Sci Fi TV

[Josephus]

X-files fans tend to be divided into two camps. Those that like the conspiracy episodes and those that like the stand-alone monster of the week.

I tend to be the former. I'll admit there were some inconsistencies in the conspiracy, and it started to lose focus and become silly. But I enjoyed the arc.

There were some really good stand alone eps, but then there were some real dogs as well.

I also liked the show when it had a sense of humour. There were one or two episodes each season that were just fun.

And then there was the one episode so controversial it never got syndicated beyond the original run (at least not then)...the episode with the inbed freaks and the crippled mother they kept under the bed/

[The Brain]

And then there was the one episode so controversial it never got syndicated beyond the original run (at least not then)...the episode with the inbed freaks and the crippled mother they kept under the bed/

I remember that episode. It was controversial?

[Neil]

And then there was the one episode so controversial it never got syndicated beyond the original run (at least not then)...the episode with the inbed freaks and the crippled mother they kept under the bed/

I remember that episode. It was controversial?

It's considered impolitic to mention family life in the American South as a negative.

[Josephus]

And then there was the one episode so controversial it never got syndicated beyond the original run (at least not then)...the episode with the inbed freaks and the crippled mother they kept under the bed/

I remember that episode. It was controversial?

Yeah. What Neil said and they never repeated that episode. I mean for American network TV 10 years ago, more?, showing disfigured sons impregnating their mother was a bit much.

[11B4V]

And then there was the one episode so controversial it never got syndicated beyond the original run (at least not then)...the episode with the inbed freaks and the crippled mother they kept under the bed/

I remember that episode. It was controversial?

That was a bad ass episode.

[Josquius]

In summary

    Outer Limits
   Yeah, I like it usually, its pretty alright, has some good episodes and some weak ones.
    Twilight Zone
     Less consistantly good than OL IIRC but still generally alright. I can't really call these anthology shows favourites.
    Star Trek TOS
     Never really liked it. Its just the American version of Dr.Who. Which is kind of funny- how seriously the later ST series got when it started as such a mad fantasy show.
    Star Trek TNG
I was too young for it when it was new but over the years I think I've watched most of the episodes and yeah, its generally pretty alright. Certainly not the best ever but perfectly fine TV. Usually
    Other Star Trek
Preferable to TOS and TNG. Voyager is what got me into ST, as an adult I now recognise DS9 to be the best. It is great.
    Battlestar Galactica
Its good but...I dunno, it just completely lacks soul. And dips hugely at points.
    Babylon 5
Not good at all. And I have tried. I watched it from the start. Struggled through the first series on the promise it would pick up. Stumbled through the second and into the third and realised "Wait...so this is the big awesome war I was waiting for?....This is freaking dull". I really don't see the appeal of this show at all.
    Stargate
SG1 I loved. At one time it was my favourite show. Just the right amount of not taking itself too seriously. As time went on and Earth got stupidly more powerful and enemies had to power up to cope...it weakened. But was still watchable.
Atlantis....myeh. Had its ups and downs but...took the sillyness too far. Maybe I was just too old for it by then.
Universe was rather dull.
    X-Files
        I've only ever seen one or two episodes. I really, really should start watching this from the beginning at some point.
    Farscape
       Couldn't get too into it- the crappy TV scheduling didn't help it but the show itself was also kind of lacking. Better than B5, not really a chore to watch, but it doesn't really keep pulling you back either.
    Firefly
       Best thing ever and the posterchild for all that is wrong with American TV. How dare you cancel firefly! Argh.
    Dr Who
        Not the best thing ever but certainly fun. Hard to really evaluate it objectivly given its huge place in popular culture.
    Lost
   There once was a time when I loved it. I remember I was nearly sick with anticipation between series 1 and 2. But...it really did trail off later on. I just don't get the ending.
    Fringe
Watched the first episode. Thought it utter shite.
   Terranova
Read the synopsis. Thought it utter shite.
    Buck Rogers
I'm sure I watched this is a kid but remember hardly anything.
Other
Dark Angel was cool. Doll House though it started meh got pretty good too. That BBC Outcasts thing sucked. Blakes 7 had its moments though I stalled on the second series. etc... etc...

[Syt]

You know, something that always bugged me a bit about Star Trek (though I do like the franchise) is how it was almost all of the time focused on the upper echelons of running a starship. The captain and bridge crew do everything, including dangerous exploration or front line missions. Sometimes makes you wonder what the other hundreds of people are doing all the time. Voyager was certainly extreme, having Paris be ace pilot, shuttle pilot, field medic, transporter chief more than once etc. And how often do you see Captain, first officer, and one or more of the other senior officers go on a dangerous mission together?

The TNG episode "Lower Decks" tried to break a mold somewhat, but I have to say, from the perspective of the lower ranks, the senior staff's antics and weird assignments would make me think I was doing duty in an insane ssylum.

[Josquius]

Yeah, that always bothered me. Economics are different in the future, you don't have to work, yet people join star fleet for fun and excitement.
All well and good if you're flying around shagging beautiful alien women and running a starship...but what about the poor bugger scrubbing the jeffries tubes?

[Eddie Teach]

I doubt space travel would be so cheap that people on welfare could afford to gallivant around the galaxy.

[The Brain]

You know, something that always bugged me a bit about Star Trek (though I do like the franchise) is how it was almost all of the time focused on the upper echelons of running a starship. The captain and bridge crew do everything, including dangerous exploration or front line missions. Sometimes makes you wonder what the other hundreds of people are doing all the time. Voyager was certainly extreme, having Paris be ace pilot, shuttle pilot, field medic, transporter chief more than once etc. And how often do you see Captain, first officer, and one or more of the other senior officers go on a dangerous mission together?

The TNG episode "Lower Decks" tried to break a mold somewhat, but I have to say, from the perspective of the lower ranks, the senior staff's antics and weird assignments would make me think I was doing duty in an insane ssylum.

You just have to remember which of the bosses is possessed by a crystalline entity that week.

I would have liked to be able to take the Star Trek universe seriously but so much of it is motivated by 60s TV series considerations that I find it impossible.

[Viking]

Yeah, that always bothered me. Economics are different in the future, you don't have to work, yet people join star fleet for fun and excitement.
All well and good if you're flying around shagging beautiful alien women and running a starship...but what about the poor bugger scrubbing the jeffries tubes?

If anything the life of Kirk and Picard have more in common with Bayard and Guiscard than anybody else in history. This makes one wonder who the peasants are and, regardless of what this upper class thinks, if the peasants are really happy with their lot in life. Or if all the peasants are robots.

[Ideologue]

I dunno.  There was clearly a lot of potential for upward advancement.  Look at all those starships that got blown up that weren't Enterprise.  I assume an "up or dead" promotion model.

[Josephus]

I know what you're saying Syt, but realistically you can't expect a TV show to have a cast of hundreds.

[Neil]

I doubt space travel would be so cheap that people on welfare could afford to gallivant around the galaxy.

Sure it could.  It's a post-scarcity economy.

[Eddie Teach]

Presumably even those machines that make food out of nothing need to be charged up and repaired sometimes.