Do you find SGU worth watching?

[Mozzza]

Yes SGU is worth watching. It's the best show on TV at the moment, IMHO.

[Sami_]

Thats what i think too but how can we explain BSG? an anomaly?

Well I think there is this assumption that BSG and SGU are similar enough that because BSG did well for a couple of seasons its contradictory that SGU hasn't done well - I disagree with that premise.

BSG has themes in it that makes it palatable to a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise be interested in it. It has very strong political and military themes that SGU doesn't, SGU does have military but its not omnipresent like it is in BSG and the politics in BSG are very reminiscent of our own society; announcements, press releases, voting, speeches, protests, campaigning and things of that nature were common in BSG and people can relate to it.

Even without these things that set it apart I just feel BSG is a superior product and I don't find it particularly odd that it had success where SGU has not.

I disagree, I think SGU is on the wrong channel. Channels like HBO and Showtime are able to have the conditions to keep dramas flourishing, where often they would flounder elsewhere.
It’s interesting to note that SG1 was originally a Showtime production, and that it’s early seasons on Showtime is often referenced with SGU, with some fans calling it a return to it’s roots.

I don't think so, there are certain things you need to do to sci-fi to make it acceptable to a broader audience, I just don't think SGU has done those things regardless of what channel its on.

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

Well I think there is this assumption that BSG and SGU are similar enough that because BSG did well for a couple of seasons its contradictory that SGU hasn't done well - I disagree with that premise.

BSG has themes in it that makes it palatable to a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise be interested in it. It has very strong political and military themes that SGU doesn't, SGU does have military but its not omnipresent like it is in BSG and the politics in BSG are very reminiscent of our own society; announcements, press releases, voting, speeches, protests, campaigning and things of that nature were common in BSG and people can relate to it.

Even without these things that set it apart I just feel BSG is a superior product and I don't find it particularly odd that it had success where SGU has not.



I don't think so, there are certain things you need to do to sci-fi to make it acceptable to a broader audience, I just don't think SGU has done those things regardless of what channel its on.

Again I disagree completely, Showtime and HBO have a number of different shows that break conventions that have turned out to be successful.

Who'd have thought a show about a serial killer would be going strongly into it's 5th season.

[Sami_]

Again I disagree completely, Showtime and HBO have a number of different shows that break conventions that have turned out to be successful.

Who'd have thought a show about a serial killer would be going strongly into it's 5th season.

Well assuming you are talking about Dexter, its not science fiction - I don't apply this idea of "sneaking it into peoples homes as something else" to it.

To the average viewer all science fiction starts off as being "way out there" and the creators have to attempt to ground it in reality somehow so people accept it and kind of ignore the fact that its science fiction. In BSG they ground it partly in military protocol, political process and character drama. The problem with SGU in my opinion is that the only real way they have done that is with the character drama, its the whole "these are not the right people" thing, but in my opinion they went way too dark - a lot of people don't relate to the characters because they are too much of an emotional mess.

I often say SGU should have more action, more plot and generally be more like SG1/SGA but thats just a quick fix that would make it more like a cookie cutter science fiction show which can be enjoyable but will never get any critical acclaim - it doesn't really address the creative enigma of making a complex show that is something its creators can be proud of and satisified with in a way that they can never be creatively satisifed with SG1/SGA.

[Kayzersoze]

I think BSG and SGU have similarities: their steady-cam styles, mostly dark/interior shots, overall depressing feel rather than optimistic and light/bright, and touching on some moral issues quite frequently. But BSG had a much more vast storyline, and had a whole level of character development for the enemy as well. Plus I think the "Humanity's struggle for survival" probably sells better than "Star Trek Voyager - re-imaged", since SGU has so far just been a bunch of folk trapped on a far away ship, with only a few cutaways to events elsewhere.

Reading that description - which is kinda how I read it to be when it was first conceived - it doesn't interest me much. In fact, when I read the brief, I thought "Crap ... won't last, it'll be too boring and too much 'ship or vancouver-like planets only'"

However, I was sucked in from the pilot, and haven't missed a second of the show since. Even watched a few multiple times. My wife, who isn't a SciFi-head like me, even watces it with me and comments on it or refers to it occaisionally.

I like it so much, and know with absolute certaintly that none of my friends will ever watch it or get into it, no matter how much I tell them it's awesome. But I still try.

[BRiDGELiFE]

Well to answer the threads question, the answer is simply:
YES

This Show Is Awesome!!

[sgc]

Especially given the latest episode "Resurgence", it is super definitely worth watching .

[Cold Fuzz]

I think it is very worth watching - if you like a multi-part story that slowly unfolds, rather than episodes that start and end each story. It is more like a novel than a series of short stories, and that makes it very appealing to me.

Also, the acting is extremely good, and the special effects are lovely. Destiny is a lovely ship, and her story is completely absorbing to me.

Absolutely it's worth watching. The long-running storyline is what keeps me coming back. It's one of the reasons my favorite sci-fi has been Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9.

I have no interest the stand-alone episode format anymore. I haven't watched much of seasons 6 through 8 of SG-1 and seasons 4-5 of Atlantis yet and I have no desire to at this point because I know that most of those unwatched episodes will have practically nothing to do with the episodes before them or after them. If something absolutely hideous happens in one episode, a reset button will be pushed and that episode will have virtually no bearing or consequences on the episodes that follow it.

[Duneknight]

Maybe someone should come up with a thread that says, Is it worth waiting for 4 months??

[carmencatalina]

Yes SGU is worth watching. It's the best show on TV at the moment, IMHO.

I so agree with this statement - there isn't anything else for me that even compares.

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

Well assuming you are talking about Dexter, its not science fiction - I don't apply this idea of "sneaking it into peoples homes as something else" to it.

To the average viewer all science fiction starts off as being "way out there" and the creators have to attempt to ground it in reality somehow so people accept it and kind of ignore the fact that its science fiction. In BSG they ground it partly in military protocol, political process and character drama. The problem with SGU in my opinion is that the only real way they have done that is with the character drama, its the whole "these are not the right people" thing, but in my opinion they went way too dark - a lot of people don't relate to the characters because they are too much of an emotional mess.

I often say SGU should have more action, more plot and generally be more like SG1/SGA but thats just a quick fix that would make it more like a cookie cutter science fiction show which can be enjoyable but will never get any critical acclaim - it doesn't really address the creative enigma of making a complex show that is something its creators can be proud of and satisified with in a way that they can never be creatively satisifed with SG1/SGA.

Again I disagree. The SGU I’m watching has lots of military and political themes, mixed in with the character drama. And I really don’t think you have to hide the scifi in a show just to get viewers to accept it, otherwise wacky shows like Doctor Who wouldn’t be watched.

I so agree with this statement - there isn't anything else for me that even compares.

The Walking Dead and Boardwalk Empire want a word.

[The Destiny]

I don't think it's a watchable show.
But I watch nonetheless in order to whine on the internet about it being unwatchable.





Nah, just kidding ^^

It's certainly not something anyone might like, but I am loving every single second of it. I guess I first sort of liked the concept hoping for references to the ancients, but the quality of episodes like Air I, II, III and Light ( o my god.. I was totaly baffled by light, the music!! ) made me an instant fan.

[Replicator Todd]

SGU is a show I view as if you fight through the early episodes there will be a big payoff in the end, so yes in a way it is worth watching if you can get through a whole season.

[Duneknight]

It's certainly not something anyone might like, but I am loving every single second of it. I guess I first sort of liked the concept hoping for references to the ancients, but the quality of episodes like Air I, II, III and Light ( o my god.. I was totaly baffled by light, the music!! ) made me an instant fan.

Yeah I think Air Part 3 and Light have the best music, there were other great ones but these were the ones that first surprised me. When I was watching it I couldn't believe how wonderful the music and scenes were, as it felt like watching a cinematic movie, might've as well been called Stargate 2. Sure there were some not so great episodes later on, but when SGU does its best, it becomes a revolutionary experience.

[Galileo_Galilee]

I like it. I watch it.

I'm not blind to it's flaws though.

I'm not sure if I'm going to watch it any longer because I am tired of long breaks in the seasons and I'm very wary of them turning Chloe into a God Mode Mary Sue.

I don't mind a temporary change, but there are better ways of making a character useful instead of turning them into a God Mode Mary Sue. Such as having her study Daniel Jackson's works (although I'm not sure how they got on the Destiny) and making her the team's expert on different cultures and history and the Ancient's language.

But I still want to see if that is truly what they're doing to her or not. Right now I can only speculate and guess what they're trying to do.

I also want to see a bit quicker resolve to the metaplot. It's one thing to have it slow, but there is such a thing as too slow because when it's too slow then there doesn't seem to be any direction to the show and essentially the format for the show becomes an one episode or maybe two or three episode storyline kind of show, much like Star Trek was.

But I'm not saying that kind of a show is bad, mind you, but, if they make promises I want them to keep them.

That's one of the things I'm frustrated with Lost and new BSG. Lost was better at explaining things, but it's clear that they never really had a clear focus for the show. With BSG the only plan the Cylons had was to throw a temper tantrum across the universe because their parents didn't pay them 24-7 attention. In other words the Cylons were spoiled brats, and that shows because their main template was the spoiled immature little girl named Zoe.

If the show is to have focus, it should be planned ahead and not just thought up on the fly.