Best Sci-Fi television series EVAR!

[Mark]

Best Sci fi series - Can it be a cartoon?

Yup.

 

[Morbidity]

It can only be Red Dwarf. Okay I know there are only a few supporters here … but I’m sure we can make all these Babylon 5 and Farscape groupies see the light.

 

[WizarDru]

It can only be Red Dwarf. Okay I know there are only a few supporters here … but I’m sure we can make all these Babylon 5 and Farscape groupies see the light.

I think you'll find plenty of supporters for Red Dwarf here...I'm just not sure I'd mark it on my Top 5. Top 10, most likely.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi all!

In order...

Farscape - this show had it all, plot, story, villians, heros, and twist. How I miss it but rumor from Virginia Hey at Gencon is that something is in the air!

Babylon 5 - This show was a true space opera, the only issues was it could not find a home and support.

Star Trek: TOS - wonderful stories (don't hurt me) but was it sci-fi or western? Stories were powerful and it hinted at a lot of things in the future (only one with vision).

Stargate SG1 - still up and coming, good actting and stories but nothing really new.

Dr. Who - story and plot over special effects. It was the show that showed you do not need bells and whistles to be good sci-fi. Should be higher on the list but have not seen every one!

Agree with all the above but also add:

Blakes Seven

Space Above & Beyond

Red Dwarf

 

[Ariddrake]

Hands down.. Robotech, a story of a young boy coming to grip with his transformable jet fighter! Go Ben Dixon!!!!!

 

[Black Omega]

I just said LEXX because I have just watched the entire 2nd season on dvd and it's still in my head. I didn't watch it on TV my friend said it was off so I checked it out. The timing for the episodes were kind of skewed and there is some wierd bondage thing I think the writers were trying to work out.

Personally, I thought Lexx was great fun most of the time. Very weird and quirky. Also very hit and miss, with some truly bad episodes, especially in the final season. On the other hand, Stanley H. Tweedle was a great character and very well acted. One of my favorite sci-fi characters.

 

[trancejeremy]

Battlestar Galactica

Buck Rogers

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Friday the 13th: The Series

And I'm tempted to say Quark, but that only lasted a handful of episodes (though in many ways, Red Dwarf seems a rip off of it...), but Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. They did a pretty good job of capturing the feel of the books, and the actors who played Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect were perfectly cast.

 

[Turgenev]

For me it has to be Doctor Who with my preference being the 2nd and 3rd Doctors (Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee) with honourable mention to Tom Baker (4th) & Peter Davison (5th). But then, I've always preferred British SF over American SF (I'm funny that way ).

Honourable mentions go to (not in any order):
* Blake's 7
* Sapphire & Steel
* The Avengers (some of the colour Emma Peel episodes certainly have a SF touch to them )
* The Tomorrow People
* Gatchaman (Japanese cartoon, a.k.a. G-Force/Battle of the Planets)
* Star Trek: TOS
* Red Dwarf
* Kolchak: The Night Stalker
* Babylon 5
* Macross (Japanese cartoon, a.k.a the first story arc of Robotech)
* Outer Limits (original series)
* Space 1999
* Stargate SG1

I'm sure I'm forgetting about a half of dozen or more obscure SF shows (like Jason of Star Command).

Cheers,
Tim

Edited for spelling

 

[Villano]

Not including cartoons and sticking only stuff that aired in the US, I'd say that Twilight Zone would probabl be considered the best of all time.

Star Trek (the original) would also have to get a nod even though I prefer DS9. And B5 comes very, very close, but the 1st and last seasons were so weak, I can't quite bring myself to say it was the best.

I know that some people will bring up the argument that for every "social commentary" episode of Trek, there was a "Space Hippy" one that people conveniently forget and the B5 is better. Truthfully, I'd rather watch B5, but Trek really was ahead of its time.

Another of the "greatest ever" would have to be Kolchak, The Night Stalker. I don't know if this is really the first real, non-anthology, horror tv series, but it certainly is the most influencial.

But, when all is said and done, my favorite would have to be The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. (with Kolchak coming in a very close 2nd). I'm not arguing that it's the best of all time, just the best to me.

 

[physics_ninja]

Best Sci fi series - Can it be a cartoon?

Yes it can. Two that come to mind are Star Trek the Animated Series and X-Men Evolution. (Although I wonder if the comic book sub-genre can be called science fiction. Oh, wait a minute -- The Flash, Wonder Woman, The Hulk, Superman, Batman, Mantis, Mutant X -- Yeah, those could all be science fiction when they wanted to be.)

My personal all time favorite is Doctor Who. I own every episode that is available and several that aren't. I started watching it in 1984 and recording it in 1985. I still have (and watch) those tapes.

Star Trek (TNG, Voyage, DS9) each have episodes that I wish I had: Inner Light (TNG), Fear (Voyager), In the Pale Moonlight (DS9).

I have about 2/3 of B5. The story arc makes it great to sit through and watch all of it at once. (Which I have occasion to do twice a year due to my job.)

Stargate 1 is just a great hour of entertain television. Even my sister watches it and she doesn't have a sci-fi bone in her body.

X-Files was at its best when it didn't take itself seriously. And at its worst when it simply refused to tie up the storyline.