[TV] Any good sci-fi TV shows?

[Endus]

...and as i said, i do like a good character drama. But shows like Stargate Universe & Falling Skies have taken character dramas to a whole new (and mind-numbingly boring) level.

I haven't seen Falling Skies, but IMO SGU didn't get a fair shake. They set themselves up with multiple-season story arcs, and a setting that was almost entirely locked down at the outset, but things were opening up as time went on, and stuff started happening at a faster pace. It had a slow start, but it was kind of like Dollhouse in that regard; I'd blame a viewing public with no attention span more than the writing itself.

Plenty of shows need to hit their 2nd or 3rd seasons to really find their feet. Heck, Star Trek: TNG had a godawful Season 1. Seriously, go watch that stuff again. Horrible. Worse than any season of Star Trek: Enterprise, by far. I'm okay with a slow burn, as long as things accelerate, and that was happening in SGU.

The main difference really was that SG-1 and SG:Atlantis were monster-of-the-week episodic shows, and SGU was a season-long arc drama. I think a lot of fans of the former weren't expecting the slower build-up or the darker atmosphere, and that's what brought SGU down.

[Symdawg]

Plenty of shows need to hit their 2nd or 3rd seasons to really find their feet. Heck, Star Trek: TNG had a godawful Season 1. Seriously, go watch that stuff again. Horrible. Worse than any season of Star Trek: Enterprise, by far.

Ya definitely; i'm watching the blurays for season 1 at the moment. But the difference there is that NextGen season 1 was released in 1988. Different writing now, different age, different audience.
As for SGU, the darker atmosphere was the best thing about it. It's what kept me coming back. It just started to get interesting with the whole 'message built into the universe' thing when it was axed. I would gladly have given it more time if it continued. But seriously, when an episode goes on mostly with 'who likes who' and 'who's sleeping with who behind who's back', and the scfi seems to be an afterthought; you've got problems. We're not watching Survivor here.

[Deleted]

SCI-FI shows are kinda dead now, they just cost too much to be good, I think this is one of the reason Stargate and star trek stopped/got axed

I think a season of enterprise cost like 100 million $ Also Stargate universe try to spread their budget by making the show less SCF-FI and have more dialogue but it just ended up all bitchy and annoying and when they did get to the juice of the story it was too late and the fans gave up hope.

Its easier and cheaper to pay a bunch of has-been celebs and have them dance around on ice or eat kangaroo anuses.

there are a couple of SCI-FI shows about but they dont have any space travel like the excellent Star-Trek and Stargate, like falling Sky - which is ok, But nothing great -


Maybe the reboot of space 1999-: Space 2099 will be good?

And just to add- Stargate Universe, annoyed me to hell, it was way to chatty and bitchy and sometimes felt like a damn cheap knock-off BSG- With everyone wanting to be in charge of the mission from the soldiers to the fucking toilet cleaners,

And them body changing stones communicating things, Every time someone used them they had sex with other peoples bodies, that would be rule number one - No SEX
But then it found its feet when the drone enemy story started, then they revealed probably the best story arc in any Sci-Fi show I have ever seen, then it fucking ended - BASTARDS

They should bring it back rename it Destiny - so the Stargate Fanboys would stop complaining, Because I really would like to know who was around before the big band?

[Collegeguy]

That's all that really tends to interest me is scifi. I don't know why people find real life shows more interesting. They always seem boring to me like reading someones diary. I don't get the appeal. Perhaps Michael ende was right and the world is losing its imagination and ability to dream.

[Symdawg]

They should bring it back rename it Destiny - so the Stargate Fanboys would stop complaining, Because I really would like to know who was around before the big band?

I think it would have been them...they would have investigated the signal, and somehow gone back to the big bang and been instrumental in the big bang and creation of the universe. This would explain why the ancients had the same evolution as humans. The signal could have been left by them to ensure future them went back to find it...
Either that or they find an intergalactic Walmart.

[Deleted]

sci-fi comedy? Red Dwarf X is pretty good so far.

[Deleted]

Dr. Who is pretty good.

Really? Can someone explain whats good about it? I watched 2 episodes and it was so mind numbingly bad.. and yes, it was the new dr who, I think. It seemed like it was filmed in a theater with very low budget and not only that, the story was just.. weird and childish. Flying around in a telephone booth thats larger on the inside than outside? Really?

[Deleted]

Flying around in a telephone booth thats larger on the inside than outside? Really?

lol.. you do know what sci-fi is right?

[Endus]

Really? Can someone explain whats good about it? I watched 2 episodes and it was so mind numbingly bad.. and yes, it was the new dr who, I think. It seemed like it was filmed in a theater with very low budget and not only that, the story was just.. weird and childish. Flying around in a telephone booth thats larger on the inside than outside? Really?

Budget doesn't make up for writing. And if you think the Doctor Who story is "childish", you haven't delved very deeply; the show touches on pretty much every imaginable issue, from self-will to the morality of genocide. Is it weird? Sure. That's a large part of the charm. What you've gleaned is just the greasy film on the top, not the delicious meat pie within.

For instance, the TARDIS isn't "a telephone booth that's larger on the inside". It's a space-timeship. What you see on the inside is the TARDIS. What you see on the outside is the disguise, a disguise that is not just visual but also kinetic because the TARDIS' engine can manipulate spacetime. And the disguise circuit's broken, which is why it's stuck on "police box".

Doctor Who is basically the necessary end result of Clarke's famous quote; "Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic". Most science fiction tries to keep the technology somewhat within our grasp, so it doesn't look like magic, but Doctor Who throws that out the window and says that humans are barely getting their toes wet and the 20th century is quaintly adorable but really quite clueless about pretty much everything.


You need to recall; the Doctor is a genocidal time-traveling godling. Humans are usually safe because he likes humans, but he exterminates entire species as a matter of course. And he's fully aware of the cost to his soul in doing so. This is not a childish story. Don't confuse it for one because it's occasionally silly and has bright colors.

[ati87]

Star Gate Uni was in my opinion much better then SG1 or Atlantis. When watching SGU it felt like every episode the story progressed a little bit (most of the time minor but still). SG1 and atlantis on the other hand was mostly fillers and the only episodes which had some important to the story was usually limited to the start, beginning and end of the season.

And also I didn't like Firefly, I found it kind of boring.

[Symdawg]

sci-fi comedy? Red Dwarf X is pretty good so far.

Another good scifi comedy is Hyperdrive. Also worth a look is Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword, tho its a fantasy comedy rather than scifi.

[Waaldo]

...and as i said, i do like a good character drama. But shows like Stargate Universe & Falling Skies have taken character dramas to a whole new (and mind-numbingly boring) level.

I really liked SG-U, there was a lot of drama but I felt like that would have changed a lot as the story advanced. We saw them stuck on an enormous ship where the majority of it had no power/wasn't safe without a space suit and where they couldn't control the ship themselves until pretty much the end of the show. The show never got to reach it's full potential, and that saddens me.

Falling Skies is just terrible though and I'm completely with you on that one. I think the first couple of episodes were great, but now every scene is just 2 people in a car talking about feelings. I have kept watching it just to see what happens, and the last episode ended with a pretty big cliff hanger so I will watch the new season to see what happens, but I don't think it will last.

The only sci-fi shows I like that are still on-air are Alphas, Warehouse 13, Dr. Who, and Fringe.

[Ligier]

Are there any good sci-fi TV shows running at the moment? Something involving space travel and exploration, like Star Trek or Stargate Universe?

Red Dwarf. Series 10 is in progress. You didn't say it couldn't be a comedy.

Of course, I assume you may be in the US, so that's out the door, in which case, can you try stating which country you'd like the TV show to be currently shown in?

[Linkedblade]

I'm currently watchin Eureka. I know it isn't about space travel, but it is interesting at the least.

[Deleted]

There's a show Called Continuum you guys have in the USA ..its a about a cop and some criminals who get transported from 2077 to 2012 (by accident?1?) ...but she has to catch them useing her totally op gear she had on her ....first season has finished second is filming now and will be out some time next year

farscape is a ace show (not sure why the funding got cut after the 4th season there was so much out cry that they did make a final expisode but it all so rushed)

[Mormolyce]

Yes, if you haven't seen Firefly go do so and then weep bitter tears for what could have been. Not only for the show but the future of TV sci fi.

When I was younger Babylon 5 was my favourite sci fi TV show, looking back it's a bit campy and 90s but at the time it was groundbreaking! Still has the best myth-arc in any TV show ever.

Don't want to sound like a Whedon fanatic but I finally got around to watching Dollhouse and it's actually really underrated. But you do have to be patient with it at first. Some of the episodes in the latter half of the first season are so interesting because everyone and everything in the show is completely morally ambiguous. I honestly couldn't tell if I wanted the Dollhouse to succeed or be exposed!

But yeah there's not much TV sci fi lately.

[cFortyfive]

Don't know most of what's currently running is totally shit. Been just watching it because I am desperate. Falling Skies for instance I mean I get it Spielberg loves children but I always really feel like punching something and I think it could actually be decent without all that.

[Deleted]

Budget doesn't make up for writing. And if you think the Doctor Who story is "childish", you haven't delved very deeply; the show touches on pretty much every imaginable issue, from self-will to the morality of genocide. Is it weird? Sure. That's a large part of the charm. What you've gleaned is just the greasy film on the top, not the delicious meat pie within.

For instance, the TARDIS isn't "a telephone booth that's larger on the inside". It's a space-timeship. What you see on the inside is the TARDIS. What you see on the outside is the disguise, a disguise that is not just visual but also kinetic because the TARDIS' engine can manipulate spacetime. And the disguise circuit's broken, which is why it's stuck on "police box".

Doctor Who is basically the necessary end result of Clarke's famous quote; "Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic". Most science fiction tries to keep the technology somewhat within our grasp, so it doesn't look like magic, but Doctor Who throws that out the window and says that humans are barely getting their toes wet and the 20th century is quaintly adorable but really quite clueless about pretty much everything.


You need to recall; the Doctor is a genocidal time-traveling godling. Humans are usually safe because he likes humans, but he exterminates entire species as a matter of course. And he's fully aware of the cost to his soul in doing so. This is not a childish story. Don't confuse it for one because it's occasionally silly and has bright colors.

Well, thanks for the explanation. To me it seemed as "space fantasy" not science fiction at first glance. Don't get me wrong, I usually like good fantasy much more than sci-fi but it has to involve elves and dorfs or at least be much much darker. The difference is, that in science fiction, things are actually explained somehow and make sense. For example you dont see an alien race living on a cheese planet who like to wear green t-shirts. To me it seemed to be a show like that, hence the strong dislike.

I watched the episode about some angel statues that only moved when you didnt look at them so this might explain why I feel that way about the show. This isn't really sci-fi'ey at all. Oh and another one where the last human was some square shaped skin on a stretcher.. which made even less sense. You cant be alive without a brain so yea, after watching that, I decided the show just isnt for me.

[Waaldo]

I watched the episode about some angel statues that only moved when you didnt look at them so this might explain why I feel that way about the show. This isn't really sci-fi'ey at all. Oh and another one where the last human was some square shaped skin on a stretcher.. which made even less sense. You cant be alive without a brain so yea, after watching that, I decided the show just isnt for me.

I thought the statues that only move when you aren't looking at them is brilliant! I don't get how you can say that isn't sci-fi'ey, that is pretty much the definition of sci-fi.

And the last human does have a brain, it's in a container of liquid under her frame.

[Deleted]

When I was younger Babylon 5 was my favourite sci fi TV show, looking back it's a bit campy and 90s but at the time it was groundbreaking! Still has the best myth-arc in any TV show ever.

I guess it is a bit campy because it was extremely low budget, as far as I know the entire first season of B5 took less money to make than the pilot episode of ST Voyager. One other thing I am not a huge fan of in regards to B5 is their portrayals of aliens, not the extravagant stuff like Vorlons but the younger species, now THOSE are very cheesy and Star Terk-ish.

But the insane quality of writing compensates for everything else.

Even after many years I consider it to be one of the best if not THE best sci-fi series ever made.

It also single-handedly ruined the enjoyment of many other SF series for me because of the large story arc. Last time I rewatched Stargate I skipped the majority of episodes since the "monster-of-the-week" kinda stuff really does not interest me anymore. SG has a pretty good story arc as well but only a handful of episodes deal with that.

And there is the lack of technobabble, surprisingly high level of realism, the fact that it is essentially a cerebral political drama but still manages to be very interesting, yeah, that series is damn fucking good.

I still want to check Dr. Who and Firefly but I am kinda afraid the latter will disappoint me because it was cancelled after a season, I remember when I was watching The Dresden Files I was damn bummed when it ended after 1 season (of course I knew about it but didn't expect it to grow that much on me).