This is the first of two threads suggested by the same post from Dayton in the Trek on TV (maybe) thread: Seems like an interesting topic. I'm sure most of us will pick Star Trek, with a smattering of My Little Pony thrown in, but maybe not. Maybe this is more of a Firefly or Dr. Who kind of place. So share what you like most, and explain why. I'll start, and say that my favorite is probably the Twilight Zone. I really enjoy the short story format, which is basically what Serling used for the show. Without a doubt, it captured my mind more than any other sci-fi, repeatedly causing me to ask the question "what if?" If we expand to the written word, I'd have to say that Foundation is my top choice. The theme that there are broad trends and meta-destiny is very compelling, not that I think we will ever really be able to achieve the kind of mathematics Hari Seldon practiced.
Babylon 5 by far. I am disappointed by JMSs ongoing attempts to fleece the fanbase in recent years by selling various extremely overpriced books. I've lost a lot of respect for him, but still love the show.
You would think Trek, but when I scandisk my life memory, and look at number of hours watching/reading the various media involved... Batman.
Kind of a toss up between Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Excluding Star Trek, of course.
Babylon 5, primarily for the diversity of alien races and the "shades of gray" motivations and intrigue. Honorable mention to Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda universe, which IMO had vast potential that went untapped due to visionary and budgetary constraints.
^and due to Kevin Sorbo who reportedly thought Andromeda was just "too dark" early on and wanted it to be "lighter" and more "Star Trek like".
Doctor Who, hands down. Following that, in no particular order: Star Trek Star Wars Battlestar Galactica
Doctor Who is in a category of its own for me. All the others that I like, I like because and when they're good. Doctor Who I like because it's Doctor Who, and therefore I'm happy when it's good, as if my team had won something.
nuBSG was good until they decided there would be no happiness allowed EVER. Of course any time you brought that up people acted like you were demanding dancing clowns.
I hate to have to be the one to tell this to you, being an ignorant, close-minded fool and all, but those are sci-fis, and well respected ones at that.
Firefly, hands down. Star Trek has not held up well over the years and has aged badly. nuBSG started off great and then slowly slid into tedium and ridiculousness. The last season with the "Final 5" was just plain awful.
Star Trek. They milked it too much -- Voyager and Enterprise diluted the quality -- but it is still my favorite by far.
Babylon-5 used to literally pull me forward and through its fourth season it seemed to just get better and better with each passing episode. The fifth season wasn't quite as good as lots of the stuff planned for Season Five were backcrammed into Season Four because they thought it would not be renewed. The first two television movies "In The Beginning" and "Thirdspace" were also outstanding. The latter two not so much. I thought Crusade had enormous potential and I'm still intrigued at how they planned to resolve the Drak plague story.
Star Trek (classic), Babylon 5, Firefly, Star Wars (original trilogy, pre-special edtion). That's pretty much it, francise wise.
