OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

need...more... sci-fi.... Please recommend!

POSTED BY: SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 16:52
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 7:44 AM

SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE



I have an craving for more sci fi, which excellent programmes can you recommend?

(I alredy have the x-files)

***************
Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics.
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 7:49 AM

STORYMARK


Farscape. Battlestar Galactica. Babylon 5. Each show I enjoy as much as Firefly (if for different reasons). And you get more than half a season with all of them!

I hear the new Dr. Who is quite good as well, though it has yet to hit the top of my netflix queue.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:09 AM

SAFEAT2ND


Try Space: Above and Beyond. You'll have to get it on DVD or rent it. It only lasted 1 season, but it was a decent concept.

There is a show I'm trying to find called Starhunter with Micheal Pare. It lasted 2 seasons. I've read a lot of people compare it to Firefly, same formula from what I gather.

And I echo Storymarks choices, although I haven't seen very much of Farscape or Babylon5. I'll looking to rectify that.

__________________________________________________
"Stop doing that thing"
"What thing"
"That thing where your mouth moves and noise comes out"

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:11 AM

CITIZEN


Starhunter:
http://www.amazon.com/Starhunter-2300-Complete/dp/B00063MCRA


More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:17 AM

SAFEAT2ND


Thanks C! But I had found that already. Apparently thats the second season. I'm not sure if they even released the 1st season on DVD.

I found what I think is a DVD of the first season on E-bay, I'll see when it comes in the mail. I'll keep you posted.

__________________________________________________
"Stop doing that thing"
"What thing"
"That thing where your mouth moves and noise comes out"

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:43 AM

SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE


thanks so far!
that starhunter sounds good citizen, I'll look into it.
Battelstar Gallactica is on my wishlist, and I'm looking into stargate too, but I don't like Doctor Who.

***************
Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics.
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:03 AM

JOSSISAGOD


I don't know if this classifies as excellent, but, "Eureka" is a fair second to Firefly, being that it is one of the more HUMAN based shows on these days. Of course, the season's almost over, but it was good! Better than most other shows on today.

Oh, you're looking for stuff to buy, well, I'm sure they'll put Eureka on DVD soon!

Fe'nos Tol
JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

Self appointed Forsaken! Been on the list for a while now!
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature.
"Look at me, I'm STUPID!" The Doctor.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 5:55 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL


Quote:
Originally posted by Smartbutdumbblonde:

I have an craving for more sci fi, which excellent programmes can you recommend?

(I alredy have the x-files)
There is lots to choose from.

You have your gourmet scifi. The really, really good stuff. The Science Fiction that makes Science Fiction what it is. The X-files is one, but you already have that. Star Trek is of course one of the all time greatest. Firefly, certainly. Battlestar Galactica, the new series is perhaps the best science fiction since Firefly. And Babylon 5. No true science fiction fan is without these.

Optional, but pretty good is:

Dark Angel
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Doctor Who
The Old Battlestar Galactica
The Avengers
Quantum Leap
The Greatest American Hero
The Man From Uncle
Lost in Space
Earth 2 (very short lived)
Space Above and Beyond (very short lived)
Various Star Trek spin-offs including (DS9, Voyager and Enterprise)


Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:17 PM

KANEMAN


Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
Quote:
Originally posted by Smartbutdumbblonde:

I have an craving for more sci fi, which excellent programmes can you recommend?

(I alredy have the x-files)
There is lots to choose from.

You have your gourmet scifi. The really, really good stuff. The Science Fiction that makes Science Fiction what it is. The X-files is one, but you already have that. Star Trek is of course one of the all time greatest. Firefly, certainly. Battlestar Galactica, the new series is perhaps the best science fiction since Firefly. And Babylon 5. No true science fiction fan is without these.

Optional, but pretty good is:

Dark Angel
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Doctor Who
The Old Battlestar Galactica
The Avengers
Quantum Leap
The Greatest American Hero
The Man From Uncle
Lost in Space
Earth 2 (very short lived)
Space Above and Beyond (very short lived)
Various Star Trek spin-offs including (DS9, Voyager and Enterprise)


Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero


Sci-fi(ish)...Supernatural(some of the best cinematography and production ever, every ep is like a movie), it has been described as Buffy meets x-files..funny and scary. I just finished watching the first season today. Just in time for season 2!!! BSG is the only one on par with FF as far as I'm concerned. Dr.Who I hate. Brisco is awesome.

*edit*...sorry for the reply with quote

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 2:49 AM

BERNARDBROWNCOAT


honestly you can't go wrong with farscape. 4 seasons plus a movie (mini-series) of FANASTIC sci-fi, got everything, even an episode which takes off the looney toons!
also can't go wrong with stargate SG1.
and i always find time for the Star Treks.
hope this helps dude.

Simon: Captain, why did you come back for us?
Mal: You're on my crew.
Simon: Yeah, but you don't even like me. Why'd you come back?
Mal: You're on my crew... Why we still talking about this?

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:13 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
And Babylon 5. No true science fiction fan is without these.




...not a true SF fan Chrisisall

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:20 AM

FINN MAC CUMHAL


Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
...not a true SF fan Chrisisall
Truth be told neither am I. I don’t practice what I preach.


Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 6:36 AM

CHRISISALL


I tried to watch B5, but no power in the 'Verse could keep me interested in it for long.

Dark Angel! Now there was a SHOW!

Oh-oh. There he goes agin Chrisisall

EDIT: Cat not disolving....so funny...that needs to be published...



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Thursday, September 28, 2006 6:47 AM

ECGORDON

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


If you started from the first of Babylon 5 I can understand your reservations, but seasons 2-4 were excellent, and until Firefly came along I considered B5 to be the best SF ever produced for tv.

Re: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - I was a freshman in high school when it debuted, and I watched and enjoyed it then. Probably had not seen it for more than thirty years until I recently upgraded to digital cable. It currently airs on Wednesday nights on American Life Network. I've only watched parts of four episodes so far. I say parts of the eps, because I haven't been able to stand it for more than a few minutes. Bad writing and acting personified. I have no defense as to why I liked it in the first place, since it was long before I discovered pot.



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Thursday, September 28, 2006 7:05 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I have no defense as to why I liked it in the first place, since it was long before I discovered pot.


It was Jerry Goldsmith's theme, man.

Hip to the beat Chrisisall



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Thursday, September 28, 2006 8:10 AM

SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE


kaneman: I love supernatural, throughly looking forwards to season 2, what a cliffhanger the end, eh? Though I've a good guess who survives it.

***************
Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics.
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 8:31 AM

STORYMARK


I absolutely love B5. Yeah, the first season is pretty slow, but a lot of the stuff set up that year pay off in spades later in the series. I'll also grant that the effects are pretty dated now, and some of the gust actors were atrocious. But that was the beginning of CGI, and B5 was one of the first shows (if not the very first) to use all CG effects. The scope and ambition of that story, especially given the low budget they had, was an incredible accomplishment.

That, and from a writer's standpoint, what J. Michael Straczynski (creator/show runner) did on that show is unprecedented. From the second season on, he wrote every single episode of the series (save on durring season 5, written by Neil Gaiman) while still serving as the exec. producer, and even directing some of the episodes.

I can't wait for the new B5 DTV anthology that's coming (I just hope it's better than Legend of the Rangers - which admittedly, kinda sucked).

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, September 29, 2006 2:53 PM

BROWNCOATJIM


For whatver reason, I just never could get into Babylon 5, but Farscape, to me, is right up there with FF in terms of writing, storytelling, and characterizations. You won't be disappointed, by any stretch, and sci-fi gave them four years and their own BDM to tell their story.

WE'RE GONNA CRASH? I DON'T WANNA CRASH!

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Saturday, September 30, 2006 8:41 PM

NICODEMUS


If you want to go with the really old-school sci-fi, there's british shows like The Quartermass Experiment and Blake's 7 and the tv series of Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

For the really cheesy and low grade american sci-fi, there's shows like Earth: Final Conflict and Earth 2. If Star Trek's more your type, there's always Andromeda.

I'm not saying that any of these are good, but if it's quantity you're after, you can always give them a try.

**************
If you find yourself getting too worked up about stuff that isn't real (RP Threads etc), then go outside, breathe in some fresh air and try feeding the ducks. (Because ducks don't care about your politics, religion, skin colour, choice of music or even your haircut. They like everyone, provided you bring them food.)

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Sunday, October 1, 2006 7:08 AM

MENTISMORTIS


Quote:
Originally posted by Smartbutdumbblonde:

I have an craving for more sci fi, which excellent programmes can you recommend?



i suppose this depends on your definition of excellent, but might i suggest "Cleopatra 2525".

its not "excellent" in the strictest sense of the word, but it is does star Gina Torres and is really good for a laugh.

Cleopatra is a stripper in the 20th century who goes into a coma during breast enlargement surgery and wakes up 500 years in the future, in a world where machines have forced mankind underground. so, naturally, she joins the scantily clad all female rebellion against the machines. in every episode Cleo must find a way to defeat the bad guys using nothing but her fashion sense and her ability to spin around a pole.

i love this show. its so completely horrible. i bought the box set of the complete series (30 eps) because it had gina in it and found a cubic zirconia in the rough.

if you're looking for something well made and engaging, then this is not the show for you. but if you have a sense of humor, i recommend you check it out.



rob

_________________________________________________

"Everytime a dog salivates, a behavioral scientist must ring a bell," Robert Heinlein, " I Will Fear No Evil"

We asked for " Mojo Nixon" they said," Uh, he don't work here."
If you you don't have Mojo Nixon then your store could use some fixin'.

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Monday, October 2, 2006 5:11 AM

ALLANON754


Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis. Personally SG-1 is my second favorite after Firefly. However it's not as good now that Claudia Black, and the acters who play Cameron Mitchell and Gen. Landry have joined. Sorry for you farscape fans, but I can't stand them.

Richard Dean Anderson and Don S. Davis all the way

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Monday, October 2, 2006 6:19 AM

WINDSTRUCK


When I was much younger(9 - 12 yrs old), my favorite would have been Quantum Leap. I like the idea of leaping from timeline to timeline.

It was quite a time before I found any decent sci-fi. Even with Star Wars popping out and about. When Cable TV arrived, I learned to memorize channels and schedules of shows that I liked.

Then there was Farscape. I liked Farscape. I got lost in Season 2 of Farscape. And Stargate SG1. MacGyver, I mean Richard Dean Anderson, is really, really cool in SG1. But SG1 has a weird sched here, I don't know where to watch it. And I got lost. So I gave up.
I can't remember which season "Crichton" and Claudia Black joined in. I just recently watched some episodes of season 10 and I can't seem to find MacGyver anywhere. Whatever happend to him?!

I did get to watch some episodes of The Greatest American Hero, Sea Quest. But they disappeared after a while and never to be found again.

Buffy, Angel, Smallville, and Dark Angel are easily accessible since they are on "Free TV" (no need for cable).

I never got to see Firefly on TV. Just have the DVDs. I love it.

Most of what I get to watch are some local "fantasy" tv shows like my siggy. It's sometimes nice to taste the local flavor.




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Monday, October 2, 2006 6:27 AM

ALLANON754


Richard Dean Anderson left the show during Season 8. After the first General, Gen. Hammond (Don S. Davis) left at the end of season 8 Jack O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson) became the CO of the SGC until he left a little later, and the new characters came in.

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Monday, October 2, 2006 12:43 PM

PLARIDEL


Quote:
Most of what I get to watch are some local "fantasy" tv shows like my siggy. It's sometimes nice to taste the local flavor.






Darna! It's nice to see another Filipino Browncoat here. Windstruck, you are Pinoy, right?

Anyway, Eureka is a nice show. It's a little laid back with the action but it has great characters.

The 4400 also spins a good yarn. It has an X-men-esque theme and great characters too. And Summer is in it so that's definitely a plus.

NBC's new show "Heroes". Looks great and I think has a lot of potential.

Blade just got cancelled. It had a slow start but I think it would have been a great show eventually. Too bad.

Stargate Atlantis had its moments in its first and second season. Third season has been boring so far.

And of course, Battlestar Galactica. I don't think I need to say more.

Also, I think you can still download Global Frequency's pilot off some p2p networks. Although I must warn you, you will get disappointed that there aren't any more(just like firefly)especially if you read the comics.

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Monday, October 2, 2006 1:01 PM

STINKINGROSE


Can't say much on TV/movies.
Books I know!


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Monday, October 2, 2006 1:59 PM

DOCTROID


I can't say much about TV series either -- we watch very little TV, and "Firefly" is about the first SF series I've watched since ST:TNG.

But I can point you to the Wikipedia article "Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Dramatic_Presentation
,_Short_Form) which amounts to recommendations of science fiction and fantasy TV series from several thousand SF fans. Nominees since 2003 have been:

Angel (3 episodes nominated)
Doctor Who (3)
Firefly (3)
Battlestar Galactica (2)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2)
Star Trek: Enterprise (2)
Lost (1)
Smallville (1)
Stargate SG-1 (1)

(plus a few short films, not TV series episodes)

Before 2003 the TV series and movies competed for the single "Dramatic Presentation" Hugo, and usually movies won.

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Monday, October 2, 2006 3:06 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


How about Jeremiah,
Also check otu Jericho, started up recently. Only aired two episodes sofar. Seems promising.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Tuesday, October 3, 2006 6:19 PM

WINDSTRUCK


Quote:
Originally posted by plaridel:
Quote:
Most of what I get to watch are some local "fantasy" tv shows like my siggy. It's sometimes nice to taste the local flavor.


Darna! It's nice to see another Filipino Browncoat here. Windstruck, you are Pinoy, right?


Yep, I've been lurking here for a few months now. Enjoying myself most of the time. You're the second Pinoy besides myself.


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Tuesday, October 3, 2006 7:01 PM

ADAMWANKENOBI


Star Trek: Enterprise.

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Tuesday, October 3, 2006 10:55 PM

EMMAZULE


Quote:
Originally posted by Smartbutdumbblonde:

I have an craving for more sci fi, which excellent programmes can you recommend?

(I alredy have the x-files)

***************
Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics.
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature


Ooooh, rec lists! I love doing these!

First: I second the recommendation of "Eureka" on SciFi Channel; it's way fun. Some really fun (and sometimes kinda sexy) characters, some great dialogue that includes lines so good you'd swear Joss Whedon wrote 'em, and wacky science fun. The premise is that this guy ends up (via stuff that happens in the pilot episode, of course) sheriff in this small town (called Eureka, of course) that turns out to be a secret governmental research facility, with the seemingly ordinary folks actually being genius scientists working there. Something naturally goes wrong in any given episode, and there's some actually pretty darned good mysteries (mostly surrounding Level 5, the part of the compound dedicated to Top Secret research that seems to center mostly on really freakin' scary stuff) and plot twists... which twice as good, perhaps, because the show is otherwise so light and fun that you see them coming even less than you would if the show were ordinarily more serious. Also, did I mention it has fun characters? Like Henry, the local mechanic who used to be an engineer... for NASA. ;) And who is just plain a hoot.

I found the new BSG to be... well-written, well-made, etc., but a bit over-serious; unlike Firefly, which has some pretty damn wrenching stuff (the impalement in Serenity, anyone?), it never takes the time to relax and just stick something in there for entertainment, to ease up the tension in the viewers and characters (as another person I saw online put it, "One day I tuned in and there were all these pilots laughing and kidding around, and I thought 'Oh, good, they've finally found their rhythm and have stopped being completely serious all the time...'. Then there was an explosion and they got blown up or something."). Every time I've caught it, it has been very well-done in the drama aspect, but it never seems to stop and take a breather from the ANGST. If you hate angst, or can't stand dramas that don't also mix in heaping doses of humor (such as Buffy and Firefly), then you may not like BSG; try to try before you buy if you can, to make sure. That said, the acting and writing and everything are otherwise excellent. If you're a fan of drama that rarely lets itself ease up, I'm sure it's amazing stuff. It was just too much tension and angst for me, though. ^^

Stargate SG-1 and to a lesser extent Stargate Atlantis are somewhere between "smart" and "only there to entertain", though it seriously leans towards the latter in most episodes, and many episodes can stand well enough on their own. The premise is that there was an ancient system of travel linked by giant rings called "Stargates", and that the U.S. government, having unearthed one such device at Giza in the '20s, started fooling around with them, and frequently sends out teams to explore and (inevitably, due to their near-complete inability to mind their own business) fight the forces of evil (generally mind-controlling aliens who happen to have either hilariously bad or super-chic fashion sense). For the premise, it's amazingly well-executed... probably because it doesn't, quite frankly, take itself entirely seriously (hell, even when it does take itself fairly seriously, it still has a lot of fun one-liners and little funny character moments). It's got likeable characters with a lot of chemistry (the actors have a similar familial rapport to the Firefly cast's, as a matter of fact), some really good dialogue, and some nifty adventures and good special effects, with season-long arcs that range from "OK" (*coughseason 10cough*) to "pretty damn good", in my opinion. You gotta love a show that decides to explain half or more of the myths and legends of mankind by telling the viewer "it was aliens that influenced our culture" (for instance, a lot of early episodes featured particularly nasty aliens who represented particularly evil versions of ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses). And when the writers decide to do an episode of pure comedy... my god, it's practically one of the funniest shows on TV then! As with many shows, the earliest seasons (about 1-7ish) are generally the best, though there are still some awesome episodes from the past three seasons, most notably the 200th episode from this current season, which was a case of them deciding to do one those wonderfully funny pure comedy episodes. See, back in season five, they did this episode where an apparently mildly delusional guy thinks he's an alien... and he turns out to be right, as he turns out to have been an evacuee from a doomed planet. In another episode in the same season, he turns up again - only he doesn't remember he's an alien anymore, and he's successfully pitched a TV series to a cable network that is very blatantly based on his memories of Stargate Command (and of course, the episode parodies both the Stargate universe and TV production). The reason I say all of this is because if you watch those episodes - and enough other episodes of SG1 - episode 200 is like ten times funnier, because the same guy comes back again, this time (drum roll please!) asking for advice on a movie he's making... based on the same show (which was called "Wormhole X-Treme"), which though it got canceled after 3 episodes, did extremely well on DVD (sound familiar? It should - it's a Firefly homage!). And the ENTIRE episode is devoted to parodies and in-jokes based on Stargate and other sci-fi and fantasy stuff/culture, including a gag where, upon being told the studio is considering recasting the movie with a younger, hipper cast, the SG1 team imagines themselves into a parody of teen dramas in a hideously and hilariously, cheesily bizarre sequence that basically marries things like "Melrose Place" with SG1, including the highly improbably usage of cell phones instead of radios when on an alien planet, considering whinging about feelings, and a surprise announcement of pregnancy. :P The episode is frankly one of the funniest thing I've ever seen, and if you pick only one long-running show to pick up to give it a try, do it with SG-1... and watch all the way through the (apparently now final and) tenth season, or at least up through episode 200. (BTW, Morena Baccarin's on it this season!)

Some more culty suggestions, but ones that are quite good and available on DVD:

Tru Calling. Yes, it has a cheesy title. It even has a cheesy premise (girl relives days in order to try and save lives). However, the execution was good at worst and amazing by the time the poor dear got canceled (it lasted 26 episodes, only 6 of which were in its second season and the final one of which didn't even air, because it was a Christmas episode that would have aired during summer). Basically, poor Tru Davies (main character, obviously) is trying to get into med school, and in the meantime, she starts working at a morgue. Thing is, on her first night there, she hears a corpse whisper to her "help me"... and then she wakes up at the beginning of the day all over again. The series takes that simple premise - person dies, person requests her help and she snaps back in time to the last time she woke up - and manages to milk some surprisingly diverse, well-written, and suitably plot-twisty episodes out of it, as they explore the limits of her gift (basically, that's her only power; she has to solve the mystery behind each person's death/request using only her wits and whatever she remembers from the previous iteration of the day). It's actually really good, and although around mid-late season one it got a little wince-worthy for about one scene, it then started getting really good, with a n utterly creepy rival tossed in who tries to prevent Tru from saving people - ostensibly because "they were meant to die and you shouldn't change fate". By the end of the series, they're getting deliciously complex - you begin to wonder if Tru is really on the right side after all, and she and her newfound rival find themselves in a seriously awesome intellectual cat-and-mouse game. Word of warning, though: Fox, in their *AHEM* "infinite wisdom", canceled it just as it was getting truly great (though apparently, the writers are friendly towards fans and may have given some input to the virtual second season that started going up not long after the poor thing was canceled). Story of our life, eh? Between this, Firefly and Wonderfalls I think I'm not the only person that likes to joke that "What's the most common extra on a Fox DVD set these days? Unaired episodes, of course!"

Speaking of Wonderfalls - also kicks ass. It's really late, and I have to sleep to make sure I'm remotely awake for a test tommorow morning, but just trust me on this one. It's... quirky, to say the least, but really fun, and extremely well-written and well-acted and everything. What's more, it was produced by Tim Minear - same guy who produced Firefly with Joss - and he learned his lesson from Firefly and made sure the 13 ordered episodes could stand on their own as a complete arc, so unlike Tru Calling, it actually has an "end" that has some amount of closure. It's also utterly awesome, and gets better the further you get into it. The premise is that a girl who's otherwise a slacker (she works in the titular store, which is a gift shop at Niagara Falls, and she graduated college with a completely useless degree in Philosophy and lives in a trailer) chokes and nearly dies, and after that suddenly inanimated objects seem to talk to her - and get her to do stuff. Every episode is brilliant - incredibly well-written, every tying together - and the season (er, series)-long arc is compelling. The characters are downright awesome, and the dialogue and comedic bits are equally superb. I can think of no other show that so seemlessly and wonderfully blended humor and compelling drama as Wonderfalls did. Fox also canceled this one after sticking it in the infamous Friday Night Death Slot (same exact slot as Firefly, in fact. You'd think they'd learn from the first time...) and waiting an extra year until Joan of Arcadia had gotten to be a hit before airing it, and thus, killed it. Canceled after four episodes, and as one Amazon reviewer put it, "If you were mad when it got canceled, you're going to go ballistic when you see the other 9 episodes." A n amazing series that - dare I say it? - I sometimes think I like even better than Firefly. :P

Dead Like Me was another really quirky Tim Minear show, albeit older, and it was also quite cute and occasionally quite moving, though I like Minear's later work on Angel, Firefly and Wonderfalls much more. It's about a girl that dies and has to live another life as a Reaper who "pops" the souls of the dead right before they die so their soul doesn't feel the trauma of death... only she still has to have a day job (she works in the same temp agency she used to work at, with the Utterly Irritating Boss From Hell), and she's not allowed to contact people from her old life OR cross over into the Great Beyond, which is, as you can imagine, rather stressfull. SciFi's been airing it lately, and both seasons are available on DVD, so it should be easy to pick up (Wonderfalls I managed to still find at Best Buy like a couple of years after the DVD got released, as it sells extremely well; Tru Calling you'd have to go to Amazon or something for, and Stargate is normally aired relentlessly on SciFi, as well as occasionally on lower channels in syndication and the previous seasons are available on DVD).

Hope that helps?

~Emma



Shiny!

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Wednesday, October 4, 2006 4:57 AM

CYBERSNARK


Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
First: I second the recommendation of "Eureka" on SciFi Channel; it's way fun. Some really fun (and sometimes kinda sexy) characters, some great dialogue that includes lines so good you'd swear Joss Whedon wrote 'em,


"Yes. He said 'invisible-ing.'"

I love that show.

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

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Monday, June 18, 2007 2:11 AM

JAYNEZTOWN


I would say check out Babylon 5 for series in the old category, it an old series and the fx are dated but its a fantastic example of arc story telling.

you'll like Heroes.

The tv series 24 is good to watch, got some great actors but sadly its own by Faux :finger

Sopranos ain't scifi but it's still great tv

The original StarTrek and Outer Limits are great tv shows, I highly recommend you download a few of these classic series.


Farscape and Lexx are worth checking because they are so weird but they are so strange you may not like them.

That new BSG looked like it could be something good, it had a great movie and some good episodes the frist season but unfortunately it jumps the shark.




For good television, check out the tv series 'Rome'

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Monday, June 18, 2007 4:49 AM

MALSNARA


Stargate SG1
Stargate Atlantis
Doctor Who
Torchwood

"Joss Is Boss"

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Monday, June 18, 2007 4:51 AM

COSMICFUGITIVE


The Invisible Man. It's a fun, action packed show, with good characters. The stories got better before it was axed. It's definitely worth a look.

The first season of Earth: Final Conflict is a must!

---



[IMG] [/IMG]

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Monday, June 18, 2007 4:57 AM

MSG


I'd second Invisible Man, Eureka, Stargate and Stargate Atlantis....also Dresden Files ( praying that it's not canceled)

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs


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Saturday, June 30, 2007 11:25 AM

TRAVELER


Hello Smartbutdumbblonde:

For some vintage viewing if you like to see how science fiction evolved in the movie and TV media over the years, you may want try these. Remember these are old and the quality won't measure up to Firefly or Farscape, but it is a good history leason to the raw beginings of science fiction on film.

This is about the only place you can get the complete Rocky Jones series. You won't find it at Amazon.com.

http://www.vintagetvandmovies.com/rocky_jones.htm

This is the first sindicated science fiction series produced in the United States for TV. It was intended for a young audience and will not compare to todays programs. But they had some surpizing effects. The quality is not good. They did not spend much money transfering the original film to DVD's. But you may find yourself saying "Goodness Gracious" a lot after watching this series.

But you will find all three Flash Gordon Serials at Amazon. "Space Soldiers", "Trip To Mars", and "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" are available. I know it will be hard not to laugh at the special effects, just remember Flash Gordon was produced in the late 1930's with a very low budget. Buster Crabbe was never paid for any of his work on these serials. So you can see how tight they were with the cash.

Finally, I would recommend "Twilight Zone", this was one of the best written Sci-Fi series of all time. Each episode is a separate story and may be more a fantasy then science fiction, but they are very intellegent and you can get some of the episodes, I don't think every episode is available, at Amazon.

You may even find these at a Best Buy or equivalent store, but I know Amazon has them.

I looked over the lists of the posts above me and our fellow Browncoats certainly have picked some choice programing. You should have plenty to watch. A lot of great shows out there.

So what ever you decide on I hope you enjoy. Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres.

I am reading the Douglas Adams' series "Hitchhikers Guide" at this time.
Just getting to the Resturant at the End of the Universe. Gotta love Douglas Adams.



http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Sunday, July 1, 2007 6:22 AM

CLJOHNSTON108


Quote:
Originally posted by traveler:
I am reading the Douglas Adams' series "Hitchhikers Guide" at this time.
Just getting to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Gotta love Douglas Adams.

Don't forget Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and its sequel, The Long, Dark, Tea-Time of the Soul (which is my favorite of the two)!

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Sunday, July 1, 2007 9:21 AM

TRAVELER


Hello cljohnston108:

Dirk Gently is part of my collection and both books are getting a little thread bare.

Too much great science fiction out there and not enough time to read it all.

If it was not for Public Broadcastng and Dr. Who I probably would never heard of Douglas Adams. And then PBS ran their version of Hitchhikers Guide several years ago and I found the complete collection in one volume. After that I kept my eyes and ears open for more and out popped Dirk Gently.

Good to here from another Douglas Adams fan.

Not surprizing to find one here at Firefly. Quality tends to float to the surface.

Reading is fundamental;
Traveler


http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:33 AM

FINN MAC CUMHAL


Quote:
Originally posted by JaynezTown:
you'll like Heroes.
:
:
For good television, check out the tv series 'Rome'
Heroes and Rome are the two best things to hit TV in a while.

Rome finished its second and last season last year, but it may still be in re-runs and well worth watching if you can find it or afford the DVD set, which is rather expensive. But the show itself was expensive. The problem with doing shows about Rome is that the world has changed so much in 2000 years that anything you do must be done on expensive sets with expensive props or you run the risk of looking cheap. And cheap TV/movies about classical Europe are a dime a dozen. Rome definitely forked out a lot for sets, recreating the Forum, villas/palaces and entire Roman neighborhoods in their full grandeur or dilapidation as the case may be. And it was done with painstaking attention to historical detail. None of this pristine white marble crap that you see in most Roman sets. These guys did their research and recreated probably the most livid and real depiction of classical Rome since the Triumvirs.

Heroes is another that is really good – not the same quality as Rome, but then not much is – but Heroes is an excellent story. You can read all about what I have to say about it in the various Heroes threads. And unlike Rome, this one’s coming back next season for what is probably the second of 5 seasons.


Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007 10:20 AM

SAFEAT2ND


Traveler, I just got a Flash Gordon DVD. Grocery store special, but to my dismay, it was the series featuring Steve Holland not Buster Crabbe. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new series, due out this year, has to offer.



_______________________________________________________________
"Got a headful of lightning
And a heart full of rain
And I know that I said
I'd never do it again
Oh and I love you sweet baby but I always take the long way home."

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007 1:09 PM

TRAVELER


Hello Safeat2nd:

I am not familliar with it, but there was an actual TV series of Flash Gordon. That must be what you purchased. Buster Crabbe's versions were made as serials for the theaters back in the late 1930's. Some of the characters may change, but they are always up against Ming The Ruthless. And each serial has Ming becoming more insane than the next. One of the things that makes these serials so great is how evil and cunning Ming is.

Our Public Broadcasting Station has picked up the new Dr. Who and I have been watching that. Just started, but it seems to be in the original spirit of the show and I like that.


http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007 5:13 PM

DERANGEDMILK


Quote:

That new BSG looked like it could be something good, it had a great movie and some good episodes the frist season but unfortunately it jumps the shark.


I couldn't disagree with this more. The new BSG is definitely the best scifi since Firefly. Hasn't jumped the shark yet.

Besides that the only rec I have that hasn't been done already (I think anyway) is Blake's 7. Its an old british scifi show from the 70s or 80s. The effects are pretty cheesy but the story is great. I think I'm gonna write to Ron D. Moore and ask him to remake it after hes done with BSG.
-e

"Storms getting worse."
"We'll pass through it soon enough."

Vote for Firefly at http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html

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Monday, July 23, 2007 4:56 PM

AUDDIE


the tv series that i own are angle, buffy, charmed, dark angel, doctor who, roswell, kingdom hospital (more of a mini) along with TAKEN (another mini series) and of couse firefly.

we also enjoy watching enterprise, dead like me... love DEXTER (altough i wait till the kiddos are asleep)

just depends what your taste is... and what you are interested in watching.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007 1:50 PM

GIXXER


Red Dwarf.

Nice to see Space Above'n'Beyond getting a mention.

I wouldn't bother with Torchwood. You'll never get those hours back.

In Dr Who, Cap'n Jack was completely great. Torchwood, not so much. He was also saddled with the most unlikeable supporting cast in the history of on-screen entertainment. Creepy Owen somehow getting a shag every episode. Characters varying with whatever the plot was that week. Ianto being a big sobbing girl all the time. Plus the general tosserish behaviour of the team that was somehow our last line of defence against alien hordes. And the bloody music too loud all the time. Enough, Murray, I say.

Bah!

Almost as bad form as allowing personal dislikes to sneak, almost un-noticed, into one's posts...


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Tuesday, July 24, 2007 4:52 PM

AUDDIE


i actually watch torchwood over the net... during my lunch break. and yeah... not all that spectacular. i loved captin jack on doctor who... totally different person on torchwood. although... spike from buffy is on this second season... so i think i'll watch the eps with my spikey in them....

owen is freaky looking.. and yeah... rest of the cast is too.

oh, i used to was LEXX on scifi nights.. way back when. that was a funny show... except they were too much into the anal probing at the end.....


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