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.
  • #71
Yes, firefly is indeed great. Sadly, it got canceled, just like many others.

You also have the stargate series (Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe).

There's also Eureka and Sanctuary (both canceled, viva syfy!)
 
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  • #72
QuarkCharmer said:
FWIW, I started watching Enterprise after creating this thread. It's actually not half bad. Working on Farscape now, but season one isn't panning out, and there is all sorts of Jim Henson muppetry afoot...

Towards the end of season 1 Farscape really hits it's stride with the introduction of Scorpius. I don't understand why people are so hung up about the puppets, as they provide the possibility of showing aliens that are truly alien and not just humans with rubber foreheads.

Although it does have a larger story arc, the show is more character driven and after a while you'll see Rygel and Pilot more as fleshed out characters and less as puppets.

Don't expect to see any hard science though.
as the main character John Chrichton points out:
"we break the laws of physics every time we go out for groceries."
 
  • #73
I am enjoying Star Trek: Voyager at the moment (just started season 03 the other day). I like the premise and the characters are actually pretty good. A huge bonus, is that there isn't much blab (for now at least) about Starfleet's prime directive.

I may read through this thread again soon to find my next series, as right now I am drawing a blank.
 
  • #74
Eureka was a cool show, wish we had some of those 'toys' in real life
 
  • #76
Fringe i guess is good one
 
  • #77
Fringe and Lost, 'nough said.
 
  • #78
micromass said:
Stargate??

My mom watched this show a lot, and I must say it is part of what got me into not just physics but science in general. Awesome series.
 
  • #79
Stargate-SG1 suprised me at being so enjoyable. They did a good job on that one for sure. I hated voyager and predicted enterprise would be canceled pretty quick even
before it started.

I'm still p* off they canceled the sarah conor chronicles just so (it seems to me)
they could do another crappy and pointless movie.
That series was far superior to the last movie in every respect.

Actually I'm becoming paranoidially (is that a word?) convinced that hollywood
puts the knife in somehow every time a really good looking TV series gets going
that shows up their multi-million dollar budgets as nonesense.

I still think LEXX is the best SF show ever produced (well - some of it) and Farscape
kicked in really well after a while. (I'm in agreement with the above comments about scorpius and the puppets)

Currently we only seem to have Warehouse13 here - and I can't say I'm a fan of
endless regurgitations of the X-files under different names.
 
  • #80
QuarkCharmer said:
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!
I realize that you posted the question in 2011, but the thread is still active, so I just have to say that I hope you didn't dismiss the original miniseries V just because it looked dated. It's definitely worth watching. It's just 5 episodes, and a few orders of magnitude better than the reboot. Unfortunately they decided to follow it up with a series that was very very bad. You should definitely not watch that one.

brenan said:
Stargate-SG1 suprised me at being so enjoyable. They did a good job on that one for sure.
...
I'm still p* off they canceled the sarah conor chronicle
I agree with these comments. T:TSCC was the most annoying cancellation in the last few years, along with Stargate Universe.

Since this is a recommendation thread, and no one has mentioned Continuum yet, I will. It's a Canadian show about a police officer (Rachel Nichols) who finds herself in the past (i.e. our time) when a group of terrorists use some weird technology to escape from prison. It's really silly, but still pretty entertaining. Season 2 is expected to start in April 2013.
 
  • #81
SG-1 was just plain awesome: longest-running North American sci-fi series ever! I wish they'd done Universe better, though, since that could have gone on as long as SG-1 did, with all the new things they could have added...
 
  • #82
Fredrik said:
Since this is a recommendation thread, and no one has mentioned Continuum yet, I will. It's a Canadian show about a police officer (Rachel Nichols) who finds herself in the past (i.e. our time) when a group of terrorists use some weird technology to escape from prison. It's really silly, but still pretty entertaining. Season 2 is expected to start in April 2013.

I havn't seen it but if it has Rachel in it ...

Mentioning her reminded me of Alias - not really SF but the whole Rambaldi thread
was good fun and made the entire show stand out. It could be argued that made it SF.

As someone mentioned Lost I've always said the pilot was stunning TV but it was clear
the writers had no concept at all about what they were going to do after that. The only thing lost were the writers. That made it very quickly unwatchable for me.
 
  • #83
I really enjoyed Alias at the time, especially season 2. Season 3 was OK but not good. Season 4 was pretty bad. Season 5 was the worst kind of garbage. Alias is one of three shows I like to mention as examples of an enormous drop in quality after the best season. The other two are Prison Break and Heroes.

I thought Lost was watchable until just before the end, but that ending...by far the worst in TV history. It ruined the earlier seasons for me. I still get angry when I think about it.
 
  • #84
My favorite science fiction shows are, in order, Babylon 5, Farscape and Stargate SG1. I tried watching Sanctuary and Falling Skies but I didn't enjoy them. Continuum is fun.

In my opinion, if there is one sci-fi series you have to watch, it should be Babylon 5.
 
  • #85
Sanctuary wasn't too bad, but I'd have to draw the line and say it was more of fantasy than actual science fiction...
 
  • #86
I have tried to watch Sanctuary. The first time I couldn't even make it through the pilot. A few years later, a friend recommended it, so I decided to give it a shot. But I couldn't take it for very long. At the exact moment things were starting to get a little bit interesting, they killed off the character that made things interesting.

Some other shows in the sci-fi/fantasy genre that I gave up on are Lost Girl, Haven and Farscape. Haven was terrible, so I gave it up after two episodes. This year I've been seeing a lot of comments online about how great it is, so I watched a few more, but I couldn't make it to the end of the season. There was no hint of an arc, the standalone stories were boring, and for some reason I don't really like Eric Balfour.
 
  • #87
I once tried to watch Andromeda, out of loyalty to my sci-fi nerdness.

Had to stop.

I just had it after captain plywood kissed an initially skeptic character played by a very bad actress the third episode in a row. The whole show is like some kind of "in" joke, "lol, our viewers will watch it anyway"... The horror the horror.
 
  • #88
Last edited:
<h2>1) What makes a science fiction show "good"?</h2><p>A good science fiction show is one that successfully combines imaginative and thought-provoking concepts with compelling characters and engaging storylines. It should also have well-developed world-building and explore relevant themes and ideas.</p><h2>2) Are there any specific elements that are essential for a science fiction show to be successful?</h2><p>While there is no one formula for success, many science fiction shows incorporate elements such as advanced technology, alternate universes, time travel, and societal or political commentary. However, what sets a show apart is how these elements are utilized and integrated into the storytelling.</p><h2>3) Do science fiction shows have to be scientifically accurate?</h2><p>Not necessarily. While some viewers may prefer scientific accuracy in their science fiction shows, others are more interested in the speculative and imaginative aspects. As long as the show remains internally consistent and adheres to its own established rules, it can still be considered successful.</p><h2>4) What are some examples of highly acclaimed science fiction shows?</h2><p>Some popular and critically acclaimed science fiction shows include "The Twilight Zone", "Star Trek", "The X-Files", "Black Mirror", and "Stranger Things". These shows have resonated with audiences due to their unique and thought-provoking concepts and memorable characters.</p><h2>5) Are there any common themes or messages found in science fiction shows?</h2><p>Many science fiction shows explore themes such as the consequences of advanced technology, the dangers of unchecked power, the fragility of humanity, and the potential for both progress and destruction. They also often address societal issues and reflect on the human condition in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.</p>

1) What makes a science fiction show "good"?

A good science fiction show is one that successfully combines imaginative and thought-provoking concepts with compelling characters and engaging storylines. It should also have well-developed world-building and explore relevant themes and ideas.

2) Are there any specific elements that are essential for a science fiction show to be successful?

While there is no one formula for success, many science fiction shows incorporate elements such as advanced technology, alternate universes, time travel, and societal or political commentary. However, what sets a show apart is how these elements are utilized and integrated into the storytelling.

3) Do science fiction shows have to be scientifically accurate?

Not necessarily. While some viewers may prefer scientific accuracy in their science fiction shows, others are more interested in the speculative and imaginative aspects. As long as the show remains internally consistent and adheres to its own established rules, it can still be considered successful.

4) What are some examples of highly acclaimed science fiction shows?

Some popular and critically acclaimed science fiction shows include "The Twilight Zone", "Star Trek", "The X-Files", "Black Mirror", and "Stranger Things". These shows have resonated with audiences due to their unique and thought-provoking concepts and memorable characters.

5) Are there any common themes or messages found in science fiction shows?

Many science fiction shows explore themes such as the consequences of advanced technology, the dangers of unchecked power, the fragility of humanity, and the potential for both progress and destruction. They also often address societal issues and reflect on the human condition in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

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