Spec me a sci-fi series...

Simian · 19 Oct 2012 at 10:17

BSG (as has been said quite a lot!)

SG: Atlantis (currently on Series 5 myself

)

Firefly

Space Above And Beyond

Babylon 5 (trying to get back into it but Season 1 is hard going!)

Tripods (for classic 80's BBC wobbly Sets)

There's just soooo many to try!... just do what I do and YouTube anything that someone suggests, watch a few clips and see if you like it before committing!!

Listerine · 19 Oct 2012 at 10:59

Not sure if it's really the sci-fi you're after but give Falling Skies a go.

Chicken #16 · 19 Oct 2012 at 11:04

also, not quite series but there are some brilliant sci-fi short films worth watching. I really like the short film Whistle included on the Moon dvd. There's probably a playlist on youtube.

Here's a fun one I watched the other day:

Infidelus · 19 Oct 2012 at 11:21

Vonhelmet said:
BSG is not typical religious pap, far from it. It's one of the best presentations of religion in TV that I've seen, because it presents all kinds of views on religion.

Your opinion, to which you are quite entitled. I'm not religious, and I get fed up of seeing religion brought into everything, and it's something the Americans do all the time. Does nothing for me whatsoever.

Duff-Man · 19 Oct 2012 at 11:29

Infidelus said:
Your opinion, to which you are quite entitled. I'm not religious, and I get fed up of seeing religion brought into everything, and it's something the Americans do all the time. Does nothing for me whatsoever.

Neither am I (religious), but I thought it was a useful tool to expand the scope of the show, and to explore things from a more basic philosophical angle. I would hardly say it was a "typical American" thing; it certainly wasn't taking a typical Judeo-Christian viewpoint. To each his own though

I already mentioned BSG and Firefly, but I thought I'd add my voice to the support for Babylon 5. Such a great show - really demonstrates how to do a story arc, and has aged very well (apart from the effects which are quite dated, especially those from series 1).

I found series 1 to be a bit slow and 'discombobulated', and Commander 'wooden-acting' Sinclair did not help. Series 2, 3 and 4 were just brilliant though, and kept on improving through to the dramatic climax in s4.

shaank · 19 Oct 2012 at 11:40

Torquar said:
It's dated now, and only ran for one series, but Space: Above and Beyond was a pretty decent series.
Total Recall 2070 was pretty good too.

Space: Above and Beyond was amazing. I loved this show, but it got canned at the end of Season 1, and ended on an uber cliff hanger. I always wanted there to be another season of that.

Castiel · 19 Oct 2012 at 11:57

Infidelus said:
Your opinion, to which you are quite entitled. I'm not religious, and I get fed up of seeing religion brought into everything, and it's something the Americans do all the time. Does nothing for me whatsoever.

It wasn't religious, it was tapping into human mythology, which was kind of the point of BSG, both the reimagining and the original.

Besides if it doesn't do anything for you, don't watch it, it doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent example of the genre just because of your prejudices.

You must have loved, Star-Trek, Babylon 5, and just about every major sci-if show you could mention which also tap into similar ideas and concepts.

peter_hutson · 19 Oct 2012 at 12:11

Another vote for Battlestar Galactica. Just typing those words brings a tear to my eye.

Vonhelmet · 19 Oct 2012 at 13:58

Infidelus said:
Your opinion, to which you are quite entitled. I'm not religious, and I get fed up of seeing religion brought into everything, and it's something the Americans do all the time. Does nothing for me whatsoever.

It is, in large part, a study of religion, and it's very well considered. It sounds like you have issues with religion, full stop, not with BSG's presentation of religion. BSG considered the issues of different, competing religions; of one religion superseding each other; of apostasy; of doubts; of questions; of holy war; of shared faith and of individual faith. It considers all these issues without being biased towards any one viewpoint. By the time the show is done, the show still hasn't really answered any of the questions it's raised, but it presented a great deal to think about.

And it did all of that with great characters and hard sci fi.

It's brilliant. So say we all.

ChocolateStarfishRammer · 19 Oct 2012 at 14:19

Duff-Man · 19 Oct 2012 at 14:54

Vonhelmet said:
It is, in large part, a study of religion, and it's very well considered. It sounds like you have issues with religion, full stop, not with BSG's presentation of religion. BSG considered the issues of different, competing religions; of one religion superseding each other; of apostasy; of doubts; of questions; of holy war; of shared faith and of individual faith. It considers all these issues without being biased towards any one viewpoint. By the time the show is done, the show still hasn't really answered any of the questions it's raised, but it presented a great deal to think about.

And it did all of that with great characters and hard sci fi.

It's brilliant. So say we all.

Well put

I've watched BSG through several times (more for the earlier series than the later ones, as I used to re-watch the lot before each new series), but this thread has me hankering to make the journey all over again.

So say we all.

Infidelus · 19 Oct 2012 at 15:04

Vonhelmet said:
It's brilliant. So say we all.

Apparently not "all". I didn't think much of it. My family and friends that watched it didn't think much of it. It had potential as a sci-fi show, but the religious aspect of it ruined the entire thing for me.

You're all entitled to think it was great. I thought it was frakking awful.

I do however agree that Babylon 5 was a fantastic show. Have the box sets and have watched them two or three times.

413x · 19 Oct 2012 at 15:27

It's very depressing that I have seen all the ones I want to see out of this thread. We need a new one! I miss Stargate!

Castiel · 19 Oct 2012 at 15:46

Infidelus said:
Apparently not "all". I didn't think much of it. My family and friends that watched it didn't think much of it. It had potential as a sci-fi show, but the religious aspect of it ruined the entire thing for me.

You're all entitled to think it was great. I thought it was frakking awful.

I do however agree that Babylon 5 was a fantastic show. Have the box sets and have watched them two or three times.

But Babylon 5 was as invested if not more so in what you consider religious imagery and concepts... :confused:

Curio · 19 Oct 2012 at 16:32

Infidelus said:
Apparently not "all". I didn't think much of it. My family and friends that watched it didn't think much of it.

Yeah, right. Your family didn't watch it and all your friends thought it was great.

BSG is one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows ever made - and the exploration of religion is just one of the reasons for that. If that made you hate the show then (as previously stated) your issue is with religion and not the show itself.

Joss Whedon sums it up for me:

"I think it's so passionate, textured, complex, subversive and challenging that it dwarfs everything on TV."

Infidelus · 19 Oct 2012 at 18:45

Curio said:
Yeah, right. Your family didn't watch it and all your friends thought it was great.

They DID watch it, and my friends DIDN'T think it was great. Just because YOU think it's the best thing since sliced bread, doesn't make it so, and your opinion doesn't actually make much of a difference to me. I DIDN'T like it. That's my opinion. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I know 1/2 a dozen people without even having to think about it that DO agree with me.

As for Babylon 5, while there may have been elements of religion in it, it wasn't rammed down my throat the way BSG seemed to keep doing. That, and the plot line kept me interested through the entire series, something BSG failed dismally to do.

And finally, yes I do have a problem with religion. There's enough religion in the news on an almost daily basis that's an excuse for people killing each other. I don't need to see in in programs that are supposedly classed as 'entertainment'.

If the OP hasn't seen the show and wants to, that's up to him. He may like it, he may not. I just posted my opinion on the subject matter, which is all it was .... MY opinion.

Duff-Man · 19 Oct 2012 at 19:49

Infidelus said:
And finally, yes I do have a problem with religion.

A shocking revelation coming from a guy named "Infidelus"

edit: unrelated from the topic at hand, I grant you, but given your stance on the matter: Are you aware that such fervent anti-religious beliefs are, in a way, a religion themselves? "Antireligion"

Vonhelmet · 19 Oct 2012 at 20:10

It strikes me as rather odd to be so intolerant towards even the concept of religion to be offended by a show that considers all the issues - positive and negative - of religion.

Duff-Man · 19 Oct 2012 at 20:12

Vonhelmet said:
It strikes me as rather odd to be so intolerant towards even the concept of religion to be offended by a show that considers all the issues - positive and negative - of religion.

...Unless, off course, opposition to any kind of religious thought IS your religion

(see above). In this case any kind of philosophy based on exploring religion becomes a kind of heresy in itself.

Isn't life so deliciously contradictory sometimes?!

Infidelus · 20 Oct 2012 at 11:01

Duff-Man said:
A shocking revelation coming from a guy named "Infidelus"

I knew that username would come back and bite me one day

edit: unrelated from the topic at hand, I grant you, but given your stance on the matter: Are you aware that such fervent anti-religious beliefs are, in a way, a religion themselves? "Antireligion"

Interesting read. I guess I'm more Agnostic than Anti though.

It strikes me as rather odd to be so intolerant towards even the concept of religion to be offended by a show that considers all the issues - positive and negative - of religion.

I wouldn't say I was intolerant to religion, I just don't want to see it in the programs I watch. I like to be entertained, and religion to me is anything but entertaining.