Make a sci-fi West Wing

[FaxModem1]

Basically, make a West Wing style show, only it deals with space, aliens, monsters, leprechauns, what have you. How would it work?

[Bakustra]

It would either be too heavily bogged down in exposition and thus collapse under its own weight, and suck, or it would borrow extensively from history or the modern day and thus get lambasted by nerds and probably still not do all that well. I'm not sure which area of history to borrow the heaviest from. I'd say that doing it on immigration and making it the US circa the turn of the century, only with a space USA dealing with alien immigration, just to bring in the controversy ratings and sneak in some social commentary.

[DudeGuyMan]

It would either be too heavily bogged down in exposition and thus collapse under its own weight, and suck, or it would borrow extensively from history or the modern day and thus get lambasted by nerds and probably still not do all that well. I'm not sure which area of history to borrow the heaviest from. I'd say that doing it on immigration and making it the US circa the turn of the century, only with a space USA dealing with alien immigration, just to bring in the controversy ratings and sneak in some social commentary.

They did that back in the eighties, it was called Alien Nation. The movie was basically a standard eighties mismatched buddy cop movie with a straightlaced alien immigrant cop and a human cop who played by his own rules, and there was a spinoff TV show. Never watched the show much but the movie was actually pretty decent.

Edited to add a more detailed synopsis.

Basically, a giant ship full of aliens pulls up over the US during the Reagan Administration. Turns out it's a ship full of runaway slaves. With no way to send them home, the US quarantines them for a while and then eventually decides to integrate them into society. The straightlaced alien cop is the first of his species to become a police officer, and he's partnered with a human cop who kinda wishes all these space aliens hadn't showed up to take our jerrrbs. Together they fight crime and stop an alien drug lord who is teaming up with regular drug lords to sell space crack to the alien immigrant community. Along the way they learn to respect one another and the human cop learns not to be a racist prick.

Was a cool movie.

[Sarevok]

^^

Sounds like District 9 borrowed a few ideas from Alien Nation ?

[DudeGuyMan]

I've never seen District 9 so I can't comment with authority, but yeah that seems to be a prevalent opinion.

C'mon, some other people here remember Alien Nation. It wasn't a huge thing, but it was definitely a thing for a while. The spinoff show only ran for a season or so, but there were like half a dozen made-for-television sequels broadcast throughtout the nineties, a series of novels, a DC Comics miniseries, etcetera.

[Bakustra]

I've never seen District 9 so I can't comment with authority, but yeah that seems to be a prevalent opinion.

C'mon, some other people here remember Alien Nation. It wasn't a huge thing, but it was definitely a thing for a while. The spinoff show only ran for a season or so, but there were like half a dozen made-for-television sequels broadcast throughtout the nineties, a series of novels, a DC Comics miniseries, etcetera.

I read the novelization of the movie, and it was pretty cool even without any of the visuals, but I've never seen the movie or TV stuff. Maybe that's where I got the idea?

[Guardsman Bass]

Alien Nation was pretty cool (the movie - I've never seen the TV Series). I don't remember much about it, though, other than the alien prostitute and the fact that the illegal drug smelled like laundry detergent.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Alien nation is probably one of the most underrated series of all time. The aliens (newcomers) were really well-developed.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

The TV show was better than the movie, but it was not really like The West Wing.

[FaxModem1]

Alien Nation was a buddy cop movie and a buddy cop show. It was more Miami Vice than West Wing.

[paladin]

Babylon 5 in the early seasons was a little like to the "West Wing" with the political stuff.

[Sarevok]

Speaking of B5 the same could be said of DS9. The series may have begun about the crew of a remote outpost. But DS9 later become the center of political intrigue and a diplomatic hub for the entire Alpha Quadrant. The politics outgrew the small scale and cast of the station crew. And I think later seasons would have been better served by a West Wing style approach. Rather than make the entire universe revolve around the bridge crew they should have given limelight to the secondary cast who were the real meat and bones of DS9. Interstellar politics, the players and the games they played were the big draw of DS9 and despite myriad of flaws the overall execution was marvelous. I think an intensely political series in the same dark, realistic vein as DS9 would have been a natural progression of Star Trek rather than going backwards towards the roots with Voyager and Enterprise.

[dragon]

well could base it off federation council would be interesting.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Didn't they already have a couple of books in the ST EU based on that approach? I think this was it.

[Eternal_Freedom]

For sci-fi focusing on political stuff, a fair few episodes of nBSG seasons 1, 2 and 3 would count, although less so in season 3 cos it got all quirky.

things like "Colonial Day" spring instantly to mind. "Crossroads" and "Lay Down your Burdens, part 1" as well. Lots of political drama.

[Lord MJ]

There's a show on right now like that.

It's called The Event.