OT - Good sci fi TV shows?

Baron Munchausen · #1 February 16th, 2003, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Taz-in-Space:
Just for the heck of it - a few quick questions:

In B5: Did the series ever explain where the hidden base (on the planet near B5) came from?

Wasn't Vorlon or Minbari or Earth obviously.

In Stargate SG1: Why was the Daniel character written out? Real-life contract problems or what?

Looks like they are giving pretty much the same 'powers' to the new guy.

In Andromeda: can anybody explain how in one show the Andromeda ship can be damaged by a half-dozen ships and in another show can survive onslaughts of say 10,000 ships from another dimension?

No, they never explained where the Great Machine came from. How is it 'obvious' that it was not a Minbari or Human construction? It's compatible with human and minbari telepaths, after all. B4 was sent through time, remember. Who's to say that humans from the future didn't create the Great machine?

They also never explained what the 'exchange of souls' between the two races was about and lots of other things...

Stargate - don't follow it, can't say.

Andromeda was created by the same guy that created STAR TREK. Have you ever noticed anything resembling continuity in STAR TREK? 'nuff said.

Graeme Dice · #2 February 16th, 2003, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
No, they never explained where the Great Machine came from. How is it 'obvious' that it was not a Minbari or Human construction? It's compatible with human and minbari telepaths, after all. B4 was sent through time, remember. Who's to say that humans from the future didn't create the Great machine?

I thought that one of the Zathras' sent itself back in time using the great machine so that it could build the great machine.

Krsqk · #3 February 16th, 2003, 09:24 PM

Quote:

In Andromeda: can anybody explain how in one show the Andromeda ship can be damaged by a half-dozen ships and in another show can survive onslaughts of say 10,000 ships from another dimension?

You're assuming the other dimension is higher than ours is. Maybe they were only second dimensional beings.

Desdinova · #4 February 17th, 2003, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
They also never explained what the 'exchange of souls' between the two races was about.

they never diretly explained it but they did give several hints. commander sinclair went back in time with B4 and was changed into a membari using the triluminary and became known as valen. they used the triluminary on sinclair at the battle of the line, and it glowed thus the membari thought that human had somehow gained membari souls. also dalenn used the triluminary to changed herself, it was also rumored that she is a decendant of valen/commander sinclair. the triluminary also glowed when it was put near her.

tesco samoa · #5 February 17th, 2003, 05:33 AM

I most likely will get trolled here... but i find most scifi shows suck....

The 44 minute show just does not work in the SCI FI world.

I dream of the day when their is a scifi show where they go... Hey we only have a core following... lets make a complicated story that the average joe will not understand throw in some really good plot twists... and not worry about the tokin 30 second ship shot ( the money shot for sci-fi shows think voyager ... ) and have a story that takes its time to unravel ( Now we do not have solve every thing... Some times a Laural Palmer is worth including in a show )... Oh well one day...

Their have been some really good ideas in tv the past two years ( 24 , Boom Town, The ITV mini about the world coming to an end .. cannot remember what it was called ) But you know it is sad when the current crop of SCI-FI shows make Dr. WHo look like Lord of the Rings on steriods....

And enough with morality.... Voyager was horrible for that .... if i wanted to see law and order i would watch it....

/*end rant...

Growltigger · #6 February 17th, 2003, 03:39 PM

Hey, anyone remember Starfleet or Terrahawks?

Terrahawks was cool but I just loved Starfleet, if only for the riproaring Eddie Van Halen led themetoon and the fact that the battle scenes looked like a bad cross between 1920's Buck Rogers and Thunderbirds.. you could even see the strings holding up the models!!!

dogscoff · #7 February 17th, 2003, 07:00 PM

Starship Troopers: I never read the book, so I can't really comment on how well it held up to that, but as a film in its own right I liked it for reasons already stated. Robocop was OK too, but I haven't watched that in a loooong time.

Wilma Deering: Off-think, off-think...

Terrahawks: Deserves eternal respect if only for the contribution of the venerable Windsor Davies (Sgt Major Zero). See http://tv.cream.org/ for a nostalgic overview of Terrahawks. Remember the noughts and crosses game at the end of each episode? I used to have the theme as an mp3 but I think I must have lost it...

Quote:

I dream of the day when their is a scifi show where they go... Hey we only have a core following... lets make a complicated story that the average joe will not understand throw in some really good plot twists... and not worry about the tokin 30 second ship shot

This would be cool. I think the current LOTR series of films (although obviously not sci fi) is a step in this direction. When all 3 films are done and all the extra DVD footage and everything added it will be getting on for 10 hours. Although there have been certain necessary compromises toward the mainstream, I think this film represents a recognition that "core following" films are probably the way things are going to go. As mainstream culture fragments further and further into subcultures (something the internet has promoted, by allowing people to define their social circles according to interest rather than geographic constraints), different styles of film/ media will emerge, tailored to these audiences. Probably.

Basically, what I'm saying is people are starting to realise that some of us want to see entertainment that goes beyond the 45 minute tv/ 180 minute movie formats. I think Hollywood needs to look East for inspiration: In India they aren't scared of making films 5 or 6 hours long about all their religious stories and folklore=-)

The other thing is that as video cameras and editting/ rendering technology and stuff become more usable and affordable, and as bandwidth increases, you'll see more and more home-grown films being released on the web. These will probably break from conventional formats and techniques in all kind of interesting ways.

A small example: http://www.robotbastard.com - for a 40 meg download you get 15 minutes of mad retro-tech scifi mayhem from the guy who brought you "Scud: Disposible Assassin". Highly recommended.