Season three is finally out. It's been a great series and look foward to season three. A friend referred Babylon 5 too.. anyone else have some good series to recommend..??
Hbar

Glad to hear season 3 is out. I can highly recommend Lost to you. One of the best shows to be on TV ever IMHO.

Rick

The Firefly series is no longer on the tube , but for less than thirty bucks you can have the one and only season-a bargain at twice the price. Seriously , I got mine for $21 and wouldn't sell it for $100.

I second firefly...probably one of my all time favourite - great writing, great acting, and storyline

Have Firefly and would agree. Wished they never pulled it. Also watched Serenity.. the follow-up movie to firefly..
Any comments on Babylon 5..

Battlestar Galactica was great in the original series, and the modern remake series ain't so bad, either. I liked the Cylons more when they all looked robotic, but the new human-clone Cylons make for some interesting story lines, too.

Babylon 5 was one of my favorites, too. I had a request in to the local used-CD shop for well over a year before they finally found me the first (only?) three seasons. I always had the feeling that the last season was rushed and put together from incomplete parts that should have been part of a much longer story. I suspect that the decision was made to cut the show short --that is, end it after a certain number of additional episodes that were fewer than originally planned, so they re-jiggered what they had to cobble it into some semblance of a finished show. Other than that disappointing aspect, it was an excellent show.

There is also a semi-remake series based on "Star Trek" called "Enterprise". Some people don't like it, but I enjoyed it. Picked it up on DVDs for peanuts at a flea market, and bought that way it was some of the best bang-per-buck media entertainment I've ever found.

The one and only Doctor.

I absolutely love the new Galactica!

Enterprise: had promise but failed to deliver. Many blame Rick Berman for the collapse of the franchise, which would be supported by the fact he's got nothing to do with the new Star Trek movie coming out this Christmas (A JJ Abrams film for those Lost or Cloverfield fans out there.)

Babylon 5: To date my favorite scifi series, except for the new Galactica. It was orginally designed as a 4 year series with a definite beginning, middle & end. Season 5 was pulled out of the air and wasn't too good, lacked direction. The spin off series Crusade was promising but unfortunately were killed off due to creative disagreements. After Sci-Fi Channel picked up the rights to it, many thought Crusade would be revived as the options for the actors hadn't run out yet. They tried their hand at a new series, Legend of the Rangers which the pilot movie was a bit cheesy on the dialog, but was promising (remember how bad and cheesy the first few seasons of STNG were til it found itself?) but was dropped when ratings were low due to some damn football game. But given how Scifi Channel any more seems to just churn out sub-B level crap its probably a good thing. There was a movie released about a year ago called Babylon 5: The Lost Tales which wasn't bad, but not real great either. What partially made B5 good IMHO was it had a dark alomst hopeless feel to it. Human tech was far more primative than other races, main characters had depth and somoe died along the way. It didn't have that happy go lucky feel that most off the newer Star Trek shows and Stargate SG-1 had to where usually everything would be ok and you knew it. Very good writing for its time, still one of the best shows made.

This is one of those that you almost have to watch from the beginning. If you try to pick up in the middle of season 2 or later, you'll not undestand some of what's going on. Aside from 5 seasons there are also a hand full of excellent movies. The first 5 are available (the 2 hour pilot also) in a box set with the later 2 (Legend of the Rangers & The Lost Tales) available separately. Crusade is also out on dvd, all 13 episodes.

Battlestar: not much needs to be said about this. I think part of its success is from it used alot of the same formulas as B5. My only complaint is how Scifi Channel has been handling it. They've got a highly successful series on their hands and act like they donn't know how to hendle it, showing a half eason here then waiting almost a year to air the rest of it. I've heard many rumors that they will wait til 2009 to air the second half of season 4, trying to stretch it out as much as possible. That was flaoting around BEFORE the writier's strike. Also, Ron Moore has confirmed that SciFi Channel is definitly picking up Caprica, a prequel series leading up to the creation of the Cylons and the first Cylon War.

Other noteable series: Doctor Who, Stargate SG-1 (10 seasons, 2 movies with a 3rd on the way later this year), Stargate Atlantis (season 5 premiers this summer), Star Trek Orginal Series (it has been rereleased with completly redone special effects. very cool), Eureka.

I'll put another check mark next to Firefly. I loved that show and it sucks that it was cancelled by the network because they wanted to go to One Tree Hill type night time teen drama garbage... only to have networks realize there IS a market for primetime sci-fi shows just a few years later (Lost, Heroes, Battlestar Gallactica, Terminator). Imagine how good Firefly would be with 3-5 years of development... Take Serenity's many storylines and stretch that into 22 shows instead of 90 minutes.

Serenity. Blake's 7, Dr. Who, Babalon 5 (MUCH better then Battlestar Galacta).

Favorite quote from Blake's 7:
Vila: Why don't you go?
Avon: You are expendable.
Vila: And you're not?
Avon: No, I am not. I am not expendable, I'm not stupid, and I'm not going.
Gan: I'll get the guns.

Battlestar Galactica was great in the original series, and the modern remake series ain't so bad, either. I liked the Cylons more when they all looked robotic, but the new human-clone Cylons make for some interesting story lines, too.

I preferred the original Battlestar series and its robotic Cylons to the remake. After the first 2-3 episodes of the remake I stopped watching. I just could not warm up to the show.

Farscape started out rough and just got better & better. Fan revolt when cancelled got one final movie that tied up loose ends fairly satisfactorily. Great cast that worked well together, not unlike the following:

Firefly (Just goes without saying!) Still cannot believe it has not been picked up in some way, shape, or form by Sci-Fi or another concern. I'm fine with straight to DVD episode releases; in fact, I'll pre-buy a years worth!

More please; please?

I preferred the original Battlestar series and its robotic Cylons to the remake. After the first 2-3 episodes of the remake I stopped watching. I just could not warm up to the show.

I did not like the remake pilot. I pretty much just went "Pffft!" to it. About a year went by and I rewatched it subsequent to the series launch. It was way better than I remembered and by the 3rd show I was hooked. Pretty much that way all the way through. I got over Starbuck being a woman; she truly kicks ass! The new version went places the other could not go and now it looks more like "Lost In Space" to me than the new version which should be titled "Running From Certain Doom With No Chance In Hell". It's on its last season now and you might beg, borrow, or steal the preceding seasons & see the whole composition. Not every episode is good but some are truly chilling......"All this has happened before......"

BOOM!

Yeah I would agree on Babylon 5. A number of years ago they reaired the entire series while I was in school, so I got a chance to watch the whole thing.

Another series that I really liked, was Stargate SG1.

And I also have to second the Eureka Series...love the comedy side.

I preferred the original Battlestar series and its robotic Cylons to the remake. After the first 2-3 episodes of the remake I stopped watching. I just could not warm up to the show.

I have set down to try and watch this show on several occasions, but the episodes are so painfully slow. I wanted to slash my wrists, so I turned the TV off, went downstairs and fired up the 2A3 and LaScalas and all was well. :D

I have to say that I may like BSG better than the newer Star Trek(TNG and newer) series. BSG has more intrigue to it I guess. More in depth storyline. More to think about. Star Trek had great shows but always seemed to lack something.

Another here and gone series on Fox that I really liked was Space: Above and Beyond. Got the entire series on DVD and it has some great space battle scenes as well as some thoughtful commentary on war in general.

I thought Farscape was a thumbs-up riot!!
One of the very few Sci-Fi shows that wasn't wooden and predictable.

Steve

Another here and gone series on Fox that I really liked was Space: Above and Beyond. Got the entire series on DVD and it has some great space battle scenes as well as some thoughtful commentary on war in general.


That was a great show while it lasted. Putting it on Sunday at 6pm during football was the kiss of death. I wish I had it.


I have the whole Babylon 5 series (fantastic!). I loved the G'kar and Londo
characters. Some of the lines they had were pure comedy gold.

I have to agree on the raves for Bab5. Haven't seen it since it was aired in its entirety over 10 years ago but I know that I made the effort to watch every episode I could, in order. Great stories, great characters and most of all, a very watchable show.

The new Battlestar kicks ass 90% of the time and I really like it. It can get a tad slow from time to time but the writers always find a way to kick it up a notch or two when you least expect it.

Enterprise was very good. I'm still working my way through the episodes I missed.

I actually liked ST-Voyager very much as well as ST-TNG. I'm old enough to be a big fan of the original Trek too.

Firefly was also a real winner. I watched a marathon of all the episodes once and never left my chair if I didn't have to.

The one series I've yet to watch is Stargate. I just can't seem to catch any interest in that one yet.

I'm watching the BSG season three now and it's good. I have also just picked up season one of Bab5.. spose I should have got the 2nd and 3rd season too while I was there. Sounds like Bab5 was a good one with the comments given on it here..

Hbar

Sick im also a big fan of BSG! i watch it every friday night!

Did anybody see last night's episode? Seems the one of the four have had their programming take over. Right after she said they weren't evil.



Who is the final Cylon?

Have Firefly and would agree. Wished they never pulled it. Also watched Serenity.. the follow-up movie to firefly..
Any comments on Babylon 5..
Yes. Babylon 5 is IMHO possibly the greatest Sci-Fi TV series ever made.

These need to be watched from the begining to the end, in-order as there is a fantastic storyline that progresses throughout the series. Season 1 is very good, but won't knock your socks-off. However it provides the foundation that is needed for the rest of the storyine. But Seasons 2-4 are great, with seasons 3 & 4 being the best. Season 5 the series switched over to USA Network, after being cancelled by thier previous network, and one of my favorite characters left the cast. Unfortunately Season 5 suffered as a result. But even so, it is still good, but by comparison to Season's 3 & 4, it is a dissapointment.

FYI - My avatar is an Alien called a Vorlon from B5.

I love Battlestar. . . That said however why do these shows start off great then the story line gets spread out in directions that make you wonder sometimes.

Some are worse than others like "Lost" for example. . . Started off great but not long afterwards it just went in so many directions I couldn't keep up with it. . . Still liked it just dissapointed is all. . .

BG took off great. In my mind the best of this type then it wasn't good enough to just have toasters. . .They had to make some look human. . . At first it was OK as it added to the suspense then now there are 12 models. . . I guess thats OK too. . .

Maybe in the end we will learn that everyone is cylon. . .

Why wouldn't I be surprised??

Still a great show. . . I just wish SciFi was HD. . . BG on DVD is much better to watch. . .

My wife and I have been watching the dvd's of BSG and tonight we are going to start Season 3. I wasnt sure if I was going to like this series when we started it but I'm totally hooked and I love it. I wonder if things move slower when you watch one episode a week and have to WAIT forever for the next show. I love when we can knock out 4 episodes a night and everything is fresh in your head.

I am a confirmed BSG nut-job. I hated the silly original series and think the new (when it is on its game) one is one of the best shows in 20 years. I am especially fond of the first season, when the whole post-911 WTF-is-going-on theme was right up front. The first episode of season 1, "33" is one of the best single-arc 60 minute dramas I have ever seen. Season 1 DVDs are worth owning just for that episode. Season 3 was uneven but the New Caprica occupation was fascinating in the way it tried to depict the roots and strategies of an insurgency fighting against an occupying army (can you say "Baghdad"?). When Eick and Moore are on their writing game and feel like they have a political point to make they can really nail it.

"33" is the episode that got me hooked on the show. I just happened to catch it on SciFi while channel surfing.

I remember watching the original BG series years ago and enjoying it, so a year or two ago I picked up the original pilot movie and first season of the original series on DVD, and enjoyed it. They showed the first two years of the new series on TV here, and I enjoyed them, too, but seem to have missed the third and subsequent years, if they have shown them.

I sort of preferred the Cylons all being toasters, but have got used to the human-clone aspect; it adds an interesting twist and some suspense, and helps "update the science" involved. One thing that bugs me is that they re-gendered Starbuck to be a girl. Having a female in that sort of role is fine, but they should have altered the name at the same time to reflect the change ("Stardoe" sounds corny, but something other than the original Starbuck ... who himself was a clone of Han Solo, and the inspiration for the coffee place! :D ).

The other thing I found way over-played was all the religious nonsense about the scientist guy with the "invisible" blond companion. I got tired/bored with all that stuff. Adding some elements of prophecy, religion, etc... and elements of mythology is in keeping with story-telling and even sci-fi tradition, but that part of it I thought was over-blown.

I recently picked up and re-watched the first three seasons of Babylon Five, and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Also found a couple seasons of a Star Trek spin-off called "Enterprise", which was never shown here in Hong Kong, so I knew nothing about it. Ended up enjoying it. :yes:

I also have some of the original Star Trek shows as well as the movies, on LaserDisc. Dated as they are, even those are enjoyable enough when I'm in the mood for them.

I agree with the idea that it is better not to have to wait a week between episodes of a series. When you watch the shows back-to-back over several evenings instead of spread out over weeks, you pick up more details of the over-arching story lines. For that reason, I keep my eyes open for the seasons of these shows that I'm still missing. Sci fi may be "geeky" to some people, but I like it!

Resurrecting this thread to thank those who suggested Firefly, which has helped us through our withdrawal symptoms after finishing Season 3 of BSG on DVD.

I cannot tolerate regular TV with all the ads and just about never watch it, so we'll have to wait, probably for at least a year, for BSG Season 4.

Firefly is not up to the level of BSG, but it isn't bad. We like the characters. I wish there was more space intrigue and different ships and such, rather than the somewhat silly western-themed episodes that take place on various planets. But hey beggars can't be choosers when it comes to decent sci-fi- there just isn't that much available...

I agree that BSG is one of the best TV shows in recent memory. We were always big Star Trek fans, going back to the original in the 60's. But the gritty realism of BSG's characters are a great counterpoint to the somewhat sterile, idealistically kinder and gentler characters on Star Trek, especially TNG and Jon Fluke Retard (apologies to Mad Magazine for that)...

I like the new Battlestar, however dark it is compared to the original. It seems its a trend for shows to go "dark" in terms of tone these days. Doesn't say much for society if that is the new trend.

I want to buy season 3, but I also want it on Blu Ray. I refuse to buy the DVDs if the Blu Ray will be bought down the road.