Current TV Boxset Addiction

[The Legendary Shark]

Ah now - Babylon 5. I watched In the Beginning again just the other night (surely the best made-for-tv-sci-fi-movie of all time) followed by a few random episodes. Yeah, now you mention it...

Truth points to itself.

[von Boom]

Dipping back into Star Trek, watched a few random Voyagers before returning to my favourite Trek of all, Enterprise. I always approach this series with trepidation because - what if it's not as good as I remember? After all, we've had the Kelvin timeline, Discovery and Picard since then. I needn't have worried.

S04E13 - United confirms it. Archer pulls together squabbling species to combat a mutual threat - the first glimmer of the Federation to come, and the spirit behind it.

And that's what I think modern Trek lacks - that spirit of building something great and noble and worthwhile out of disparate peoples. Modern Trek seems to be more about defending that spirit, with TOS and the rest more about expanding it. And that's why I think I like Trek better than Wars, which (to me) is more about maintaining the status quo. And it's the story of the struggle to build the future that only Enterprise has that makes it my favourite.

Maybe modern Trek does show us the error of our ways, shows how we're too busy defending what we got to worry about the future. Maybe we need to slice a few more Andorian antennae off for ourselves, metaphorically speaking of course.

Yeah, it's been a long road. And light years still to go.

I thought Enterprise was very good until the finale. That sort of ruined the series for me.

I haven't enjoyed modern Trek since the Federation has turned into a stagnating mess. Rather than being a growing and evolving community of species working towards a better future for all we have a group of loosely allied groups each looking for a way to get ahead of the rest. This sort of idea makes baby Gene Roddenberry cry.

[wedgeski]

Ah now - Babylon 5. I watched In the Beginning again just the other night (surely the best made-for-tv-sci-fi-movie of all time) followed by a few random episodes. Yeah, now you mention it...

Truth points to itself.

I am overdue for a Babylon 5 rewatch as well. Slightly nervous. Modern space opera is light years ahead, but I'm hoping the Londo and G'Kar double-act still reigns supreme to carry me through the show's deficiencies.

[Bolt-01]

I introduced Nano-Bolt (then 15) to B5 over a long summer holiday. She is now 19 and has watched the show through 3 times. The growth and change in the characters of both Londo and G'Kar are fundamental to the success of the show. Though I still cannot stand the Marcus character.

[Tjm86]

I am overdue for a Babylon 5 rewatch as well. Slightly nervous. Modern space opera is light years ahead, but I'm hoping the Londo and G'Kar double-act still reigns supreme to carry me through the show's deficiencies.

Ah, restarted with S1 recently and it has actually aged well (okay not the graphics but compared to the likes of Blakes 7 ...).  What strikes me is how pertinent some of the themes around racism, isolationism and so on still resonate so strongly.  When you think that this was back in the 90's and yet years later we are not just dealing with the same issues but someone has put them on performance enhancing drugs!   

[TordelBack]

Truth Seekers on Amazon Prime, with Nick Frost and Simon Pegg - chained it this weekend.

Not a lot of Simon Pegg, who seems to be channelling Martin Jarvis, in the couple of episodes we've watched so far but, yes, great fun. Has that same knack of the Cornetto movies to really lean into the tone of whatever genre it's gently taking the piss out of.

Two thumbs up for Truth Seekers here. An enjoyable mash-up of X-Files, The Dectorists, Spaced and Rentaghost (if not quite reaching the highest heights of any of those) with a truly superb cast and gentle scares undercut by chuckles. I've said it before, but Nick Frost is one of the most underrated actors out there. The embodiment of warmth on screen.

[The Legendary Shark]

Ok, I cain't stands it no longer - B5 S01E01 watched and settling in for the long haul. Amazing how it still grips the attention right from the get go.

[pictsy]

Ok, I cain't stands it no longer - B5 S01E01 watched and settling in for the long haul. Amazing how it still grips the attention right from the get go.

I will probably start watching B5 this Sunday, so you'll have a head start on me.

[von Boom]

I need to find my B5 discs to join in.

[Greg M.]

Bah, it's not a proper B5 rewatch unless you start with The Gathering!

[Tjm86]

The question is though, when do you watch "In the Beginning"?

It's interesting to watch it right from the word go rather than further on down the line (so to speak).

One thing that has always bothered me with the DVD release of "The Gathering" is the music.  The original VHS release had a different soundtrack that I always felt worked better.  Would be nice to see it again to see if recollection still holds up.

Anyway, currently at "Voice in the Wilderness" ...

[Greg M.]

The question is though, when do you watch "In the Beginning"?

I wouldn't start a new viewer off with it - it blows a lot of secrets. But obviously once you've watched the whole series, it doesn't really matter - I always do it after season 4, when it was made. But where exactly do you watch Thirdspace? Is it before Atonement? In between scenes in Atonement? Before the epilogue in Moments of Transition?

[The Legendary Shark]

It usually works this way for me; at a loose end I go rooting through my media library and fasten upon In the Beginning because I just love it. Then I force myself to watch The Gathering, which is never as bad as I seem to remember. Heartened, I then get stuck in proper and have a little weep at the end.

Then comes the inevitable question, Crusade?

[Greg M.]

I did Crusade last time - in JMS's suggested order, rather than broadcast order - and then stalled out two episodes before the end.

[TordelBack]

One thing that has always bothered me with the DVD release of "The Gathering" is the music.  The original VHS release had a different soundtrack that I always felt worked better. 

Hard agree! First watched The Gathering on a rental VHS in a cruddy bedsit on a portable telly,  and the clanky metallic Copeland soundtrack was the most memorable thing about it.  When I went back to the same video shop for a re-watch some years later,  it was gone in favour of the 'TV Movie' version (although the new cut itself was superior). Presume there's an Ultimate Collectors Version out there that includes both?