Science Fiction Television (No Trek, No Who)

[von Boom]

I've been watching Quatermass lately. It's such a shame the original series isn't complete.

[Recrewt]

Ah, Lexx!!  Was trying to recall what it was called!  I just always remember it as a fairly bonkers series with really odd characters, and a ship that looked a bit like some kind of odd insect?

Yes - a sex slave, maintenance man, undead assassin and a robot head that is in love with the undead assassin, all aboard a living ship that has been stolen by them.  The ship is very powerful and can destroy planets, which it does on occasion so it can feed off the debris.

I think it was some French-Canadian collaboration so it never really had anyone you would recognise in it.  It clearly had a limited budget but it was one of the best dark and subversive sci-fi series there has ever been.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Red Dwarf

[pictsy]

I absolutely adored Red Dwarf as I was growing up.

The last two series and that mini series for Dave weren't really up to scratch.  I always thought the first two series were the best of the bunch, with 4 and 5 coming in second.

[shaolin_monkey]

Space 1999!!

Drab scripts dressed up in lovely visuals, with a pulse pounding theme tune.  Plus the Eagles - what brilliant ship design!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09BzitMkUCw

[Jo-L]

I read the thread thinking... oh yeah, I love sci-fi TV, but then I realized once Star Trek and Who were out, that most of the field was gone for me.  Quantum Leap was great for it's time, but it doesn't hold up well imo.  I loved the first season of the reimagined Battlestar, but that show went down the hole quick.  I loved all of LOST.  Twilight Zone is probably the best sci-fi show of all though.

[Link Prime]

Ye can't beat Farscape in my opinion.
Yeah, it was cancelled a couple seasons early, but at least the fans got the wrapping-up Peacekeeper Wars a few years later (only after saying "Pretty please. Pretty please with a cherry on top" of course).

The last two eps of season 3 of Farscape were quite close to the apex of sci-fi telly.
I still haven't gotten over that excruciating wait for season 4.

Have 'em all on DVD (from the days you'd gladly shell out 30 quid for 4 episodes- FFS), but have been considering upgrading to Blu for an epic re-watch.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I liked Stargate:SG1 up to a point, around the time [spoiler]they killed and resurrected[/spoiler] Dr. Jackson. Never really watched Stargate: Atlantis or Stargate: Universe, although I did enjoy Stargate:Farscape.

Farscape was a fun show, even though there were some poor episodes, it always had its own unique voice and did its own thing. The biggest challenge is getting through the first series. The main villain isn't introduced until the penultimate episode, but things really take off when he [spoiler]and Harvey show up.[/spoiler]

To broaden the field, I'm going to include some shows for kids of all ages.

Gerry Anderson's work, namely Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, Joe 90 and Stingray. In that order.

Most DC animation is top notch, Batman isn't really sci-fi, but Superman, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited most certainly are

[Professor Bear]

The biggest challenge is getting through the first series.

It was halfway through the second series where I called it a day with Farscape.  That planet of the lawyers thing where they win a legal argument against a spacefaring race by setting fire to a stick with lasers and calling it magic was where I decided I didn't need to watch any more of it ever again.

If we're allowing animation, I'll throw Exo Squad in there, as during a binge on 1990s cartoons I'd never watched before I was surprised how better it was than the crude pre-cgi animation, broad characters and overdone belching jokes would suggest.  It's serialised sci-fi about a cosmic war - what's not to like?
Batman Beyond is a boss show that nicks from all the sci-fi going sooner or later.
Invasion America - ever watch that film I Am Number Four and think "this would be good if it wasn't shite"?  Apparantly the makers of Invasion America agree to the extent that they made I Am Number Four twenty years before that movie even came out.  Though a 'toon, it has Leonard Nimoy on voicover duty as the main villain and the showrunner is Harve "Wrath Of Kahn" Bennet, so it's got a good production pedigree if nothing else.

Also Fireball XL5, which is mesmerising.  It's a mental show with logic like "let's take an oxygen pill and go outside", a mad creepy robot made of glass that just sits there creeping me the fuck out, and great rocket sled launch setpiece for the titular XL5 in every episode just because it looks awesome and not because someone say down and thought a sled launch was a more economical use of fuel.  It's just so full-on and earnest, like a door directly into the mind of its makers that bypasses all that stuff about making sense of the science or why people can or can't do things, they just do what the story needs them to, even if the story is completely mad.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

That planet of the lawyers thing where they win a legal argument against a spacefaring race by setting fire to a stick with lasers and calling it magic was where I decided I didn't need to watch any more of it ever again.

Fair enough, that was a terrible episode. Possibly the worst.

Batman Beyond is a boss show that nicks from all the sci-fi going sooner or later.

Now how did I forget that? Batman trains an ersatz Spiderman. Top drawer.

[Fragminion]

I miss the Misfits of Science. A show that had great potential but no good carry thru.

[amines2058]

For me Fringe has been the ouitstanding Science Fiction series of the past few years. Started off as an X-Files clone, but by end of series 1 came into its own as something different and special. Very clever writing throughout, and a proper and satisfying (if little rushed) resolution to the series. Oh yes plus Anna Torv was quite pleasing on the eye!!

[shaolin_monkey]

How about Samurai Jack?  It's a cartoon, I know, but it's pure sci-fi in every sense!  A samurai is thrown forward in time, where the whole world is dominated by the evil space god Aku.  he must find a way to go back in time and end his reign before it even begins!

the makers knew their sci-fi and fantasy, making reference to a whole host of stuff - Star Wars, Conan, Indinana Jones, etc etc.  One episode also has the best example of dance music in TV ever - a fight to the death with an evil DJ who [spoiler]turns his rig and turntables into a massive Mech![/spoiler].

Damn, I love Samurai Jack!

Watch, and love!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL-893hKSzI

[JamesC]

My favourite was always Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

The episode with the Space Vampire is actually pretty creepy!

[Link Prime]

The biggest challenge is getting through the first series.

It was halfway through the second series where I called it a day with Farscape.  That planet of the lawyers thing where they win a legal argument against a spacefaring race by setting fire to a stick with lasers and calling it magic was where I decided I didn't need to watch any more of it ever again.

Now that you're older (and presumably wiser) it behooves you to revisit that opinion.
Good God man, you've probably never even heard Guy Gross' epic title music revision from season 3 onward.
To get a taste of the soft gooey centre, dive straight into the tail end of season 2 (the story carries directly over to the start of season 3), and I guarantee you'll never look back. NEVER.


And Pops- you're dead right.
The main reason I pass this series on to so few people is the patchy (*generous term*) first season.
It doesn't sell a series too well when your recommendation begins with "The first 20 odd episodes are a bit shite, but it gets really good later. I promise."