What are the top sci-fi shows for space adventure lovers?

In summary: oh yeah, and the acting is terrible.I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard it's terrible. "Syfy" came out with a new one called Alphas. They attempt to "scientifically" explain the super powers which is probably the worst... oh yeah, and the acting is terrible.
  • #1
QuarkCharmer
1,051
3
This seems like the appropriate forum to ask and get a decent reply. I have watches every star trek except for the original and enterprise (I gave the original a shot but the first two episodes were horrible). I really liked TNG, the action parts of DS9, and the borg parts of Voyager. I saw the new V and Battlestar Galactica, I tried to watch the originals of those two, but they are too dated for my taste. Obviously I have seen Firefly too. What are some other great space-adventures that aren't too terrible? What are your favorite scifi shows? I need something to watch!
 
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  • #2
QuarkCharmer said:
This seems like the appropriate forum to ask and get a decent reply. I have watches every star trek except for the original and enterprise (I gave the original a shot but the first two episodes were horrible). I really liked TNG, the action parts of DS9, and the borg parts of Voyager. I saw the new V and Battlestar Galactica, I tried to watch the originals of those two, but they are too dated for my taste. Obviously I have seen Firefly too. What are some other great space-adventures that aren't too terrible? What are your favorite scifi shows? I need something to watch!

Have you tried looking at what SyFy has to offer? It was a favorite whenever we could get it.
 
  • #3
Doctor Who.
 
  • #4
Farscape isn't TOO terrible... (apparently - haven't watched it myself)

Also if you don't mind non-space-based, pseudo-science-fiction / drama / thriller then Fringe is enjoyable.
 
  • #5
DoggerDan said:
Have you tried looking at what SyFy has to offer? It was a favorite whenever we could get it.

The SyFy channel has devolved into the "ScoobyDoo" channel IMNSHO, very little Science Fiction, mostly consisting of bad made-for-TV monster movies. The rest is horror and ghost stories and bad Steven King novels...OH! and wrastlin' of all things!
 
  • #7
The new Battlestar Gallactica is good. When I first saw it my thought was that someone had decided to take the absolute worst SciFic series ever made and redo it for adults.

Don't know if it's on in reruns anywhere these days
 
  • #8
phinds said:
Don't know if it's on in reruns anywhere these days

It's on BBC America on Saturday evening. I agree SyFy channel is (mostly) crap, but if you don't mind science FICTION, then give Warehouse 13 and Eureka a try (though they only run during the summer schedule).
 
  • #9
I've started watching Haven, it's not bad.

http://www.syfy.com/haven

I also enjoyed "Being Human" http://www.syfy.com/beinghuman

My all time favorite "Supernatural" on CW, it's funny and campy and creepy and very well written. http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural

I've just started watching "American Horror Show" on FX.
 
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  • #10
What about Fox News??
 
  • #11
Dr. Who > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchwood"

Torchwood is a Dr.Who Spin off in the UK aimed at an older audience. I've only seen a couple of episodes from the forth series and they were quite good. Will probably watch them all. Apparently The Doctor appears in a couple of episodes too.
 
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  • #12
Thetom said:
Dr. Who > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchwood"

Torchwood is a Dr.Who Spin off in the UK aimed at an older audience. I've only seen a couple of episodes from the fourth series and they were quite good. Will probably watch them all. Apparently The Doctor appears in a couple of episodes too.

Torchwood isn't as good as Doctor Who, IMO. Anyway, they almost never go into space on Torchwood, just fight aliens in Wales (and america), and space is what the OP is looking for.

By the way, it's Doctor Who, not Dr. Who. It can't be abbreivated to Dr. because it is a name, not a title. I'd rather you'd call it DoctorW or DW or Who.
Just me being a pernickety Doctor Who geek. :wink:
 
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  • #13
I would second some of those already mentioned... Torchwood, Warehouse13, Eureka, and Fringe. They are all pretty much tongue in cheek with Fringe being the one that actually has some serious drama in it. Eureka is one of my favourites, you just have to get passed the cheesiness of it and it becomes a fun show.

Since you watched Battlestar you might also like Caprica. Unfortunately it only had one season before it was tanked.

Dollhouse is a Joss Weadon (Firefly) series but unfortunately most people don't like it and so it got tanked after one season. If you check it out you may enjoy it but don't expect it to be like Firefly. edit: actually there may have been two seasons now that I think of it.

Journeyman was a one season show as well. It's sort of a rip off of Quantum Leap but I enjoyed it.

If you like super hero shows "Syfy" came out with a new one called Alphas. They attempt to "scientifically" explain the super powers which is probably the worst part of it. It is pretty cheesy but it can be fun.

Another super hero one which is much better is a British show called Misfits. It is a very funny show. The "heroes" are more like anti-heroes being "troubled" kids who got their powers in a strange storm while doing community service together.
 
  • #14
TheStatutoryApe said:
If you like super hero shows "Syfy" came out with a new one called Alphas. They attempt to "scientifically" explain the super powers which is probably the worst part of it. It is pretty cheesy but it can be fun.

For me extra thing makes alphas fun, if you don't think about it much, are the references to Binghamton. As in: nothing could be more horrifying than being sent to Binghamton (of course they mean a human research facility there). But I grew up in Binghamton and couldn't wait to get out, so these references are literally true for me (I would be horrified at being forced to live in Binghamton).
 
  • #15
Alphas is OK, but it's a bit of a cheap ripoff of Heroes (which may itself be an X-Men ripoff). Heroes is definitely better in the beginning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_5" is worth a look.

for general silliness, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Truckers" . (a movie, and might be too terrible)

for animated, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell:_Stand_Alone_Complex"
 
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  • #16
Alphas has two extremely annoying characters, Gary, ugh, I want to stuff a sock in his mouth, and that whimpy, whiney Dr. I watched the first few shows, then could no longer tolerate those two. And the old Dr was wearing a speedo?
 
  • #17
Syfy (the new name still bugs me) really don't show decent stuff anymore.

Anyway a small list to try:

Stargate SG1
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Universe
Red Dwarf :)
Babylon 5
Quantum Leap
Andromeda
Lost in Space
 
  • #18
Evo said:
Alphas has two extremely annoying characters, Gary, ugh, I want to stuff a sock in his mouth, and that whimpy, whiney Dr. I watched the first few shows, then could no longer tolerate those two. And the old Dr was wearing a speedo?

Ah well, that's where personal background changes things (besides being so amused whenever they mention Binghamton). I agree about the doctor, but Gary reminds me so much of my daughter who has the same disorder only much worse (but with savant calendar skills), and says similar things with similar mannerisms. So dislike Gary->dislike my daughter->not conceivable for me. Instead, love daughter->Gary is amusing, love seeing a character like that on TV.
 
  • #19
GregJ said:
Syfy (the new name still bugs me) really don't show decent stuff anymore.

Anyway a small list to try:

Stargate SG1
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Universe
Red Dwarf :)
Babylon 5
Quantum Leap
Andromeda
Lost in Space

Can't help but chime in that Lost in Space and Quantum Leap were two of the very rare sci fi shows that made me ill to watch.
 
  • #20
I watched Quantum leap when it originally aired, it was good imo.

As far as Stargate goes, I have seen SG-1, the Movie, and SGU. I could never get into watching Atlantis. It was just so corny, not-related to the Stargate franchise, sort of like a low budget spinoff with new writers.

I sort of like Haven, Warehouse 13 has it's moments, but virtually everything else on Syfy (silly spelling!) I cannot tolerate watching. Including Alphas :yuck:

I might have to check out Dr. Who. I never watched the original growing up, hopefully that isn't a pre-requisite for the new series.

Someone suggested I watch Babylon 5, but the few episodes that I watched were all about indoors space drama with newly introduced characters. Sort of like how on some Star Trek episodes they would introduce a new character that has apparently been on the ship since the beginning, but never mentioned before, then we are supposed to mourn the characters death or be interested in their unusual interaction with a recurring cast member even though from our perspective those two people have never met before.
 
  • #21
Current:
Warehouse 13 (always fun because of the psudo-history piece)
Terra Nova (more mainstream, but I am enjoying it - FYI I disliked LOST)

Recent:
Dollhouse (available on Netflix!)
Caprica (nu-BSG spinoff)

90s:
Sliders (the creativity of each setting is amazing, makes up for the shallow plots)
Seaquest DSV (who doesn't like a talking dolphin?)
 
  • #22
mege said:
Current:
Warehouse 13 (always fun because of the psudo-history piece)
Terra Nova (more mainstream, but I am enjoying it - FYI I disliked LOST)

Recent:
Dollhouse (available on Netflix!)
Caprica (nu-BSG spinoff)

90s:
Sliders (the creativity of each setting is amazing, makes up for the shallow plots)
Seaquest DSV (who doesn't like a talking dolphin?)
Oooh, Sliders! I loved Sliders, although the cro-mag thing towards the end spoiled it. I preferred it when it was more light hearted and each episode was unique.

I recently caught and enjoyed a couple of Warehouse 13 episodes. Reminds me of "The Librarian" movies.

I miss Highlander, that was a great tv series. The movies...:eek:

I also enjoyed "Relic Hunter", I can't believe that was Tia Carrere. :redface:
 
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  • #23
arildno said:
What about Fox News??

No, no dude. This is about SCIENCE fiction, not just plain fiction.
 
  • #24
phinds said:
No, no dude. This is about SCIENCE fiction, not just plain fiction.
lol.
 
  • #25
Evo said:
Oooh, Sliders! I loved Sliders, although the cro-mag thing towards the end spoiled it. I preferred it when it was more light hearted and each episode was unique.

Agreed. I liked it when you could just watch an episode and there was no ultimate plot.

I haven't heard of Seaquest, I see it's on Netflix.

mege said:
Caprica (nu-BSG spinoff)

I didn't care for Caprica as much as I cared for Alisandra Torressini or however it's spelled. :!)
 
  • #26
Evo said:
Oooh, Sliders! I loved Sliders, although the cro-mag thing towards the end spoiled it. I preferred it when it was more light hearted and each episode was unique.

I recently caught and enjoyed a couple of Warehouse 13 episodes. Reminds me of "The Librarian" movies.

I miss Highlander, that was a great tv series. The movies...:eek:

I also enjoyed "Relic Hunter", I can't believe that was Tia Carrere. :redface:

Yeah, sliders was good, less at the end.

Never knew anyone else who heard of Relic Hunter. I did like that (but maybe not for all the same reasons as you ... sorry).
 
  • #27
QuarkCharmer said:
Agreed. I liked it when you could just watch an episode and there was no ultimate plot.
I've seen quite a few good shows get canceled because they went from individual stories to a dark and depressing ongoing plot. Don't mess with success.
 
  • #28
PAllen said:
Can't help but chime in that Lost in Space and Quantum Leap were two of the very rare sci fi shows that made me ill to watch.

ever seen Lexx ? :biggrin:

fwiw, i rather enjoyed its quirkiness in the beginning, but by the time the series died, so did the budget apparently, and effects were getting worse than something off early Dr. Who
 
  • #29
Proton Soup said:
ever seen Lexx ? :biggrin:

fwiw, i rather enjoyed its quirkiness in the beginning, but by the time the series died, so did the budget apparently, and effects were getting worse than something off early Dr. Who
Lexx was another great show ruined by changing from unique episodes to a dark and dreary ongoing plot. I stopped watching it after the second season, and it had been my favorite show.
 
  • #30
Proton Soup said:
ever seen Lexx ? :biggrin:

fwiw, i rather enjoyed its quirkiness in the beginning, but by the time the series died, so did the budget apparently, and effects were getting worse than something off early Dr. Who

No never saw Lexx. Could be worth checking out.
 
  • #31
PAllen said:
No never saw Lexx. Could be worth checking out.
The first 2 seasons are excellent.
 
  • #32
PAllen said:
Can't help but chime in that Lost in Space and Quantum Leap were two of the very rare sci fi shows that made me ill to watch.

Boy Howdy, I'm with you on that. ESPECIALLY Lost in Space. UUUGGGGHHHHH !
 
  • #33
phinds said:
Boy Howdy, I'm with you on that. ESPECIALLY Lost in Space. UUUGGGGHHHHH !
Quantum Leap was funny, it wasn't meant to be serious.

Lost in Space was a victim of the time, but "Warning, Warning, Will Robinson!" will always be hysterical. I mean the robot waving his arms and shouting is a classic.
 
  • #34
I have stopped trying to watch for good shows. They are far too fickle. For a few years I saw shows that I wanted to follow - like Firefly. But give them three eps and they'll get moved to some other slot and I'll lose them. I am not up for chasing Shows around the dial.
 
  • #35
QuarkCharmer said:
I haven't heard of Seaquest, I see it's on Netflix.
First season is awsome.
Second season is good if you enjoyed the first.
Third season... don't bother unless you are on a bender and can't live without new episodes.


I didn't care for Caprica as much as I cared for Alisandra Torressini or however it's spelled. :!)
Yessir.
 

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