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Other Science Fiction ShowsA place to discuss all of the other Sci-Fi shows which may tickle your fancy!
The original Outer Limits can on occasion be entertaining but it also can at times suffer from an overwhelming amount of pretentiousness that "Twilight Zone" tended to be more free of IMO.
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"They hate us with every fiber of their being. We love....freedom, independence, the right to question. To them it is an alien way of living."-The non-myopic wisdom of Commander Adama, "Saga Of A Star World"
"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."-Ronald Reagan
The original Outer Limits can on occasion be entertaining but it also can at times suffer from an overwhelming amount of pretentiousness that "Twilight Zone" tended to be more free of IMO.
Eric -
Skiffy was showing some of the original B&W Outer Limits eps today and I caught a couple before I went to work. I find them extremely entertaining, although somewhat dated considering their vintage. One day, I wouldn't mind having the entire series on DVD.
I do remember back in the late 80's when the original Outer Limits came out on VHS and I showed an ep or two to a friend of mine that was only 5 years younger than me. He just laughed all the way through them and dismissed them as poorly done and out of date.
Even after nearly 50 years, I still find them a lot of fun!
Bryan
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"When Commander Adama sees these, he's gonna go crazy!" - Col. Tigh - "Saga of a Star World"
"If you love long enough, wish hard enough, anything is possible" - From The Boy Who Could Fly
Now, see? Another example that pales in comparison to the Skiffy treatment of Flash Gordon.
Most of the worst sci-fi shows have some redeeming qualities: the camp, the overacting, the MST3K attributes. Skiffy's no-budget Flash Gordon doesn't even have any of those going for it. Even the hot women weren't.
This one is still the winner, hands-down.
I am
Dawg
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"...I aim to misbehave." Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity.
Bryan, I think it depends on the specific episode. Yes, you can get some great stuff, but I guess maybe because of the hour long format, that causes some stories to seem pretentiously padded at times whereas Twilight Zone at a half hour always comes in crisply done and just seems better.
And then there was an episode like "Wolf 359" which seemed to spend more time on its monster of the week while ignoring completely the whole conceit of a planet in miniature developing in the lab. You'd have thought they could have sprung for one shot of people scurrying about using a piece of old stock footage that would be Patrick O'Neal's view through the microscope but all we get is a picture of a mushroom cloud to show that they've reached the atomic age.
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"They hate us with every fiber of their being. We love....freedom, independence, the right to question. To them it is an alien way of living."-The non-myopic wisdom of Commander Adama, "Saga Of A Star World"
"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."-Ronald Reagan
Now, see? Another example that pales in comparison to the Skiffy treatment of Flash Gordon.
Most of the worst sci-fi shows have some redeeming qualities: the camp, the overacting, the MST3K attributes. Skiffy's no-budget Flash Gordon doesn't even have any of those going for it. Even the hot women weren't.
This one is still the winner, hands-down.
I am
Dawg
Isn't there anything at which you can point that is positive about it at all?
Now, see? Another example that pales in comparison to the Skiffy treatment of Flash Gordon.
Most of the worst sci-fi shows have some redeeming qualities: the camp, the overacting, the MST3K attributes. Skiffy's no-budget Flash Gordon doesn't even have any of those going for it. Even the hot women weren't.
This one is still the winner, hands-down.
John -
I would have to agree with you there. I didn't find one redeeming quality about the Skiffy FG reboot series. It was very poorly made and had very little even for a casual SciFi fan to latch onto. I found myself retreating to the DVDs of the 1970's Filmation series to get my SciFi fix in terms of Flash Gordon.
Thankfully, Skiffy didn't bother to re-tool, or renew the series. It was just so abysmally bad - I shudder to even recall those times I watched.
Bryan
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"When Commander Adama sees these, he's gonna go crazy!" - Col. Tigh - "Saga of a Star World"
"If you love long enough, wish hard enough, anything is possible" - From The Boy Who Could Fly
What is your issue with ST:TNG, anyway? Roddenberry helmed the first couple of years, until his health failed and the Killer B's got it. It continued the TOS universe, it advanced Roddenberry's vision, it gave us Marina Sirtis......
Where was I? Oh, yes...
It had redeeming qualities shows like X-Men or Andromeda couldn't even dream of (and I don't buy half the anti-TNG stuff you've posted). And it's worst was Shakespeare compared to Flush Gordon.
No, I wasn't Wesley Crusher's biggest fan, either, but even he was better than any of the Flush Gordon episodes. You could at least laugh at the boy wonder.
And just so you know - ST:TNG saved my sanity - maybe my life. The middle years of that show were some of the most stressful of my life - work, school, kid problems - and those two hours (first broadcast & 1 repeat each week) were the only times I could get out and go somewhere else. ST:TNG has a special place in my heart because of that.
In other words, redeeming features.
I am
Dawg
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"...I aim to misbehave." Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity.
What is your issue with ST:TNG, anyway? Roddenberry helmed the first couple of years, until his health failed and the Killer B's got it. It continued the TOS universe, it advanced Roddenberry's vision, it gave us Marina Sirtis......
Where was I? Oh, yes...
Things wrong with ST:TNG?
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10. "Code Of Honor" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_61994143364 ) - Garrett Wang (Harry Kim on "Star Trek: Voyager") tells a wonderful story of his trepidation to join the series when his only experience with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was this episode. It's easy to see why; "Code of Honor" has a b-grade camp quality to it that makes one cringe when watching it. It's amazing that the series survived its third week (when this episode aired) given how quickly it had such a significant dud,
9. "Man Of The People" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_91458604676 ) - Who doesn't love Counselor Deanna Troi? No one I know! After all, she strides around the ship in fun outfits, illustrating that she's a busty woman. Who wouldn't want to go to counseling when Troi is the counselor? I don't know, but it's a shame that when she gets an episode early in the seventh season and she becomes a psychic spittoon for a jerk that Marina Sirtis was forced to go along with it. And yes, the make-up is just plain terrible,
8. "Where Silence Has Lease" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_71502827140 ) - Second season, "Star Trek: The Next Generation," writer's strike imminent. Episodes will be rerun many, many times before new episodes are written and shot. Why did this have to be one of them?! My review of the episode is so stark because NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS EPISODE! How much can someone write about an episode where the ship flies around in circles for several minutes before giving up and waiting for everyone to be killed? I hope whoever wrote this one got sacked as part of the writer's strike negotiations,
7. "The Neutral Zone" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_64304877188 ) - And joining that person should be whoever wrote this episode. Someone thought they could be clever and write an episode that simply combined elements of the original "Star Trek" episodes "Balance of Terror" and "Space Seed" and throw in a hick to boot. The only thing that keeps this in the upper five of the bottom ten is that Marc Alaimo appears for a few seconds in the episode. Yea Marc! But really, whoever thought that this finale would get people to come back the next season, they ought to be prevented from ever doing anything creative again,
6. "The Outrageous Okona" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_71725977220 ) - How many famous celebrities can appear in an episode of a television show and have it still suck? Well, outside the main cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," this episode features Whoopi Goldberg, Joe Piscapo, Billy Campbell, and Teri Hatcher (yes, THAT Teri Hatcher!) and it's still a dog. It's a dog that's so mangy kids don't cry when it's taken out back and shot. Half the episode involves Data trying to become a stand-up comic and the other half involves a rogue sleeping with various members of the crew, but the whole thing is just dumb,
5. "Shades of Gray" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_73059176068 ) - Clip show as a season finale. Do I honestly need to say more? Poor Pulaski to be written out on such a note,
4. "Hero Worship" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_89030758020 ) - I was shocked at a recent "Star Trek" convention to discover that there are people who actually love this episode! I'm convinced these people are the "Star Trek" fans most comparable to those people of faith who believe the Bible is the literal word of god and completely infallible (including all of the contradictory stuff, the concept of slave ownership and the right to stone your neighbors for sinning). When a young boy begins to emulate Data to avoid a trauma, the psychology is solid, but the episode is anything but,
3. "Devil's Due" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_344996744836 ) - As a person who sells "Star Trek" memorabilia, I'm keenly aware of things that interest fans of "Star Trek." Recently, a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" trading card set was released and the incentive card for the binders was an autograph from the woman who played Ardra in this episode. Now despite the fact that this woman is rather attractive (even with the prosthetics), never does conventions, and has never signed for any of the trading card releases, her autograph in the binder did not drive anyone to buy a binder from me. That's how disliked her character was, that's how bad this episode was,
2. "The Royale" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_72569687684 ) - Second season again and this one was a close call for the worst of the bunch. You know how I suggested that whoever wrote "The Neutral Zone" ought to be barred from doing anything creative ever again? Well, "The Royale" is original, but it's so bad, it's a parody of bad and it's a parody of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." When Riker, Worf and Data get trapped in an alien casino, things go from terrible to dismal to just plain suck. Not only should the writer and director of this episode be barred from ever making anything again remotely creative, they ought to be sterilized so they cannot have children who might make such monstrously stupid works. Added to that, the entire guest cast (save Sam Anderson) ought to be expelled from the Screen Actors Guild just for participating in this piece of utter idiocy,
and . . .
drumroll please . . .
1. "Force Of Nature" (reviewed at: https://www.epinions.com/content_107431038596 ) - I'm an avid environmentalist and I still hate this episode! Two crazy environmentalists board the Enterprise with a crackpot theory that warp speed travel is destroying space (much like the deterioration of the ozone layer). They blow a hole in space to prove their theory and the science behind this episode makes no sense, nor does the whole plot and the characters are just ridiculous parodies. Even the actors walk through this last season episode looking like it's a bad idea. Maybe this was the real reason the series was canned . . .
It had redeeming qualities shows like X-Men or Andromeda couldn't even dream of (and I don't buy half the anti-TNG stuff you've posted). And it's worst was Shakespeare compared to Flush Gordon.
I'll take a hairy meathead egomaniac Hercules over a bald egomaniac scene stealing twit who thinks he's leading man material. Marina Sirtis was WASTED. She should have played a hard edged Fed zampolit to the hilt, instead of the ineffectual lotus eater psycho-babbler that she became.
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No, I wasn't Wesley Crusher's biggest fan, either, but even he was better than any of the Flush Gordon episodes. You could at least laugh at the boy wonder.
That was the GBOTG's senility creeping in. What happened to Jack the Ripper in TOS was perfect for Wesley-preferably with the crew throwing a two for one special by adding Chromedome to the one way going away party.
Quote:
And just so you know - ST:TNG saved my sanity - maybe my life. The middle years of that show were some of the most stressful of my life - work, school, kid problems - and those two hours (first broadcast & 1 repeat each week) were the only times I could get out and go somewhere else. ST:TNG has a special place in my heart because of that.
I was having a rather rough event filled life back then too. I had to wait until 1993 though. ST;TNG was the harbinger of very bad things to come (Voyager and Enterprise)
Quote:
In other words, redeeming features.
Right from the getgo, "Mission to Farpoint" I knew ST:TNG was terrible. The minute Baldy said "We surrender." I was through with that gonzo miscast caste and that sorry series. DS9 revived my faith for a while because of Michael Piller, but as for rest of Berman Drek, Yeetch.
What is your issue with ST:TNG, anyway? Roddenberry helmed the first couple of years, until his health failed and the Killer B's got it. It continued the TOS universe, it advanced Roddenberry's vision, it gave us Marina Sirtis......
Where was I? Oh, yes...
It had redeeming qualities shows like X-Men or Andromeda couldn't even dream of (and I don't buy half the anti-TNG stuff you've posted). And it's worst was Shakespeare compared to Flush Gordon.
No, I wasn't Wesley Crusher's biggest fan, either, but even he was better than any of the Flush Gordon episodes. You could at least laugh at the boy wonder.
And just so you know - ST:TNG saved my sanity - maybe my life. The middle years of that show were some of the most stressful of my life - work, school, kid problems - and those two hours (first broadcast & 1 repeat each week) were the only times I could get out and go somewhere else. ST:TNG has a special place in my heart because of that.
In other words, redeeming features.
John -
Just don't agree with him regarding the perceived flaws in TNG.... I tried that by pointing out what I thought were flaws in the characters and then the guy comes back with what he felt was a worthy performance just to counter it.
Save your sanity, let him have this one. The way I look at it, there are far more people that admire TNG for what it provided as opposed to how many of those that didn't like it. Like it or not, if it weren't for the success of TNG, we wouldn't have gotten 3 more Trek series in the process, not to mention a few more films after the TOS era ended. If TNG hadn't caught on like it did, we might have seen an ending to Trek back in the late 80's instead of it continuing until now.
Trek may not be perfect in all it's forms, but it's outperformed and outlived pretty much every genre series except for the UK's Doctor Who.
Bryan
__________________
"When Commander Adama sees these, he's gonna go crazy!" - Col. Tigh - "Saga of a Star World"
"If you love long enough, wish hard enough, anything is possible" - From The Boy Who Could Fly
Wow! Feels like I've wandered into an BBS discussion from a decade ago.
On the CON side for TNG there's one factoid that always stuck with me throughout the years. When TWILIGHT ZONE magazine reviewed the pilot (this was back when 'zines actually came off the press in a timely fashion so the series hadn't actually premiered) the author, speaking about the design of the then new Enterprise, called it a:
COSMIC SOPPOSITORY.
On the PRO side TNG actually utilized retooled material from the proposed continuation series. If you saw the motion picture here's the break down best as I recollect it:
Riker = Decker
Deanna = Ilia
Deltan = Betazoid
Compare these character's story arcs. They are IDENTICAL. Right down to the female character being from a sexually liberated species with progressive views about expressions of sexuality.
I forget the name of the Android character in TMP and most of his parts seem to have been cut out but if you look closely at the bridge scenes you will see a guy with a bit of a forehead and weird looking eyes, that's the 'Data' character. I think the SE DVD may have some info on this.
Of course if you didn't like TMP then the above PROs are CONs. But at least there was no V'ger in the TNG/TMP pilot, just giant celestial jellyfish creatures.
Last edited by Kester Pelagius; April 2nd, 2009 at 09:01 AM..
Reason: syntax, grammar, clarity, carrots, does anyone read this?
Wow! Feels like I've wandered into an BBS discussion from a decade ago.
On the CON side for TNG there's one factoid that always stuck with me throughout the years. When TWILIGHT ZONE magazine reviewed the pilot (this wa back when 'zines actually came off the press in a timely fashion so the series hadn't actually premiered) the author, speaking about the design of the the new Enterprise, called it a:
COSMIC SOPPOSITORY.
On the PRO side TNG actually utilized retooled material from the proposed continuation series. If you saw the motion picture here's the break down best as I recollect it:
Riker = Decker
Deanna = Ilia
Deltan = Betazoid
Compare these character's story arcs. They are IDENTICAL. Right down to the female character being from a sexually liberated species with progressive views about expressions of sexuality.
I forget the name of the Android character in TMP and most of his parts seem to have been cut out but if you look closely at the bridge scenes you will see a guy with a bit of a forehead and weird looking eyes, that's the 'Data' character. I think the SE DVD may have some info on this.
Of course if you didn't like TMP then the above PROs are CONs. But at least there was no V'ger in the TNG/TMP pilot, just giant celestial jellyfish creatures.
Something old and I learned something new. My day has not been wasted. Thank you!
Wow! Feels like I've wandered into an BBS discussion from a decade ago.
On the CON side for TNG there's one factoid that always stuck with me throughout the years. When TWILIGHT ZONE magazine reviewed the pilot (this wa back when 'zines actually came off the press in a timely fashion so the series hadn't actually premiered) the author, speaking about the design of the the new Enterprise, called it a:
COSMIC SOPPOSITORY.
On the PRO side TNG actually utilized retooled material from the proposed continuation series. If you saw the motion picture here's the break down best as I recollect it:
Riker = Decker
Deanna = Ilia
Deltan = Betazoid
Compare these character's story arcs. They are IDENTICAL. Right down to the female character being from a sexually liberated species with progressive views about expressions of sexuality.
I forget the name of the Android character in TMP and most of his parts seem to have been cut out but if you look closely at the bridge scenes you will see a guy with a bit of a forehead and weird looking eyes, that's the 'Data' character. I think the SE DVD may have some info on this.
Of course if you didn't like TMP then the above PROs are CONs. But at least there was no V'ger in the TNG/TMP pilot, just giant celestial jellyfish creatures.
Those are good points.
I liked the TMP and also like Star Trek TNG.
The Skiffy version of Flash Gordon couldn't keep my attention up to the first commercial break.
I'd have to agree with you there...
It was just so abysmally bad. It made the remake of Bionic Woman look like high art (and we all know what happened to that). I just stood back in shock when there were people saying that they actually liked the show and thought that it was worthy of a second season. That just tells me that some people will watch just about anything because "it's new and it's Sci Fi".
I'm glad that I have more discerning taste than that.
Bryan
__________________
"When Commander Adama sees these, he's gonna go crazy!" - Col. Tigh - "Saga of a Star World"
"If you love long enough, wish hard enough, anything is possible" - From The Boy Who Could Fly
It was just so abysmally bad. It made the remake of Bionic Woman look like high art (and we all know what happened to that). I just stood back in shock when there were people saying that they actually liked the show and thought that it was worthy of a second season. That just tells me that some people will watch just about anything because "it's new and it's Sci Fi".
I'm glad that I have more discerning taste than that.
Bryan
In truth, I loved the new Bionic Woman. Michelle Ryan was hawt, and she played Jaime really well. I wanted to see this story continue, especially with Katie Sackoff's character, because she seemed like a character that was on the road to redemption.
But Flash Gordon.....yeah....that yew blonkey darbles!
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Don't be a fan. Don't be a victim!-Martok2112
Bionic Woman had potential that they wasted on poor writing, heavy-handed and awkward moralizing, and really poor casting/characterization choices.
The made no accommodations for Michelle being British, which meant her "American" accent was forced and resulted in less perfect delivery. The episode I enjoyed her most was the one where she "faked" a British accent - her own normal speaking voice, I believe - where she came across very well.
I'm sure nobody will be surprised that I found the one-note 2x4 also cast on this show not one whit more appealing than I had before; I found her inclusion to be extremely off-putting, in fact. Who wants one-dimensional acting (except, apparently, David Eick)?
Wasted potential. Terrible even by cable standards.
And heads and shoulders better than Flush Gordon ever dreamed of being.
I am
Dawg
__________________
"...I aim to misbehave." Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity.
According to SciFiPulse (Ian), Michelle wasn't really speaking in her normal voice either, but using a rather posh dialect when she did speak Brit-like.
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Don't be a fan. Don't be a victim!-Martok2112
According to SciFiPulse (Ian), Michelle wasn't really speaking in her normal voice either, but using a rather posh dialect when she did speak Brit-like.
Ah. That may well be. But I still preferred it to her totaly fake "American" accent.
I am
Dawg
__________________
"...I aim to misbehave." Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity.
Ah. That may well be. But I still preferred it to her totaly fake "American" accent.
I am
Dawg
I love British chicks when they speak with their native accent. For some reason, good lookin' women and British accents just go together like a good sandwich....I can just eat it up.
Then again, I also find it sexy when good lookin' Brit (or Australian or New Zealander) dames put on an Americanized accent....because when they slip up just that subtle little bit.....well....let's just say parts of me snap to attention with considerable immediacy.
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Don't be a fan. Don't be a victim!-Martok2112
Silly and pointless.It is Matrix as the Berman Drek holodeck as a concept. Fails on every level including bad taste.. Doesn't even rise to cyber-punk levels of science fiction.
Re: Worst Scierce Fiction series ever aired.
