Science Fiction: Greatest TV Shows Part III

[nevin]

"Hard core" is not a meaningful term here.

In addition, it will get confused with the term "hard sci-fi" which denotes how close a work keeps to real-world understanding of science in the time it was written. On that score, Person of Interest is very much more hard sci-fi than Trek is (and I say this as a devoted Trek fan).

Conceded

 

[payn]

I get why folks consider POI sci-fi. My issues is that it feels like a surface only gimmick, as far as I was able to get, and its really a police procedural drama.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I got to season 3, which I was very excited because season 2 started moving away from the mundane crime fighting aspect, but then they hit the reset button in the first few episodes. Once it got to be more of the same, but now with two super soldiers, I gave up.

So, most people think that Season 3 is the start of the "brilliant" run. When it really moved from "procedural, with hints of the story and the characters" to "full speed ahead."

That said, if you found nothing interesting about the show through two full seasons, maybe it's just not for you? For me, I realized somewhere around, oh, near the end of Season 1 that this was a show worth watching. If you're not feeling it by now, maybe it's not just not your cup of, um, tea?

 

[payn]

So, most people think that Season 3 is the start of the "brilliant" run. When it really moved from "procedural, with hints of the story and the characters" to "full speed ahead."

That said, if you found nothing interesting about the show through two full seasons, maybe it's just not for you? For me, I realized somewhere around, oh, near the end of Season 1 that this was a show worth watching. If you're not feeling it by now, maybe it's not just not your cup of, um, tea?

That was the original assessment, but I take you folks seriously and wanted to give it another go based on your high praise.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

That was the original assessment, but I take you folks seriously and wanted to give it another go based on your high praise.

Well, the reason it earns such high praise is that it really gets into ...

Spoiler: For real, regarding POI

...issues of free will, philosophy, and AI. It's not even very subtle- eventually, you get to the issues of whether or not AIs can be "good" or "evil," and what that might even mean. By season 3, when we are introduced to another AI (Samaritan) these ideas become very explicit. The difference between these two AIs, and the relationships they have with humanity (such as Finch and Root), is a core and fascinating issue that plays out throughout the reaminder of the series.

Also? It's pretty, pretty cool.

 

[Zardnaar]

Risk if getting shot I wouldn't put a few if the classics in my top 5 eg Doctor Who or Star Trek. They're to inconsistent with a lot of bad episodes if not seasons. DS9 would probably make my top 10.

1. Stargate Atlantis.
2. Babylon 5
3/4 Farscape/ Stargate SG1 not sure on the order.

I would argue these 4 were the most consistent. They may have had the occasional duff episode but overall were good. Using that logic.

5. DS9 Most consistent Trek, season 1 was decent.
6. BSG reboot.
7. Continuum.
8.-10?

Parts of Doctor Who could make it if you cherry pick certain seasons or the best of TNG.

Star Treks just to inconsistent from the original series through to the movies and every show. DS9 is the only one I've managed to watch in it's entirety and enjoy.

Shows that screw up the ending badly or have entire dud seasons or ones that fall of the cliff don't really do it for me.

SG1 declined Ned season 9/10 but they weren't awful and some if it was good and most shows don't get a season 9/10.

Atlantis I enjoyed start to finish very few dud episodes, liked the cast etc and didn't go long enough to have the decline SG1 did. May not hit the same heights as some other shows but avoids the rough patches as well.

 

[Ryujin]

Risk if getting shot I wouldn't put a few if the classics in my top 5 eg Doctor Who or Star Trek. They're to inconsistent with a lot of bad episodes if not seasons. DS9 would probably make my top 10.

1. Stargate Atlantis.
2. Babylon 5
3/4 Farscape/ Stargate SG1 not sure on the order.

I would argue these 4 were the most consistent. They may have had the occasional duff episode but overall were good. Using that logic.

5. DS9 Most consistent Trek, season 1 was decent.
6. BSG reboot.
7. Continuum.
8.-10?

Parts of Doctor Who could make it if you cherry pick certain seasons or the best of TNG.

Star Treks just to inconsistent from the original series through to the movies and every show. DS9 is the only one I've managed to watch in it's entirety and enjoy.

Shows that screw up the ending badly or have entire dud seasons or ones that fall of the cliff don't really do it for me.

SG1 declined Ned season 9/10 but they weren't awful and some if it was good and most shows don't get a season 9/10.

Atlantis I enjoyed start to finish very few dud episodes, liked the cast etc and didn't go long enough to have the decline SG1 did. May not hit the same heights as some other shows but avoids the rough patches as well.

I understand that Joe Flanigan tried buying the rights to Atlantis so that he could keep making it, but was turned down.

 

[drl2]

1. Babylon 5
2. Galactica reboot (though I wasn't fond of the way it ended)
3+ - a hodge-podge of other stuff whose order would probably vary depending on my mood and which one I'd watched most recently. ST:TNG and DS9 are in there somewhere but not the rest of the Treks (though I don't share the widespread hatred of Odyssey), along with Farscape, and... er... uh... need coffee.

 

[nevin]

Risk if getting shot I wouldn't put a few if the classics in my top 5 eg Doctor Who or Star Trek. They're to inconsistent with a lot of bad episodes if not seasons. DS9 would probably make my top 10.

1. Stargate Atlantis.
2. Babylon 5
3/4 Farscape/ Stargate SG1 not sure on the order.

I would argue these 4 were the most consistent. They may have had the occasional duff episode but overall were good. Using that logic.

5. DS9 Most consistent Trek, season 1 was decent.
6. BSG reboot.
7. Continuum.
8.-10?

Parts of Doctor Who could make it if you cherry pick certain seasons or the best of TNG.

Star Treks just to inconsistent from the original series through to the movies and every show. DS9 is the only one I've managed to watch in it's entirety and enjoy.

Shows that screw up the ending badly or have entire dud seasons or ones that fall of the cliff don't really do it for me.

SG1 declined Ned season 9/10 but they weren't awful and some if it was good and most shows don't get a season 9/10.

Atlantis I enjoyed start to finish very few dud episodes, liked the cast etc and didn't go long enough to have the decline SG1 did. May not hit the same heights as some other shows but avoids the

Posting about wrong atlantis. Deleted

 

[Hex08]

Based on the rules as given, my top 10 are:
1. The Expanse
2. Battlestar Galactica (the reboot)
3. Babylon 5
4. Twilight Zone (original)
5. Star Trek (Pre-Paramount+ era. No P+ shows are finished so including those would break the rules and Discovery is so, so bad)
6. Stargate (SG-1 & Atlantis)
7. X-Files
8. Fringe
9. Quantum Leap
10. Contiuum

Honorable mentions: Orphan Black, The Outer Limits & The Prisoner

Other than the top 3 spots I'm not really stuck on my order but for now those are my top 10.
-edited my list because Snarf says later The Expanse became eligible-