NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok with all the arguements between The Sci-Fi TV Series that I have heard, I decided to create this poll abou it!

The choices are:

Babylon 5: A 5 year story arc that takes place in the years 2257(the Gathering), 2258 (Season 1), 2259(season 2), 2260(Season 3), 2261(Season 4), 2262(Season 5)!

Season 1 deals with Commander Sinclair as CO! It is basically an introductory season filled with finding out why the Mibari (an alien race) surrendered and but Sinclair's missing 24 hours at the Battle of the Line (Earth-Minbari war)

Season 2 deals with the Narn-Centauri (2 more alien races and based on the Israel/Palestinian Conflict

Season 3 deals with the start of the Earth Alliance Civil War as well as the Shadow War (an ongoing battle that has been going on for the last million years.)

Season 4 shows how this is wrapped up and I won't spill the beans about it! LOL

Season 5 is the conclusion of the 5 year story arc!

Combined with all 5 seasons there are a series of movies:
The Gathering
The River of Souls
ThirdSpace
In the Beginning
A call to Arms

Star Trek has many different series and seaons lengths

The Orinial Series
The Next Generation
Deep Space 9
Voyager
Enterprise

As well as numerous Movies.

A very popular series that spans the generations (a good movie I might add)

Star Gate SG-1

I don't know much about this but from what I've seen, its a good series but not my forte

Seven Days:

Another good series but its no longer running or I just don't get the channel its on

Quantem Leap!

A good series starring Bakula. He travels through his own lifetime, changing events that took place

These are the options. Sorry if yours didn't make the list but these in my opinion are the ones that I hear most about.

What about it? Which one is your favorite?

With me it is definitely Babylon 5

...The X-Files...?

...The X-Files...?

Bah I knew there was one more I was missing! All well I can't go back and edit it because it won't let me edit the poll, sorry Opal.

Bah I knew there was one more I was missing! All well I can't go back and edit it because it won't let me edit the poll, sorry Opal.
Well...I only liked the old episodes. Anyways, leaving the "other" option always gives you some coverage.

None of the above.


Doctor Who.

Firefly. It's a shame Fox cancelled it, it was awesome.

"You know what the chain of command is? It's the big chain I go get and hit you with untill you know who's in command around here."

Star Trek, obviously. However, SG1 has its good points, and that new USA show, the 4400, is kick-ass.

I voted for Star Trek, because were it not for Star Trek none of the other shows you mentioned would even exist.
Star Trek was a ground breaker.
For instance the first interacial kiss to occur on television happened between Uhuara and Capt.Kirk
Many they broke with Sci-FI and political commentary that could not have been done in any other genre of television show fo rthat time period.

I watch stargate often, I like that one a lot, and so do my kids, it has something for everyone with a nice bit of moral judgement on situations that are not black and white, required for each episode.

Just my opinion though

Star Trek, obviously. However, SG1 has its good points, and that new USA show, the 4400, is kick-ass.
4400 is very good.

What...no Red Dwarf?

Stargate SG-1; Stargate: Atlantis is pretty good so far.

What...no Red Dwarf?

Hey give me a break already jeez! These are the only ones plus X-files that I KNOW ABOUT!

What...no Red Dwarf?
agreed

What about Farscape?

Hey give me a break already jeez! These are the only ones plus X-files that I KNOW ABOUT!

Hehe. You really have to see Red Dwarf.

What about Farscape?

Yeah. Good show.

Oh yeah, can't forget Lexx.

Well, of the ones listed, I'd have to say Stargate SG-1. The problem with so many US SF shows is that they are replete with technobabble and seem to merely be the American military transplanted into space. Stargate is at least unashamed in its presentation: it is the American military in space. Unlike Star Trek and its ilk, where they fly around the universe solving everyone's problems by teaching them how to be more American (you'd think that, just once, they might encounter an alien race they could learn from instead of teach), the Stargate crew frequently screw up, they get into situations they can't handle, sometimes they find out that teaching people to be more American isn't always the best idea, and -- most of the time -- the science is reasonably accurate, at least for a TV show, and it only resorts to technobabble where it's artistically justified. Plus, they don't take themselves too seriously.

Babylon 5 is OK, and should be admired for the overarching plot: but it went on at least 2 series too long, and it frequently took itself too seriously. And then there was Crusade. Oh dear me no.

Star Trek: too much group-huggery ever since TNG. Enterprise was all right here and there, and Deep Space 9 was intermittently OK, probably because it was a ripoff of B5, but any credit the franchise gets for that -- or anything else -- is wiped out by the abortion that was Voyager. Dear Christ, that was bad.

7 Days: not sure if I remember this one. Was it a bad time-travel show?

Quantum Leap: well, it was OK, and deserves bonus points for Dean "Kolchak" Stockwell, but got stupid really fast when they tried to introduce the Devil into it. WTF?

It has to be said, though, that nobody has ever made a good TV SF show. We get all excited about the mediocre because it's the best we've ever had. That, and it's still better than 98% of the rest of the swill that passes for televisual entertainment these days.

It has to be said, though, that nobody has ever made a good TV SF show. We get all excited about the mediocre because it's the best we've ever had. That, and it's still better than 98% of the rest of the swill that passes for televisual entertainment these days.

Check out Lexx. Then Red Dwarf. Thats an order :p

Check out Lexx. Then Red Dwarf. Thats an order :p

I've not seen Lexx, but I know Red Dwarf. More comedy than SF, though. Or Comedy-SF. Whatever: series 1 & 2 are OK, 3 and 4 are definitely good, and then it goes downhill pretty fast, IMO.

The best TV SF I've ever seen was the late 1970s episodes of Dr Who. In the late 70s. But Thomas Wolfe was right: you can't go home again. And it's best not to try. So many shattered illusions... :(

"Lexx" is a sci-fi farce about three losers who cruise around in a planet-eating ship and basically leave just about everyone they encounter dead, usually by accident. I love it. :)

I've not seen Lexx, but I know Red Dwarf. More comedy than SF, though. Or Comedy-SF. Whatever: series 1 & 2 are OK, 3 and 4 are definitely good, and then it goes downhill pretty fast, IMO.

The best TV SF I've ever seen was the late 1970s episodes of Dr Who. In the late 70s. But Thomas Wolfe was right: you can't go home again. And it's best not to try. So many shattered illusions... :(

Yeah, it admittedly more comedy than sci-fi. But I love it anyway.

"Lexx" is a sci-fi farce about three losers who cruise around in a planet-eating ship and basically leave just about everyone they encounter dead, usually by accident. I love it. :)

Don't forget the Bisexual robot head :)

You could call it a comedy too, but a lot of episodes are more serious. It got sillier as the series went on...

"Lexx" is a sci-fi farce about three losers who cruise around in a planet-eating ship and basically leave just about everyone they encounter dead, usually by accident. I love it. :)

Sounds diverting, to say the least. I'll need to track it down.

Farscape, Dr. Who, possibly Firefly (I liked what I saw, but didn't get to see a whole lot). There was also aTotal Recall series on Showtime a couple of years ago, which was surprisingly well done and much better than the actual movie.

Does The Prisoner count as sci-fi?

Sounds diverting, to say the least. I'll need to track it down.

Reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel... late nights... thurs or friday I believe around 3-6am (two-three episodes)

you forgot Farscape (as stated)
Battlestar: Galactica (new series starting when new season of farscape starts)
Andromeda
Star Wars
Buck Rogers in whatever

and quantum leap was good, when did they introduce the devil into it? i thought ive seen every episode...

i dont think ive even heard of seven days or was that the miniseries on sci fi?
if it was what about Taken and the Crow, cuz if seven days is sci fi so is crow

hard to pick which i like best, sci fi kicks ass

I don't usually post here, but the best sci-fi series is Doctor Who, and to quote a wiser man: I'll take you all on, one by one or all in a bunch, to prove it!

you forgot Farscape (as stated)
Battlestar: Galactica (new series starting when new season of farscape starts)
Andromeda
Star Wars
Buck Rogers in whatever

and quantum leap was good, when did they introduce the devil into it? i thought ive seen every episode...

i dont think ive even heard of seven days or was that the miniseries on sci fi?
if it was what about Taken and the Crow, cuz if seven days is sci fi so is crow

hard to pick which i like best, sci fi kicks ass

Problem with Star Wars is that it was movies and books that is why I said Sci-Fi TV Show!

Battlestar Galactica isn't out yet though if you see the ones from the 60s it was ok!
Some of the others though I've 1) Never watched or 2) Never heard of it!

Star Trek, obviously. However, SG1 has its good points, and that new USA show, the 4400, is kick-ass.
I strongly agree, but I don't see how they could end it after only 5 episodes(talking about The 4400)

Star Trek - the ORIGINAL series, is the best.

Not on the list though is my real fav. "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"!

I don't usually post here, but the best sci-fi series is Doctor Who, and to quote a wiser man: I'll take you all on, one by one or all in a bunch, to prove it!
Truly an awesome series. My fav was the Tom Baker era. Can't wait for the new series to start.

I have to agree that crusade did suck, but B4 was really cool they didnt care about killing off characters,ot going somewhere you didnt expect,and they had the SHADOWS how cool were they?..

I have to agree that crusade did suck, but B4 was really cool they didnt care about killing off characters,ot going somewhere you didnt expect,and they had the SHADOWS how cool were they?..

You mean B5! B4 was a station the preceeded it and was shown in Episode Babylon Squared.

Your right, the didn't care about killing them off but for some reason, they always seem to get hurt. LOL! The Shadows where kewl but I loved the Vorlons.

Problem with Star Wars is that it was movies and books that is why I said Sci-Fi TV Show!

Battlestar Galactica isn't out yet though if you see the ones from the 60s it was ok!
Some of the others though I've 1) Never watched or 2) Never heard of it!

Battlestar Galactica, the original TV series, was late 70s, not 60s. I know I'm old, but I'm not THAT old.

Battlestar Galactica, the original TV series, was late 70s, not 60s. I know I'm old, but I'm not THAT old.

Well sorry! I stand corrected! LOL

good point, youd think there was a star wars series though

I notice no one has mentioned "Star Trek: Enterprise," or, as I like to call it "Space Bordello with Full Body Gel Massage". I can't even begin to think why...

I notice no one has mentioned "Star Trek: Enterprise," or, as I like to call it "Space Bordello with Full Body Gel Massage". I can't even begin to think why...

Read my original post!

Star Trek has many different series and seaons lengths

The Orinial Series
The Next Generation
Deep Space 9
Voyager
Enterprise

good point, youd think there was a star wars series though

There was some gawdawful TV special back in the early 80s, something like "A Wookie Christmas" or some such nonsense.

You mean B5! B4 was a station the preceeded it and was shown in Episode Babylon Squared.

B4 was also Data's prototype, found in the latest Star Trek movie, Nemesis.

STAR TREK. BY ALL MEANS. STARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREK.

Also, my mom's ex-boyfriend (possibly ex-fiance? I don't remember) is in Stargate SG1. He's the nerd with the glasses that works the control station or something.

good point, youd think there was a star wars series though

Ah, that's because old George didn't want to dilute his vision. He's an artist, dammit, and refuses to prostitute himself. Except for Caravan of Courage. And the Droids cartoon show. And Episodes 1, 2 and 3.

Read my original post!

Bah, piffle on your original post. I never miss a chance to bash "Space Bordello!" :)

OK, I've decided:

"Futurama"! :D

You kids seem to have missed out on some of the best (and best-worst)
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet
Space: 1999
Blake's 7
Lost in Space
The Six Million Dollar Man
V
Alien Nation

battle star Galactica,space 1999,lost in space.

Stargate for sure. I know a girl in California who knows Amanda Tapping, who plays Samantha Carter, Michael Shanks, who plays Daniel Jackson, and Teryl Rothery, to played Dr. Frasier. Plus, richard Dean anderson (Jack O'Neill) was born here in Minnesota, so he's a favorite.

You kids seem to have missed out on some of the best (and best-worst)
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet
Space: 1999
Blake's 7
Lost in Space
The Six Million Dollar Man
V
Alien Nation

Thunderbirds always sort of creeped me out. You know that thing some people have about clowns? Well I'm like that about marionettes.

I can't believe I forgot Space: 1999 or V! I remember watching V and thinking in an ashamed way that there was something oddly erotic about watching the Supreme Commander Diana swallow an entire guinea pig!

FARSCAPE!!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!!

FARSCAPE!!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!!

Well, yes, that's a given. However, the DVDs are so darn expensive.

I LOVE Star Trek, but Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis beat all, hands down. :eek:

Well, yes, that's a given. However, the DVDs are so darn expensive.

You can get them fairly cheap on eBay. I got season three for $70. That's pretty good for 10 DVDs.

You kids seem to have missed out on some of the best (and best-worst)
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet
Space: 1999
Blake's 7
Lost in Space
The Six Million Dollar Man
V
Alien Nation

And lets not forget Earth 2, Sea Quest and Sliders.

I LOVE Star Trek, but Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis beat all, hands down. :eek:

How can you say Stargate: Atlantis beats anything? It's had like 5 episodes. It could turn out to be the most horrendous show ever.

Best US Sci-fi TV, surely?

You've missed all the great British ones (all mentioned in earlier posts)

Blake 7 is the greatest TV show in the world ever. (ish)

Best US Sci-fi TV, surely?

You've missed all the great British ones (all mentioned in earlier posts)

Blake 7 is the greatest TV show in the world ever. (ish)

Ahh so that is why I haven't heard of half the ones mentioned! LOL

I'm an American and only 15 to boot!

I have to vote for quantum leap
I had a number of television shows that I watched as a child, and recently I've seen episodes of many of these shows again, for the first time in years- such as Quantum Leap, Star Trek NG, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which isn't exactly sci-fi, but I loved it as a child)

Quantum Leap is the ONLY of all these shows that I enjoy now as much as I did then. TMNT is just awful, and star trek just has lots of cheesy stuff and drama and such. Quantum Leap is just so excellent.

And just for a note....I've never seen the show Sliders

There was some gawdawful TV special back in the early 80s, something like "A Wookie Christmas" or some such nonsense.

You are refering to the vomit inducing "Star Wars Holiday Special" which aired Nov 17,1978 featuring Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Harvey Korman, Diahann Carroll and the Jefferson Starship. Carrie Fisher got to sing in this.

Stargate SG:1!!!!! One of the best shows on tv, in my opinion.

I love B5, too, or at least the first 4 seasons. Season 5 was AWFUL. Hi, Sheridan's ex-wife, we'll put you in charge. Telepaths who have threatened to blackmail every major government on the station and are now on a hunger strike. Well, we have to save them, cause they're the good guys. All they want is one measly planet. Okay, I'm done now.

I love Farscape, too. I was so upset when they canceled it.

The only problem with this is that I don't have cable and can't watch any of these shows unless I'm at my grandparents or have wheeled my way into an ivitation to my friend's. I only get to watch the really old SG:1 reruns on WB.

I agree that season 5 was awful though near the end it got interesting during the Centauri War! That was fun though I think the Narns and Drazi should've been kicked out for Violating President Sheridan's orders about Civilian Targets.

You are refering to the vomit inducing "Star Wars Holiday Special" which aired Nov 17,1978 featuring Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Harvey Korman, Diahann Carroll and the Jefferson Starship. Carrie Fisher got to sing in this.

*shudder* Yes, that must be it. But wasn't there some equally wretched thing about Chewy going back home and it all took place in a tree house and there were little wookies running around everywhere and someone sang or was this the same thing?

Star Trek: TOS
Star Trek: TNG
Star Trek:DS9
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
AND
10 Movies
Shall I name all of them?

This is the most popular franchise. There must be something to it if it has been popular for 40 years. Not that the others are bad, but they all must claim Star Trek as an ancestor. It is like LOTR...there is so much copycat-ing, it is best to stick with the ORIGINAL. Yeah. That's my dilithium crystal.

Oh yeah. Star Wars is cool too. Richard Pryor did a short thing called 'Star Wars Bar'. Pryor, the first true black comedian. He knew it was cool.

I'll say it again:


FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!

I'll say it again:


FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!

You know, if you turn out all the lights and say that into a mirror, Aeryn Sun will jump out at you. Which, you know, might not be a bad thing.

You know, if you turn out all the lights and say that into a mirror, Aeryn Sun will jump out at you. Which, you know, might not be a bad thing.

Yeah, I think I could deal with that. I'd manage.

Yet another Doctor Who write-in.

I remember watching V and thinking in an ashamed way that there was something oddly erotic about watching the Supreme Commander Diana swallow an entire guinea pig!

:eek:

I adore Stargate.

Star Trek is a close second.

Well, of the choices I went for SG1, but I enjoy them all...

Also, the following:

- Total Recall (TV series not to be confused with the movie)
- Space Above & Beyond
- Red Dwarf (comedy, but still sci-fi)
- Battestar Galactica (dated, but good for it's day)
- Earth 2
- Doctor Who (timeless!)
- Blake's Seven (dated, but good for it's day)
- Sliders
- Star Hunter
- Farscape
- Millenium (OK, not sci-fi as such, but still...)

Star Trek TOS, TNG and DS9, are good, Voyager and Enterprise suck balls

Weird - Voyager was probably my favourite ST series...and how can you not like Seven-of-42DD ;)

What about The Prisoner? Has everyone forgotten Patrick McGoohan? It was ahead of its time by a long shot. One of my all-time favorites also is Dr. Who, or maybe old episodes from The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. I think probably that most of the people here are just too young to know these series, or to have read any serious sci-fi. That's why I like The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone. Very often I can name the short story and author that the episode was based on.

Maybe reading is obsolete too. Fahrenheit 451, huh?

I'm not choosing any of your sci-fi choices!!!
They all suck!!!

What happened to Dr. Who?

I remember The Prisoner!!!!!!

Maybe reading is obsolete too. Fahrenheit 451, huh?

That's an intersting point - I often wonder how many people don't get the title of Michael Moore's "Farenheit 911" is a play on the title of Farenhiet 451.

Twilight Zone and Outer Limits - two awesome shows. I like both the originals and some of the later series.

And for fans of X-Files, you might want to check out a little show from the seventies called "Kolchak: Nightstalker"...

That's an intersting point - I often wonder how many people don't get the title of Michael Moore's "Farenheit 911" is a play on the title of Farenhiet 451....

I got that and Farenhiet 451 was a good movie! I enjoyed it!

Even though I think I am one of only the two that adocate them, B5 was by far the best, especially the third season. But not to far away is SG1, and I have yet to see Atlantis.

Stargate SG1 is one of my favorites. And i loved DS9. Voyager and Enterprise are like the A-team, you always know who is going to win and who dies/gets imprisoned(and with the A team it always happens in a very spectacular way).

"Star Trek" is a pretty generic term. There's no way you can group seasons 4-7 of TNG and seasons 5-7 of DS9 with any of the seasons of Voyager or Enterprise. They're not even in the same ballpark. I'd vote for Star Trek, but that includes the horrors that were Voyager and is Enterprise. So, instead, I'll just say:

FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!! FARSCAPE!!!!!!

And, for the record, I think Seven Days was a severly underrated show. I thought it was a very good piece of sci-fi, but, like so many others, it never got a fair chance.

And, for the record, I think Seven Days was a severly underrated show. I thought it was a very good piece of sci-fi, but, like so many others, it never got a fair chance.

I loved it! It was my 3rd favorite Sci Fi show right behind, in and order, Babylon 5 and Star Trek.

Does the Prisoner count as Sci-Fi?

Does the Prisoner count as Sci-Fi?

Sci-Fi but not SF. :)

Sci-Fi but not SF. :)
What is the difference?

Anyway, the title distinctly says "Sci-Fi."

What is the difference?

Anyway, the title distinctly says "Sci-Fi."

Ah... therein lies a world of quibbledom and bickerment. "SF", as an abbreviation, denotes "hard" and/or literary science fiction. "Sci-Fi" is the more pulp or trashy end of the market -- or just an indication that the person using the term doesn't like or know much about science fiction. Or at least it does to a self-electing clique of purists, buffs and snobs. Either way, "Sci-Fi" is, I suppose, the right term to use when describing TV science fiction.

Hehe. You really have to see Red Dwarf.

heh... red dwarf is one of the best British Sci-Fi series ever. Doctor who is the best obviously, but that's because it's a classic.

Out of that list I'd say SG1. If you're going to add star trek you really need to split it into the different series, because while voyager and DS9 were definatly brilliant, Enterprise was over-hyped and the Next Generation's best character is Q. Although It has to be said that "First Contact" is easily the best star trek movie after "Wrath of Khan".

Stargate SG1 is one of my favorites. And i loved DS9. Voyager and Enterprise are like the A-team, you always know who is going to win and who dies/gets imprisoned(and with the A team it always happens in a very spectacular way).

A-Team - Verb - 'To A-Team' - To expend a large quantity of ammunition hitting nothing but cardboard boxes and somehow causing a jeep to spin into the air

A-Team - Verb - 'To A-Team' - To expend a large quantity of ammunition hitting nothing but cardboard boxes and somehow causing a jeep to spin into the air

When would a normal person be able to use that phrase in their entire life?