Other sci-fi series as good as Firefly by KillerK

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Other sci-fi series as good as Firefly

POSTED BY: KILLERK
UPDATED: Sunday, October 3, 2004 08:40
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 19491
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Saturday, August 7, 2004 7:24 AM

I am currently suffering from a medical condition known as PFB (Post-Firefly Blues), which has been bought on by the simple fact that when I first saw Firefly, it was so fantastic that all the previous sci-fi shows I used to like now pale in comparison.

In order to combat this condition, I need some suggestions on Sci-Fi series (either airing now or avaliable on DVD) which are as good as Firefly (a difficult task, I know). Can anyone help me??!

Life is but a dream...

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 7:34 AM

PURPLEBELLY

Minear has said that his favourite scifi show was Friends

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 7:37 AM

LITTLEFIREFLY

I like "Atlantis" and "Stargate" but FireFly kills them all

Oh, let's see, we killed Simon and River, stole a bunch of med'cin, and now the Captain and Zoe are off springing the others got snatched by the Feds. Oh, here they are now!

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 9:10 AM

SWITCHY

I have to agree. I used to enjoy the various Trek incarnations but they just look pale in comparison. I think Firefly managed to combine the best elements of a great number of influences. It brought a character driven drama with a post civil war/pioneering sensibility onto a space ship. It has elements of Trek in it's ability to serve a large cast of characters who rely on each other constantly. The writing was always fantastic and the setting allows for the kind of adventure stories that are not found on TV very often. Did anyone here watch James Garners "Maverick" series? It had much of the same kind of charm if I remember correctly. I was pretty young when they were on in rerun. Not sci-fi I know but I just remembered it.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 9:22 AM

DAEDALUS5

I hear you on thinking, that, previously to watching Firefly, I thought Trek was King.

I now rate Sci-fi as:

1. Firefly (by miles)
2. Babylon 5 (esp s3 & s4)
3. Blakes 7 (Uk show)
4. Trek; DS9, TOS, TNG, VOY
5. The Prisoner (UK show)
6. Battlestar Galactica (the remake, Ron D Moore)
7. Lone Gunmen (DAMN YOU FOX!!!!!!)
8. Earth:Above & Beyond (AGAIN, CANCELLED BY FOX)

OK shoes, that I'll watch should nothing else better be on and that i cannot be arsed to change channel

1. X-Files (early seasons)
2. Crusade
3. Sliders
4. Quantum Leap.

I also love Supergirl, but that's a movie, but I thought it worth mentining as she's hot!

"Damn you Fox for cancelling my favourite show!"

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 10:41 AM

OUTSIDER

For me, Firefly is streets ahead of the competition, but a few of my other personal favs include:

Babylon 5 - arguably the best continuing story arc of any series ever. Firefly might have surpassed it, but we'll never know now, will we?

Farscape - a bit of an acquired taste, but well worth suffering through the mediocre first season for the GENIUS second and third seasons.

Red Dwarf - there's another thread around here at the moment discussing this British SF/comedy. But it, too, is well worth getting into. When the Dwarf is funny, it's DAMN funny. Some pretty good SF concepts on occasion, too...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - the best of all the Treks, simply because it's the least Trek-like. 'Nuff said.

Other than that, I don't think you can go wrong with The X-Files (especially the first four seasons), Buffy and/or Angel (more Whedon genius), or Alias. Those last three are not strictly sci-fi, I know, but they're part of the wider "SF/Fantasy" genre, and that's good enough for me.

Hope that helps. If you're new to any of those shows and decide to check them out, I hope you have as much fun with them as I did!

----------
"Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 12:19 PM

WINTERFELL

I agree, though there are other sci fi shows i watch, i have found NONE which even come close to firefly.. it simply is the best there's ever been.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 12:39 PM

LINDLEY

Well, for obvious reasons, the best way to combat post-Firefly blues is to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel, when that comes into play).

Also, there was another short-lived Fox show which enjoyed some of the same characteristics as Firefly; namely, that you *knew* you'd love every episode. That was Wonderfalls (Exec Producer Tim Minear). 13 eps produced, only 4 ever aired. Heck of a lot funnier than most so-called "comedies".

And, if you like Wonderfalls, then Dead Like Me is also worth checking out, because both were envisioned by the same guy (Brian Fuller).

Some other SF which is worth watching (though not as good) includes:

-Stargate SG-1 (Almost always entertaining, but rarely pushes the envelope)
-Stargate Atlantis (Ditto, 4 eps in)
-Babylon 5 (Epic in the story sense, but a bit weak on character)

I've also heard that Farscape is great, but it hasn't yet managed to hook me.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 12:44 PM

TEMPORALFLUX

I would put the first two seasons of Sliders in the Firefly category. Sliders was another show that suffered from the death touch of Fox. We had scenes cut, episodes scrambled and strange scheduling; but the magic still shone through in the first two seasons.

Sliders season one and two just hit DVD this past week; and it's worth the time and money if you love smart science fiction like Firefly.

Tf
temporalflux@hotmail.com
http://www.dimensionofcontinuity.com

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 1:02 PM

KILLERK

Thanks to everyone for your replies so far.

Outsider - I certainly agree with you on Babylon 5 (which used to be my fav series), Red Dwarf (although that's more of a sitcom than pure science fiction) and DS9 (best of all the Treks..as it actually had an ongoing storyling).

I will admit that I never really got into Farscape...but I've only seen the first couple of episodes and I'm willing to give it another go.

What about Andromeda? That any good?

Life is but a dream...

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 1:11 PM

EVILNATE

Like many others, Firefly spoiled me when it comes to sci-fi television, however, there are a few shows that have escaped.

Star Trek (the orignial) and Deep Space Nine: These two couldn't be further apart in many respects, but to me they have much in comman, namely the fact that they're the two best Trek series.

Cowboy Bebop: I didn't discover this until after I saw Firefly, so the similarities drew me in. It's anime, so it's got those some of those Japanese quirks, but far fewer than most other imports, and it's got the best English dub I've heard. It's a short series (only 26 episodes), but the characters are so good that you eventually forget that what you're watching is animated.

Battlestar Galactica: Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but if you look past the show's 70's trappings, robot dogs, and annoying kids, there's actually a decent show that has an epic and continuing storyline that was made over a decade before Babylon 5 and Deep Space Nine made such things popular. The two-part episodes, such as "Lost Planet of the Gods", "The Living Legend", and "War of the Gods" are the highlights. Note: Avoid Galactica 1980 at all costs.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 2:41 PM

OUTSIDER

I must admit that I could never quite into the original Battlestar Galactica. The newer version made just recently however, I thought was pretty cool. A bit self-important in places, maybe, but it showed a helluva lot of potential. It should easily be the best new SF show of the coming season.

Speaking of which, I hope everyone remembers to check out the new mini-series Farscape: Peacekeeper War when it airs. God knows when it'll air over here in Blighty, but hopefully we won't have to wait too long...

Oh, and as for Andromeda? Avoid at all costs. Seriously. We're in real run-for-your-life territory here. Quite the worst show, SF or otherwise, it has ever been my misfortune to witness. The phrase "it's got its head right up its big fat arse" springs to mind.

----------
"Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 2:56 PM

WORDSMITH

I think that there may be other shows as good as, but they WILL be different - if they were too "samey" then you'd get fed up pretty fast.

For the record, this is my top five - other than Firefly

(1) Babylon 5 - for the five year arc, the way little details in the first episodes came to culmination seasons later, in short it was what I want a series to be as far as an underlying story direction goes.

(2) Doctor Who - Specifically the Tom Baker era "gothic" shows, and the later ones with Sylvester Mccoy and Sophie Aldred - the first because the stories were good fun to watch, despite cheesy sets and effects, and the second because the stories were to a large extent character-driven as "Ace" was guides from rebellious teenager to a better-balanced adult.

(3) UFO - probably the best series from the Gerry / Sylvia Anderson stable ... original and sometimes surreal, but spent time developing characters again. (Do you see a common thread emerging here?)

(4) Red Dwarf - OK, so it's a SF sitcom / parody in places, but it DID tackled REAL science, and in a way that shows like Trek never will, because they invent a plot device to get round it. Oh, and "Backwards" is great fun to watch in either direction.

(5) The Tomorrow People - a series aimed at teenagers, but covering a lot of ground based on one premise, the evolution of a telepathic "Homo Superior"

Other shows I enjoy(ed):-
Stargate SG-1 (Thank God they didn't keep Kurt Russell as O'Niell - and the casting of a reasonable look-alike of him for the 'Wormhole X-treme' episode was great fun).
MacGyver (Just for the sheer fun of trying to beat the story to working out how he gets out of the mess he's in).
Blake's Seven (patchy quality, but a good idea and several good episodes ... 'Vila' was always my favourite character).
Doomwatch - now out on DVD in the UK - one of the BBC's best SF series.
Space: 1999 - not for the stories, or the characters, but for the Eagle Spaceships - they actually looked like they'd been designed to WORK.

===========
Kryten: Go to 'Red Alert', Sir? You do realise that means CHANGING THE BULB ?

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 3:31 PM

WILDHEAVENFARM

Another Fox cancellee, "Space: Above and Beyond".

Mary
Always a beast, never a burden.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 3:49 PM

LINDLEY

Quote:

What about Andromeda? That any good?

I've heard rumors that the first season was pretty good. I used to watch it now and then, but never enough to really get a feel for it.

However, word is that its really hit dirt bottom in the last few years. Worse than EFC did.

Speaking of Earth: Final Conflict----that's something else you might want to take a look at. It isn't anywhere *near* as good as FF, but the first season is solid; and despite some dumbing down, it retains a good-sized core of quality all the way through season 4. (Season 5 is a myth; it didn't happen.) Oddly, only seasons 3-5...I mean, 3-4 have been released on DVD. The rights to seasons 1-2 are held by another company....Fox, if I'm not mistaken.

About Wonderfalls: Its downloadable pretty much in full through Bittorrent. However, DVDs will be available this December.

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 3:56 PM

RHOGEN

Babylon 5 (best thing since the glory days of Trek, better in many ways, and notice how relevant some of the main story arcs are today!)

Farscape (stylish and original, very cool!)

Red Dwarf (British sci fi comedy, you'll love it! - just make sure you get at least as far as the third season, where it hits its stride)

Blake's Seven (it's been ages since I watched this, but I remember it being astonishingly good for a low-budget series - the Brits did good on this one)

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Saturday, August 7, 2004 4:02 PM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by KillerK:
I am currently suffering from a medical condition known as PFB (Post-Firefly Blues). Can anyone help me??!

only watching 'Firefly' AGAIN....
but I would also recommend trying Joss' other shows
even tho they aren't sci-fi, they are still better written and more fun that anything else on TV

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 4:11 AM

OUTSIDER

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier posts is the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Like a lot of anime, it can be a bit of a culture shock at first, trying to get to grips with it. But, also like most anime, it's well worth the effort once you do. A damn impressive show - and one that doesn't outstay its welcome, either.

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

"Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 5:13 AM

ECGORDON

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

As far as science fiction series, I agree that Firefly wins hands down. Babylon 5 is the only other one that comes close, with Farscape, original Star Trek and Deep Space 9 following that. All of those are available on dvd, with new full season editions of ST:TOS coming soon. The original mini-series of "V" is also worth a look, but don't bother with the regular weekly series that followed.

There are a few others I could recommend that might be available as downloads, but unfortunately they are not (yet) available on dvd. Some of these are more fantasy related, but still close to the SF genre.

American Gothic
Brimstone
Dark Skies
Nowhere Man
VR5

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 6:28 AM

TETHYS

there is none.....but there are some close runners up:

BRIMSTONE!!!!!...another fan here!!!woohoo....lol
love that show *stick up yer arse, Fox*

Babylon 5...sheer weeping badass series

Deep Space Nine:...note the lack of star trek before the title

Farscape:..fan of that show since Day one of that series..

"You replaced Firefly with *barf* Fastlane?!"
Zoe:"Take me Sir. Take me hard" - War Stories

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 6:30 AM

TETHYS

Quote:
Originally posted by tethys:

Babylon 5...sheer weeping badass series

oops...supposed to be "sweeping" not "weeping"

oh well

"You replaced Firefly with *barf* Fastlane?!"
Zoe:"Take me Sir. Take me hard" - War Stories

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 8:49 AM

KILLERK

In regards to anime such as Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion, I had seen both series a couple of years back. One thing that struck me with Firefly was how it was similar in some ways to Cowboy Bebop, except where in Firefly the 'Cowboy' theme dominates, in Bebop, it's the 70s.

I have seen Earth: Final Conflict as well, but only the first series after it finished on Channel 5. At this point, I didn't have cable, so by the time I was able to see the series again, it's third season was drawing to a close on Sky One. Needless to say, too much had happened by that point and I was completly lost.

Judging by the responses, I'll probably end up getting Farscape when I get the cash. Again, thanks to everyone for spending your valuable time in this thread.

Life is but a dream...

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 9:12 PM

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Could you please just make it stranger? Stranger. Odder. Could be weirder. More bizarre. How about uncanny?

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
As far as science fiction series, I agree that Firefly wins hands down. Babylon 5 is the only other one that comes close, with Farscape, original Star Trek and Deep Space 9 following that. All of those are available on dvd, with new full season editions of ST:TOS coming soon. The original mini-series of "V" is also worth a look, but don't bother with the regular weekly series that followed.

Yep, should have stopped with the mini-series on "V". And I agree with ST:DS9 only up until the writers abandoned the whole overarcing plot with the orbs. I still want to know where that was going, gorramn it! And I'd definately throw Battlestar Galactica into the ring...well, up until they actually reached Earth...

Quote:
...Some of these are more fantasy related, but still close to the SF genre.

Nowhere Man

The first time I ever bitched about a show being cancelled was the night I came home, and turned on Nowhere Man...and he was Nowhere. I didn't know it was canned and man was I peeved!

Fortunately I missed Firefly completely in 2002, so I can only sympathise, not having suffered the Nowhere Man fate a second time. :)

Still for parallels to Firefly's "space western", I prefer Trigun...sure it's animated and from Japan, but don't let that stop you. It is after all, the *only* Japanese animation I will watch. I oft muse over how Wolfwood and Book or Jayne and Millie would relate to eachother. And I am sure Vash would try and date all the women, especially River. LOL

Until Firefly, Trigun was the only show that could make me laugh AND gasp in a single episode. Maybe if FOX execs had seen the popularity of Trigun, they could have gotten over their "but why are there horses?" hangup *sigh* and these are the guys who brought Sliders back on the air...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BROWNCOATS! Rise again and promote Firefly/Serenity!
visit: http://the11thhour.home.att.net

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Monday, August 9, 2004 5:04 AM

CYBERSNARK

I would recommend Andromeda, but only season one. The cutoff point is where Rev (the "Shepherd Book as a Reaver" alien) leaves, Trance (the kawaii purple Kaylee-clone) turns into teen Xena. Keep track of the writers, when Robert Hewitt Wolf was thrown out, everything went pear-shaped. The original show had a great deal of potential, especially in the "semi-hard" sci-fi that hadn't (and, it turned out, still hasn't) been done on television. Stuff like an AI copying itself into multiple avatars, beyond-visual-range combat, time-dilation with high-acceleration, parasitic reproduction of two different flavours, genetic & social engineering, and the social/psychological effects of same, a million year old empire that was not started by humans, a human lead whose homeworld isn't Earth.

As for animé, I'd recommend you give InuYasha a try. It's not sci-fi, but fantasy (specifically fairy-tale fantasy), with a few twists (moral ambiguity, multifacetted villains, tragic romance, etc). You may love it, you may hate it, but I find it plenty entertaining.

Quote:
Originally posted by tethys:
Quote:
Originally posted by tethys:
Babylon 5...sheer weeping badass series

oops...supposed to be "sweeping" not "weeping"

I dunno, "weeping badass" sounds kinda cool. Good name for a band.

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

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Monday, August 9, 2004 5:27 AM

BLUESUNWORSHIPPER

Quote:
Originally posted by evilnate:
Battlestar Galactica: Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but if you look past the show's 70's trappings, robot dogs, and annoying kids, there's actually a decent show that has an epic and continuing storyline that was made over a decade before Babylon 5 and Deep Space Nine made such things popular. The two-part episodes, such as "Lost Planet of the Gods", "The Living Legend", and "War of the Gods" are the highlights. Note: Avoid Galactica 1980 at all costs.

...except for "The Return of Starbuck" episode, right? Am I right? RIGHT?!!!

Yeah, I'm right.

- T

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Monday, August 9, 2004 6:24 AM

TETHYS

LMAO cyber!!!

"You replaced Firefly with *barf* Fastlane?!"
Zoe:"Take me Sir. Take me hard" - War Stories

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 12:24 AM

NERVOUSPETE

Ultraviolet.

You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

It is, genuinely, as good as Firefly. Well, very, very, very, very nearly as good. It's set in modern day London and is about a secret government agency sponsered by the Vatican to study, hunt down and destroy the horrifying conspiracy that is the Code Five infection. Five in latin is V. V is for vampire (though that name is never mentioned). Code Five's are strong, fast, deadly, very intelligent, cunning, organised and virtually indestructible. The only way they can be 'neutralised' is by a carbon bullet or carbon ice-pick to the heart. Or by sunlight. They cannot be seen in mirrors, on cameras or heard on recordings or phones. They also all wear normal clothes, or business suits. They play the market, run businesses, dabble in organised crime and are fascinated by medical research.

So when everyday police detective Michael Colefield finds out his best friend is a Code V, and has to kill him or be killed, he is approached by the agency. He joins them and over six hour long episodes endures the bleak, fearful and paranoid world of vampire hunting. There is something of a story arc, and the last episode is amazing for the revelations and tension. Shame there weren't more, Channel Four! The acting is excellent, as are the effects, production, music (Oh! Especially the eerie understated music!) script, direction, concept, plot. I cannot recommend this series strongly enough. It is emotional, cold and brutal. It's more John LeCarre than Buffy and relies on detective work rather than ass-kicking. (Though I do like Buffy too)

So watch it! All of you! It's the best sci-fi Britain has produced since 'The Prisoner'.

"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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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 2:45 AM

OUTLANDER

The only new Science Fiction series I am going to be watching is the New Battlestar Galactica.

I suppose I should mention The 4400 as being something worth having a look at, I loved the pilot episode, the series I am not so sure about.

My other favourite shows are Dead Like Me and Deadwood.

P.S. If you have never watched Buffy and Angel do your self a favour. Buffy and Angel are what Joss Whedon did before, during and after Firefly.

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 3:04 AM

TEELABROWN

Though it's not quite science fiction, the Twilight Zone. The original ones. I love how they make you think. Seriously. And I can't wait for the New Year's Day Marathon on Sci-Fi.

_____________
"Freedom is the Freedom to say that 2 plus 2 make 4. If that is granted, all else follows"-Winston, 1984
Teela Brown, keeper of the delete key.
"No one reads these things any way."- Bart on Blackboard

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 3:34 AM

KATI

Firefly is outstanding - and I never have been so involved with SF-series, but I loooove Buffy and Angel, I love Ultraviolet too (Jack Davenport - yummy! *g*) - and I can't forget this wonderful "Brisco County Jr."-thingy. A short running series with Bruce Campbell, very funny and with characters who are very likeable.

Time for some thrilling heroics.

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 4:47 AM

TEELABROWN

I remember seeing some of Brisco County Jr. I thought it was cool.

Also, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (abbr. MST3k). If you don't know what this is, it's a guy and two robots who are forced to watch bad B-list movies, and they make fun of them. Very funny.

_____________
"Freedom is the Freedom to say that 2 plus 2 make 4. If that is granted, all else follows"-Winston, 1984
Teela Brown, keeper of the delete key.
"No one reads these things any way."- Bart on Blackboard

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:24 AM

LINDLEY

Quote:

P.S. If you have never watched Buffy and Angel do your self a favour. Buffy and Angel are what Joss Whedon did before, during and after Firefly.

Its true. A lot of people look down on B/A; they consider it "teenybop" stuff, and/or juvenile, and at the *least* not worthy of their attention. Even if its on in the same room with them, they'll find something else to do so they won't be "contaminated" by it.

Don't let yourself fall into that trap. Don't any of you. They really are great shows, and while they won't be for everyone......they should at least be given a fair shot.

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:21 AM

OUTSIDER

Lindley, my friend, you took the words right out of my mouth.

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

"Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:48 PM

LJC

If you have Showtime, Odyssey 5 will begin re-airing on September3rd on Sho Too, and show 3 eps every Friday, including 6 unaired episodes.

It's the brainchild of Manny Coto (who may go down in history as the man who dragged Enterprise up from the depths of the suck and shaped it into something watchable), and stars Peter Weller as an astronaut who, along with 4 otehrs aboard the shuttle Odyssey, witness the Earth's destruction. They are then sent back 5 years to try and prevent it.

The writing is *phenomenal* and the acting is top notch. It's so good, it will eat your brain. I can't say enough about this show, I really can't. The characters are all so well-drawn, and the dialogue is amazingly natural (tho even Coto admits, there's a bit too much of the f-word, thanks to the actors adlibbing at times). Leslie Silva as Sarah, and Chris Gorham as Neil, will literally break your heart, you just feel for them so damn much. And Sebastian Roche is screamingly fabulous as Kurt.

If you'd like to find out more about the show, I've a teeny o5 site here:

http://www.loony-archivist.com/o5

--
Some take the high road. Some take the low road.
And some just go screaming down the highway, dropping flaming bits of wreckage.

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Monday, August 16, 2004 9:18 PM

PIRATEJENNY

well I'm very picky...

but Deep Space nine is really good..its not like any of the other star Treks..its more like a Space opera..because the storyline continue..much like Fire Fly

I don't have cable so I haven't really scene any of the good scFi stuff thats out

FireFly was like Heaven

but Sliders is a pretty good show..doesn't compare to FF but its good

I could never get into Buffy..but I did like Angel up until the last two seasons..I refused to watch the last season because I felt that the show had teased and strung me along without a decent payoff

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Monday, August 16, 2004 10:27 PM

GAVIDA

I even have a problem coming up with 5 shows as a follow up to the outstanding first place, Firefly takes in my all time Favourites.... but if I cont in Firefly as the numero uno, then I can get 5 shows, heh:

1) Firefly
(long pause)
2) Farscape
3) Space: Above & Beyond
4) Stargate
5) Sliders

Never really got into the Trekkie's universe I must admit. Sometimes even found it rather boring.
B5 and Andromeda never worked out for me as well.
Tuned into them when there was not much else on TV, but most of the time didn't even stay for a whole episode. (And yes, I tried to get into them, since all my friends always go like "blabla B5 blabla cool)

Keep flying,
Gavida

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Tuesday, August 17, 2004 9:45 AM

GROUNDED

Odyssey 5 is classic but if you watch it you're setting yourself up for a brutal letdown when the credits roll on that last ep and you realise it's the mother of all unresolved endings :(

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Tuesday, August 17, 2004 1:58 PM

LINDLEY

Quote:
Originally posted by Gavida:
I even have a problem coming up with 5 shows as a follow up to the outstanding first place, Firefly takes in my all time Favourites.... but if I cont in Firefly as the numero uno, then I can get 5 shows, heh:

1) Firefly
(long pause)
2) Farscape
3) Space: Above & Beyond
4) Stargate
5) Sliders

Never really got into the Trekkie's universe I must admit. Sometimes even found it rather boring.
B5 and Andromeda never worked out for me as well.
Tuned into them when there was not much else on TV, but most of the time didn't even stay for a whole episode. (And yes, I tried to get into them, since all my friends always go like "blabla B5 blabla cool)

Keep flying,
Gavida

Just FYI, that is *not* the way to watch B5. If you try to watch a random episode, its no surprise you didn't like it.

To really see what B5 is about, it must be watched from the beginning, in sequence. Some parts of season 1 can be skipped, but not much after that.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2004 5:19 PM

DROCCULARI

Dark Angel, the show that was canceled to make room for Firefly, was good in season one. It had some nice stuff, taking place in a Third World America several years after the EMP from a terrorist nuclear attack knocked out most of North America's modern technology.
Max, a genetically engineered killing machine who had made a break from the secret project's compound at the age of 12, is now a young woman living in Seattle trying desperately to be normal and to stay under the radar of those still looking for her. I especially liked the multicultural street life of the messenger service where she worked, and the ways she would protect the people there, because they were the closest thing to a family she had.
Unfortunately, the suits "improved" the show for season two by replacing the multicultural street with a dog-boy--Really! They also decreed there would be no-one over thirty in the cast, so John Savage and Nana Visitor where out as the bad guys, and they swapped out human interest for freak-of-the-week stories. In short, they cut the heart out of it. I can't blame them entirely though. Season two started with 9/11, so they backed way off the terrorist induced Third World America theme and went for more comfortable fantasy.

It's not a TV show, but if you're looking for something with virtually the same space western mission statement as Firefly, I highly recommend the novel Santiago, A Myth of the Far Future by Mike Resnick.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2004 9:32 PM

GAVIDA

Quote:
Originally posted by Lindley:
Just FYI, that is *not* the way to watch B5. If you try to watch a random episode, its no surprise you didn't like it.

To really see what B5 is about, it must be watched from the beginning, in sequence. Some parts of season 1 can be skipped, but not much after that.

I really really tried to get into B5 from Season 1, believe me. But I just can not bring myself to watch it, it is some kind of blockade.

B5 and me probably weren't meant to come together

Keep flying,
Gavida

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Wednesday, August 18, 2004 3:58 PM

LINDLEY

^Well.....if you decide to give it one more try, the three must-watch eps in season 1 are:

"Signs and Portents"
"Babylon Squared"
"Crysalis".

I'm not saying that nothing else is relevent, because it is, but you could probably get away with only watching those three.

Then, season 2 might be more to your liking. The tone does change somewhat.

Really, though, "Crysalis" shows a hint of things to come, but IMO, the series doesn't really kick off its main arc until "The Coming of Shadows" in season 2. If you can get that far, you might enjoy it more.

Of course, if you can't get that far, its not a good sign for the future anyway.

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Thursday, August 19, 2004 6:49 AM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by DrOcculari:
Unfortunately, the suits "improved" the show for season two by replacing the multicultural street with a dog-boy--Really!

Do not diss Joshua. He rocks. Him and Mole (the cigar-smoking lizard man) are the best things about that season.

And yeah, we lost Herbal, but at least we got to keep Orginal Cindy --the other major lesbian character on TV.

Quote:
They also decreed there would be no-one over thirty in the cast, so John Savage and Nana Visitor where out as the bad guys, and they swapped out human interest for freak-of-the-week stories.

Yet somehow (IMHO, at least), the show stayed good, which is a credit to the writers and actors. I especially like the wrap-up novels (Skin Game and After the Dark).

And they didn't give up the human interest angle, they just changed the medium. The second season was all about racism and bigotry, as typified by the treatment "Dog-boy" received --both from "upstairs people" and fellow transgenics (Alec, we're all looking at you) who happened to be more "beautiful" than he was on the outside.

Despite Normal's unique brand of redneck idiocy, they couldn't have told those stories with Max and Alec as the only transgenics outside.

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

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Friday, August 20, 2004 4:34 AM

BANRIGH

I have high hopes for the new Battlestar Galactica series. I just watched the new teaser and it seems like they are really delving into the problems of a fleet with limited resources.

http://homepage.mac.com/pepsiboy71/FileSharing7.html

I've thought that BSG has got the same ideas as Firefly. The practical lighting, complete 360 sets (the CIC is pretty cool, though it is not continuous like Serenity), SFX (it also uses ZOIC) and the practical human plots/problems (no alien of the week, cylons don't count we created them)).

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Friday, August 20, 2004 5:13 AM

RHYMEPHILE

Everyone can hurl death-laden threats at me

but my #1 super favorite ultimate mega top show of all time is The X-Files hands down. I ate, slept, and breathed that show (except the last 2 seasons, blargh) and it was the one time when I watched a TV pilot and declared, "This is my new show."

I also loved loved loved Space: Above and Beyond and not just because it was done by XF vets. It had cool ships, tough space Marines, neato aliens, and a really great cast.

Brisco County Jr. was another short-lived show I loved. Yay for the Brisco mention! There was a continuing arc across the first season with Brisco searching for his father's killers, as well as Bly. I loved the villains, and I loved John Pyper-Ferguson as Pete.

I was never able to get into any other Treks after ST:TNG. I started watching that during the "Best of Both Worlds" Borg two-parter that blew me away, and I was hooked after that. I watched the first seasons of both Voyager and DS9 but didn't continue.

Highlander the TV series is definitely worth a look. Sword battles, history lessons, and (often) great FX scenes during the Quickenings, along with wonderful acting for a syndicated series.

No one mentioned it, but I was also absorbed with Taken on the SciFi Channel. At the time I worked nights so I had to tape it, and I watched it in one huge marathon. It was quite original and different. Amazing that SciFi took a chance with what was obviously a very expensive gamble.

I hope the heydays of syndicated TV come back, because the dreck out there now (like Mutant X, Andromeda, anything with scantily-clad women with spears) is painful. I miss good TV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of me is beautiful and valuable, even the ugly, stupid, and disgusting parts.

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Sunday, August 22, 2004 6:56 AM

HIPEOPLE

Not a lot of good scifi out there, not as good as firefly...

Babylon 5; It was almost as good as Firefly...the good thing about B5 was it did not have much tecno-jumbo, all the science was pure logic. Plus it was pretty arcy, and JMS is a talented writer.

farscape; I really liked this showe...But some of the aliens were scary looking lol! I never watched enough of it, to like it as much as B5 though...but it was still good

Battlestar Galactica (the remake) I am no fan of the or genial, but I found the remake to be fascinating,

Stargate;; Its a good show, its no Firefly, or B5, but you got to hand it to the writers, its shocking that the series hasn't died yet. There is to much tecno-Trak talk, and it couldn't hurt too add a few more cast members, and create some more conflict between the team

These listed above are about the only sci-fi show s I like/or have ever liked to watch...of course the best scifi series of all time is Firefly

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Sunday, August 22, 2004 7:48 AM

CORNCOBB

Okay, here goes. Nothing is as good as Firefly, but the other sci fi shows I've really loved are (in no particular order)
Deep Space Nine
Babalon 5
Red Dwarf
John Doe
Doctor Who
Sliders
X-files (although my fondness of this has dwindled)
I also like Andromeda, Roswell, the other Star Treks and stargate, but i wouldnt list them as a favourites

Branching out into fantasy, there was:
Brimstone (nice to see some other fans)
Buffy
Angel
Ultraviolet (I am so annoyed. I taped all six episodes but my tape with episode 1 on has gone missing)
Witchblade

(i HATE the word 'cancelled'

)

"Gorramit Mal... I've forgotten my line."

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Monday, August 23, 2004 7:45 AM

FIREFLYWILDCARD1

The only other scifi that I thought came close to Firefly was cancelled by Fox:

Space: Above & Beyond.

*sigh* and they were planning a DVD set for late this year but those plans seem to be cancelled at this point too...grrr.

For anime, I'd recommend Gundam Wing for futuristic sort of scifi.

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Friday, August 27, 2004 4:56 AM

HASLINGER

I would suggest finding eps of Space: Above and Beyond

But there are some shows that have flown under the radar

Campy fun: Starship Troopers: Roughnecks
Brisco County Jr. (its bruce campbell)

But my 2nd favorite show next to Firefly has got to be the
ingenious, sarcastic, stab
Gvs.E or as it was renamed Good Vs. Evil.
It was stylized, funny and technically innovative.
Which by the way stared Richard L. Brooks from Law and Order
and is the actor who played Jubel Early in Objects

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Friday, August 27, 2004 9:00 AM

Well, I was a Deep Space Nine fangirl when I was younger so I have to recommend that. It truly was the best Star Trek.

Gvs.E was funny and it was pretty witty too. Quantum Leap was good when I was a kid and Mystery Science Theater was hilarious. I believe it's coming out on DVD, if it already hasn't.

Buffy and Angel are far beyond teenybopper stuff though. They have intelligent writing and that's not limited to any age.

See, I must be the only person who didn't get into Babylon 5. I tried, even had friends encourage me to keep looking, but I don't know...just never stuck with me.

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Friday, August 27, 2004 9:00 AM

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Friday, August 27, 2004 11:23 AM

HASLINGER

No...T you're not the only one.

I tried but couldn't get into Buffy, Angel, Babylon 5, farscape, or DS9. They all seemed a bit to surreal for me. I think they're great shows just not really my style.

What about Misfits of Science? That was quality 80's sci fi. Not to forget V, Maninmal, and that one ep of Dukes of Hazzard where they saw a UFO.

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