SyFy network (or SciFi as some of you persist in calling it) has had it’s share of original series, for better or for worse. And many of them have a solid following, whether or not the series is actually still broadcasting.
Mostly, the appeal of science fiction television escapes me (Wait — don’t shoot! Let me explain!). I fondly remember Space 1999 from when I was a kid and all of the Star Treks have hit my screen at one time or another (with TNG being far and away my favorite). And I do plan on watching Farscape and Eureka at some point.
It’s the recent stuff that’s not grabbing me: BSG was eye-rolling and boring and there’s just always something else to watch whenever Stargate: Whatever is on. Caprica has its charms, but I didn’t watch every episode. So I’m leaving most of the nominations up to the team here at CliqueClack, who’ve got a lot to say on the matter.
RUBY: I’m going to have a tough time deciding how to cast my vote in this poll. Farscape was not only entertaining; it featured some truly innovative storytelling. I love that show because it took huge risks. BSG is a new classic. And I’ll always have a soft spot for the Stargate franchise, which I love almost as much as Trek. God, I’m a nerd.
IVEY: This is really a no-brainer for me. BSG has set the gold standard for science fiction television going forward. Everyone can complain about the finale, and for the same reasons I didn’t hate the Lost finale, I didn’t hate the BSG finale. But when you look at the sum total, BSG has been the best 3-4 shows on television over the last ten years.
If I were allowed to pick two, the second would be SG:U. I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen so far from the show, especially considering its a ‘universe’ I’d never been interested in before.
[Then, Ivey and Brett briefly debated Farscape vs. BSG (after Brett supplied me with a list of super-obscure SyFy shows, see poll), and Ruby stepped in….]
RUBY: To each his own, but if I was forced to choose between saving my Farscape or BSG DVDs from a fire, I would save the Farscape set.
BOB: I’ll join team BSG over team Farscape. I liked Farscape a lot, but it didn’t draw me in enough to stay through the whole series. BSG at its best was some of the greatest sci fi to grace television. It worked as a beautiful allegory to current lives, which is what the best science fiction does, in my opinion. Plus, it won Peabody Awards and stuff. Then again, Farscape had Muppets, and Muppets are pretty awesome.
[There is no better argument than Muppets….]
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jun 23, 2010 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
Lots of good choices. I have to go with Eureka though. Great cast and always a fun hour to watch.
Where do i go to vote for Summer Glau ?
BSG AINEC.
Of course BSG all the way for me! I may of had my feelings hurt that Starbuck disappeared and her and Lee did not have a happy ending, but that just further attests to how much I was invested in the show. The fans were a joy to mull things over with, and the quest for spoilers was like hunting treasure to me. Really, the best tv watching years of my life. ***Sob*** I still miss it.
(Farscape: Sorry, never met ya! Wicked, wicked media mail!)
BSG all the way. And not just for sci fi. BSG is in my top 5 favorite shows of any genre. Farscape and Stargate still have a place in my heart though.
Farscape for me – because it made me laugh and cry. Plus they often took big risks with their stories (sometimes it paid off and sometimes it didn’t but at least they were not afraid of trying something new). BSG was awesome during the first two seasons but it left me pretty meh at the end, what with all the character deconstruction and all the open questions I just didn’t care anymore.
I love Eureka and Warehouse 13 if it continues the momentum from its first season may just beat it for my vote.
Soooo, I’ve only watched one out of the whole list but… I love Eureka!! I laugh a lot, the stories are enjoyable, and I’ve grown fond of the characters and their relationships.
I watched every episode last fall and have been anxiously waiting for the new season since then. I need new episodes ASAP!
I am a big sci-fi geek. I have seen almost every show on the list. Time to get a real life I guess… but anyhow, BSG is one of the best shows of all time IMHO. It was far better than the original. I remember the hoopla when it was announced that Starbuck would be a female but it sure worked.
I too have a soft spot for the Stargate universe though, comes in a close second.
I chose Stargate Universe over BSG by a hair. I think a lot of people bailed on SGU because it was too slow and dark. One of my teenagers did just that, but after hearing us talk about what was happening as the season neared the end she decided to play catch up and now she’s glad she did. Too bad more viewers didn’t have a little more patience with shows. Sometimes it takes a long while for a series to find its feet. I wish FlashForward had been given at least a 13 episode order to try finding an audience, but I understand why it didn’t.
I went with Eureka, but only because I was so disappointed in the last season of BSG. Discounting that season, I would have picked BSG definitely. I watched those one after another and couldn’t stop.
But, the end sorta soured the whole series for me. No desire to watch it again.
Eureka is a fun ride. Excited for it to come back.
SGU, W13, and Caprica- I like them well enough, but Eureka is my favorite at this point.
For me, it was a show called First Wave, that was my favorite. From the List, Farscape or Stargate Atlantis would be my choice.
I think SyFy should abandon its movies and use that money to produce more awesome shows, which I think we can all agree are ten thousand times better than the movies!
BSG…the greatest story ever told, and I loved the finale. I’m glad that Caprica, in the upcoming second half of the season, has put more focus on action adventure. The idea of a family drama as the central theme simply isn’t compelling enough on its own. Caprica needs action adventure, some space travel between the colonies to really show us that the setting is a colony of 12 planets, and the family drama needs to focus not only on the Adamas and Greystones, but also the centurion and 13th tribe sides of the cylon family. It’s because BSG was so fast paced at times, that those subtler, quieter, reflective moments stood out, for example when Baltar talks to a confused Boomer, or Helo and Starbuck take a well deserved rest in her old apartment in Caprica, and she plays the Philip Glass piano piece. Trying to make an entire episode out a stretched ‘moment’ runs the risk of turning what could have been beautiful into something that’s slow, ponderous, and self indulgent (like The Sopranos). It works best when it’s frenetic, high octane, balanced by these reflective moments as we see in BSG. I hope Caprica starts to follow this same principle.
If we’re talking the shows that are no longer airing on SyFy then FARSCAPE gets the vote.
But of the shows currently airing on SyFy, the vote goes to WAREHOUSE 13 baby. All. The. WAY!
Too bad the poll is now closed I totally would have voted for Farscape. It is an awesome show that wasn’t afraid to take risks or take itself too seriously. The cast/crew of the show are all phenomenally talented and I miss seeing their baby on screen weekly. Every other “space opreaish” show that has come on since then, imho, pales in comparison.
*POST AUTHOR*
Poll’s open, not sure why you’re having trouble voting. No expiration, so maybe try reloading?
It was a bad link. Sorry. I voted but dudes…making me choose between my two FAV shows…so not fair. But I went with my first love, Farscape since really it is the best Scifi show EVER in my world.
But I still love me some Warehouse 13 just as much. :D
Farscape all the way!
Wow. I love Stargate Atlantis, but I’m surprised to see it leading the poll. I would be less surprised to see SG-1 on top – a show doesn’t last 10 seasons without being hugely popular.
My vote went to Farscape, but if I could vote multiple times (as some people like to do here in Illinois), I would also vote for SG-1, SGA, and BSG.
I voted for SGU for a few reasons. One, I’ve been a fan of the franchise since the first episode of SG1, two, I think it showed the most improvement over the course of it’s first season and, three, it’s currently airing.
If we could split the vote between favorite on the air and favorite no longer with us I would’ve voted for Farscape. It was the true groundbreaking scifi series way before the BSG reboot was even considered.
I agree, Farscape is unquestionably the groundbreaker on this list. Remember that Farscape-meets-Looney-Tunes episode? Insane, but it worked. Sometimes I wonder what the writers were smoking…
Ruby, I pulled out my Farscape DVDs a few weeks ago to show my teenagers. They loved it and couldn’t believe it was 11 frelling years old! They thought anything that old had to be stale and show its age, but Farscape still holds up very, very well.
Damn, now I want SyFy to make a Farscape movie. Yeah, then bring it back as a regular series! A guy can dream, right? Besides, none of the primary actors are doing much these days, are they?
Have you already seen The Peacekeeper Wars?
I put Eureka up there in at least my top 20 shows–cable or network and can hardly wait for it to return.