NationStates Jolt Archive

Hey all. I thought we'd lighten things up a bit.
Sorry, took a bit to get the poll done.

BEFORE you complain: :)
1) We can't have more than 10 options.
2) I know there is a lot missing.
3) I didn't count Twilight Zone (ground breaking classic), Dark Shadows (horror/gothic), or stuff that didn't last at least 2 seasons.
4) It is PRE 1990 only!

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly
lol... if we're talking classic...

Dark Shadows.

Doctor Who. Currently in a pro-Troughton phase (what little of it remains).

C'mon folks, Twilight Zone

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly
ooh...my friends have been watching Firefly, they say it's terrific- one of them just bought it on DVD to show to all of us

I, myself, just bought quantum leap season 1
and I have a hard time not calling it the best

How about the original black-and-white "The Outer Limits"? I think no other strictly sci-fi series has ever come close on overall scripting, characterization, or lasting entertainment value.

Quantum Leap! Woo!

Still, Farscape is my all time favorite series.

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly
I really, really like B5, but it first aired in 1993. This is an "old school" poll.

Lost in Space!! The year 2000 wasn't anything like in the show ha!

I really, really like B5, but it first aired in 1993. This is an "old school" poll.
Heh, I was born in 1987, 1993 is about as far back as I can remember. Besides, B5 = Instant Classic.

All the classic (Universal Century) Gundam I've ever seen (I'd also say SEED but it's a bit too recent to be a classic just yet) - and Zeta is comin over in a month!

soon sg 1 will be classic

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly

Yup that sums it up for me..

lets not forget V the series.... and cosmos 1999

I voted for Star Trek: TNG, but Quantum Leap was a very close second. *nod*

Red Dwarf, all the way

Was The Prisoner considered Sci-fi?
If so, I'd like to change my vote.

I'm one of the Dr. Who guys.
....

But I'd keep my vote for Dr. Who if the poll was for the best theme song/intro

The Prisoner's intro is good but nothing beats Dr. Who's.

I'm a Prisoner fan all the way, even if it was only 13 episodes, (one of which was never aired in the US.)

I'm also into Dr. Who. Still, you can't beat old Outer Limits or Twilight Zone.

Yes, I'd call The Prisoner sci-fi. Patrick McGoohan was way ahead of his time, and deserves a look. (So does Portmerion)

Battlestar Galactica.

Even though I know it's not pre-1990....

FARSCAPE!!!!!

That being said, I voted for Star Trek: TNG.

Sliders.

The first 2 seasons, anyway.

I voted Red Dwarf. Not much can beat it for hilarity.

Smeg off.

I'm a Prisoner fan all the way, even if it was only 13 episodes, (one of which was never aired in the US.)

I'm also into Dr. Who. Still, you can't beat old Outer Limits or Twilight Zone.

Yes, I'd call The Prisoner sci-fi. Patrick McGoohan was way ahead of his time, and deserves a look. (So does Portmerion)

I'm also a Villager (My region in NS is "The Village"!), but I always considered The Prisoner to be more of a suspense/spy story, really. I could see all the stuff they had on the show being used in James Bond (well, post-Sean Bond anyhow).
It also only had 1 season.

Actually, I liked *all* the series in the poll, with the exception of Buck Rogers.

Be seeing you!
-Markreich

Haha, Red Dwarf!!!

Though Lexx deserves a mention. I'm pretty sure its pre-1990, but only just.

Sliders.

The first 2 seasons, anyway.
You mean before they changed the majority of the cast through several plot twists (Thus forcing us to wonder where "home" is anymore for these folk), and threw in something about ape-looking mothers who could actually decide where they're sliding or something like that?.... As you can tell I'm only vaguelly aware of anything beyond the first few seasons. MY favourite was when they actually got home, but they didn't believe it because "OJ Simpson's on trial for Murder? Come on!" then they left.. Then they killed off the dwarf, and the whole series went South. Just how many clever alernate realities can you think up, anyway.

Anyway... I liked Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap. Dean Stockwell too. Fantastic; both of them.

C'mon, am I the only person here to have seen [part of] the original Mobile Suit Gundam???

(actually, I didn't see as much of it as I had hoped - CTN had to pull it cause of September 11; actually all war-themed programs kinda took a hiatus then, if I remember rite . . . )

Doctor Who, everytime. Troughton and Hartnell were the best (in that order), but I'm in the minority and quite liked McCoy (the Doctor I remember growing up with, though I also cover Baker and Davidson technically)

I love Red Dwarf.

How about the original black-and-white "The Outer Limits"? I think no other strictly sci-fi series has ever come close on overall scripting, characterization, or lasting entertainment value.
Yeah, that was great.

I'm also a Villager (My region in NS is "The Village"!), but I always considered The Prisoner to be more of a suspense/spy story, really. I could see all the stuff they had on the show being used in James Bond (well, post-Sean Bond anyhow).
It also only had 1 season.

Actually, I liked *all* the series in the poll, with the exception of Buck Rogers.

Be seeing you!
-Markreich

Rah!

I nearly went to Portmerion just to take in the sights. I didn't have a rainbow cape to wear, though. ;)

It IS too sci-fi. Rover was not what you'd call spy stuff, because spy thrillers don't usually have semi-intelligent water balloons following them if they try to escape. :D

Be seeing you.

Doctor Who, everytime. Troughton and Hartnell were the best (in that order), but I'm in the minority and quite liked McCoy (the Doctor I remember growing up with, though I also cover Baker and Davidson technically)

I'm a Tom Baker fan through and through. He always had the best scarves. I liked Colin Baker too. John Pertwee was a pretty good Doctor, but I have to say, I think his son is dreeeeeamy. ;)

Red Dwarf isn't pre-1990, is it? Ah well, it's defnitly the best, great humor!

Classic: Babylon 5
Not so Classic: Firefly

:eek: :eek: :eek:
Classics?

Does no-one here know what classic means?
:headbang:
(Sorry I was just looking at the poll of "classic lit. that only included 20th century lit. :rolleyes:)

Discounting your exclussion of the Twilight Zone (and presumably The Outer Limits), where's anbything by the Anderson's: no Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO, or Space: 1999? :(

Mine is oldest, because it was first.
"Tom Corbett, Space cadet" had realistic moon scenes, and fanstastic space cars that were really the rear ends of 2 Citroens welded together.
It set the stage for everything else.
For the time in which it was made, the effects were pretty darned good.

I gotta go with Thunderbirds. They were FAB!

Star Trek (the original series)

Need I say more?

:eek: :eek: :eek:
Classics?

Does no-one here know what classic means?
:headbang:
(Sorry I was just looking at the poll of "classic lit. that only included 20th century lit. :rolleyes:)

Discounting your exclussion of the Twilight Zone (and presumably The Outer Limits), where's anbything by the Anderson's: no Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO, or Space: 1999? :(

Sorry, but I *know* there is a lot missing. We only get 10 spots, after all... :(

TZ & Outer Limits are pillars of not just sci-fi, but of TV as a medium. To me, having them included would be like asking people for the best song ever, then throwing in Zep's Stairway to Heaven and Beethoven's Symphony #5 amidst 8 others. While the other songs might be great, they'd not have the... aura of those other two.

As for...
Thunderbirds: I hate puppets. No, check that. I really, really hate puppets. But the real reason was that there are no human actors, which is why things like Akira or Robotech aren't in there.

Captain Scarlet/UFO: I've never heard of these before, sorry.

Space 1999 didn't make the cut because a) I was running out of room and b) I wanted to include both of the older Star Treks. I was hoping that the Buck Rogers (as a contemorary show) would balance things out...

And I've gotta ask: Who was the OTHER person that voted for Blake's 7?!?

Red Dwarf isn't pre-1990, is it? Ah well, it's defnitly the best, great humor!

It started in 87 or 88, but did continue into the 90s. As it had a couple of years in the 80s, I let it through, just like Dr Who and ST:TNG.

Heh, I was born in 1987, 1993 is about as far back as I can remember. Besides, B5 = Instant Classic.
You were born the year I graduated from high school. Dear God I feel old now.

And the list is a good one. Despite its uber-cheesiness, I have a deep abiding affection for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. It aged only slightly better than Battlestar Galactica (although I liked the recent remake), but I still liked it.

. But the real reason was that there are no human actors, which is why things like Akira or Robotech aren't in there.
Ok then - but on da subject of anime, what do you think of all the Gundam series animated before '90?

And does anybody else here find Zeon symbolic of Nazism?

Ok then - but on da subject of anime, what do you think of all the Gundam series animated before '90?

And does anybody else here find Zeon symbolic of Nazism?

I was a protoculture addict back in the day. And I like lots of Anime, esp. Vampire Hunter D, Record of Lodoss War, Dominion Tank Police, etc.

However, Gundam was never big here in CT. It was never on TV that I can recall, and I only saw it once about 10 years ago at a con. So I really can't hazard an opinion...

You were born the year I graduated from high school. Dear God I feel old now.

And the list is a good one. Despite its uber-cheesiness, I have a deep abiding affection for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. It aged only slightly better than Battlestar Galactica (although I liked the recent remake), but I still liked it.

Maybe the 1st series aged better, but the second one with Wilma in that miniskirt, Hawk and the flying phallus in space IMHO did *not* age so well. ;)

I was a protoculture addict back in the day. And I like lots of Anime, esp. Vampire Hunter D, Record of Lodoss War, Dominion Tank Police, etc.

However, Gundam was never big here in CT. It was never on TV that I can recall, and I only saw it once about 10 years ago at a con. So I really can't hazard an opinion...

Meh, big robots get old after awhile.

And by "awhile" I mean "first episode" :p

Meh, big robots get old after awhile.

And by "awhile" I mean "first episode" :p
Big robots? (like the megazord, transformers) Yes.

Mobile Suits? Never! :p

How about the original black-and-white "The Outer Limits"? I think no other strictly sci-fi series has ever come close on overall scripting, characterization, or lasting entertainment value.

excellent point... and between Star Trek (original series), Outer Limits and Twilight Zone (original in both cases) you have some of the best science fiction writing ever on television (at least until Babylon 5 and Firefly)

I liked Space Above and Beyond a lot too... but it didn't make a full season and neither did Firefly

UFO and Space 1999 were interesting, but had the problem of being frequently dull as could be... great (for the day) set and custom designs though

The TWILIGHT ZONE you fool!

Doctor Who, everytime. Troughton and Hartnell were the best (in that order), but I'm in the minority and quite liked McCoy (the Doctor I remember growing up with, though I also cover Baker and Davidson technically)

I quite liked some of the McCoy - there were certainly some flawed 'classics' in there... Ghostlight probably being the whole surrealistic highpoint. There remains something simultaneously fascinating and irritating about McCoy.

I never liked the Colin Baker doctor at all until I heard some of the Big Finish audio dramas and found that when stripped of the utterly naff costume and JNT's 80s visual style he does really shine as a doctor.

Anyhow, just so long as no one proposes Pertwee as the best era, then I'm satisfied.




******
If we're going to have a write in campaign for the The Prisoner, than I think we should also be able to sneak ina mention of The Avengers. Blake's Seven also comes in alot higher in my ratings than most of the entries in the poll...



[MEMO TO SELF: Don't try and drive the internet when drunk, you just end up spending ten minutes repeatedly trying to re-read a hundred word post and catch the spelling mistakes. END MEMO]

Red Dwarf dwarfes the competion. ;) :D :) :D ;)

Red Dwarf dwarfes the competion. ;) :D :) :D ;)

Except for Star Trek:TNG.

In hindsight, though, I wonder how many "other" votes are for non-pre-1990 shows...

The Invaders, a Quinn Martin production.

Dr Who seventies to mid eighties, with John Pertwee and Tom Baker, all the other Doctors before and after sucked but.
Best episodes were anything with the cybermen.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker. It was the inspiration for the X Files.

Red Dwarf all the way

All the rest of the choices were about as useful as a condom machine in the Vatican.

Land of the Lost

Red Dwarf rocks. Its funny sober, and its funnier drunk... and i still haven't seen all the episodes!!

Red Dwarf rocks. Its funny sober, and its funnier drunk... and i still haven't seen all the episodes!!

BOY'S FROM THE DWARF

The Tomorrow People!

3) I didn't count Twilight Zone (ground breaking classic)
Twilight Zone was great. So was the Outer Limits that aired about the same time. What was that -- late 60's?

UFO, the Gerry Anderson live-action series

The original Outer Limits

The Prisoner

Doctor Who (fave doctor: Jon Pertwee)

The Tomorrow People!

I used to watch that...

...no-one I know ever watched that. Except me.

I used to love the origional Outer Limits and Twilight Zone with Rod Steiger.Also Star Trek and The Planet Of The Apes.I can't recall if POA was a tv series,but I remember the movies.

Dark Shadows and The Night Stalker were cool too but you can't really classify them as sci-fi.

Peace.

I used to love the origional Outer Limits and Twilight Zone with Rod Steiger.Also Star Trek and The Planet Of The Apes.I can't recall if POA was a tv series,but I remember the movies.

Dark Shadows and The Night Stalker were cool too but you can't really classify them as sci-fi.

Peace.
Sure you don't mean Rod Serling?

ah, shit. pre-1990 it'd have to be star trek TNG. favourite of all time is Voyager tho.

I found it hard to pick between TNG and Red Dwarf, as I am a big fan of both shows, but i picked TNG just cos it's longer :)

Sure you don't mean Rod Serling?


Yeah,your right! I just noticed my spelling error also (original)

My memory isn't up to snuff as it used to be.Probably due to my long term partying.Serves me right.

Twilight Zone or the Prisoner.

Outer Limits wouldn't exist if the Twilight Zone hadn't been there. The Outer Limits is to the Twilight Zone as Creed is to Pearl Jam.

Babylon 5!!!!

Although I give mad props to Red Dwarf and Star Trek: TNG.

I used to love the origional Outer Limits and Twilight Zone with Rod Steiger.Also Star Trek and The Planet Of The Apes.I can't recall if POA was a tv series,but I remember the movies.

Yes, PotA was also a TV series. Further to this a version of the first PotA movie that has been re-edited in the style of a Twilight Zone episode is available here (http://theforbidden-zone.com/media/tzone.shtml).

Does anybody remember the Planet of the Apes cartoon, or am I making it up?

The Tomorrow People!

Great, great show.

Does anybody remember the Planet of the Apes cartoon, or am I making it up?

Im afraid it was in all in your head.

Dr. Who.

TNG all the way, shame DS9 is post 1990.
And what's all this about Red Dwarf anyways? From what I've seen of it there is very little of anything decently funny. But then again that's what I said about Little Britain and everyone looked at me funny.

Mikorlias of Imardeavia

Does anybody remember the Planet of the Apes cartoon, or am I making it up?

Ho, dang! I remember it!! I saw *one* episode. I can't remember when it was, but I do remember it -- at least one line: "Time travel is possible" or something like that... I was very young; it has to be in the late 70s or *VERY* early 80s.

hmm a question... is Red Dwarf popular at all in america?

Babylon 5!!!!

Although I give mad props to Red Dwarf and Star Trek: TNG.

B5 is *not* pre-1990. :)

Fave Classic: the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
Not-so-Classic: tie between MSG: The 08th MS Team, and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

You're going to make me choose :( :sniper:

hmm a question... is Red Dwarf popular at all in america?

For a BBC sci-fi show, yep. You can find DVDs in most stores, and it's on more public tv stations here than Dr. Who.

I first saw it in 1989 or 1990, when my local public tv station broadcast the first season for the first time in the states. Being used to Who, Hitchhiker's and Blake's 7, I didn't know what to do with it at first!

(I watched lots of public TV, as our house was in between two hills, and I only got 3 stations... and 2 were PBS! Thus I saw all the Blackadders and Monty Pythons before I saw the A-Team...)

Yay, Red Dwarf is winning

Did B5 start before 1990? if so, I change my vote from Quantum Leap to B5.

Oh, and Battlestar Gallactica only lasted a single season (because it was too expensive to produce), so it should be disqualified based on your own rules.

Gerry Anderson's UFO which was the inspiration for the UFO/XCOM games.

Great series.

Ho, dang! I remember it!! I saw *one* episode. I can't remember when it was, but I do remember it -- at least one line: "Time travel is possible" or something like that... I was very young; it has to be in the late 70s or *VERY* early 80s.

Thank you! Validation.

How about the Mr. T cartoon? Was that real too? It was some kind of A-Team spin-off, but it there were dogs in it and for some reason, Mary Lou Retton was on the team. Can I get some corroboration on this one?

Did B5 start before 1990? if so, I change my vote from Quantum Leap to B5.

Oh, and Battlestar Gallactica only lasted a single season (because it was too expensive to produce), so it should be disqualified based on your own rules.

No, B5 did not start pre-1990.

Galactica made the list
1) Because there might well be a riot w/o it
2) I'm counting Galactica:1980 as season 2. (Yes, this is bending the rules a shade, but it's my poll! :) )

TOS, Lost in Space, Dr Who, all excellent!