~take place on planets not earth as earth was milked of all its natural resources.
~involve various characters with great faith in God, and others with absolutely none.
~Both have mysteries surrounding the characters that aren't ever quite fully revealed, leaving the fan to draw conclusions.
~Both have characters who'll avoiding killing as much as they possibly can...but if it comes down to it...bang.
~Both have preachers with shady pasts

I highly recommend it! It's on Adult Swim on Mon-Wed at a scheduled time of 1 am...but it plays at 10 here on the east coast, since Cartoon Network only has one air time, Or i suggest renting it from NetFlix...as the DVD set is pretty damn spendy. (100+ dollars

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Early: I only hurt people because they keep getting in the way of me finding you. Tell her.
Simon: What am I? Your advocate?
Early: You are starting now.
Simon: He's really very...gentle...and fuzzy. We're becoming fast friends.
Early: You folks are all insane.
Simon: Well, my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 11:11 AM

HOWDYROCKERBABY1

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:

Dark Angel - anyone reading threads knows how much of a NUT I am for this one!!!(I could go on and on, but there's two other threads here I did that on).

Ahh, yet another show that FOX murdered without a finale. I remember that I began watching it, merely to make fun of it...then became a regular viewer. Incidently, that's exactly how i became a Buffy fan.

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 11:29 AM

CHRISISALL

Brisco County, Jr. suffered the same unfriendly fire from Fox almost a decade earlier, shoulda known back then they were a bunch of lilly-livered skanks. Where's the gorram dvd of that ??!!??!!
(I added it after you posted, sorry.)

A Swill brother at heart Chrisisall

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 11:53 AM

EMBERS

all of Star Trek (well, except for 'Enterprise', but I'm still watching that...I would never just ignore it)

Star Wars ep 4-6 only

original Twilight Zone

X-files the earlier seasons

all of Babylon 5

all of Farscape

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Galaxy Quest

I'm starting to get into the more recent version of Battlestar Galactica

but I've never felt as strongly about any of them as I do about Firefly/Serenity....
I've never wanted to live in their world as much as I want to ride through the black on board Serenity!

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 3:13 PM

CYBERSNARK

My opinions are like to make me real unpopular. But since when does that stop me.

Star Trek DS9: Of all the Treks, this one played fast and loose with the rules, and was most responsible for turning Roddenberry's original brilliant allegory into a living, breathing universe. The station itself is what sold me; dark, gloomy, depressing, unapologetically alien. . . and yet home. It was a trend-setter offscreen as well, and the DS9 reboot novels paved the way for Pocket Books' current unified Trek franchise. Trek may be going off the air, but as long as I have books to look forward too, I'll always live just a turbolift-ride from the Promenade.

Star Trek Enterprise: Yeah, you heard me. I was skeptical at first, but there's so much subtlety there that goes unnoticed. T'Pol's repressed wildness makes her one of my favourite Trek characters, and the only Vulcan on that list (alongside two Cardassians, a Jem'Hadar, an Andorian, a Bajoran, and a human).

Jeremiah: No lasers, no high-tech, no space-travel --the SFnal parts of the plot are over and done with before the first ep rolls. Maybe this doesn't make ir "real" sci-fi. Whatever it is, it's one of the best, most intelligent, articulate, and insightful shows I have ever seen. It deals with The Big Issues in ways that I wouldn't have thought possible. It's no wonder it was cancelled.

Battlestar Galactica: Both versions, though for wildly different reasons. The classic was fun, this one is cool and intriguing.

Space: Above and Beyond: Finally, space dogfighting on a weekly show (this was long before Battlestar Galactica, natch).

Dark Angel: At first I expected a Buffyclone. I was wrong, this was good. And it had a romance, which is a feature too often neglected in action shows, IMHO.

The X-Files: My youthful introduction to the world of conspiracy fiction --a much-underexplored genre, and one I'd dearly love to contribute to someday.

The Matrix: Look around. None of this is real. A bit too glitzy, and the sequels were. . . not what I would've done, but I still loved the ride. And there's no denying that this is one of the defining movies of our generation.

Farscape: Odds are most of you already know why. That's right: Pilot.

Stargate SG-1: Saw the movie, liked it. Read the novelization, loved it. Saw the first season, loved it. Saw the second season out of order, loved it but was confused. Saw the third season, loved it. Then nothing, for four very long years. Now I'm about halfway through the 8th season. Still loving it, characters, universe, writers, and all. Desperately wishing I could watch SG: Atlantis, but I can be patient. I will be patient.

Galaxy Quest and Futurama: I'm listing these together 'cause they both represent a painfully under-done sub-genre: Sci-Fi Comedy.

Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths, and Legends: Show of hands, who's all even heard of this little X-Files-meets-Buffy-meets-M.A.S.K. gem? Those who have: doesn't Logan look like an animated version of David Boreanaz?

Andromeda, Season 1: The concept, setting, and characters of this show were unlike anything ever seen in televised SF, like someone had thrown Star Trek and Farscape in a blender. A civilization based on Nietzsche. Rapacious beings who injected larvae into living hosts to reproduce. A race of communally-living insectoids who weren't a hive-mind. A vast interstellar civilization that didn't have to do with humans. Earth as a bombed-out wasteland and nobody cared. The first season promised a golden age, and gave us possibly the most aesthetically beautiful, sexiest starship to ever grace the airwaves (and I don't just mean the AI avatar, I mean the ship itself). Unfortunately, too many Network Execs spoiled the broth, but for one season, we saw what was possible.

Transformers: It's been reinvented, retconned, and parallel-universed so many times that I can barely call it a "series," but I believe that the Transformers franchise contains the seeds of what could be some of the greatest SF ever. . . if anyone could get past the "giant robots are for kids" thing. I'm talking the nature of consciousness, souls, the face of God, the nature of Good and Evil, "Love" versus "sex," "sex" versus "gender," immortality, death, rebirth, pre-destination, free-will, constructed identities, consciousness as reality. . . This could outshine Evangelion in the "making peoples' heads explode" department.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 3:21 PM

SERGEANTX

Quantum Leap
Twin Peaks

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

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Sunday, May 8, 2005 6:05 PM

LEELU777

I'm kinda a fan of scifi but it's pretty hard these day's ,because these days they mostly make cop dramas and homicidle dramas but any way.

FARSCAPE
pure 100% beauty. I love this show because its such a sight for sore eyes. The set is so
beautiful,that I think I'm looking at a painting , as well the costumes. The writing is at times beautiful but to me just a little bit of sitcom humor but the stories and the situations are well thought out.

EARTH FINAL CONFLICT
I love the writing,it never faulters to the sitcom and scifi world. To me its a grownup look at scifi a bit intelectual.

BEASTMASTER ( yes its a fantasy but it falls in the catigory
What can I say I like a guy in a loin cloth.
Its a bit preachy at times but has some good writing and story lines plus I love toa

THE TWILIGHT ZONE 1950S and 60S

magnigicent story's and spectacular
writing especially
the EP about the guy that wishes that everyone would disappear and the at the end his glasses break (classic)
PS dont watch the new ones because now they are just sick and twisted in a horrific way. Back then they were more suspencful and wierd .

well thats all I guess I have high standerds. Never saw sliders or dr.who I know I suck

men are in lust women are in passion

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Monday, May 9, 2005 11:50 AM

CHRISISALL

Cybersnark, your picks are interesting and eclectic, no way does it make you unpopular.
And anyone who includes Dark Angel AND Andromeda S1 is okay in my book. Most fans don't include the two seperatly, much less together.

Tribune and Fox are in league with Satan Chrisisall

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005 12:45 PM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
SLIDERS: I never saw QUANTUM LEAP, so I never thought of this as a knockoff of that.

It was actually a knockoff of Time Tunnel.

The only other SF series on TV that I liked are:
Ultraviolet
Cowboy Bebop

There were other SF series that had a few good eps: UFO, ST, TNG, DS9,
good series that had some SF eps, most notably Twilight Zone and X-files,
and good series with a nominally SF premise that were really much more like the Fugitive: the Invaders, Golden Years

I haven't watched broadcast TV since 1991. Some of the later series mentioned by others, I have never seen.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . . (wutzon) Little Feat, "Hate to Lose Your Love", from "Let It Roll"

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005 1:54 PM

BREDASONG

I don't normally get into these discussions but I couldn't help putting in my two cents here.

My sister got me hooked on sci-fi with Star Trek Next Gen. I was 9 or 10 when it premiered and I remember all of the family sitting around eagerly watching it. I worshiped Troy and had a crush on Wes.

I didn't watch a lot of SF as much as I read. So I didn't really get into buffy until they started airing reruns a couple of years ago. The one show I watch religously is Stargate SG1. But it is on it's last legs.(can you believe sci-fi channel picked it up for another season?!)

I used to watch charmed but there are only so many cheesy plot devices to get phoebe naked that one can sit through.

The shows I like now are the new Battlestar (it is getting very interesting), Crossing Jordan (yeah I know not SF), and Medium. I think the best part of Medium is her relationship with her husband. He's not evil, but he's not perfect and she isn't either.

okay I think I better stop rambling now,
Bredasong

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005 2:14 PM

JAYNEZTOWN

Haven't seen all episodes but here's what I've watched

Red Dwarf
This is a crazy sci fi with starnge humour

B5
great stroyline and good acting in Babylon5

TwilightZone
A classic, which remains great today

Lexx
offbeat , crazy, weird comedy

Original Star Trek
classic show which inspired many others

Farscape
great show, cool FX and insanse plots

TwinPeaks
very good TV show

The Invisible Man
Another classic which inspired many others

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 7:38 AM

MANOFSTEEL25

What the heck, I'll toss my other favs in here:

The Twilight Zone: (original) is indeed probably the grandaddy of SciFi TV series and it still holds up etremely well today. I have a certian nostalgia for the 1980's version but I'll be honest I thought the 2002 remake was rubbish.

Star Trek: TOS - I was a die hard TNG fan i it's day. But now I find the plots too serious, pompous and preachy. That's not to say there still aren't gems in there, but I always finr the original far more entertaining than anyof the successors/spinoffs. great concepts, great characters. That's what it's all about.

Dr. Who - The Classic Series (Man, never thought I'd be saying that.) While there's some value in just about every era of this show- the golden years of Pertwee/Tom Baker and even peter Davison are matgic for me. Yeah, it's cheap, but the writing and acting usually made up for it. Some really fun and original TV scifi.

So far I'm not too keen on this 2005 remake. The Doctor is too average and 'blokey', the plots too fast and lightweight (well the RTD ones anyway) and it just doens't have the same allure. That said it's not a Tim Burton Planet of the Apes travesty so I'm waiting to se where it goes.

Red Dwarf: Absolutely the best SciFi comedy ever on TV. That is until Season 7 and arguably the decline started in Season 6. But the first 5 years are gold.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Overall funnier than Red Dwarf, but I count it more as a book/radio series than TV show. But the TV version has its merits and in some ways is superior to the feature film.

Blake's 7: Yeah. it's probably cheaper than Dr. Who... but soe fantastic characters and writing make this one worth it. Season 1 and 2 are my favs and it's the only show that gives B5 a run for its money on a grand finale. Speaking of...

Babylon 5: Probably my favorite 90's SciFi show. I wasn't into when it aired but have caught up fast on DVD. What a wonderful idea to have a 5 year arc and actually follow through it. Very good stuff.

Ultraviolet: Intelligent and gripping vampire drama. Blows Buffy away (Sorry Joss.)

Sapphire and Steel: Probably the best kind of literature scifi on TV. Not the easiest to follow but really original ideas and fascinating concepts. Great re-watch value.

Survivors: More drama than SciFi - to me this beats the pants of Jeremiah which I like for the similar premise but it doens'tnail the writing, characters and issues the way this show does. Season 1 is a classic and the later seasons while a bit downhill all had thier high points too.

Neverwhere: Really great SciFi fantasy. Gotta love Neil Gaimen.

The Greatest American Hero: A lot of people dismiss this as a goofy comedy- but it's a wonderful genre hybrid bending show. It's got great writing from Stephen Cannell, some really mature and real world use of the superhero genre, and great character interaction. The First Season is supremely good. It doe slag by the 3rd year, but the ideas and characters always keep me coming back.

The Dead Zone: Aside from Firefly, probably my favorite fantasy series of the new millenium. I always admire it when writers can take a basic concept that could turn repetitive (psychic vision of the future) and keep finding new things to do with it- really stretching the concept's legs. I found the last season a bit subpar, but the first 2 years are great.

V- the two miniseries: absolutely riveting TV scifi.

Quantum Leap: I lived and Breathed Ql during it's run. I was such a fan of the concept and the characters. I still feel cheated by the ending. But such a great series.

Sliders: Its sorta Time Tunnel and sorta Ql I guess. But parallel universe device is a solid hook for me. If you exclude most of Season 3 onwards it's not half bad. The Second Year was it's peak. Some great ideas again when they did the show properaly. Shame Fox got in there (and SciFi afterwrds) and mucked it all up.

Cowboy Bebop: Not the biggest anime fan but this show's amazing. each episode is like a mini-movie. Very well done - with surprising similarities to Firefly.

------------------------------

Others worthy of honorable mention but don't quite my my all-time scifi fav list:

Twin Peaks - Not strict scifi, so I plac eit here. But fantastic TV.

Carnivale: Ditto.

The Prisoner: People seem to call this SciFi but I classify it as a spy show. Which would lead me to a favorite Spy show list but I digress. (Same goes for Wild Wild West, jack of All Trades and Brisco County- all good shows and lots of fun- but not SciFi to me)

The Outer Limits: Good stuff. Never saw enough of it to be a fan though.

Odyssey 5: Great premise. Seemed to get a bit lost in the later episode sof it's solo season.

Time Tunnel: It's Irwin Allen kitsch but fun kitsch.

Space: 1999: More 70's kitsch. But the design work is impressive for it's time and again..fun.

Timeslip: really interesting time travel ideas in this one.

The X-Files: I felt it got seriously lost by the end - but the first three years had me hooked. But the last 6 just kill it for me.

Battlestar Galactica: I dunno why I'm attracted to 70's design. But I'm having fun with the original BG. Some really far out ideas if they properly explored them. The remake so far has a nice adult tone, but other than that it feels bland and lifeless. I'll take the original, thanks.

The Flash: This might be a nostalgia pick.

Superboy: ditto. Season 2 onwards, but as a straight comic adaption- ignoring the budget limits it was pretty faithful to pre-crisis Superman/boy.

Batman- 60's kitsch and Adam West line delivery. Plain fun.

War of the Worlds: When I was 12 this was my all-time favorite show. The second season was a mess though and should be disowned like Galatica 1980. But the first seaosn still holds a lot of promise - what sold it for me again was the characters, which still hold up fairly well even today. In many ways this was a precursor to the X-files. Literally a redo of The Invaders but I prefer this version.

Cupid: Not really scifi- Romance/comedy with a hint of fantasy but damn was it good! Was my all time favorite 'new' show until Firefly knocked it from it's pedestal. Fantastic writing.

Goodnight, Sweetheart: If you get around the bigomy... it's a surprisingly well done time travel comedy. Actual character progression. For a sitcom, I was impressed.

Wild Palms (mini): So damn surreal. It's not for everyone but this one always captivates me for it's tone and environment despite some over-the-top melodrama.

Max Headroom (US and UK): This one's a bit style over substance but again, I was fascinated by the world the characers were in.

The Second Coming (mini): I can't say I loved this. But I found it really intriguing as a an idea and certianly the rmaifications of the ending, even though I thought it was too quick and too pat. but it made me think, can't say that for a lot of other TV.

Neon Genesis: Evangelion: This one gets a bit too weird for me (something about anime I guess), but when it gets going it doens't let you go. Really surreal concepts blending scifi, mythology and religious elements.

Okay my brook has babbled,

-Bob

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 7:56 AM

BREDASONG

and I thought *I* watched too much tv!

Bredasong

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:00 AM

MANOFSTEEL25

:) well I thought several shows neded mentioning or seconding.... so there ya go. Plus this represents like TV I watched over a 20 year span from childhood to today so you know have to find time to fit a life in there somewhere....

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:04 AM

MSCKAREN

Wow I had forgotten some of these even the ones I thought were SUPER cool at the time, like Time Tunnel...

I'll stick with a top 5 (in order of love after Firefly):

1. Farscape - first ep I watched, I thought, "OMG, it's muppets in space!" As the season wore on and the non-human actors became more realistic, I just fell in love.

2. X-Files - so many cool stories. After a while the "bad guys" became more interesting than the "heroes". Always loved Scullies drawn out explanations after "Oh Mulder!..."

3 DS9 - Most complex and compelling of the Star Trek franchises and worthy of it's own college course, I think.

4. Babylon 5 - Again the first couple eps I thought this was going to be the typical Trek stereotypes in space. I checked back in around the middle of Season 4 and couldn't believe how far this series had come and then went.

5. I only have one pick left?! Hmmm, gonna go with more of a chick fave and say the Highlander Series. Adrian Paul with a big sword? Yes, please!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Appears they've canceled the show and we're still here. What does that make us?"
"Big damn junkies, Sir!"
"Ain't we just."

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:13 AM

NIKNAK

Stargate Atlantis. I never really liked SG-1 but this is really good.

Star Trek: Deep Space 9. My favourite of the Treks.

Red Dwarf. Hilarious.

Quantum Leap. Whenever I watch Enterprise I keep wanting Scott Bakula to say "oh boy!" just before the openning credits.

OK, I'm done. Unlike some people I'm not going to list every show I've ever seen. And there are a lot of good ones I've not mentioned.

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:24 AM

BREDASONG

just teasin' you

Breda

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:28 AM

MANOFSTEEL25

LOL. I suppse I should have just said: most vintage and british scifi. Aside from Firefly of course. There. Done. :)

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:31 AM

GTHING

You know, if I watched Farscape from the beginning, I'm sure I'd get into it. I feel the same way about The X Files. I think that's the case with a lot of sci-fi.

I mean the first season of Earth: Final Conflict really was extraordinary. Somewhere around Season 4, though, they ran out of ideas, and the show really should have ended right there.

Andromeda during it's first season was too much fun to miss. I loved those Nietzcheans. But then, in the middle of Season 2, it started losing me. Yeah, I do think it has a lot to do with Robert Hewitt Wolfe's departure as exec. They were sitting on a gold mine and blew it.

The middle three seasons of TNG is the best of Star Trek as far as I'm concerned. I also enjoy StarGate, but they should put a stop to SG-1 before it kills itself.

Excerpt from My Genre Geek Resume:
~huge Odyssey 5 fan (despite its cancellation)
~dangerously obsessed with BtVS and Angel
~former Andromeda fan

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 9:19 AM

MRSKBORG

At the moment I'm wading through Carnivale, which is very very good. (OK it may or may not fall into the SciFi realm but hey who cares, its still good)

Of the Treks I have to go with DS9, which IMO is by far the best. Sad to see Enterprise end, this current season's been really good. Pity it took til it got itself cancelled before they finally got good storylines.

X-Files, the early ones were better.

Farscape, what can I say. This show just rocks. (Rocked, Ok I know its over) I just love Scorpious. What an incredible bad guy.

Babylon 5. Never afraid to take risks, great special effects, great storyline. Well, except for Season 5. Only good thing about that was Bester. Along with Farscape, this ranks way up there.

Dr. Who, oh how glad am I that its back. And good.

Quantum Leap. The Evil Leaper storyline was just great, copied by Tru Calling and failing miserably at it.

Ultraviolet. When we make good SciFi in the UK boy do we make good Scifi. Classic Vampire mythos brought up to date.

Stargate SG1 and Atlantis. Particularly Atlantis, the first season was great. Good solid storylines, great characters.

Earth Final Conflict - but only the first season, it had so much going for it, then I dont know what happened. Same with Andromeda, great first season, then became dire.

Red Dwarf, my very favourite Sci Fi/Comedy.

Battlestar Gallactica. The New Ones. Great. Can't wait for more. A remake that actually surpassed the original, though lets face it, that wouldn't be hard. A very grown up Sci Fi show, a great theme running through it. Great acting too.

Jeremiah. No special effects just good stories with good acting.

First Wave, Dark Skies great first seasons then kinda lost it. SAAB, great show, with lots of potential. Very good characterisation. "Who Monitors the Birds" a great episode.

The Tripods. Made by the BBC a long time ago.

Finally, the Joss goodness that are Buffy and Angel.

Am goona watch Revelations on Sky One, see whats its like too.

"This movie may be a beautiful butterfly, but I loved that damn caterpillar." Joss Whedon.

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 10:23 AM

CHRISISALL

manofsteele25, I now proclaim you the winner. You have the longest, most detailed post. And you mentioned Max Headroom. Cool.

Amanda pays Chrisisall

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Thursday, May 12, 2005 10:36 AM

PERFESSERGEE

I actually don't watch that much TV (job is too time-consuming and I read too much), but scifi is what I watch when I do. FF is, of course, top on the list. So, my list is pretty short:

Farscape - got turned onto it by the Browncoats on this board, rented the first couple of DVD's and then made a major investment (damn, they are expensive!) and bought all of it, including PK Wars. Great stuff, but a shade below the level of FF.

Star Trek (but of course!) - DS9 is by far my fave - it treated people (and aliens) like people and let even the lead characters have foibles and less-than-perfectness. I did like Roddenberry's idealistic vision of a more noble humanity in the future, but all of life just ain't that way. The other series are pretty cool, too (even Enterprise, though I got too bored to watch much of it), DS9 is just better.

Babylon 5 - The notion of planning out a story arc, completing it and then leaving it be is apparently anathema to the bleeping suits. Gotta mess with it somehow (like killing the best series yet after 13 epi's.............GRRRRR!). Anyway, S2-4 were the best of it, but the end years did make it complete and it was eminently watchable all the way through. I always did like villians who have occasional streaks of decency running through them.

Andromeda - started great but went to hell in a handbasket starting during S2. What a disappointment.

SG1 - the best example of not finishing a series and letting it be. Great at first (and for several seasons) but got boring, too.

Time Tunnel - a bit hokey, but enjoyable. Time travel always makes for interesting historical connections. Is this one ever likely to see the light of day on DVD? Has anyone heard any rumors?

Dr. Who - the original (I haven't seen the redux version). Also kind of hokey but great fun.

Twilight Zone - (again, the original) great memories in B&W from my childhood. Some of those episodes were awesome, and Rod Serling was a great narrator.

(and on a not-really-scifi note, I did like both Highlander and The Raven. Just a different kind of time travel).

perfessergee

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Friday, May 13, 2005 9:41 PM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by manofsteel25:
Ultraviolet: Intelligent and gripping vampire drama. Blows Buffy away (Sorry Joss.)

Sapphire and Steel: Probably the best kind of literature scifi on TV. Not the easiest to follow but really original ideas and fascinating concepts. Great re-watch value.

Prolly would have been shorter if you'd just listed the SF TV series you didn't like.

I'll second that endorsement of Ultraviolet, and I'm tempted by your assessment of Sapphire & Steel. But it's US$90 so, afore I smack my money down, I have to ask you: What do you think of Edge of Darkness?

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . . (wutzon) Allman Bro's, "Instrumental Illness", from "Hittin' the Note"

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Saturday, May 14, 2005 12:46 AM

MACBAKER

My top dozen Sci-Fi series (in no particular order):

1. The Twilight Zone (the original, with Ron Serling)
2. Star Trek (TOS)
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (the best character driven Trek series)
4. Space Above & Beyond (a great concept, killed off too soon!)
5. Quantum Leap (the superior Scott Bakula sci-fi series)
6. Dark Angel (another really good concept, canceled just as it was getting it's legs)
7. Battlestar Galactica (the new series, not the campy, badly written original)
8. Cowboy Bebob (similar to Firefly in many ways, but unique)
9. Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (not as good as either movie, but still entertaining)
10. Babylon 5 (one of the best story driven sci-fi series ever)
11. Star Trek: The Next Generation (early shows were pretty lame, but the last four seasons were the best of the series)
12. Red Dwarf (proved sci-fi and comedy could go together)
**Baker's dozen special mention? Firefly, of course! It would be my top choice in any other list.

My Top dozen Sci-Fi movies (also in no particular order)

1. Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (one of two movies that made me want to become a filmmaker)
2. Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (best of the series)
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (the other movie that made me want to make films)
4. Ghost In The Shell (a better movie than 90% of the sci-fi movies that come out of Hollywood)
5. Blade Runner (one of the few true science fiction movies ever to come out of Hollywood)
6. Alien (scared the snot out of me the first time I saw it in a theater)
7. The Abyss (The Director's Cut is far superior to the theatrical version)
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn (the best of the Trek movies)
9. Star Trek: First Contact (the only TNG movie that was better than the series)
10. The Fifth Element (a unique film that grows on me, the more times I see it)
11. The Terminator (a low budget movie that was far more exciting and entertaining than any mega budget movie made during that time)
12. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (the big budget sequel that was even more exciting than the original)
**Baker's dozen special mention. Serenity. I Haven't seen it yet, but I have little doubt the BDM will become one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi movies ever!

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Saturday, May 14, 2005 1:30 AM

THEREAVER

Umm well. I dunno. Firefly and ST Voyager are the only two sci fi series I've really watched from beginning to end. The New Twilight Zone is okay and the new Dr Who is really good. I remember Space 1999 from my childhood and I'm just getting into Red Dwarf. As for films:

1. Star Wars Trilogy (IV-VI)
2. Cube
3. Predator
4. Aliens
5. Staship Troopers

I'll rape you to death.
I'll eat your flesh.
I'll sew your skin into my clothes.
If you're very very lucky, I'll do it in that order - TheReaver

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Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:00 AM

RIVERGIRL

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
I know this thread topic might've been done a long time ago and who knows how many times, but I felt like starting a thread that could be hijacked into discussions about one of these shows.

Some of us here are hard core sci-fi geeks. Others only have a mere assicoation with sci-fi in general. I was just wondering what are some of your favorite non-FIREFLY sci-fi shows.

I will give a go to just about any scifi type show

Stark Trek
Star Wars 4-6
Space 1999
Blakes 7
X-FILES

all hold a special place in my heart

but I enjoyed so man more!!!!

Also, I can kill you with my brain.

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