Thread: Best Television Sci Fi franchise / series

[quote name='kmiller1610' date='03 May 2010 - 06:28 PM' timestamp='1272929289' post='147134']

Star Wars is fantasy, not science fiction. "The Force" is not a scientific concept.

[/quote]





Star Wars falls under the Space Opera category.

[quote name='kmiller1610' date='03 May 2010 - 05:46 PM' timestamp='1272934012' post='147174']

I used to give my dad head massages so I could stay up to watch The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. All the episodes were stand alone stories, but very good.[/quote]



I love Twilight Zone and the day my wife bought me the complete DVD collection I just about cried.

[quote name='Dr.Knuckles' date='03 May 2010 - 04:26 PM' timestamp='1272929205' post='147132']HEY - speaking of Scott Bacula - Quantum Leap would be a good 'other' for this question.[/quote]



I thought Quantum Leap had some very good moments... just rewatched a season of it over at Hulu not too long ago.

[quote name='Dr.Knuckles' date='03 May 2010 - 09:47 PM' timestamp='1272948475' post='147268']

I always felt that Roddenberry was a litle too transparent in the racial characteristics of his aliens. The Klingons were so clearly Russians. The Vulcans British. The Romulans Japanese (the haircuts aren't the least bit subtle. They are just exactly Japanese haircuts on people in kimonos), and don't get me started on the Ferrengi. They are so Jewish even Nazi propaganda experts would have said "hmmm... that's a little over the top, tone it down a bit".

[/quote]



And could those Tribbles have been any more Canadian?

The original Star Trek, and Star Trek TNG were my favorite of the Star Trek shows. Kirk owns Picard. But Babylon 5 is my favorite SciFi series.

[quote name='One' date='04 May 2010 - 02:49 AM' timestamp='1272955779' post='147302']

The original Star Trek, and Star Trek TNG were my favorite of the Star Trek shows. Kirk owns Picard. But Babylon 5 is my favorite SciFi series.[/quote]



Yeah me too. It took me years to even try it. It looked so bizarre, I couldn't take it seriously. But it has the best, most integrated story. If you watch the series in the right order, with Sleeping in Light last, it has the most complete, poignant ending of any of the series. The space battles are loaded with tactical complexity. And it has some really amazing characters, humor, poetry, commentary on life, religion. It's a masterpiece.



Another place where B5 stands out is that some of the characters go through huge changes during the 5 years. And unlike many shows, the changes are permanent.



On the downside, it has a stage acting feel, quite the opposite of something like SG-1, which has very natural acting. And the production values fall short of any of the recent Trek or Stargate series.



They all have something to offer.

[quote name='Dr.Knuckles' date='04 May 2010 - 12:47 AM' timestamp='1272948475' post='147268']

I always felt that Roddenberry was a litle too transparent in the racial characteristics of his aliens. The Klingons were so clearly Russians. The Vulcans British. The Romulans Japanese (the haircuts aren't the least bit subtle. They are just exactly Japanese haircuts on people in kimonos), and don't get me started on the Ferrengi. They are so Jewish even Nazi propaganda experts would have said "hmmm... that's a little over the top, tone it down a bit".[/quote]



All of Trek has this kind of broad, ultra simplistic structure to it. Roddenberry liked morality tales and symbolic commentary on humanity.



Spock - Logic

McCoy - Emotion

Kirk - Will



The Doctor (From Voyager) - Ego

The Ferengi - Those damn republicans



Each one of those are explored in real depth, both upside and downsides. The Ferengi, who are obviously buttheads, literally, had some wonderful upside episodes in DS9 that comment on the truth of the profit motive. In this one, the younger Ferengi demonstrates the optimism of the entrepreneurial spirit as he wheels and deals to get a part for the chief engineer.



Treachery, Faith and the Great River