So... What Sci Fi is left on TV?

AndroAsc · Post by **AndroAsc** » 2011-05-11 09:56pm

Star Trek died out...
So did BSG...
Now Stargate is gone...

What's left? I can only think of Star Wars Clone Wars and Doctor Who (which I would strictly not consider to be "pure" Sci Fi).

Did I miss out anything? I'm open to anime as well...

jollyreaper · Post by **jollyreaper** » 2011-05-11 10:09pm

AndroAsc wrote:Star Trek died out...
So did BSG...
Now Stargate is gone...

What's left? I can only think of Star Wars Clone Wars and Doctor Who (which I would strictly not consider to be "pure" Sci Fi).

Did I miss out anything? I'm open to anime as well...

Depends on how you define scifi. Eureka is in the Doctor Who camp I think. Chuck's science and plausibility is on par with Doctor Who but is really more spy comedy than scifi. True Blood counts more like urban fantasy than scifi and Game of Thrones is sword and sorcery fantasy, an admittedly rare category of show, though more common in modern times.

AndroAsc · Post by **AndroAsc** » 2011-05-11 10:15pm

jollyreaper wrote:
AndroAsc wrote:Star Trek died out...
So did BSG...
Now Stargate is gone...

What's left? I can only think of Star Wars Clone Wars and Doctor Who (which I would strictly not consider to be "pure" Sci Fi).

Did I miss out anything? I'm open to anime as well...
Depends on how you define scifi. Eureka is in the Doctor Who camp I think. Chuck's science and plausibility is on par with Doctor Who but is really more spy comedy than scifi. True Blood counts more like urban fantasy than scifi and Game of Thrones is sword and sorcery fantasy, an admittedly rare category of show, though more common in modern times.

So in other words there is no more sci-fi left? The only reason why I went into Doctor Who was the lack of real scifi and because the Timelords are one of the most powerful races depicted in all fiction work.

I define real scifi as space-based with aliens or with sufficiently advanced technology that it does not qualify as modern day tech (so stuff like Ghost In the Shell and other cyberpunk is ok). Fantasy is not scifi, unless you're talking about Warhammer 40,000, but even that is scifi with some fantasy elements.

Anyone familiar with anime? Any ongoing scifi anime that I should start considering to place in my watch list?

JediToren · Post by **JediToren** » 2011-05-11 10:19pm

Well, Blood and Chrome is moving forward. There is also Fringe and The Event, but neither of those are space opera.

Ahriman238 · Post by **Ahriman238** » 2011-05-11 10:43pm

This fall Fox is starting a series called 'Terra Nova' in which future humanity escapes a dying earth through a time-portal to one of the Dinosaur Ages.

Not science fiction enough for you? Well, no aliens or spaceships, balanced against time-travel and dinosaurs, your call.

jollyreaper · Post by **jollyreaper** » 2011-05-11 11:19pm

Ahriman238 wrote:This fall Fox is starting a series called 'Terra Nova' in which future humanity escapes a dying earth through a time-portal to one of the Dinosaur Ages.

Not science fiction enough for you? Well, no aliens or spaceships, balanced against time-travel and dinosaurs, your call.

Canceled in one season. Outfauxed again.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2011-05-11 11:23pm

There is still SciFi going on. Some is more modern in setting. Fringe is definitely SciFi. Eureka. The Event.

Ahriman238 · Post by **Ahriman238** » 2011-05-11 11:26pm

Post subject: Re: So... What Sci Fi is left on TV?

Ahriman238 wrote:
This fall Fox is starting a series called 'Terra Nova' in which future humanity escapes a dying earth through a time-portal to one of the Dinosaur Ages.

Not science fiction enough for you? Well, no aliens or spaceships, balanced against time-travel and dinosaurs, your call.

Canceled in one season. Outfauxed again.

What, already? Man, I remember when they used to air a few episodes of a good show before giving it the ax.

They've really streamlined the whole process.

kaeneth · Post by **kaeneth** » 2011-05-11 11:27pm

Ya, the only new show I saw was Outcasts this year. And it got cancelled.

Ahriman238 · Post by **Ahriman238** » 2011-05-12 12:01am

Ya, the only new show I saw was Outcasts this year. And it got cancelled.

Sigh.

Hey, is the remake of V still going?

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » 2011-05-12 12:35am

There's also Sanctuary which has Amanda Tapping starring in it. Only seen one episode but it looks good. Though she looks beefier and a bit older as a brunette.

aussiemuscle308 · Post by **aussiemuscle308** » 2011-05-12 01:07am

Enigma wrote:There's also Sanctuary which has Amanda Tapping starring in it. Only seen one episode but it looks good. Though she looks beefier and a bit older as a brunette.

i couldn't really get into sanctuary. it's a typical 'monster of the week' show, but it's too hard to get past Amanda NOT begin CARTER, sorry. plus some of the CGI is cheesy and easy to spot.

Adrian McNair · Post by **Adrian McNair** » 2011-05-12 03:00am

jollyreaper wrote: Canceled in one season. Outfauxed again.

Actually it hasn't been. The two-hour premiere has merely been postponed from May to Fall 2011 due to more time being needed to work on the effects. Of course that doesn't rule out the possibility that it'll be canceled after the first season has finished airing.

As for sci-fi shows that can fill the void, aside from the aforementioned ones there's the upcoming post-alien invasion series Falling Skies.

Some trailers:

Fringe is one of my current favourites:

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2011-05-12 04:20am

I really love Fringe, and I'm quite interested, how they go on after the stunning finale of this season...
The Event... Well, I liked the first half of the season much better than the second one, the time shifts were interesting, now, it just feels like any other show but we'll see how it turns out.
I personally hope they continue with a second season of V. I really like that show, especially Anna. Very creepy.
As for Sanctuary... They try to get more story arc-ish things into the episodes, mixed with monster-of-the-week-episodes. Sometimes it's very cheesy but it's not that bad it would stop me from watching

Darth Tedious · Post by **Darth Tedious** » 2011-05-12 06:56am

Wait, did I miss something? Since when is Doctor Who not sci-fi?

Thanas · Post by **Thanas** » 2011-05-12 07:26am

Sanctuary is only good if Nikola Tesla is onscreen, because Jonathan Young is awesome.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2011-05-12 08:12am

Darth Tedious wrote:Wait, did I miss something? Since when is Doctor Who not sci-fi?

While there are episodes of Doctor Who that are clearly sci-fi, there are others are... just silly. Yes, you always have the sci-fi element of the Doctor being an alien and the TARDIS as a travel device, but there are some spans during the overall run of the series where both facts are remarkably secondary to the story and plot.

NuWho is more solidly sci-fi, IMHO, than OldWho.

Though personally I've always put AllWho into sci-fi.

paladin · Post by **paladin** » 2011-05-12 08:14am

Dahak wrote:I really love Fringe, and I'm quite interested, how they go on after the stunning finale of this season...
The Event... Well, I liked the first half of the season much better than the second one, the time shifts were interesting, now, it just feels like any other show but we'll see how it turns out.
I personally hope they continue with a second season of V. I really like that show, especially Anna. Very creepy.
As for Sanctuary... They try to get more story arc-ish things into the episodes, mixed with monster-of-the-week-episodes. Sometimes it's very cheesy but it's not that bad it would stop me from watching

There was a second season of V that aired (in the US) from January to March. I would interested to see what happens in 3rd season.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2011-05-12 08:18am

AndroAsc wrote:I define real scifi as space-based with aliens or with sufficiently advanced technology that it does not qualify as modern day tech

I read things like that, and I can't help but be reminded how much of today's real tech was unimaginably sci-fi back when I was a kid, or even a teen. Going by that standard, CSI or ER would have been sci-fi when I was a kid.

What IS the definition of sci-fi these days? I remember when it was called SF and someone defined it as Somehow it Fits.

Crazedwraith · Post by **Crazedwraith** » 2011-05-12 08:37am

Broomstick wrote: I read things like that, and I can't help but be reminded how much of today's real tech was unimaginably sci-fi back when I was a kid, or even a teen. Going by that standard, CSI or ER would have been sci-fi when I was a kid.

But where are the flying cars?

I was promised flying cars. I don't see any flying cars.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2011-05-12 09:11am

Hey, dude, I've got my flyer's license

Besides, have you seen the way people drive? Do we really want that in the air?

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2011-05-12 09:39am

Crazedwraith wrote:
Broomstick wrote: I read things like that, and I can't help but be reminded how much of today's real tech was unimaginably sci-fi back when I was a kid, or even a teen. Going by that standard, CSI or ER would have been sci-fi when I was a kid.
But where are the flying cars?

I was promised flying cars. I don't see any flying cars.

Yeah, it's like The Jetsons lied to us...

jollyreaper · Post by **jollyreaper** » 2011-05-12 10:43am

Ahriman238 wrote:
Post subject: Re: So... What Sci Fi is left on TV?

Ahriman238 wrote:
This fall Fox is starting a series called 'Terra Nova' in which future humanity escapes a dying earth through a time-portal to one of the Dinosaur Ages.

Not science fiction enough for you? Well, no aliens or spaceships, balanced against time-travel and dinosaurs, your call.

Canceled in one season. Outfauxed again.

What, already? Man, I remember when they used to air a few episodes of a good show before giving it the ax.

They've really streamlined the whole process.

Not yet officially canceled. But wait a few months and then they will, mark my words.

Peter: Everyone, I've got bad news: We've been canceled.
Lois: Oh no, Peter, how could they do that?
Peter: Well unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule. We've just got to accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like: Dark Angel; Titus; Undeclared; Action; That 80's Show; Wonderfalls; Fast Lane; Andy Richter Controls The Universe; Skin; Girls Club; Cracking Up; The Pitts; Firefly; Get Real; Freakylinks; Wanda At Large; Costello; The Lone Gunmen; A Minute With Stan Hooper; Normal Ohio; Pasadena; Harsh Realm; Keen Eddie; The Street; American Embassy; Cedric The Entertainer; The Tick; Louie; and Greg The Bunny.
Lois: Is there no hope?
Peter: Well, I suppose if all those shows go down the tubes we might have a shot.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2011-05-12 11:45am

For those discussing "Sanctuary" I'd Invite those interested in following it through at least season two, and in season three things really get going (thought the second part of the Season three final is a bit meh).

Yes there are a lot of "Monster of the week" but usually they do keep hinting at a larger ongoing story for the season.

Also for those that follow, it will inevitably lead to one of the best (worst) puns of all times. "It's so sad, I guess she just won't have any Hap-penis in her life"

Sithking Zero · Post by **Sithking Zero** » 2011-05-12 07:08pm

Well, it's animated, but Genedy Tartakovski (Yeah, spelled that horribly wrong) made Symbionic Titan, which is about human-like aliens trying to live on earth... oh, and they have a giant robot they use to fight giant monsters.

My friends and I like it.