Farscape, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, Stargate, BSG....

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Mon May 11, 2015 12:30 pm

You know, Space Opera on tv. Where is it these days? I know it's out of fashion, but all of the stuff I listed ended years ago. Surely there's been something since then. Of course, I'm far from the most informed person about this sort of thing, so maybe I'm just missing stuff. What's been put out recently?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2015 12:38 pm

Honestly, I can't think of a single space opera style show on television right now. Everything on tv that's sci fi related seems to be about survivors in a post-apocalyptic world or something. Fallen Skies, Walking Dead (they do kind of have a sci fi explanation for things), The 100, Under the Dome, 12 Monkeys, Defiance....they're all about people on Earth just surviving something. The days of grand sci fi with a space opera feel seem to be gone.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon May 11, 2015 12:47 pm

Alternately, you can watch the "we don't have the budget for actual superheroes but like occasionally name dropping them to remind viewers that the show is in the same setting" shows (Agents of Shield etc)

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Mon May 11, 2015 12:56 pm

There's a miniseries adaptation of Buzz Aldrin's Encounter with Tiber coming, supposedly. It's about humanity's quest to interstellar travel. Hopefully we'll see that soon.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:02 pm

SyFy does have Dark Matter and The Expanse coming later this year.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:04 pm

Cool, maybe things aren't as bleak for us fans of that type of science fiction then.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:06 pm

You could also watch Game of Thrones and pretend that all the characters are aliens.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:14 pm

Unfortunately, in my world, it's hard for me to pretend spymaster eunuchs and incestuous siblings are fictional.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:36 pm

Ok, well, if there isn't any new stuff on, what about old stuff that I might have missed? I watched blakes 7 way back in the day and enjoyed it, but I suspect it may look a tad dated now. Never watched Red Dwarf, though....worth a look? Anything else I didn't mention?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:38 pm

Red Dwarf is a comedy, so don't go into it expecting your space opera fix. That being said, I cannot recommend it enough. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time. Well, seasons 1 through 6 are. And the recent revival with season 10 was also quite good.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:39 pm

hepcat wrote:Red Dwarf is a comedy, so don't go into it expecting your space opera fix. That being said, I cannot recommend it enough. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time. Well, seasons 1 through 5 are. And the recent revival with season 9 was also quite good.

Seasons 11-12 due 2016-17

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:45 pm

I screwed up my season list and changed it. Seasons 1 through 6 are great, and season 10 was the most recent. Season 9 was that god awful Back to Earth mini-series that I turned off after 10 minutes.

Apparently the new seasons are being handled by the same creative team as season 10, so I'm on board!

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:13 pm

Little Raven wrote:Never watched Red Dwarf, though....worth a look?

It can be rough around the edges, particularly during the later seasons as hepcat mentions above. But it's definitely worth watching at least through the first six seasons, when it really hits its stride.

When it's good, it's equal parts thought-provoking and highly amusing, and well worth your time. That being said though, it's not likely to scratch your space opera itch.

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:21 pm

Syfy has actually turned back towards space opera type shows. This summer theres a new one called Killjoys, about a trio of intergalactic bounty hunters. Also in June they have Dark Matter, where the crew of a derelict spaceship is awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. The are doing a version of Childhoods Ends also. As previously mentioned The Expanse is airing later this year.

Theres also been rumors that Star Trek will be coming back to tv, though theres nothing set in stone.

If youre into Star Wars, the animated series Rebels isnt bad although it is a bit youth oriented. They are also looking into live action Star Wars on tv as well.

Daveman · Post by **Daveman** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:34 pm

Have you watched the new(er) Doctor Who? I think you could call it more space opera-ish in the sense that the new seasons have a larger, ongoing story to tell compared to the original which was mostly just standone stories. Not to say there aren't standalone episodes now either, but there are some epic story arcs going on too.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:06 pm

rshetts2 wrote:Syfy has actually turned back towards space opera type shows. This summer theres a new one called Killjoys, about a trio of intergalactic bounty hunters. Also in June they have Dark Matter, where the crew of a derelict spaceship is awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. The are doing a version of Childhoods Ends also. As previously mentioned The Expanse is airing later this year.

It's worth remembering though, that SyFy promised a return to space opera with Ascension:

io9.com wrote:Syfy president Dave Howe and newly crowned VP original content, Bill McGoldrick, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the new direction they're hoping to take this channel. First step: The return of quality, scripted space opera. McGoldrick says Syfy is under "enormous pressure" to get back to spaceships. And apparently he knows that the only way to show that they care (and are listening) is to actually make a space opera — instead of just developing another 20 projects quietly, only to kill them off.

How are they planning to do this? With the new scripted series Ascension:
McGoldrick's first pull on the scripted trigger Ascension, a limited series for which Syfy is closing a deal and eyeing for the fourth quarter. Part Battlestar and part Downton Abbey, it follows the 100-year-long space shuttle of colonists fleeing an Earth threatened by the early Cold War.

I hope I'm wrong, but if Ascension was intended to represent their notion of the "return of quality, scripted space opera", that's less than reassuring for the other series they have planned.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon May 11, 2015 5:09 pm

I loved all those shows and miss them but I dont watch tv now so I doubt Id even bother with a new one.

JonathanStrange · Post by **JonathanStrange** » Mon May 11, 2015 7:46 pm

I am hopeful about The Expanse. It's based on a space opera series by James S A Corey (a pseudonym) where humanity's colonized the solar system but the stars are out of reach. Its scope ranges from individual drama to major extinction level events.

I've never finished Babylon 5; to my regret. It looked and felt cheesy when I first encountered it. Then I found the public library had been donated the series and with growing interest I worked my way to S3 only to have the library pull the series. I dont want to spend $100+ dollars to see it - but I would complete it if I found it free (cheapskate that am) online.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Mon May 11, 2015 9:03 pm

Babylon 5 is probably the most glaring example of the Seinfeld is Unfunny trope that I'm personally familiar with. Everything about it that was brilliant at the time it was created has been largely copied by many series since, so when you watch it now it doesn't seem so revolutionary.

There's still good stuff to be found there, of course, and it can still be entertaining to watch, but it doesn't have the same impact it did back in the day.

JCC · Post by **JCC** » Mon May 11, 2015 9:13 pm

Not much favorite genre, but any fan of space operas who hasn't watched blake's 7 is failing at being a fan of space operas. Virtually all of them that came later were influenced by it. It also has one of the most amazing endings ever.

Also, Star Trek fans who haven't watched DS9 are failing at Star Trek.

JonathanStrange · Post by **JonathanStrange** » Sat May 16, 2015 11:38 am

JCC wrote:
Also, Star Trek fans who haven't watched DS9 are failing at Star Trek.

Informal Poll: How many feel DS9 is worth making the time to watch? Did it start well for you? Did it grow on you? I'Ve started it and will definitely give it 10 eps - but as there's so many ways to spend free time, I'm curious hear more opinions regardless. I'd never watched it but Netflix makes remedying that easy.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Sat May 16, 2015 12:09 pm

JonathanStrange wrote:
JCC wrote:
Also, Star Trek fans who haven't watched DS9 are failing at Star Trek.
Informal Poll: How many feel DS9 is worth making the time to watch? Did it start well for you? Did it grow on you? I'Ve started it and will definitely give it 10 eps - but as there's so many ways to spend free time, I'm curious hear more opinions regardless. I'd never watched it but Netflix makes remedying that easy.

I'd say it started out ok (better than TNG started out, for certain - the first season of TNG was mostly godawful, while the first season of DS9 was fine). Then it got better. Then I lost interest around the time one of the main actresses was replaced with somebody else. I'm not sure if I ever did see the last season or two.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:35 pm

Outside of Babylon 5, the Dominion Wars arc of Deep Space 9 was some of the best sci-fi on television, IMO.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat May 16, 2015 4:44 pm

JonathanStrange wrote:
JCC wrote:
Also, Star Trek fans who haven't watched DS9 are failing at Star Trek.
Informal Poll: How many feel DS9 is worth making the time to watch? Did it start well for you? Did it grow on you? I'Ve started it and will definitely give it 10 eps - but as there's so many ways to spend free time, I'm curious hear more opinions regardless. I'd never watched it but Netflix makes remedying that easy.

When DS9 originally aired I stopped watching after the first couple of seasons...which was extraordinary for me, as a lifelong Trekker. Why? Because it was telling a serial story instead of episodes like all previous ST. I didn't have a VCR yet, I missed a few episodes, I got lost and I didn't care. Serials didn't work until time-shifting was invented.

Fast forward to the marvelous future of DVDs and binge watching, and I gave DS9 another shot. I'm glad I did. The first couple of seasons were as slow and uneven as I remembered, but once it hit its stride it became the best Trek of all.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat May 16, 2015 5:14 pm

DS9 was my favoritest Trek ever. I never got the hatred of Ezri, though. They set her up as an inexperienced character and the actress was a hundred times cuter than her predecessor's (note that I'm being deliberately vague with names here to avoid a big spoiler.)

Odin wrote: I'd say it started out ok (better than TNG started out, for certain - the first season of TNG was mostly godawful, while the first season of DS9 was fine). Then it got better. Then I lost interest around the time one of the main actresses was replaced with somebody else. I'm not sure if I ever did see the last season or two.

They switched her because the original actress decided that she was so irreplaceable that she could ask for a ridiculous contract, holding her character for ransom.

Spoiler:

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Sat May 16, 2015 6:26 pm

Blackhawk wrote:DS9 was my favoritest Trek ever. I never got the hatred of Ezri, though. They set her up as an inexperienced character and the actress was a hundred times cuter than her predecessor's (note that I'm being deliberately vague with names here to avoid a big spoiler.)

I found her annoying. Not her fault - some people just get on your nerves and she did. Also, I really, really liked the other actress/character. She was one of my favorites on the show. So that was another strike against her replacement.

Odin wrote: I'd say it started out ok (better than TNG started out, for certain - the first season of TNG was mostly godawful, while the first season of DS9 was fine). Then it got better. Then I lost interest around the time one of the main actresses was replaced with somebody else. I'm not sure if I ever did see the last season or two.
They switched her because the original actress decided that she was so irreplaceable that she could ask for a ridiculous contract, holding her character for ransom.

That's interesting. I remember at the time hearing that it was because she'd posed nude in a magazine.

Spoiler:
This may work, unless your character has been established as being able to die and come back in another form. Like hers was. Oopsie.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Sat May 16, 2015 9:29 pm

There were reports a year or two ago that Blake's 7 was getting a reboot. Which would be great if it maintains the quality of scripts from the first series.

There's also Star Trek: Renegades, which is a pilot for a new TV series.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sat May 16, 2015 9:29 pm

Odin wrote: I found her annoying. Not her fault - some people just get on your nerves and she did. Also, I really, really liked the other actress/character. She was one of my favorites on the show. So that was another strike against her replacement.

I have to say, that I originally disliked her, but that was moreso without the actual context. I had never seen the full series, so I never understood why they had switched, but when I eventually did a full viewing, I at least had a bit more respect for the character. She's still not my favourite, as I far preferred Jadzia, and I wasn't too fond of the short hair. But my respect for her grew knowing what her character had to go through. She had big shoes to fill, if only for the long lineage her symbiont had.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Sat May 16, 2015 9:33 pm

Little Raven wrote: I watched blakes 7 way back in the day and enjoyed it, but I suspect it may look a tad dated now.

I suspect it looked dated back then.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Sat May 16, 2015 9:43 pm

JonathanStrange wrote: Informal Poll: How many feel DS9 is worth making the time to watch? Did it start well for you? Did it grow on you? I'Ve started it and will definitely give it 10 eps - but as there's so many ways to spend free time, I'm curious hear more opinions regardless. I'd never watched it but Netflix makes remedying that easy.

It's the best Star Trek series (heck, one of the best TV series). It does take a while to hit it's stride, but even the first season had some great episodes (Duet, for instance or In the Hands of the Prophets).

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat May 16, 2015 10:00 pm

As I recall B5 and DS9 came out about the same time.I watched a little of each and quit both for a bit IIRC. B5 seemed cheesy/cheap and DS9 was so religious . I then went back to B5 and loved it. Thought it was the best show made other than MASH and the original Star Trek. The nI got back to DS9 and caught up on it and thought its story got really good and was an amazing Trek. I still didn't like the whole Bajoran stuff but put up with it. They are both great series. Turned out B5 was not a cheesy show after all. Mollari's hair tricked me

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat May 16, 2015 10:14 pm

I sing DS9's praises all the time. All you need to do is watch the episode In the Pale Moonlight to understand why.

Shinjin · Post by **Shinjin** » Sun May 17, 2015 3:21 am

If you've seen B5, you know that season 1 is kind of rough around the edges, but worth it for the payoff with seasons 2-4.

I found DS9 to follow the same pattern. Slow at the start, but worth sitting through for the full story arc.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Sun May 17, 2015 9:03 am

Daehawk wrote:As I recall B5 and DS9 came out about the same time.

Yeah, funny how that happened, considering Straczynski had sent a treatment for B5 to Paramount.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Sun May 17, 2015 3:37 pm

Grifman wrote:Outside of Babylon 5, the Dominion Wars arc of Deep Space 9 was some of the best sci-fi on television, IMO.

This. DS9 overall is easily the greatest Trek of all time.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun May 17, 2015 4:15 pm

I'm still working through ToS. It's going to be a while before I get to DS9.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun May 17, 2015 4:49 pm

Does anybody remember Space: Above and Beyond ?

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Sun May 17, 2015 5:34 pm

dbt1949 wrote:Does anybody remember Space: Above and Beyond ?

It's a real shame that show only lasted one season.

Redfive · Post by **Redfive** » Sun May 17, 2015 7:49 pm

El Guapo wrote:
Grifman wrote:Outside of Babylon 5, the Dominion Wars arc of Deep Space 9 was some of the best sci-fi on television, IMO.
This. DS9 overall is easily the greatest Trek of all time.

Need to find time to watch this. Started a couple years ago but didn't get past the first season. Not because I thought it was bad but because I stopped watching shows on Netflix altogether.

This is high praise given that I love ToS and Season 3+ of TNG.

I even really like most of Enterprise.

MonkeyFinger · Post by **MonkeyFinger** » Sun May 17, 2015 8:35 pm

pr0ner wrote:
dbt1949 wrote:Does anybody remember Space: Above and Beyond ?
It's a real shame that show only lasted one season.

Back before streaming in my "series buying days", I picked this up on DVD since I loved the show. Always meant to go back and revisit it one day but never did.