Author Topic: Fall TV Omnibus thread (Read 14422 times)

Heradel · **on:** November 14, 2009, 01:57:23 AM

Ok, so there are shows on their first season that don't have threads, but are probably worth discussion in some form. Thus I am creating an omnibus thread for the SF (english language) fall TV shows. I'm probably leaving out at least one, so let me know.

* Stargate Universe

* V

* Misfits (UK) (this one probably belongs in the fantasy category)

In order, quickly: Stargate Universe is having some trouble getting away from just being Stargate:Galactica, but seems like it'll be about the same standard SF fare we usually get from Stargate.

I got through the pilot of V, but I'm really not sure I'll continue. Something about the thematics of it just isn't all that appealing.

I actually like this one. Kinda seems like an superhero version of Skins where everyone has ASBOs. Smallville tries to do some similar things, but they've been hard to make out through the Vaseline the CW smears on the lens.

Heradel · **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2009, 06:12:22 PM

Also:
*Defying Gravity

*Doctor Who: Waters of Mars

Gravity seemed ok if fairly obtuse. The scenario, and it being fairly quickly canceled, reminded me of a more hard-SF Firefly kinda thing. My girlfriend liked it for the Grey's Anatomy-like relationship overtones, which went a long way into getting me to watch it.

For this next one, there are spoilers.

Waters of Mars was good. Very good. Things started out dark, and when it seemed like they were getting lighter it was really just approaching the dark in a different, darker, direction. Ten and Nine never really seemed like they got over the loss of the other timelords in the Time War, and Ten seems to be cracking. Which is both entirely proper and completely horrible. It recasts that line from The Doctor Dances ("Everybody lives Rose, just this once everybody lives!") in a much darker light; the Doctor clashed with the Timelords back in the original run, and now that they're not there to pull him back he's grown steadily more... addicted almost to saving lives. Which isn't a bad thing until he starts messing with the fixed points in time.

stePH · **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:26:00 PM

The Prisoner premiered on AMC last night with the first two episodes of six. I'll probably be watching Arrival tonight and Living in Harmony tomorrow.

[edit]
Didn't get to it. Maybe tomorrow. But strangely, they ran eps 3&4 tonight and are running 5&6 tomorrow, then rerunning 1&2 next Sunday, 3&4 the Sunday after that (11/29) and the final two on Sunday 12/6. Good thing, because I think other TiVo recordings will be overriding tomorrow's episodes. My wife's gotta watch her Dancing with Has-Beens

DKT · **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2009, 11:15:52 PM

I didn't get to watch SGU yet, aside from like 15 minutes, which seemed pretty good. But the pilot's off Hulu now, so I'll probably check it out on DVD.

V...I need to watch the second ep. The first one was okay, seemed like it had potential, but was missing something. But I'm curious to see where it goes...

The others sound interesting!

deflective · **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2009, 09:31:12 AM

waters of mars was really good but, with the torchwood special, this universe is getting way darker than it ever has before.

this is the quality i'm hoping for when Moffat takes the reigns for season 5 but, man, they gotta tone down the emotional level. i couldn't take it in an ongoing series.

stePH · **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2009, 05:45:26 PM

Does Glee count? 'cause they've apparently got a magic piano; when Mr. Schu and Rachel sang "Endless Love" last week I heard bass, drums, and a string section along with the piano which was the only visible instrument being played. That happens a lot, actually. And the students apparently have AutoTune surgically-implanted in their throats, too.

Heradel · **Reply #6 on:** November 22, 2009, 06:00:30 PM

Quote from: stePH on November 22, 2009, 05:45:26 PM

Does Glee count? 'cause they've apparently got a magic piano; when Mr. Schu and Rachel sang "Endless Love" last week I heard bass, drums, and a string section along with the piano which was the only visible instrument being played. That happens a lot, actually. And the students apparently have AutoTune surgically-implanted in their throats, too.

As opposed to all the other TV shows where the music is just magically there, man?

There characters are also surprisingly well-lit given that it's apparently a relatively budget-constrained high school. Suspicious! And there is quite a lot of Drama!

(Seriously, it's a TV show. What do you expect?)

Heradel · **Reply #7 on:** November 23, 2009, 08:23:34 AM

Just finished this run of The Prisoner. That was disturbing in a new and different way, and was a lot more coherent towards the end than the British series, which apparently made perfect sense if you were under the influence of several hallucinogens.

stePH · **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2009, 03:06:18 PM

Quote from: Heradel on November 23, 2009, 08:23:34 AM

Just finished this run of The Prisoner. That was disturbing in a new and different way, and was a lot more coherent towards the end than the British series, which apparently made perfect sense if you were under the influence of several hallucinogens.

I'm halfway through watching that now. Putting it onto the DVD recorder as I watch, so the wife and I can marathon it on New Year's Day (when she'll have time to watch it).

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2009, 10:10:25 AM

For those of you on this side of the pond:

-Merlin-Apparently, the Beeb's original plan was that this, Robin Hood (Which has now finished and involved, flat out, the best/worst Eric Clapton joke EVER. Seriously.) and Doctor Who would run continuously on Saturday evenings, thus granting them ultimate dominion over the airwaves. Or something

Anyway, it's great. It completely ignores vast bloody gobbets of Mallory and every other version of the myths and I don't care cos it's too much fun. Uther is an anti-magic zealot king with a tortured past, Morgana is his ward and Merlin is given a job with Gaius, the Court Physician to try and learn how to control his abilities. It's very, very funny and in two full seasons has had to my mind one duff episode. Worth it for the Arthur/Merlin double act alone.

-Paradox. Signals from space appear to show crimes before they happen and an arrogant scientist and a dedicated female DI must try and stop them. This has two strikes against it (The premise may fall apart and the lead actress has gone on record as saying it's not science fiction. Sure, and I'm Pope Gregory the Ninth). BUT, Lizzie Mickery is behind this and she did kickass work on Messiah.

-Messiah-Hey look! A segue! Messiah is five seasons (Although the last is crap) of two, ninety minute episodes following the hunt for unusually ghastly serial killers. I recommend it here firstly because the first four seasons are out on DVD in pairs and secondly because it's worth it for Ken Stott as the crumpled lead and Michelle Forbes as his wife, who happens to be deaf. No big deal is ever made out of it, she's just deaf and their relationship is grounded, genuine and very sweet.

stePH · **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2009, 02:58:03 PM

Quote from: Alasdair5000 on November 25, 2009, 10:10:25 AM

-Paradox. Signals from space appear to show crimes before they happen and an arrogant scientist and a dedicated female DI must try and stop them. This has two strikes against it (The premise may fall apart and the lead actress has gone on record as saying it's not science fiction. Sure, and I'm Pope Gregory the Ninth).

Actors ... what the fuck do they know anyway?

I wouldn't consider that a strike.

Finished watching the AMC version of The Prisoner last night. Not sure how I feel about the ending, but at least it was no "Fallout" ... I hated the original's ending.

Heradel · **Reply #11 on:** November 25, 2009, 04:08:51 PM

Quote from: stePH on November 25, 2009, 02:58:03 PM

Quote from: Alasdair5000 on November 25, 2009, 10:10:25 AM
-Paradox. Signals from space appear to show crimes before they happen and an arrogant scientist and a dedicated female DI must try and stop them. This has two strikes against it (The premise may fall apart and the lead actress has gone on record as saying it's not science fiction. Sure, and I'm Pope Gregory the Ninth).

Actors ... what the fuck do they know anyway? I wouldn't consider that a strike.

Finished watching the AMC version of The Prisoner last night. Not sure how I feel about the ending, but at least it was no "Fallout" ... I hated the original's ending.

To be fair to the original series, half of the writing duo had quit, and the other one was pretty strung out at the time.

Sgarre1 · **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2009, 05:34:21 PM

"Fallout" would make my top 5 list of best episodes of television, ever! Audacity, panache and a willingness to engage with the fact that the ideas being expressed in the show are much more complicated than most would like them to be and so needed something over the top to get them across (I believe that, the bit where 6 gets to finally make his speech, only to be drowned out by the chorus of "I's" - that are only echoing him - is a masterful condensation of the show and, given context, should be shown to every teenager, rebel or conformist - fool or rat).

stePH · **Reply #13 on:** November 26, 2009, 12:01:33 AM

I just resent being given a conclusion that resolves nothing and leaves all the questions unanswered. I add it to my top 5 list of "TV shows whose denouement vanished up its own backside" (though, off the top of my head, the only other one I would put on that list is Neon Genesis Evangelion)

And I will track down and eviscerate anyone who replies with "Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself."

Planish · **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2009, 09:57:32 AM

FlashForward anyone? It certainly has some of the weirdness of "Lost" (as well as a few of its actors), It's almost like a time-travel story, but not quite. I generally dislike time-travel stories because any outcome is contrived by the author due to the paradoxes, but the paradoxes in FlashForward must have a different flavour.

Quote from: Heradel on November 16, 2009, 06:12:22 PM

[Defying] Gravity seemed ok if fairly obtuse. The scenario, and it being fairly quickly canceled, reminded me of a more hard-SF Firefly kinda thing.

I like the show, and look forward to the next season, but it was the pretense of "hard SF" that bothers me at times.
1. They (the characters) went through a lot of exposition explaining the various kludges they did to explain the inconsistencies in the gravity to the viewers at home (ie. the audience surrogates). They claim that they wear some kind of magnetized fabric to keep from floating around, and even use a "special shampoo" that keeps their hair from floating. As if real astronauts cared whether or not their hair looked like Medusa. At the same time, all other objects, like the plants and their food manage to stay put. The actors don't have that "permanent shrug" look that people in real freefall have, and they could not possibly walk and move normally. I get that the studio doesn't want to spend too much money doing zero-grav effects, but couldn't they have simply spun the crew section and be done with it?
2. They appear to have FTL communications. They have real-time video conferencing with mission control, with no lag in the replies, even though Venus and Earth should be several light-minutes apart. I'm pretty sure FTL-anything is not consistent with the general level of technology they've been showing us so far.

V - I watched the pilot, and have two more episodes on tape waiting to be watched. I don't know if I'll ever get around to them because I thought the original series sucked.

stePH · **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2009, 02:45:33 PM

Quote from: Planish on November 26, 2009, 09:57:32 AM

V - I watched the pilot, and have two more episodes on tape waiting to be watched. I don't know if I'll ever get around to them because I thought the original series sucked.

Hey, remember ... the original Battlestar Galactica sucked too.

Sgarre1 · **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2009, 02:33:44 AM

It answered my questions, so I guess that's all I needed. YMMV...

Loz · **Reply #17 on:** December 06, 2009, 01:10:37 PM

I wonder whether SGU will make it to the end of the season, and/or renewal. I like it because it's trying to do something that you don't really get on modern sci-fi telly, but I don't really like any of the characters or find them interesting, which is a problem. It's rather like the first season of Enterprise, where that crew would often have a major problem with something that would barely warrant a mention in Captain Picard's Log. But then we know how that turned out.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2009, 02:55:56 PM

SGU's building it's audience each week apparently. Like most things, it's taking a hiatus in the middle for no readily apparent reason (Winter Olympics maybe?) but by all accounts everyone involved is very, very happy with where it's going.

And hey, any show that opens and closes an episode with this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDSud7vAH_0

is a okay with me:)

Heradel · **Reply #19 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:12:42 PM

Just watched the Misfits finale. God that was Dark, getting Darker.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #20 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:33:44 PM

I'll be catching up on Misfits shortly then:)

Planish · **Reply #21 on:** February 04, 2010, 03:10:51 AM

I've given up following SGU. Too much like ST: Voyager, but with dimmer lighting and no Seven of Nine.

Season 6 premiere of "Lost" - heh. More of the usual "WTF?" that I've come to love.

stePH · **Reply #22 on:** February 04, 2010, 03:12:56 AM

Quote from: Planish on February 04, 2010, 03:10:51 AM

I've given up following SGU. Too much like ST: Voyager, but with dimmer lighting and no Seven of Nine.

Season 6 premiere of "Lost" - heh. More of the usual "WTF?" that I've come to love.

I thought Lost was supposed to be wrapped in five years?

CryptoMe · **Reply #23 on:** February 04, 2010, 03:47:30 AM

Has anyone been watching Caprica?
What do you think?
I've only seen the first half of the pilot, so far. Some interesting concepts, if a bit teeny-boppy.

DKT · **Reply #24 on:** February 04, 2010, 05:29:31 AM

Quote from: Planish on February 04, 2010, 03:10:51 AM

Season 6 premiere of "Lost" - heh. More of the usual "WTF?" that I've come to love.

SMOKE MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to be so sad when that show is actually over. But I'm really going to love watching the rest of this final season.