posted
Granted - much of what you say Nimrod I agree on actually. But the reason S:AaB didn't make it with me -and I didn't explain this, was because it fell away rapidly towards the end by not living up to a lot of the potential the show had - and of which I was sure would be acted on. I can't name specifics because it was a few years ago now and the show and story arc are no longer fresh in memory. But I do recall at the time there were some very cool things in this show. The Lightwave work was great, and I appreciate this as I use Lightwave to render my own starship designs (see my site link below :-))
I appreciate seeing the grunt perspective as well. Ever see 'Starship Troopers'? Of course you must have. This is such a fun movie. There's nothing better in that particular genre. Unless you quote 'Aliens', but that's a much darker, more serious affair.
In many ways, the S:AaB space navy mirrors what I used to believe a pre-Federation Earth Force could be like. I think 'Enterprise' may blow many of our aspirations anyway on that. But that's another thread.
posted
I would put Space Above and Beyond in the same category as Babylon 5:The Crusade---a very good show with generally good ratings but was overbudget to begin with. SAB rocks---it remains one of the best SF shows I have ever seen, a tad better than B5 and superior even to DS9. SAB was destined for cancellation due to its cost, which almost happened to Dark Angel by the way. SAB never enjoyed a protective umbrella network like Sci-Fi channel or UPN. Crusade suffered a similar fate---good show, good ratings but TNT as any thing that has the Turner name, is a tightwad and couldn't afford it.
The top five quality SF shows now, and it's a tossup: X-Files, Farscape, the Outer Limits, Stargate SG1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These shows are consistently rated by critics, magazines, showbiz experts, and opinion polls being the best SF shows or in the case of the Buffy, the best show of the season period. Of the five, I may put X-Files, Buffy and Farscape a little ahead.
Rounding it near the top 10, will be First Wave, Angel, Andromeda, Roswell, and Earth FC.
[This message has been edited by crobato (edited May 25, 2001).]
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Shit like "Buffy" & "Angel" & the rest of that vampire shit never struck me as sci-fi. It's fantasy to me, for my personal definitions. I never got it anyway.
Anything that deals with the supernatural is fantasy for me. "X-Files" skirts the lines which was nice when I watched it.
------------------ "'I don't CARE who started it, I'm tired, and I WANT QUIET!!!!! Or I'm going to come up there and flatten the BOTH of you!' And he meant it. And we'd stop. Or he would." --Foreign policy as laid down by First of Two's dad
posted
I tend to toss "Highlander" into the fantasy department as well.
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
------------------ OB1 tries to make Anakin a Jedi, gets a Sith. Palpatine tries to make Anakin a Sith, gets a toaster. OB1 tries to make Luke a Jedi, gets attacked by the toaster, then gets a cyborg whiner. Palpatine tries to make Luke a Sith, gets a piece of burnt toast, then gets attacked by the toaster.
posted
I was also going to ask why people kept mentioning "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I only ever saw the movie, but, from what I know of the show, I didn't think there was anything sci-fi about it...
As for "The X-Files"... It isn't so much sci-fi, really, but it's close... I might call it "para-sci-fi"...
posted
I think it's because of the incompetence of journalists that "Scifi", "Mystery", "Horror" and "Fantasy" are always thrown together - although the only thing they have in common is that they are showing a world different from the one we know.
If at all, I would compare Star Trek only to other science fiction.
posted
I don't know about mystery, but horror and fantasy have always been under the umbrella of science fiction. That's why fantasy novels can (though rarely do) win the Hugo.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
In these times where industry pundits are terrified of labelling anything as sci-fi ("it's space opera" "it's fantasy!" "It's the present-day, but with spooky stuff"), it's refreshing to see everyone's got their nerd hairs raised. And Buffy is good. And Angel is good AND funny.
I would like to make one related comment:
"Aliens with an Australian accent? I dunno. Never had the guts to watch a full episode."
I know how you feel. Do you know how hard it is to get through TV shows where all the aliens have an American accent? It's a nightmare.
I'd have a go at you more, but you watch The Fast Show.
Dexter's Lab is undoubtably science fiction. Cause I said so. But does that make The Powerpuff Girls sci-fi or fantasy? Eh? EH?!
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
posted
I would say that Powerpuff and Dexter's Lab are parodies, and so is Futurama. Parody does not exclude a show from being SF in the general term.
Frankly I love shows with accents---British accents, Australian accents. Babylon 5 actually used the various European like accents in the show as a device to "accent" its weirdness and diversity---and played that feeling of diversity much better than DS9.
posted
Well, there's Londo and the occasional Centauri, but other than that? Delenn had an accent but only because Mira F. did. It was hardly a shared Minbari trait.
Registered: Mar 1999
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