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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="edemaitre" data-source="post: 2621478" data-attributes="member: 3372">Farscape and the new Battlestar GalacticaYes, both "Farscape" and the newer "Battlestar Galactica" are well-produced space operas and have loyal fan bases. While I'm probably in the minority in preferring the sense of wonder and aliens of "Farscape," I think both are relatively heavy on continuity and have had a darkening tone, reflecting current trends in television in general.Many genre entertainment fans have recently complained about the lack of continuity in the idealistic "Star Trek: the Next Generation," but let us remember that it was one of a few shows that helped lead to a rebirth of sci-fi TV in the past decade or two, from the dueling "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Babylon 5," through "The X-Files" and "Buffy: the Vampire Slayer," and now with the long-running "Stargates" and the revisionist "Galactica." If only fantasy would catch up with science fiction, as it has in the movies!I like shows such as "Doctor Who," "Highlander: the Series," "Farscape" and "Stargate" not because they're "continuity-lite" but because of their sympathetic characters, heroic plots, grand settings, and occasional social allegory. Isn't that what drew most of us to genre shows and role-playing? IMHO, Ron Moore's "Galactica" has been rather heavy-handed in plot (the trope of robots rebelling and destroying most of humanity in a theological debate), makes most of its female characters sex objects or martyrs, and overstates its claims of originality. But I'm still enjoying it and am curious about where it will lead. I think balancing long-term stories (currently exemplified by "Lost") and more accessible one-shot weekly episodes (say, "Smallville") is a challenge that any producer or Game Master can appreciate.I don't think I'm alone in being disappointed in the premature cancellations of many genre shows or in the SciFi Channel's decision to run schlock horror or reruns of only a few selected shows rather than "classic" speculative fiction or original programming outside of its Sci-Friday block. Ideally, television should entertain and enlighten all of us, reflecting our varied preferences... It's too bad that many licensed D20 games haven't gotten ongoing support, but my bookshelves are crowded enough already...</blockquote>

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