print
Page 1 of 2
Stargate:Universe is just latest in a long line of sci-fi and fantasy TV shows to get me hooked. I originally ran this list on my High Gravity blog, but here it is with a bit of tweaking. And apologies to all Babylon 5 fans; it's still not on among the Top 10.
10. Dr. Who
Originally launched in 1963, The
Doctor has once-again returned to the TV screen, traveling through time
and space in the TARDIS, an antiquated and surprisingly spacious blue
police box. The special effects may have gotten marginally better, but
the camp has stayed the same. Recent spin-offs
including the highly addictive (though strangely both campy and serious) Torchwood.
9. Stargate SG-1
Based on a mediocre movie with a
good premise—that all of our mythology was the result of alien contact
with our ancestors—the 10 seasons of SG-1 brought back good clean star
trekking fun, complete with its own Spock (Teal'c) and a team leader
played by MacGyver. Stargate:Atlantis has kept the spirit of its predecessor alive and well.
8. Farscape
"My name is John Crichton, an
astronaut. A radiation wave hit and I got
shot through a wormhole. Now I'm lost in some distant part of the
universe on a ship, a living ship, full of strange alien life forms.
Help me. Listen, please. Is anybody out there who can hear me? I'm
being hunted... by an insane military commander. I'm doing everything I
can. I'm just looking for a way home." So begins the adventures of a
modern man from earth, where some of the creatures look a lot like
muppets (it's a Jim Henson production, after all). Like Lexx
without all the sexual innuendo, a group of refugees are forced to
coexist aboard a living ship. It's dark without being dreary.
7. Firefly
Leave it to Joss Whedon to dream up
a space show without aliens. The smart writing he brought to Buffy
turned the universe into one big frontier, where those who didn't
conform to authoritarian rule were forced to eke out their livings
among outlying planets where the long arm of the law can't follow.
Watch the way-too-short lived series in full before finishing with
Serenity.
6. The Twilight Zone
Criminally left off the original list, Rod Sterling's original series burned itself into the imaginations of generations of sci-fi fans, getting revived in the '80s and the '00s and inspiring countless plotlines in many of the other shows on this list.
The 11 Best Villainous Species in all…
Four Sci-Fi Shows (And One Film) That…
High Definition: Farscape Revisited
Five Reasons to Watch Henry Rollins' Animal…
35 Reasons to Love the Original Star…
The 10 Best Bob Dylan Songs Over…
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Instant
The 50 Best Movies of 2011
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
The 20 Best Movies of 2011 (So…
From The Vault: The Byrds - "Eight…
Video Premiere: The Wooden Sky - 'Grace…
Live From SXSW: The Belle Brigade (Full…
Live From Paste: Adron
Firely was a better show than Galactica, though that's at least in part because it was canceled early and didn't have time to make a really shitty third season.
Still, I think the characters were more well rounded, the dialog was better, the show had more variety with a little bit of everything: humour, action, drama, moments of pure joy, moments of real sadness, pretty ladies, handsome gentlemen.
Having just gone through Galactica season 2 for the first time since it went off the air, that show was great but kind of one note.
Plus season three sucked a LOT, and season four didn't atone for it. I think Ron Moore was trying too hard in season three to make it a political allegory, which caused him to forget that he had to make a good show as well.
As usual, Josh, you're missing Futurama. You guys definitely need more Futurama love in that office.
Scifi ran a mini series called The Lost Room. One of the best science fiction shows I've ever seen!
I watched BSG. It was o.k. I'm watching Caprica and I actually like it better. And I'll put anything josh Whedon does at the top of the list whether Buffy, Angel, Firefly or Dollhouse. Stargate SG1 was just hokey but I do like the new one. Loved X-files.
Mostly agree with the list...liked 'Angel' more than 'Buffy', also would put 'Dr Who' a little higher and added Stargate Atlantis...maybe supernatural too.
Unequivocally BSG reins supreme, I have always loved watching good shows but when it came to BSG -I literally HAD to watch the next episode. The really special thing about BSG is the characters and their development that could only happen in a scifi universe...before too long there is no 'good guys' to cheer for -merely a lost and confused bunch of 'people' painted all different shades of grey.
This list is a little too heavy on sci-fi and a little too light on fantasy. Your most egregious omission is Jim Henson's "The Storyteller" series from the late '80s (both the original European-inspired series and the later four-show run dealing with Greek myths). Written by a pre-"Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The English Patient" Anthony Minghella, starring the likes of John Hurt, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Sean Bean, and Joely Richardson, and scored by Rachel Portman, it had an embarrassment of riches. With pre-CG production values that still put most current high concept TV shows in the shade, it is well worth seeking out on DVD.
Babylon 5 is amazing, but only if you watch the whole series from the beginning until at least the end of season 4. It was written as a novel for television, so just watching occasional episodes doesn't allow you to build up an understanding of what's going on.
I'm showing my age here, but I would definitely put Quatermass and Sapphire & Steel on the list. I also have fond memories of the Martian Chronicles and the original miniseries of Day of the Triffids (not the dreadful recent CGI remake).
"The Outer Limits"? "The Zanti Misfits" and "Demon With a Glass Hand" alone are worthy of "The Outer Limits" being the #1 or #2 best SF show. There were many other classic SF stories.
Great list, I can feel that Game of Thrones would be a top 10 contender if you made a list for 2011 too. Definitely one of the best fantasy TV shows of all time!
Great list, I can feel that Game of Thrones would be a top 10 contender if you made a list for 2011 too. Definitely one of the best fantasy TV shows of all time!