io9’s Top 10 Unsung Sci-Fi TV Series April 4, 2008
Posted by Chris in Interesting News, SciFi TV Shows.trackback
Several of these series are new to me, so I’ll be checking them out. I recent stumbled across Surface, and was surprised that I really liked it (despite several scientific and practical implausibilities). I keep hearing such great things about Farscape. I tried to watch the first few episodes and couldn’t deal… It’s just hard for me to take Muppets seriously — sorry Jim.
I question the statement that Babylon 5 gets “plenty of love”, since I’m the only person I know who’s seen it.
Journeyman was pretty good. Lexx really creeped me out…I thought it was weird for the sake of being weird. I agree that Brisco County needs to be lauded for the gem that it is. I would have added Sci-Fi’s Invisible Man and the Bionic Woman remake (which I still say might have survived if not for the strike).
About Farscape: I liked it. The first few episodes are pretty bad–and, it lost something towards the end. But, the second half of the first season and the entire second season were pretty good TV. And, Muppets or not, the special effects are pretty good. Also, if you’re having a hard time taking Muppets seriously, I suggest The Dark Crystal. I’m still trying to figure out why people thought that movie was appropriate to show me as a child.
Dan kissed me Chris. Aren’t you?
Now this will be cryptic if you haven’t read my post but hopefully someday I will be free to explain.
Dan: I’m thinking I might give Farscape another chance. You really need to give a series at least five episodes before making the call on whether it’s worth it or not — I think I only watched two at most.
On the Muppets, yeah…you’re right. I need to keep an open mind on the issue, and the Dark Crystal was a great example of an effective, serious movie with puppets.
I haven’t seen Journeyman yet, but I’ll put it on my list.
I got the first 2 seasons of Babylon 5 for Christmas, so I should be digging into that pretty soon. I’ve heard great things about it. Here again, though is a case where I watched the first few episodes when it first aired, and it didn’t give me enough of a charge to hold my interest. I assume from your comment that you’re a fan? Is it worth my time investment?
Kym: I’ve given you the kiss and will routinely check my spam box to make sure you’re not lumped in with all the hardened criminals of the Internet.
Of course, having seen none of these shows, I have nothing intelligent to say but, I can’t let that stop me. After all, I’ll be held captive in prison amongst dozens of hardened (how exciting) criminals and then I’ll be set free with a kiss.
Let the game begin.
A word of caution about Babylon 5. Like you, I watched the first few episodes and thought it was nothing spectacular–it struck me as a fairly generic alien-of-the-week sci-fi show. But, as the show went on, you started to see the larger picture.
Since it was created and written to be a 5-year story with a concrete beginning, middle, and end, things that seemed pointless and random in episode 3 come back and make perfect sense in episode 58 (I’m picking numbers at random, of course).
And, like BSG, Babylon 5 is what I consider “broken sci-fi.” Unlike Star Trek where everything always seems to work, the stuff in Babylon 5 breaks down from time to time, like any technology. Plus, it was the first time I remember seeing a futuristic, sci-fi restroom on TV (this was before Firefly).
Kym: You’re still spammy. I’ll keep shoveling the orange stuff to get you out of Askimet I hope.
I think I’m back now