Deep Space 9 Superior

[Trek_Girl42]

LOL, us Americans want it bigger and better. As I am sure you and most television and movie savvy people are aware of - There are very few original idea's left in Hollywood. Not only on television but look at all the re-makes of movies they do these days, which has really been going on for years now. But to be fair the British have ripped off plenty of American shows and movies themselves. America and Britain share a lot of the same likes and dislikes when it comes to television. So to re-make an American or British version of said show usually works out for the best. I just read an article on Yahoo a couple of weeks ago that talked about how Hollywood is bringing a lot of British actors over to star in new and old television shows and movies, while Britain is doing the same with American actors.

I have seen an episode or two of the original Life on Mars via the BBC America channel, It has a pretty cool premise. I noticed that BBC America is going to start showing Torchwood in September on supernatural Saturday Night's. Have you or any one else seen Torchwood before?. And other than a spin-off of Doctor Who (which I enjoy) - what is it about?.

I still don't get them taking British shows- a french show maybe or something in a different language. Obviously when there are different languages and cultures there are different tastes, but I'd rather see a remake with a new "spin" for the North American audience tried on something a bit more foreign. Shows like "The Office" are so brilliant in their original British versions that I just can't watch an American remake.

Can't wait for Torchwood- for us it starts on CBC this fall, Captain Jack is a brilliant character. I've heard mixed feelings on it, but then again most first seasons (in my experience) are the weakest.

I gather the obscure background and inside information from a combination of the internet and my trusty Trek Director Hanbook's and my collection of every imaginable Star Trek magazine that has been published in the past. It really is a lot of work to put together, but it's a true labor of love, plus the appreciation I get from you and other DS9 Brethren makes it all worth while.
Dr. Who is IMHO one very silly and rather cheeky show, as the British might say. I'm still not sure whether I like it or not yet. Some episodes are very intriguing while others I can hardly watch. I hope Torchwood is better.
I also like darker, especially with scifi, but I hear you loud and clear about the new BSG. For as good as the writing is (Ronald D Moore is outstanding) some of the episodes are the cure for insomnia. I agree with brother Stabase - The mini-series and season 3 were excellent and everything I have read about season 4 sounds good. This might be one of the shows that is best enjoyed on DVD, so you can watch as much or as little as you want in one sitting.

I was raised on British (Monty Python, Blackadder, Red Dwarf) and Canadian (Red Green, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, more recently Corner Gas) humour and I can't remember ever watching any American television until I was in my teens aside from the occasional show when visiting friends. So when I found Doctor Who I was in absolute heaven. It's cheezy and it's a bit camp (but it has a high enough budget that it works- it's gorgeous visually) and for me that's exactly what makes the spirit of the show. I love my british television.

And thanks for the Blood Oath info USS Defiant! Definitely one of the best Klingon eps, and it should have made the Klingon fan collective set.

[Whitestar]

Interesting bit of news- I haven't seen the original "Life on Mars" yet, must do so some time. Lets hope that this remake isn't another American "Red Dwarf"- I'd give it a try to see Colm Meany though. But why americans need to remake all these British shows is beyond me..... Are Americans really that unable to appreciate the original British versions of these shows? I have trouble believing that.....

LOL. That's how I felt about the Doctor Who tv movie when Fox decided to take (temporary control) of the franchise. The movie was deemed too "americanized" due to car chases and gang shooting, etc. Now, I'm an american, but I don't want Doctor Who or Blake's 7 to be put in the hands of american producers because it won't be the same. By the same token, I don't wish to see Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscape, V, or Alien Nation to be in the hands of the British because then it will become "Britishized". To see what I mean, watch Doctor Who: The Movie on the following link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IaIzsPXkN...elated&search=

It consists of nine parts, but for some reason it does not contain part nine on that particular link, but I have it right here when you get to the last part:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2GZXv_Nx8S0

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's definitely entertaining in it's own right and it has it's moments, but it could have been better. And the only saving grace of the movie is Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor (as well as a brief cameo appearance by the seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy) and Eric Roberts as The Master! Enjoy!

[Xicer]

Yea I absolutely love Doctor Who, this coming from a guy who lived in America his whole life and grew up with American television. In fact, the only British show I had even watched back then was Mr. Bean, lol. Doctor Who takes a bit getting used to but it's simply amazing. I started watching the new series but have also begun watching a few of the classics, they are just so good. Doctor Who is a type of show which I really wish more people would pick up on.

In the last few years especially, scifi has gotten a bit stale and a lot of scifi shows coming out right now are...well...more drama than actual scifi. Don't get me wrong, I love shows like DS9 and BSG to death but I wish there were more imaginative scifi shows on the air like Doctor Who. It brings wonder and adventure back into scifi which is why I love it so much, it's very refreshing.

[USS Defiant]

LOL. That's how I felt about the Doctor Who tv movie when Fox decided to take (temporary control) of the franchise. The movie was deemed too "americanized" due to car chases and gang shooting, etc. Now, I'm an american, but I don't want Doctor Who or Blake's 7 to be put in the hands of american producers because it won't be the same. By the same token, I don't wish to see Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscape, V, or Alien Nation to be in the hands of the British because then it will become "Britishized". To see what I mean, watch Doctor Who: The Movie on the following link:

Very well said, I also would not want to see Star Trek "Britishized" (I think you invented a word ). Some of the shows we borrow from our sister counrty turn out bad while some are very good.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's definitely entertaining in it's own right and it has it's moments, but it could have been better. And the only saving grace of the movie is Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor (as well as a brief cameo appearance by the seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy) and Eric Roberts as The Master! Enjoy!

I actually have a copy of that movie sitting on my shelf un-opened. I bought it because my wife is a huge Eric Roberts fan. We had planned on watching it a couple of times, but never got around to it. After watching part of those YouTube clips you provided, my interest is piqued, thank's brother Whitestar.

[USS Defiant]

I got hooked about the concept of two minds in one body and the reaction of others to the Trill in general when I first saw TNG episode 'The Host'. It was a great episode as we watch Beverly try to cope with this concept. She was in love with the symbiont but it still highlighted how much humans take outside appearances into account as well. It was just too much for her to believe that the female host was as much Odan as the original Trill host and Will Riker were. This episode again shows TNG did touch on certain subjects but couldn't take it further with Beverly continuing her relationship with the female Odan.

TNG:"The Host" showed us a symbiosis between two species, one humanoid and one symbiont implanted into the humanoid. The episode over-all was entertaining but there a few reasons I didn't care for the episode. First of all, it is a recurring theme in TNG that the Enterprise has guests who don't reveal their true nature. It is just not credible that friendly guests always remain silent about their (potentially hazardous) peculiarities, and that no scans indicate their nature either. Secondly, no humanoid would be keen on being subdued to the Trill symbiont the way it was shown in "The Host". Finally, Beverly who has fallen in love with Odan and is suddenly confronted with Odan in Riker's body and finally a female host, comes to the conclusion that sexual attraction is something that needs to be overcome in favor of more universal relationships. I firmly disagree, because sexual reproduction has obviously been the foundation of all human life (and of all mammalian species likewise) for millions of years, and it is not likely and not desirable anyway to change. It is much more than just a matter of tolerance for gay and lesbian relationships (if her statement was a hint in this direction), because Beverly would deny her own existence if it didn't matter who or what she is attracted to.

And why did they change the Trill character from TNG to DS9?. They are obviously two completely different races of alien. It is usually pleasant to see such a kind of inter-series continuity, but in the case of the Trills it turned out a disaster.

[the Fifth Race]

And why did they change the Trill character from TNG to DS9?. They are obviously two completely different races of alien. It is usually pleasant to see such a kind of inter-series continuity, but in the case of the Trills it turned out a disaster.

LOL, they are different aliens, from the TNG ridges on the forehead to DS9 leopard like spots to completely different looking symbionts.

I am pretty sure I have an article that talks about about the differences between the TNG Trills and DS9 Trills and why TPTB did it that way. I will try and find it this evening.

[USS Defiant]

Can't wait for Torchwood- for us it starts on CBC this fall, Captain Jack is a brilliant character. I've heard mixed feelings on it, but then again most first seasons (in my experience) are the weakest.

Excellent, it sounds like you are getting it the same time we are. It will be nice to occasionally chat about it here with you Trek_Girl .

I was raised on British (Monty Python, Blackadder, Red Dwarf) and Canadian (Red Green, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, more recently Corner Gas) humour and I can't remember ever watching any American television until I was in my teens aside from the occasional show when visiting friends. So when I found Doctor Who I was in absolute heaven. It's cheezy and it's a bit camp (but it has a high enough budget that it works- it's gorgeous visually) and for me that's exactly what makes the spirit of the show. I love my british television.

Fortunely my father bought one of those huge satellite dishes when I was a teenager so we were able to get CBC and the BBC. On the Canadian side I loved watching SCTV, Royal Candian Air Farce, The Kid's in the Hall, This Hour has 22 Minutes and of course Hockey Night. On the British side it was Benny Hill, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Avengers, The Thunderbirds and monochrome Dr. Who episodes.

[Xicer]

And why did they change the Trill character from TNG to DS9?. They are obviously two completely different races of alien. It is usually pleasant to see such a kind of inter-series continuity, but in the case of the Trills it turned out a disaster.

lol I just try to pretend that the host body in the TNG episode was a different race than what we see in DS9, however much sense that doesn't make.

[Trek_Girl42]

LOL. That's how I felt about the Doctor Who tv movie when Fox decided to take (temporary control) of the franchise. The movie was deemed too "americanized" due to car chases and gang shooting, etc. Now, I'm an american, but I don't want Doctor Who or Blake's 7 to be put in the hands of american producers because it won't be the same. By the same token, I don't wish to see Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscape, V, or Alien Nation to be in the hands of the British because then it will become "Britishized". To see what I mean, watch Doctor Who: The Movie on the following link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IaIzsPXkN...elated&search=

It consists of nine parts, but for some reason it does not contain part nine on that particular link, but I have it right here when you get to the last part:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2GZXv_Nx8S0

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's definitely entertaining in it's own right and it has it's moments, but it could have been better. And the only saving grace of the movie is Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor (as well as a brief cameo appearance by the seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy) and Eric Roberts as The Master! Enjoy!

Thanks for the links! I haven't seen any pre-Chris Eccleston Dr. Who. The DVDs that are available are horribley expensive.

Star Trek "britishized" *shudders*.

Yea I absolutely love Doctor Who, this coming from a guy who lived in America his whole life and grew up with American television. In fact, the only British show I had even watched back then was Mr. Bean, lol. Doctor Who takes a bit getting used to but it's simply amazing. I started watching the new series but have also begun watching a few of the classics, they are just so good. Doctor Who is a type of show which I really wish more people would pick up on.

In the last few years especially, scifi has gotten a bit stale and a lot of scifi shows coming out right now are...well...more drama than actual scifi. Don't get me wrong, I love shows like DS9 and BSG to death but I wish there were more imaginative scifi shows on the air like Doctor Who. It brings wonder and adventure back into scifi which is why I love it so much, it's very refreshing.

Dr. Who is refreshing! It is the perfect adventure show- it has some amazing storytelling going on, fantastic aliens (only Dr. Who can make Rhino-head aliens work, anywhere else it would be pathetic ), great humour, etc and as you say, it does have that sense of wonder. It is the best an adventure show can be, and I think it's an excellent contrast to shows like BSG and DS9. Makes for some good balance.

I think one of the reasons that I haven't gotten into many of the sci-fi shows of more recent years is because they all seemed very much the same, tonally (notabley last year's Threashold, Invasion, and Surface- they all felt the same from the bits I saw, and none particularly interesting), but then started watching and really liking others (Heroes, Eurkea- both were very different from everything else currently airing so I became more interested). It gets boring when all the series are the same in tone, feel, and look.

TNG:"The Host" showed us a symbiosis between two species, one humanoid and one symbiont implanted into the humanoid. The episode over-all was entertaining but there a few reasons I didn't care for the episode. First of all, it is a recurring theme in TNG that the Enterprise has guests who don't reveal their true nature. It is just not credible that friendly guests always remain silent about their (potentially hazardous) peculiarities, and that no scans indicate their nature either. Secondly, no humanoid would be keen on being subdued to the Trill symbiont the way it was shown in "The Host". Finally, Beverly who has fallen in love with Odan and is suddenly confronted with Odan in Riker's body and finally a female host, comes to the conclusion that sexual attraction is something that needs to be overcome in favor of more universal relationships. I firmly disagree, because sexual reproduction has obviously been the foundation of all human life (and of all mammalian species likewise) for millions of years, and it is not likely and not desirable anyway to change. It is much more than just a matter of tolerance for gay and lesbian relationships (if her statement was a hint in this direction), because Beverly would deny her own existence if it didn't matter who or what she is attracted to.

And why did they change the Trill character from TNG to DS9?. They are obviously two completely different races of alien. It is usually pleasant to see such a kind of inter-series continuity, but in the case of the Trills it turned out a disaster.

Ah, The Host. I didn't much like this episode- as you say it was again another "the guest to the Enterprise is hiding something ep", almost all of which are boring and predicatable. I'm pretty sure I kept feeling like nodding off while watching this one.

Excellent, it sounds like you are getting it the same time we are. It will be nice to occasionally chat about it here with you Trek_Girl .
Fortunely my father bought one of those huge satellite dishes when I was a teenager so we were able to get CBC and the BBC. On the Canadian side I loved watching SCTV, Royal Candian Air Farce, The Kid's in the Hall, This Hour has 22 Minutes and of course Hockey Night. On the British side it was Benny Hill, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Avengers, The Thunderbirds and monochrome Dr. Who episodes.

RCAF and 22 Minutes have gotten pretty tired over recent years though they're still cranking out eps (one can only watch the Chicken cannon so many times before the novelty wears off ). We used to watch 22 Minutes all the time and now we never do. Even Red Green called it quits last year, which I was quite sad about. Corner Gas currently reigns as the tv staple among Canadians, along with Hockey Night In Canada, which will never die. But really overall, pretty much everyone watches American stuff- and who can blame us? Nothing up here gets much of a budget (though CBC hands over money for the production of Dr. Who ), and hardly anything homegrown is appealing to anyone between the ages of twelve and fourty.

[gopher65]

RCAF and 22 Minutes have gotten pretty tired over recent years though they're still cranking out eps (one can only watch the Chicken cannon so many times before the novelty wears off ). We used to watch 22 Minutes all the time and now we never do. Even Red Green called it quits last year, which I was quite sad about. Corner Gas currently reigns as the tv staple among Canadians, along with Hockey Night In Canada, which will never die. But really overall, pretty much everyone watches American stuff- and who can blame us? Nothing up here gets much of a budget (though CBC hands over money for the production of Dr. Who ), and hardly anything homegrown is appealing to anyone between the ages of twelve and fourty.

Indeed, although I found that The RCAF was invigorated when it brought on 3 new people. But the humour is still similar enough where I don't watch it much anymore. I think the lack of good Canadian TV is just a matter of budget. Stations find it cheaper to purchase American TV than to produce their own shows. If it weren't for the Canadian Content laws we wouldn't have *any* Canadian shows.

Oh and... be prepared when you watch Torchwood. It's like watching a soft-core porno.

[Trek_Girl42]

I think the lack of good Canadian TV is just a matter of budget.

It's the entire reason sadly. We have the talent (look at all the stuff we produce for Americans, and our actors have gone south in droves) but no one here has the money. I wish the SPACE channel had a decent enough budget to try producing something. Then we wouldn't get stuck with constant Relic Hunter repeats.

[the Fifth Race]

lol I just try to pretend that the host body in the TNG episode was a different race than what we see in DS9, however much sense that doesn't make.

Indeed Xicer, makes no sense what so ever. I found an atricle on why exactly the Trill race we saw on TNG is different than the Trill race that Dax was on DS9. The reasons are ridiculous, I will post it up tomorrow when I am at my home PC.

[the Fifth Race]

Dr. Who is refreshing! It is the perfect adventure show- it has some amazing storytelling going on, fantastic aliens (only Dr. Who can make Rhino-head aliens work, anywhere else it would be pathetic ), great humour, etc and as you say, it does have that sense of wonder. It is the best an adventure show can be, and I think it's an excellent contrast to shows like BSG and DS9. Makes for some good balance.

Dr. Who is a contrast to all television shows, which makes it a unique stand-out, which is almost always a good thing when it comes to entertainment. Dr. Who like Farscape - makes "rhinoheaded aliens and gas mask headed humans" watchable, which is a testament to it's brand or different yet good writing.

I think one of the reasons that I haven't gotten into many of the sci-fi shows of more recent years is because they all seemed very much the same, tonally (notably last year's Threshold, Invasion, and Surface- they all felt the same from the bits I saw, and none particularly interesting), but then started watching and really liking others (Heroes, Eureka- both were very different from everything else currently airing so I became more interested). It gets boring when all the series are the same in tone, feel, and look.

Please do not judge Invasion, Surface and especially Threshold from just watching "bits" Lady Trek. If you ever get a chance rent or record the first and only seasons of all of 3 and I guarantee you will be very pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, I also love Heroes and Eureka (to a lesser degree), and IMHO neither one of those shows is as original as Surface or Threshold.

Ah, The Host. I didn't much like this episode- as you say it was again another "the guest to the Enterprise is hiding something ep", almost all of which are boring and predicatable. I'm pretty sure I kept feeling like nodding off while watching this one.

You and me both, most episodes involving Beverely as the main focus were rather blase.

[Rac80]

LOL, they are different aliens, from the TNG ridges on the forehead to DS9 leopard like spots to completely different looking symbionts.

I am pretty sure I have an article that talks about about the differences between the TNG Trills and DS9 Trills and why TPTB did it that way. I will try and find it this evening.

lol I just try to pretend that the host body in the TNG episode was a different race than what we see in DS9, however much sense that doesn't make.

I never realized that the trills were different.(mainly cause I am not a TNG fan.) You guys pay waaay more attention than I do! I too will pretend they were different races.

Indeed, although I found that The RCAF was invigorated when it brought on 3 new people. But the humour is still similar enough where I don't watch it much anymore. I think the lack of good Canadian TV is just a matter of budget. Stations find it cheaper to purchase American TV than to produce their own shows. If it weren't for the Canadian Content laws we wouldn't have *any* Canadian shows.

Oh and... be prepared when you watch Torchwood. It's like watching a soft-core porno.

Thanks for the headsup- no torchwood here! I am no longer a "soap" fan and that is what I find annoying about so many shows... they are a soap set in different locales and supposed different genres. DS9 was a continuing storyline show, but not CONSTANTLY concerned with everyone's love lives! I enjoy SG1 and Atlantis for the same reasons.

As for my british tv past... Monty Python's flying circus was shown on a boston pbs station back in the day (1130pm sat. nights) and I remember one other show on pbs- my partner the ghost, I just remember it was funny!


ps trek girl- i liked your description of some TNG episodes. I agree those episodes were quite predictable!

[USS Defiant]

I think one of the reasons that I haven't gotten into many of the sci-fi shows of more recent years is because they all seemed very much the same, tonally (notabley last year's Threashold, Invasion, and Surface- they all felt the same from the bits I saw, and none particularly interesting), but then started watching and really liking others (Heroes, Eurkea- both were very different from everything else currently airing so I became more interested). It gets boring when all the series are the same in tone, feel, and look.

Invasion and Surface were rather pedestrian, yet still interesting. CBS' Threshold was fantastic!. The Scifi Channel occasionally runs a marathon of the 13 or so episodes they made. If you see it listed give it a gander Trek_Girl, you will be pleasantly surprised.

RCAF and 22 Minutes have gotten pretty tired over recent years though they're still cranking out eps (one can only watch the Chicken cannon so many times before the novelty wears off ). We used to watch 22 Minutes all the time and now we never do.

I don't know what they show as far as re-runs go in Canada, but the SCTV and RCAF episodes I watched were from the early 80's when IMHO both shows were hilarious. I have never seen anything newer than about 1985.

The other very Canadian things that was popular when I was a teenager and young adult was Moosehead Beer (I preferred Royal Canadian Whiskey myself) and of course the 'hoser' brothers Doug and Bob McKenzie.