I still have a diecast Shadow mobile in the loft
What's your favourite sci-fi series (if any)
- Thread starter johnnyb47
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I still have a diecast Shadow mobile in the loft
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
And of course, we can't leave out...
Galaxy Quest
The best spoof of sci-fi series ever.
Galaxy Quest
The best spoof of sci-fi series ever.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
My all time favourite is Farscape as it is one of the few to genuinely have a sense-of-wonder. Great cast, twists and turns of loyalties, some fun/silly episodes and some deadly serious. Loved it.
Bab 5 already mentioned by many - it started out "visitor of the week", a bit like Star Trek (and everything else's planet of the week) since the Bab 5 space station is fixed , but it got better and better as it went on. Perhaps the greatest spce opera of them all.
BSG remake - gripping from the off. More about responsibility, management, politics than anything but again brilliant.
Dark Matter - sadly cut short, but close to Blake's 7 or Farscape in many ways with a gang of misfits who largely dislike each other against an evolving big plot.
The Expanse - set within the solar system and scientifically plausible (up to a point) without faster than light or teleports etc. Maybe visually the best ever series. I don't find myself caring about the characters though and they do mumble a lot. It has greatness and an epic sweep all the same.
Red Dwarf - brilliant, at least for most of its run. The Queeg episode alone would put it amongst the all time classics. Not seen the recent continuation series yet but have heard good things.
Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy - a magical and hilarious radio series which I caught from episode 2 first time round.
Doctor Who - an avid fan since Pertwee's 2nd season. OK it had some ropey stories particularly in later years but even in McCoy's stint (a great Doctor doing his best with some lean material) there were some near perfect stories like Curse of Fenric. The reboots have mostly been good to outstanding, even if the last series was a bit ropey.
Lexx a very strange thing indeed, part Red Dwarf though not as funny, in turn weird, revolting yet strangely compelling.
Thunderbirds & Captain Scarlet - both still stand up today just as much as when they were on when I was a kid. Did borrow a box set of Fireball XL5 and that had dated a bit too much - slightly before my time so this was new to me.
I have recently been re-watching Blake's 7 and it isn't quite as ropey as I remembered, albeit isn't one of the greats but strangely compelling
I have a soft spot for Stargate and it's various spin offs. Enjoyable hokum, and well enough done.
Sarah Connor chronicles someone upthread mentioned was far far better than I expected. Well written, good plot lines and story development and great cast especially Lena Headey in the title role.
I was watching old episodes of UFO, gerry anderson's first live action story. It was better that I remember as a kid but of its time the sexist attitudes and macho office politics. The underlying plot was a bit silly - human-like space aliens coming to earth to steal human organs, conveniently attacking only one at a time, But is very watchable.
I never really like Space 1999 - it looked great but I found the stories dull. No re-watched as an adult.
I think I find original Star Trek better now than when I saw it as a kid, but the spin offs I can't really rewatch. Patrick Stewart's one is OK, but it's tediously preachey, and Voyager, DS9 seemed to be tosh.
Bab 5 already mentioned by many - it started out "visitor of the week", a bit like Star Trek (and everything else's planet of the week) since the Bab 5 space station is fixed , but it got better and better as it went on. Perhaps the greatest spce opera of them all.
BSG remake - gripping from the off. More about responsibility, management, politics than anything but again brilliant.
Dark Matter - sadly cut short, but close to Blake's 7 or Farscape in many ways with a gang of misfits who largely dislike each other against an evolving big plot.
The Expanse - set within the solar system and scientifically plausible (up to a point) without faster than light or teleports etc. Maybe visually the best ever series. I don't find myself caring about the characters though and they do mumble a lot. It has greatness and an epic sweep all the same.
Red Dwarf - brilliant, at least for most of its run. The Queeg episode alone would put it amongst the all time classics. Not seen the recent continuation series yet but have heard good things.
Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy - a magical and hilarious radio series which I caught from episode 2 first time round.
Doctor Who - an avid fan since Pertwee's 2nd season. OK it had some ropey stories particularly in later years but even in McCoy's stint (a great Doctor doing his best with some lean material) there were some near perfect stories like Curse of Fenric. The reboots have mostly been good to outstanding, even if the last series was a bit ropey.
Lexx a very strange thing indeed, part Red Dwarf though not as funny, in turn weird, revolting yet strangely compelling.
Thunderbirds & Captain Scarlet - both still stand up today just as much as when they were on when I was a kid. Did borrow a box set of Fireball XL5 and that had dated a bit too much - slightly before my time so this was new to me.
I have recently been re-watching Blake's 7 and it isn't quite as ropey as I remembered, albeit isn't one of the greats but strangely compelling
I have a soft spot for Stargate and it's various spin offs. Enjoyable hokum, and well enough done.
Sarah Connor chronicles someone upthread mentioned was far far better than I expected. Well written, good plot lines and story development and great cast especially Lena Headey in the title role.
I was watching old episodes of UFO, gerry anderson's first live action story. It was better that I remember as a kid but of its time the sexist attitudes and macho office politics. The underlying plot was a bit silly - human-like space aliens coming to earth to steal human organs, conveniently attacking only one at a time, But is very watchable.
I never really like Space 1999 - it looked great but I found the stories dull. No re-watched as an adult.
I think I find original Star Trek better now than when I saw it as a kid, but the spin offs I can't really rewatch. Patrick Stewart's one is OK, but it's tediously preachey, and Voyager, DS9 seemed to be tosh.
Shut Up Legs
Down Under Member
I completely forgot to mention Farscape! That should definitely have been on my list. I also have that series on DVD and have rewatched it several times. It's even one of the few SciFi series that's (at least partly) Australian-made.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Despite loving it my wife really disliked it (she is also a sci fi geek) as did my brother in law (likewise) so tastes differ
I was lukewarm on Firefly which is raved about but I thought it a bit lame. I guess if they'd got the back story going a bit quicker it might just have survived but they missed the bus really. I did watch it through see where it went but was more a habbit than a pleasure. the film made a bit more sense.
And what about Quantum Leap
Profpointy
Legendary Member
I quite liked that back in the day, albeit was enjoyable lightweight entertainment rather any claim of greatness
Anyone remember Time Tunnel ?
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
Journey into Space - a 1950s sci fi radio drama which is repeated every now and then on radio 4 extra. Two main series to the Moon and then Mars. I know it sounds crap- but it really is not.
I'd never heard of it either, but it is an absolute gem. Look it up on YouTube. It really Is a terrific listen.
I'd never heard of it either, but it is an absolute gem. Look it up on YouTube. It really Is a terrific listen.
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Maybe the real question should be made two questions:
What's your favourite sci-fi series (if any) as a child, and
What's your favourite sci-fi series (if any) as an adult?
As a kid I loved the usual: Doctor Who, Star Trek (with Kirk), Blakes 7, Space 1999, The Tomorrow People, Time Tunnel (oh how I loved that as a kid!). However, let's face it, as a kid versus you as an adult, your tastes...err... somewhat change. I recently had the disappointment of watching Space 1999 and I can't believe how bad it was. I mean, it was really bad (see https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-tv-are-you-watching.196255/post-5657171) . Mind you, even as a kid, I knew how bad some of the sets were on Doctor Who when you could see the sides of "walls" shaking as people moved. I also seem to recollect that Blakes 7 was similar.
As an adult, I'm finding I'm not a big sci-fi fan. I did enjoy Star Trek Enterprise, but was never a big fan of TNG or any of the spin offs. I did also enjoy "Sliders" back in the late 1990s (hmmm I see a similarity to Time Tunnel here) but lost interest towards the end as they overdid it. I also enjoy some of the "Black Mirror" and the new "Doctor Who", but strangely lost complete interest in the Capaldi and Smith years (and that's not to say they were bad, just that I lost interest for some reason). I also enjoyed "Orphan Black", but not enough to watch the last series, similarly for "Stranger Things".
TBH, I'm not sure there is any sci-fi show in recent memory or now that I'd say is or was a "must-see".
What's your favourite sci-fi series (if any) as a child, and
What's your favourite sci-fi series (if any) as an adult?
As a kid I loved the usual: Doctor Who, Star Trek (with Kirk), Blakes 7, Space 1999, The Tomorrow People, Time Tunnel (oh how I loved that as a kid!). However, let's face it, as a kid versus you as an adult, your tastes...err... somewhat change. I recently had the disappointment of watching Space 1999 and I can't believe how bad it was. I mean, it was really bad (see https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-tv-are-you-watching.196255/post-5657171) . Mind you, even as a kid, I knew how bad some of the sets were on Doctor Who when you could see the sides of "walls" shaking as people moved. I also seem to recollect that Blakes 7 was similar.
As an adult, I'm finding I'm not a big sci-fi fan. I did enjoy Star Trek Enterprise, but was never a big fan of TNG or any of the spin offs. I did also enjoy "Sliders" back in the late 1990s (hmmm I see a similarity to Time Tunnel here) but lost interest towards the end as they overdid it. I also enjoy some of the "Black Mirror" and the new "Doctor Who", but strangely lost complete interest in the Capaldi and Smith years (and that's not to say they were bad, just that I lost interest for some reason). I also enjoyed "Orphan Black", but not enough to watch the last series, similarly for "Stranger Things".
TBH, I'm not sure there is any sci-fi show in recent memory or now that I'd say is or was a "must-see".
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
I've always been much more of a reader than a watcher when it comes to SF. But as a kid I enjoyed The Invaders, Tomorrow People, The Changes, Star Trek, Battle of the Planets (which turns out to have been a really shittily cut, edited and dubbed version of a much better Japanese series called Gatchaman) Blake's 7 and Tom Baker-era Doctor Who. The latter in particular looks really crap now.
As an younger adult, I loved Star Trek TNG, liked DS9 and tolerated Voyager, then gave up on all the more recent ones. I was a huge Buffy and X-Files fan, until both shows went crap, and I liked Firefly. I watched some of Babylon 5 but never really liked it, same with Farscape and Stargate and all those cheap and cheerful shows with bad special FX and where every alien planet seems to be the same area of west coast American forest. I liked some of Red Dwarf, but found it very patchy. HHGTTG was far better on radio. I thought the Tenant-era rebooted Doctor Who was okay, after that... not so much.
Haven't watched much since, as I don't have a TV or Netflix or any streaming service. Better things to do... like reading.
As an younger adult, I loved Star Trek TNG, liked DS9 and tolerated Voyager, then gave up on all the more recent ones. I was a huge Buffy and X-Files fan, until both shows went crap, and I liked Firefly. I watched some of Babylon 5 but never really liked it, same with Farscape and Stargate and all those cheap and cheerful shows with bad special FX and where every alien planet seems to be the same area of west coast American forest. I liked some of Red Dwarf, but found it very patchy. HHGTTG was far better on radio. I thought the Tenant-era rebooted Doctor Who was okay, after that... not so much.
Haven't watched much since, as I don't have a TV or Netflix or any streaming service. Better things to do... like reading.
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
Expanse was a funny one.
I'd read the book and utterly immersed myself in it, loved it. Then I saw it was on TV and jumped at it....and found I dodnt like it.
I wondered why ?...then realised, when you read a book, YOU form YOUR picture or form of a character, then you watch someone else's vision of the same thing....and it doesnt meet your preconceived view of it.
I'd read the book and utterly immersed myself in it, loved it. Then I saw it was on TV and jumped at it....and found I dodnt like it.
I wondered why ?...then realised, when you read a book, YOU form YOUR picture or form of a character, then you watch someone else's vision of the same thing....and it doesnt meet your preconceived view of it.
Yellow Fang
Legendary Member
- Location
- Reading
Hyperdrive
D
Deleted member 23692
Guest
Firefly* - Should never have been cancelled after 1 series
The Expanse - Currently the best out there, and glad that it's been picked up by Amazon for Season 4 (and 5
)
The Orville - Everything the new Netflix crapness that is Star Trek Discovery should have been
UFO - It's Gerry Anderson
*If you've not seen the Firefly Movie, Serenity, then that's your weekend's homework
The Expanse - Currently the best out there, and glad that it's been picked up by Amazon for Season 4 (and 5
)The Orville - Everything the new Netflix crapness that is Star Trek Discovery should have been
UFO - It's Gerry Anderson
*If you've not seen the Firefly Movie, Serenity, then that's your weekend's homework
