Battlestar Galactica commentary on Farscape

[Tuzenbach]

My problem with Stargate is that after having not seen it for several years, I watched one new episode and it felt like the same old stuff.

There's nothing new under the sun, but BG has at least come up with a good mix of the old. And atypically for most sci-fi shows, they've avoided the 'new planet every week with a new mysterious race'.

True. However, I'll say this in Stargate's defense vs. BSGalactica: I'm not sure why this is, but Stargate's re-runs are 100% more watchable than Galactica's.

You know how the Sc-Fi channel has these things run twice or thrice on Friday nights? For whatever the reason, (if I'm really REALLY bored!) I have no problem watching the same episode of Stargate twice in the same night. However, I CAN'T watch a repeat of Galactica. It's as if Galactica's far more compelling upon first viewing (compared to SG), but SG holds up better upon repeated viewing. Is it the "soap-opera" nature of Galactica that erodes its endurance? I'm not sure.

Am I alone in this?

Oh yeah.... Though an "unwatched" episode of Galactica holds more value for me than an unwatched episode of Stargate, a "watched" episode of Galactica holds ZERO value for me at all.

Guess which of the two series I'll end up owning on DVD (having not missed any episodes of Galactica)?

 

[Tuzenbach]

The scifi shows that I like and dislike.

Like/Love
Battlestar Galactica
Firefly
Invasion
Threshold
Surface
Star Trek Next Generation
Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Earth 2

Dislike/Hate
Stargate SG1
Stargate Alantis
Farscape
Buffy
Angel
Babylon 5
Original Star Trek
Star Trek Voyager
SeaQuest

Without Doctor Who in either of your lists, your lists don't actually exist. You know that, right?

 

[Viking Bastard]

Am I alone in this?

I agree. It's like Clockwork Orange and Independance Day. I love Clockwork Orange, it may
very well be my favouite movie, but I've watched ID4 10 times more often. Heck, I don't
even own the Clockwork Orange DVD.

 

[edemaitre]

"BSG" vs. "Farscape"

Without giving away any "spoilers" for those who are still catching up on the SciFi Channel's revisionist "Battlestar Galactica," there's a difference between the traumatic experiences occasionally shown on "Farscape" and the constant draping of seminude "Number Six" over Gaius Baltar in "Galactica." In fact, my least favorite episodes and seasons of "Farscape" were when the series got too dark late in season three, when Chianna and Jool were busting out all over. Sure, Roslin and Starbuck in "BSG" aren't sexualized, but they are martyrs.

I agree with the poster who noted that although both are steeped in backstory, "Stargate SG1's" reruns are more watchable than those of almost any other recent space opera. As another poster's lists clearly show, much of our likes and dislikes are personal preferences, so we can't expect to agree on all of them. For the record, of the shows you mentioned, here are my favorites and least favorites:

Like:

Babylon 5 (esp. later seasons; not to mention Blake's Seven)
Battlestar Galactica (primarily the 1970s version)
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer and Angel
Doctor Who (old and new)
Farscape
Firefly/Serenity
Smallville
Space: Above and Beyond
Star Trek: the original series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine (and even-numbered movies)
Stargate SG1

Dislike

Battlestar Galactica (only the supposedly original premise and some heavy-handed characterizations and plots, IMHO)
Earth 2
Invasion
Threshold
SeaQuest DSV
Sliders
Surface
Stargate: Atlantis (except for certain characters)
Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise (except for final season)
X-Files (only the later seasons)

As you can see, there are arc-driven shows on both of my lists. I have a slight preference for the heroic over conspiracy/horror themes, but there are notable exceptions. Before this thread gets too negative or argumentative, perhaps we should consider what we do like about these various genre television programs (and how relevant they are to D&D3.5/D20/OGL games)...

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Season 3 was the best season of Farscape, it gave Crais some depth, expanded on Aeryn's backstory, and did something original with the whole 'twinning' concept that happens in sci-fi from series to series.

 

[frandelgearslip]

Without Doctor Who in either of your lists, your lists don't actually exist. You know that, right?

Believe it or not there are a LOT of Americans have never seen an episode of Dr. Who. I am 24 years old and to the best of my knowledge a Dr. Who show has not been shown in America during my television watching days outside of maybe BBCAmerica. Dr Who is not the end all be all in America.

ARGH. PLEASE use SPOILERS tags. Now I feel like I can't read the thread I started anymore. (Still in season 1).

I think there should be an expiration date for spoiler tags after a certain point. if somebody is talking about a show you should expect the responses to include up to the date information.

For example you remember in star wars when

Spoiler

Darth Vader turned out to be Luke's father

I have actually had somebody request spoiler tags over subject matter a good 5 years old.

And since were doing lists now
Like/Love (in no particular order)
Buffy
Angel
Battlestar Gallactica (New Version)
DS9
Babylon 5
Farscape
X-Files

Dislike/Hate
Battlestar Gallactica (Original)
any non DS9 Star Trek
Anything Stargate
Firefly
Sliders
Seaquest
Smallville
Battlestar Gallactica (Original) Yeah I already named it but I hate it enough to name it twice. I have always envisioned fans of it as the comic book guy from the simpsons (who is a HUGE fan of battlestar Gallactica).

 

[DreadPirateMurphy]

I think there should be an expiration date for spoiler tags after a certain point. if somebody is talking about a show you should expect the responses to include up to the date information.

Perhaps, but when the person who starts the thread explicitly asks in the first post that there not be spoilers, and when the shows in questions are less than a year old, then I would expect people to see that as a reasonable request or not post to that thread.

BTW, I have never seen an episode of Dr. Who, and I grew up in America. What little snippets I have seen look slightly cheesey.

 

[DonTadow]

Perhaps, but when the person who starts the thread explicitly asks in the first post that there not be spoilers, and when the shows in questions are less than a year old, then I would expect people to see that as a reasonable request or not post to that thread.

BTW, I have never seen an episode of Dr. Who, and I grew up in America. What little snippets I have seen look slightly cheesey.

Once its pretty common knowledge I dont think its spoilers anymore. We're in the middle of season 2 which means that the only thing spoiler would be if you got a headsup on next season. I"m sure that he means future episodes are at the very least the last episode.

If I start a 24 thread and ask for no spoilers I"m not going to get upset because someone starts talking about things from season 2.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

True. However, I'll say this in Stargate's defense vs. BSGalactica: I'm not sure why this is, but Stargate's re-runs are 100% more watchable than Galactica's.

You know how the Sc-Fi channel has these things run twice or thrice on Friday nights? For whatever the reason, (if I'm really REALLY bored!) I have no problem watching the same episode of Stargate twice in the same night. However, I CAN'T watch a repeat of Galactica. It's as if Galactica's far more compelling upon first viewing (compared to SG), but SG holds up better upon repeated viewing. Is it the "soap-opera" nature of Galactica that erodes its endurance? I'm not sure.

Am I alone in this?

Oh yeah.... Though an "unwatched" episode of Galactica holds more value for me than an unwatched episode of Stargate, a "watched" episode of Galactica holds ZERO value for me at all.

Guess which of the two series I'll end up owning on DVD (having not missed any episodes of Galactica)?

I enjoyed rewatching Galactica immensely, and I never watch reruns of Atlants or Stargate episodes, so I guess it can work both ways. (Wonder if anyone hates or loves rewatching in general )

(And I liked rewatching Farscape episodes, at least many of them)

 

[Drkfathr1]

I
Still love Farscape. But dude, it's too rich for TV.

Eh, this is why I don't watch much TV anymore. I'm tired of "dumbed down" entertainment. I loved the complexity and continuity of Farscape. I wish more shows were like that.

As for BSG, I find it to be painfully boring. I've tried watching it several times, and I even watched one of the mini-marathons on Sci-Fi...and I found each episode to basically be the same thing. The camera work in that show is awful too. Blecch.

(puts on flame-retardant suit...)