Sci-fi series that started strong and ended stupid

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-01-18 03:34pm

Star Trek. What started out as good old-fashioned space opera kitsch ended up as tedious and pseudo-intellectual. Which is NOT what space opera should be.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-18 03:50pm

Battlestar Galactica. WHY can almost no sci-fi series actually HAVE a conclusion?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-01-18 04:10pm

The Dark wrote:Battlestar Galactica. WHY can almost no sci-fi series actually HAVE a conclusion?

Because very few shows have the kind of mass market appeal to stay on the air. Not to mention Sci-fi shows (especially FX heavy Sci-fi) tend to really go over budget.

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-01-18 04:20pm

The Dark wrote:Battlestar Galactica. WHY can almost no sci-fi series actually HAVE a conclusion?

I totally agree with you. However, it would have been better to end BG before it went on to the montrosity of 'Galactica 1980'

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-01-19 01:41am

Artanis wrote:I know I'm going to be beaten to death with a burlap sack for this, but Farscape.

Farscape started out so-so, and quickly improved into one of the best Sci-Fi series of all time. After Talyn and Crais died, though, it's like they ran out of stuff to do to Moya's crew...the show just kinda got lost. And then cancelled

Brings out sack and large spiked stick.......prepare for punishment heretic

I would disagree, for me the show has gotten steadily more complex and believable as time has gone on. Farscape has always been episodic(but with refreshing continuity) with a number of overarching plot lines thrown in. Crais's vengance quest and Crichton, Scorpious and Crichton with Aryn as the love interest and for the final two seasons it seemed as we would have Comandant Grayza and Captain Brakka as our nemesis. Since Sci-Fi pulled the plug early , these plot lines are as yet unresolved. Imagine if they had pulled the plug right after the first few episodes of season two when the Scorpious businuess was just getting rolling, it would have the same feel as whats happening now.
For me the performance of Ben Browder has been amazing, to watch how he has transformed John Crichton as the series has progressed moving from wide eyed explorer, to scarred veteran of to many horrors and tragedies, has been wild, and is indicative of the shows quality.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-01-19 04:01am

X-Files

I so much love the first Four or Five seasons...

it gelled so well.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-01-19 05:11am

Not really sci-fi but, Millenium. The pilot episode, when they dug up the guy who had been buried alive, opened the lid of the coffin, and there he was, all sown shut*shudders*. First season was good. Second season was AWSOME, third season was pure shit. But then again, what would have been the point of running it past Jan. 1, 2000?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-01-19 10:17am

or Jan. 1st 2001. ; )

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-01-19 11:54am

<--mental strain as the Brat tries to remember the name-->

Dark Skies

Yes it got rapidly very bad (within the first series), but ti did seem to have promise...

Red Dwarf - series 7 and 8 should never have been made...

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-01-19 12:59pm

I go with Earth Final Conflict. It had so much potential. It intorduced some very orignal ideas like the scrill/squid gun but fell appart like so many Gene Roddenbury series's. Like does this guy hate us or something, He writes a great sci-fi tv series then leaves it in the hands of utter assholes who ruin it and the memory of the good episodes.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » 2003-01-19 01:29pm

innerbrat wrote:Red Dwarf - series 7 and 8 should never have been made...

Being a hardcore dwarfer I have to agree with you. They should never have continued the series after Rob Grant left. The CGI was crap and made it look really bad. Series 7 did have a few good bits, I liked Stoke me a Clipper and Beyond a Joke the others were just mediocre and series 8 was just shit. When you compare them to the greatness of series two, with episodes like Queeg, Better than Life, Stasis leak and Parallel Universe you wonder if it is really the same show, and they did these episodes with a smaller budget.

Artanis · Post by **Artanis** » 2003-01-19 02:08pm

For me the performance of Ben Browder has been amazing, to watch how he has transformed John Crichton as the series has progressed moving from wide eyed explorer, to scarred veteran of to many horrors and tragedies, has been wild, and is indicative of the shows quality.

I agree completely

D.Turtle · Post by **D.Turtle** » 2003-01-19 05:30pm

A BIG HUMONGOUS thanks to whoever mentioned Space: Above and Beyond.

I can still remember this series VERY well - too bad they don't (never) showed it here in Germany (Watched it in the Philippines a lot, but lost track of it - and forgot the name - was too young)

I loved this series - the only series I ever watched where I really wanted to see every Episode...

Now, time to find some place to DL all the episodes ...

Thanks!

/me is happy :p

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-01-19 05:50pm

Earth: Final Conflict. Easily.
Followed by hercules in Space, a.k.a. Andromeda.
Honorary mention to: Sliders.

Singular Quartet · Post by **Singular Quartet** » 2003-01-19 05:56pm

Cosmic Average wrote:Star Wars.

Most definatly. The New stuff is complete and utter Crap.

Artanis · Post by **Artanis** » 2003-01-20 01:23pm

The New stuff is complete and utter Crap.

I actually thought the prequels were pretty good BUT *avoids several bricks flung at him* they weren't STAR WARS good.
Had they been released under another name, such as, say, "The Attack of the Clones" as opposed to "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones", they'd be perfectly fine.
Once again: NO THE ARE NOT STAR WARS QUALITY. Outside of that, they're entertaining enough *prepares for another burlap-sack beating*

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-01-20 03:23pm

Just out of curiosity.. you guys who say the "new stuff is crap" do you consider the Star Wars Expanded Universe to be "Star Wars quality" or superior to the Prequel films?

Or are you just saying new star wars stuff in general (ie: everything since 1983? 1994 or so when the EU began? the NJO era stuff? the prequel based EU stuff starting in 1999?)

Post by **AdmiralKanos** » 2003-01-20 03:28pm

Most shows and movie series start strong and end badly. They must start strong in order to be continued into a series. And they usually die because the quality deteriorated. It is rare for someone to leave at the top of his game.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-01-20 03:35pm

I would disagree with that. DS9 stayed quite good throught. In fact i'd say it got better as we went along with it.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-01-20 03:40pm

The few episodes I've watched of Andromeda made me want to vomit. I thought the writing was shit, and the acting was the kind of stuff that would make you jealous of Babylon 5's first season.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-01-20 04:07pm

AdmiralKanos wrote:Most shows and movie series start strong and end badly. They must start strong in order to be continued into a series. And they usually die because the quality deteriorated. It is rare for someone to leave at the top of his game.

Usually when that happens in TV it is uber-premature cancellation. Like the Clerks Animated Series.

Admiral Drason · Post by **Admiral Drason** » 2003-01-20 04:47pm

Cosmic Average wrote:Star Wars.

Silent you!!!

POKE

I agree with B5 S5 it just didnt flow like the other seasons did.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2003-01-20 05:32pm

Millenium. The first season was good, the rest were not.
X-Files. I liked the first three seasons, after that it just became repetative.
Babylon 5. Half of season 4 and all of season 5 should never have been made.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-01-20 06:30pm

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Datana · Post by **Datana** » 2003-01-20 09:23pm

How about V? The initial TV movie was good, and the miniseries was okay, but the TV series quickly degenerated into a pile of garbage. Of the more recent series, though, Andromeda tops my list.