Author Topic: Sci-fi television  (Read 37557 times)

Zathras

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on: October 09, 2008, 06:16:37 PM
First off, I worship at the altar that is B5.

I really enjoyed Firefly.

Recently, I was provided every episode of Farscape.  I haven't seen a single episode yet.  Is it worth my time?  I also have a chance to watch the new Battle Star Gallactica.  My problem with new shows is that I am on the road about 300 days per year, so having access to new episodes can be a pain.



wintermute

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Reply #1 on: October 09, 2008, 06:28:16 PM
BSG is pretty good. Lots of people like Farscape, but I never really got into it.

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Talia

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Reply #2 on: October 09, 2008, 06:50:20 PM
I've enjoyed the few episodes of Farscape I've seen.

A few years ago I was at a con where Andreas Katsulas, Jason Carter and Richard Biggs did a panel together. They were very very very funny. Now two of the three are gone, very young. A real bummer.



Zathras

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Reply #3 on: October 09, 2008, 07:28:03 PM
I've enjoyed the few episodes of Farscape I've seen.

A few years ago I was at a con where Andreas Katsulas, Jason Carter and Richard Biggs did a panel together. They were very very very funny. Now two of the three are gone, very young. A real bummer.

Especially if The Lost Tales goes where it's supposed to.  They acknowledged Biggs and Katsulas in the 1st Lost Tales, in an isider sort of way.

The actor that portrayed Dr Benjamin Kyle passed away, too.  And, as mentioned in my signature, Tim Choate.




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Reply #4 on: October 09, 2008, 08:20:59 PM
Right, I thought I recalled a recent third one, but couldn't remember who it was and couldn't find it on imdb.

That cast's been pretty ill fated it seems.

I haven't actually seen but a handful of B5 episodes. Just one of those things that never really happened. Liked what I saw though.  And I had the pleasure of seeing Claudia Christiansen play Captain Janeway in a sketch at a con a couple years back.

She nailed it perfectly :p



Russell Nash

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Reply #5 on: October 09, 2008, 08:48:17 PM
On B5:  See it in order.  They had a great five season arc idea and really kept to it for seasons 1-3.  They then thought there was no way they were getting renewed for season 5, so they crammed the last two seasons together into season 4.  Then they did get renewed and spent season five trying to cover some of the stuff they skipped.

On Farscape:  I just never liked anything that I saw of it.

On BSG:  I think they took the original idea and looked at it through B5 glasses.  I haven't seen anything after season 2, but up to then it was great.



Zathras

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Reply #6 on: October 09, 2008, 10:57:44 PM
I guess I'll give Farscape a shot.

If anyone is interested, I have all 5 years of B5 on vhs from Columbia House.  I had 2 tapes left to buy when WB started releasing the dvds.   >:(



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Reply #7 on: October 09, 2008, 11:27:52 PM
I guess I'll give Farscape a shot.

I strongly recommend considering the penultimate season 3 episode, "Into the Lion's Den, Part 2", as the series finale.  From "Dog With Two Bones" onward it just plummets.

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Reply #8 on: October 10, 2008, 12:47:30 AM

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Russell Nash

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Reply #9 on: October 10, 2008, 12:07:47 PM
That poll was from before I even saw Firefly.



Darwinist

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Reply #10 on: October 10, 2008, 01:52:56 PM
I also loved B5 and Firefly.  I'm caught up on BSG and I think it is really good.  I started getting a little weird in the last season but I think it is still pretty good.  I also liked the first season of Sarah Conner Chronicles; the second season just started but haven't seen any of it yet.

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Reply #11 on: October 10, 2008, 05:21:28 PM
That poll was from before I even saw Firefly.

Still a perfectly good reference though, even 1,564 threads later.


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Russell Nash

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Reply #12 on: October 10, 2008, 06:44:02 PM
That poll was from before I even saw Firefly.

Still a perfectly good reference though, even 1,564 threads later.



I would just like to be able to change my vote and add Firefly.



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Reply #13 on: October 13, 2008, 06:02:04 AM
I'm enjoying No Heroics which is on a tiny channel in the UK, similar in starting concept to Mur Lafferty's 'Playing for Keeps' in that it's mostly set in a bar for superheroes. There's Excelsior, the ultra-smug and punchable Superman-analogue who lords it up over all the other heroes because he's the most popular and recognised superhero with the general public, The Hotness who has fairly rubbish heat-generating powers and desperately wants to be recognised by the public, Electroclash who controls machines and mainly uses her power to score free cigarettes, but I think my favourite is Thunder Monkey, who can summon monkeys to do his bidding, only they're in a zoo and it takes them about two hours to get to him.

Think 'Spaced' crossed with 'The Handbook of the Marvel Universe'.



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Reply #14 on: October 14, 2008, 11:33:55 AM
A late note about Farscape:  a very good series, but by the time it's over, you will be practically screaming at the screen to shut up about wormholes.  See, even now, my flesh crawls just typing the word.



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Reply #15 on: October 15, 2008, 03:59:53 AM
A late note about Farscape:  a very good series, but by the time it's over, you will be practically screaming at the screen to shut up about wormholes.  See, even now, my flesh crawls just typing the word.

It's easier if you just follow my advice and consider the series ended with the "Into the Lion's Den" two-parter.  No cliffhanger ending, no crappy 4th season, and best of all, no Peacekeeper Wars miniseries.

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Zathras

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Reply #16 on: October 19, 2008, 03:20:01 PM
I suppose this should go over at Podcastle, but this thread is handier.

The Legend of the Seeker is based on Wizard's First Rule.  Anyone heard anything about this new TV show?  I'm gonna do a search on it, but figured someone here alread knows a lot.



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Reply #17 on: October 20, 2008, 03:54:12 AM
I suppose this should go over at Podcastle, but this thread is handier.

The Legend of the Seeker is based on Wizard's First Rule.  Anyone heard anything about this new TV show?  I'm gonna do a search on it, but figured someone here alread knows a lot.

Ah, I'm so confused. When I saw the billboards for that, I thought it was for the kids' movie based on the Dark is Rising series.

Anyway, yeah, I have heard of this adaptation.  Here's the site.  There's some previews and videos and stuff.  I remember watching the first preview of it on AICN where the Seeker stabs a mountaintop.  That was pretty wicked.  ::)

It looks more along the lines of Hercules and Xenia to me than it does Lord of the Rings.  Which, I know isn't an entirely fair comparison as one was a major motion picture and the others were...something else. But that's what i think of.  If you check it out, though, let me know what you think.



Zathras

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Reply #18 on: October 20, 2008, 02:30:55 PM
I had already found the site, but thanks.  My wife is supposed to record it for me so I can watch it when I'm home.  I hope they do a good job with it, the books are great.



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Reply #19 on: October 20, 2008, 08:59:16 PM
I'm enjoying No Heroics which is on a tiny channel in the UK, similar in starting concept to Mur Lafferty's 'Playing for Keeps' in that it's mostly set in a bar for superheroes. There's Excelsior, the ultra-smug and punchable Superman-analogue who lords it up over all the other heroes because he's the most popular and recognised superhero with the general public, The Hotness who has fairly rubbish heat-generating powers and desperately wants to be recognised by the public, Electroclash who controls machines and mainly uses her power to score free cigarettes, but I think my favourite is Thunder Monkey, who can summon monkeys to do his bidding, only they're in a zoo and it takes them about two hours to get to him.

Think 'Spaced' crossed with 'The Handbook of the Marvel Universe'.

I've got the first five episodes on my iPod. Haven't had time to watch them yet; got one more True Blood to catch up on first.

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Heradel

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Reply #20 on: October 20, 2008, 09:27:51 PM
I'm enjoying No Heroics which is on a tiny channel in the UK, similar in starting concept to Mur Lafferty's 'Playing for Keeps' in that it's mostly set in a bar for superheroes. There's Excelsior, the ultra-smug and punchable Superman-analogue who lords it up over all the other heroes because he's the most popular and recognised superhero with the general public, The Hotness who has fairly rubbish heat-generating powers and desperately wants to be recognised by the public, Electroclash who controls machines and mainly uses her power to score free cigarettes, but I think my favourite is Thunder Monkey, who can summon monkeys to do his bidding, only they're in a zoo and it takes them about two hours to get to him.

Think 'Spaced' crossed with 'The Handbook of the Marvel Universe'.

I've got the first five episodes on my iPod. Haven't had time to watch them yet; got one more True Blood to catch up on first.

I like it on a gag-by-gag basis, but I'm hoping that a plot starts showing up soon.

I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


Listener

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Reply #21 on: October 21, 2008, 05:51:41 PM
I'm enjoying No Heroics which is on a tiny channel in the UK, similar in starting concept to Mur Lafferty's 'Playing for Keeps' in that it's mostly set in a bar for superheroes. There's Excelsior, the ultra-smug and punchable Superman-analogue who lords it up over all the other heroes because he's the most popular and recognised superhero with the general public, The Hotness who has fairly rubbish heat-generating powers and desperately wants to be recognised by the public, Electroclash who controls machines and mainly uses her power to score free cigarettes, but I think my favourite is Thunder Monkey, who can summon monkeys to do his bidding, only they're in a zoo and it takes them about two hours to get to him.

Think 'Spaced' crossed with 'The Handbook of the Marvel Universe'.

I've got the first five episodes on my iPod. Haven't had time to watch them yet; got one more True Blood to catch up on first.

I like it on a gag-by-gag basis, but I'm hoping that a plot starts showing up soon.

Yeah, I caught the first two this morning. Some of the jokes go on FAR too long (like the bus thing in episode 2). I laughed, though.

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Reply #22 on: October 22, 2008, 03:15:17 PM
I also loved B5 and Firefly.  I'm caught up on BSG and I think it is really good.  I started getting a little weird in the last season but I think it is still pretty good.  I also liked the first season of Sarah Conner Chronicles; the second season just started but haven't seen any of it yet.

I'm really enjoying the second season of Sarah Conner. And, unlike a lot of well-established TV series out there (cough couch BSG), you don't have whole load of seasons to wade through before you're totally caught up and you actually know what's going on. (Thanks to the writer's strike, season one is even shorter than it could be.)

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Reply #23 on: October 22, 2008, 11:09:17 PM
I'm enjoying No Heroics

a pretty funny show. a funnow.

i'm ok with the meandering pace but it might get repetitive like Burns' man stroke woman.


anybody watch anime here? i recently picked up death note and it's been interesting so far. an exceptionally intricate & comprehensive plot. a deft touch with pacing.

i recommend it if you're looking for a surprising story with intelligent characters; it's probably best to avoid any spoilers and just let it take you for the ride. as a warning, it is a suspense series with some very dark undertones and it has that unfortunately condescending attitude towards women that anime always seems to have.



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Reply #24 on: October 23, 2008, 01:11:09 AM
anybody watch anime here? i recently picked up death note and it's been interesting so far. an exceptionally intricate & comprehensive plot. a deft touch with pacing.

i recommend it if you're looking for a surprising story with intelligent characters; it's probably best to avoid any spoilers and just let it take you for the ride. as a warning, it is a suspense series with some very dark undertones and it has that unfortunately condescending attitude towards women that anime always seems to have.

I've seen the live-action films based off of it, but not the anime, so all I can say is that the films are good.

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