PLEASE recommend a Sci-Fi Show [Bonus eye candy for viewing thread]

[Locut0s]

If you're willing to watch an older series, I also highly recommend Quantum Leap.

I'll have to remember to add that to my TVTorrent list. I've seen a few episodes here and there and I agree every time I see it it's not 1/2 bad.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

B5.

Greatest scifi show ever.

And I've seen em all.

 

[DVad3r]

If you have never watched TNG watch it first just for historical reasons. Otherwise I recommend watching DS9 first as I feel it to be the best series.

I used to watch TNG as a kid, random episodes here and there, and never really understood any of it, so I'm watching it first and I'm loving it. I'm on the first season and I actually find each episode so far to be interesting, unlike some Stargate episodes that I had to fast forward through.

 

[DVad3r]

Stargate SG-1 is a decent deal too - the whole series on DVD, widescreen no less, over 9000 minutes of show, for around $100 on Amazon.
(Incidentally, the first episode is as it was apparently aired on HBO - uncensored. )

I'll probably get Stargate: Atlantis too, once the price comes down a bit.

The chick shows her tits in the first episode of SG-1, I was like whoa wtf when I saw that, she's pretty hot/exotic too

 

[nageov3t]

I never understood the B5 love... I was only able to make it through like 4 episodes before I was overwhelmed with cheesiness.

I love the newest reincarnation of Dr. Who, though. finished season 2 of the 2005+ series tonight. Torchwood is also A++ amazing.

opinions differ, but I really loved The 4400 as well.

I enjoyed Stargate SG:1, but watching it is really a mammoth undertaking. I watched seasons 1-5 within like a month and got totally burnt out on the show.

 

[PottedMeat]

SG1 is good - but if you're just going to watch for Morena Baccarin she's just in the last ~2 seasons & the Ark of Truth.

If you liked BSG you may like Caprica - the whole pilot is up on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/caprica

If you like long story arcs and character development go with DS9.

If you want a very well written complete story with long arcs and poor acting try Babylon 5.
First two seasons are on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/babylon-5

If you want shitty acting with annoying characters and a reset button hit at the end of nearly every episode watch some Star Trek Voyager. Every day I prayed they would kill off Neelix or Harry Kim in the most horrible depraved manner possible. They never did.

 

[Locut0s]

I never understood the B5 love... I was only able to make it through like 4 episodes before I was overwhelmed with cheesiness.

I love the newest reincarnation of Dr. Who, though. finished season 2 of the 2005+ series tonight. Torchwood is also A++ amazing.

opinions differ, but I really loved The 4400 as well.

I enjoyed Stargate SG:1, but watching it is really a mammoth undertaking. I watched seasons 1-5 within like a month and got totally burnt out on the show.

B5 is indeed cheesy and has some very bad writing. However it also has one of the best long term story arcs of any series I've seen. Discounting the last season the whole series fit's together as one long story.

 

[Jeff7]

Atlantis had it's moments but definitely wasn't as good IMHO. List SG1 they ran out of steam in the last season or so.

I think they said they pretty much restarted the series after season 8. And the writers were also tired of writing finales for the series - I guess there were too many times when they thought they were going to be canceled, but then weren't.
Then the final "You're canceled, for super reals you gaiz!" came really close to the end of one season, so they didn't have much time to wrap things up. Fortunately, we have the luxury of direct-to-DVD movies.

 

[pontifex]

Red Dwarf - British sci-fi comedy show. It's a bit dated, aired in the 90s so the effects aren't great, but I thought it was hilarious.

 

[Locut0s]

Red Dwarf - British sci-fi comedy show. It's a bit dated, aired in the 90s so the effects aren't great, but I thought it was hilarious.

Damn I love that series. Another one to add to my TVTorrent list.

 

[DrawninwarD]

Watch Dexter.

 

[Woosta]

Watch Dexter.

Saw.

 

[bobdole369]

I used to watch TNG as a kid, random episodes here and there, and never really understood any of it, so I'm watching it first and I'm loving it. I'm on the first season and I actually find each episode so far to be interesting, unlike some Stargate episodes that I had to fast forward through.

SPOILERS:
































I find the first part of the first season to be the most entertaining. After that I think post 4th season as the best of the series.
Don't get too attached to Yar as head of security, or the old lady as chief medical officer.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you have netflix streaming, you can watch the new/revival Doctor Who episodes from 2005-09 with Eccleston & Tennant as the Doctor. The streaming episode list is a little messed up, there are only 13 for season 1, the others listed as "only on DVD" are the bonus features.

Red Dwarf -- also on streaming. British humour.
Torchwood -- yet more streaming, only watch if you like Dr Who

Space: Above and Beyond was good -- space marines!

Anime:
- Ghost in the Shell (movie) then Stand Alone Complex series (TV show)
- Planetes -- trash collectors in space (more serious and interesting than that sounds)

 

[silverpig]

Babylon 5 is very good. You kind of have to "power through" the first few episodes as they are super cheeZy (with a capital Z), but after that it's great. The last season is a bit meh as half the actors left, but it's still worth watching. I also recommend the new doctor who.

I'll also suggest Star Trek: Enterprise (the new cancelled one), but with some caveats.

1. The first two seasons pretty much suck.

2. The third season was actually pretty good if you watch it straight through but don't care that it isn't actually Star Trek. If you take it to be a sci-fi miniseries that stands on its own outside of the star trek universe, then it's good. The people who didn't like it hated it because it had nothing to do with the "history" of the star trek universe.

3. The fourth season was good trek, but unfortunately, it was killed off before it regained its audience, so it leaves quite a bit to be desired. What is there is good though.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

B5.

Greatest scifi show ever.

And I've seen em all.

i loved B5, but the 5th season was so...unfortunate

 

[0roo0roo]

sarah conner chronicles

 

[Kadarin]

The 5th season of Babylon 5 did have its moments, though, so it wasn't all bad. The special effects are definitely cheesy, but it was a mid 90s show and some suspension of disbelief is required.

And I agree that Farscape is a bit hard to get into at first, but the guy earlier in the thread who mentions that it really gets rolling once Scorpius enters the picture nails it. The later seasons are fantastic, and the dvd movie that ends the series is well worth watching. The episode "Unrealized Reality" from the 5th season is just... wow.

Andromeda is an interesting possibility, as it ran 5 seasons and has Lexa Doig along with some other eye candy. "The Abyss" is probably the best name ever for a scifi villain, and if you can get past some of the inconsistencies in the show it will reward you with some good solid episodes.

Lexx is just downright strange. Sometimes stupid, sometimes brilliant, and sometimes you get boobies. Lyekka was my favorite character (her first incarnation, not the thing from the fourth season). Prince was great too (he shows up in the third season, and continues on to the fourth).

I love the 2005+ Doctor Who, but don't much like Torchwood. The Torchwood: Children of Earth 5 part miniseries, however, is well worth a watch even though it's very dark.

 

[dawp]

Primeval

Being Human, about a vampire, werewolf and a ghost living together trying to carry on a somewhat normal life.

both have been on BBC America.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

heroes.


lol.

 

[techs]

The important thing to remember is most of the shows people are recommending here started off HORRIBLY.
So, what ever you choose, steel yourself to watching up to a season and half of crap.

As someone who has watched most of what has been recommended, I can tell you that you need to watch them in the correct order, from the beginning. So I wouldn't recommend just picking up when a show got "good". With the possible exception of Star Trek: TNG. That show was made up of individual epi's and you can pick it up at any time and pretty much start there.

However, almost everything listed is worth it. There's a reason these shows stayed on the air so long.

 

[Crono]

I love the 2005+ Doctor Who, but don't much like Torchwood. The Torchwood: Children of Earth 5 part miniseries, however, is well worth a watch even though it's very dark.

I watched all of "Torchwood", but I didn't like a lot of the episodes. Very dark and it seemed like they tried to push the envelope on how "edgy" they could make the show. Take the Doctor, make him omnisexual and American, and give him a questionable sense of morality and a team of troubled companions, and you have a sense of what "Torchwood" is.

"Children of Earth" was better than the sum of Torchwood or any of its parts. You could probably watch it without having seen the regular series, though it does help to know at least a little of Captain Harkness' background.

 

[ZombieRitual]

First season of Lost was great, I watched it all in a week's time when I was with my ex. I don't suggest watching anything after that. I started watching season 2 and it just became annoying, absurd, and just not interesting in the least bit. I'll also echo an earlier recommendation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I really wish Fox would have renewed it for a third season.

 

[between]

...

 

[Crono]

Sliders

I was thinking of recommending that myself. The last season is horrible, though, and the show goes downhill once Arturo (John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli in LOTR) leaves and once the

Spoiler

Kromaggs

are introduced. It's worth it to watch the first 2-3 seasons, and maybe season 4.