recommendations?

[P-90_177]

Hey guys I was just wondering if the following sci fi series were worth watching. I haven't seen these series yet and don't want to waste my time if they are mediocre:
Heroes
Bionic Woman
Doctor Who
Babylon 5
Smallville

and any others. SG1 is gone and BSG will be over soon. I still got Atlantis and a few others.... just wondering if there was some great series I'm missing out on.

Heroes = Very well acted. Some really cool characters and plot line. It just isn't my cup of tea but if you like super powers then you should really enjoy it.

Bionic Woman = My personal opinion is worse than aweful.

Doctor Who = Absolutely fantastic. It is however a case of you either love it or hate it really. Just give it a chance and keep in mind that things in the show aren't suposed to be explained they just are and work.

Babylon 5 = Quite possibly the finest sci-fi show ever.

Smallville = I like it but I lost interest after season 4. I'm enjoying season 7 though. It's alot of teenage angst though.

Other than that I can offer you Farscape (not something I can really get into but very good at times.), Primeval (A British show I really enjoy.), Torchwood (a spin off to doctor who but you don't have to watch doctor who to follow it.)

[Lauriel]

Hey guys I was just wondering if the following sci fi series were worth watching. I haven't seen these series yet and don't want to waste my time if they are mediocre:
Heroes
Bionic Woman
Doctor Who
Babylon 5
Smallville

and any others. SG1 is gone and BSG will be over soon. I still got Atlantis and a few others.... just wondering if there was some great series I'm missing out on.

From reading through the relpies you've got, it seems like Heroes/Smallville will suit you if you like the superhero type shows, and B5 and Dr. Who will suit if you like more alien/classic scifi. I'm in the latter section- Dr.Who and B5 are both excellent, and for me, B5 is the pick of the bunch. Don't be put off by the roughness of the first season, however. Stick it out.

Farscape is excellent as well. Truly worth the watch, IMO.

Bionic Woman, though, just blah.

ShadowMaat gave the best advice though - watch a few eps! At worst, you waste a few hours. At best, you find some new shows that you'll love.

[Xicer]

Well from the list you gave us...

Heroes - One of the best new shows out there, season two was a bit rough but season one will keep you on the edge of your seat. You definitely don't need to be into comics/superheroes to get into this.
Bionic Woman - Complete waste of time.
Doctor Who - Great show but I only recommend the new series for now (2005 and onward). The original is series is VERY long (its the longest running scifi franchise in the world I believe) so you might want to hold off on that. The new series is pretty witty, and it may take getting used to but you'll start to like it.
Babylon 5 - Quite possibly one of the best television shows ever made. It started out rough but went on and ended with quite a few bangs. If your willing to commit to the show, you'll love it and become hooked. This should be at the top of your list.
Smallville - Honestly from the 10 or so episodes I've seen, I didn't think it was that good. It seemed like too much of a teen soap mixed with a superhero twist, which is what turned me off from it. And this is coming from a teenager...

As for other recommendations, well its hard to say since we don't really know what you've already seen. But here are a few I'll list anyway:

Farscape - Extremely witty and fun, and very different from any scifi show you have seen (or will ever see). This one should also be high up on your list. It also starts Ben Browder and Claudia Black which I'm sure you already know.
Firefly - Short-lived but sweet while it lasted. If you havent seen this yet I highly recommend buying the DVD set and watching it.
Space: Above and Beyond - Another short-lived show that I loved to death.

Oh, and I'm assuming you've already seen a lot of the Star Trek shows, because honestly, who hasn't?

I suggest watching the first few episodes of each of these shows to get a taste (B5 would be an exception).

[docballen]

I'm a Doctor Who fan, so I might be biased-- but I think I can second most of the recommendations you've seen so far.

Heroes will hopefully be coming back on NBC in the fall-- I haven't seen all of season one (I have seen all of season two) but this show even has comic books online and lots of network and fan support.

Bionic Woman I watched this in the Seventies and couldn't get used to the changes they made to it. So I'd vote no.

Doctor Who As I said before, I'm a big fan. Please note; there are two different actors who have portrayed The Doctor in "modern times"-- I have enjoyed both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. CE only did one year as the Doctor... DT is still playing the Doctor. You will find more episodes with DT.

Babylon 5 is very very good-- I also wish I had seen more of this show. Sci Fi, could you start showing this (instead of stuff like ECW?????)

Smallville too is still getting support from CW. I saw some episodes of this in syndication and they were shown out of order-- I'm sure it makes more sense to a regular viewer. I'd call it sci fi lite-- it had a lot of romance and I can see where a teen might like it more than I would, but it was OK-- I wouldn't miss Stargate SG-1 reruns for it.


And then I'd like to add--

Torchwood I have a huge crush on John Barrowman so I've been more lenient with all the romance (sex) and some of the weaker plotlines. Season two has turned out to be better than season one has been-- if you can have a friend tape a few of the episodes they would be an excellent spot to start out with.

Firefly is going to be the next big purchase I make. It is excellent and so is the movie, titled "Serenity". The unfortunate thing is that there is only one season-- I think that was 13 episodes-- of this series. Plus the movie. And I want more.

And if you've enjoyed Season 10 of SG-1 you should see Farscape. This is another one that I missed most of and need to rent or find another way to watch.


Good luck in your search. You have some great viewing ahead.

[HolyGhost]

I would strongly recommend Farscape, it is the best show ever. And second you have Firefly who is one to watch. ( of course BSG, SG1. SGA )

Other then that, theres to little scifi shows to watch, but theres some cool interresting projects on the way

[silly sally]

Hey guys I was just wondering if the following sci fi series were worth watching. I haven't seen these series yet and don't want to waste my time if they are mediocre:
Heroes
Bionic Woman
Doctor Who
Babylon 5
Smallville

and any others. SG1 is gone and BSG will be over soon. I still got Atlantis and a few others.... just wondering if there was some great series I'm missing out on.

Babylon 5 definitely! Firefly and Serenity too! Heroes maybe! I see a lot of people recommend 'Farscape', but that was too camp for my taste.
Star-Trek especially TNG and DS9

[DigiFluid]

Heroes is what I like to think of as 'populist' science fiction. Which, to me, immediately translates into 'crap'. I know it sounds like elitist bull, but experience has taught me that things which appeal to the masses are generally not worth watching.

Bionic Woman was awful, I wouldn't bother if I were you.

Doctor Who is not only a legend, but it's great programming too. Other science fiction shows can't hope to match the level of imagination displayed in virtually every episode of this series. And it has a doesn't-take-itself-too-seriously feel to it similar to SG-1's, which is nice too.

Babylon 5 is another legend of the genre. Generally regarded as one of the highest-calibre science fiction shows, up to and including other science fiction shows you and I are into.

Smallville...if, like you've said, you're not especially into Superman stuff you may want to skip this. I find it's not especially heavy entertainment, more along the lines of popcorn-eating scifi/fantasy.

Other recommendations:
Farscape is really a cut above as well. I dismissed and derided it for years as just a stupid muppets in space show, until I finally decided to give it a shot. And let me tell you, those muppets are better written and 'performed' than a lot of 'real' characters on other science fiction shows. The show's overarching plot is quite well done--a little disparate at first--but really comes together quickly as the show goes on, and its two-parters were nothing short of epic. The show was unceremoniously (and unexpectedly) cancelled after its fourth season, but the Peacekeeper Wars miniseries nicely wraps up quite a few of the outstanding plot threads.

Lexx is, shall we say, a very 'niche' show. A lot of people don't like it, but what really grabbed me about it was how completely different it is than 99% of other science fiction shows. How many science fiction shows can you name where the crew is composed of a lowly security guard, a love slave, a dead assassin, a severed smartarse robot head, and a plant woman who has to eat people in order to survive? Add that to bizarre and convoluted plots mainly driven by some combination of the crew's hunger, fear, or horniness and you've got a show I really enjoyed.

Firefly, I think, really needs no introduction.

And finally, I'd like to bring Carnivále to the table. The show is more properly considered fantasy than science fiction, but it's one of the best shows I've ever had the good fortune to watch; hardly surprising considering it came from HBO. It's set in the dustbowl of the American south during the Great Depression, simultaneously following the stories of a troubled healer wanted by the law and harboured by a travelling carnival, and a rapidly growing ministry under an evangelical minister--leading to the final confrontation between good and evil. It's only two seasons long (24 episodes in total), but it's one of the shows I miss the most.

[somme]

Lexx! As the poster above me said, it's very niche. I watched the first season years ago and gave up as I was too young. Now I've just started season 4 and have been watching them all through.

There's a lot of sexual-ness to it lol.

[DigiFluid]

Lexx! As the poster above me said, it's very niche. I watched the first season years ago and gave up as I was too young. Now I've just started season 4 and have been watching them all through.

There's a lot of sexual-ness to it lol.

Nice to see season 4's got you hooked IMO, season 4 was the weakest of the bunch but I absolutely adore the first three.

[somme]

Well seasons 1 and 2 got me hooked. I hoped season 4 would go back to an episodic format but it hasn't so thats sad

[jcainhaze]

Uh Bablyon 5 is the best scifi of all time! Starts a bit slow but it's a must watch for scifi lovers and there's alot to watch so it will keep you busy for quite awhile

Dr Who is a very fun romp and certainly worth watching.