POLL ALERT! SF/F TV in Fall 2008

[eldritchhobbit]

Happy belated birthday to onegoat! Happy birthday to roo2! And happy early birthday to darthsindel1981 and amygrech, as well! I hope all of you are having a great week, and I wish you a wonderful year to come.

Axiom's Edge has a US-centric list of science fiction and fantasy TV series scheduled for Fall 2008. I will continue watching Lost and 24 (which I consider to be genre, or at least highly influenced by SF), and so far I am interested in the new series Fringe and The Eleventh Hour. I think I should give Dollhouse a try out of Whedonesque loyalty, as well.

What do you think?

POLL TIME!

[Poll #1243894]


"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it's done. One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen."
- Robert A. Heinlein, Between Planets

Comments

[euclase.livejournal.com]

Lol, I clicked on a bunch of new shows I didn't even know they were making because I now want to know more about them.

(That was a backwards way of saying thank you for making me curious!)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it was useful to you! :) I hadn't heard about some of those, either. Sounds like some interesting shows.

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Not exactly X-Files "love" but I wish they would take all the good things from the first seasons and make a new series ;) Unfortunately, the new movie showed they are stuck in season 9 :P IMVHO.

Oh, and I love your postings, even if I don't comment them all - they always make me want to read REAL scifi, and I always have a bad conscience for not doing it *G* So I started with "Vulcan's Hammer" by P. Dick last night, but the idea of governments giving all might to a computer...eh, OUTDATED :) Shame over my critical brain.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you so much! I am not nearly as good as I should be about commenting, but I always love your posts, as well. You always have such terrific things to share that I've never seen before.

I hope you find some good classic SF you enjoy! :)

[llembas.livejournal.com]

I also want to watch Merlin now that I've learned about it because of your poll. :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yay! :)

[domynoe.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty miffed that all of the following were canceled:

The 4400 -- UNFINISHED STORYLINE
Dead Zone -- UNFINISHED STORYLINE
Stargate SG-1


*grumbles*

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Augh, I miss The 4400 so much. What a disservice to that show, to cancel it just when it had hit its stride. I'm also sore about Dead Zone not getting to finish the arc it spent years building. :(

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Interesting list. I tend to not think of shows like 24 or Chuck as genre (other than "suspense" or "action comedy"), but I can see why you might.

The one new show I am absolutely not watching? Life on Mars. I've seen the pilot of the original British version, and it is AMAZING. I can't imagine an American version is going to do anything but flop. (And I'm peeved at the BBC for not releasing it here in the States...I need to buy me a region-free player.)

[greenhoodloxley.livejournal.com]

Life on Mars (British version obviously) IS amazing. It's so good. I just got a region free player so I could get it on dvd. Definitely worth it. *grin*

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

See? All these people like you with good taste keep saying this. I must get a region-free player so I can watch it!

[lovefromgirl.livejournal.com]

Seconding your veto of the US LoM. PLEASE GODS NO.

(Dear domestic production companies: The Office was a fluke. Stop trying.)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Why can't we just get the UK version in the US, as we've done with Doctor Who and Hustle? I'm so glad no network tried to remake those. *shudder*

[lovefromgirl.livejournal.com]

I wish. It would do well over here, I think.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'll admit I don't know about Chuck - I was going with Axiom's Edge's call there - but I tend to think 24's borderline apocalyptic scenarios (how many nuclear warheads have detonated thus far?) among other things tend to push it toward the SF category, if not all the way into it.

I really need to get a region-free player, too. I've heard from several people now that the British version of Life on Mars is remarkable. Why can't one of the networks just import it as is to the US, as networks have done with Doctor Who and Hustle, instead of trying to remake the thing? Grrrr.

[jalara.livejournal.com]

I picked Star Trek, but I'm not sure I really want a new show, I'd just like to see some of the old characters from TNG, DS9, and VOY remixed into a new series with new stories. What happened to Voyager when she returned? *sigh* I miss that show.

I'd like to get SG-1 back, too. And Xena. I'll probably watch Babylon 5 this year for the first time. "Merlin" could be good. I love Arthurian Legend.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Xena? Heck, I still miss Hercules! :) You're in for a treat with Babylon 5. And I definitely would like to see some of the old characters - especially from DS9 and VOY - back again. That would be fabulous.

I hope Merlin is good!

[ievil-spock-47i.livejournal.com]

Fall DREAM:

a show based on Zelazny or Vance (Kirth Gersen?)

Now, that would be Must Watch TV! :-)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

You said it!

[abbie (from livejournal.com)]

My mom and I took the poll together because I know she watches a few SF/F shows. I'm not even sure if I'm going to have a TV this fall. :o(

I'm not very much into on religiously watching shows as they come out anyway. I wait until the networks post them online or until they come out on DVD. So...now you know.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks to you and your mom for taking the poll! There's something to be said for watching series on DVD: no commercials, no waiting for weeks for the next episodes, and you can even watch several seasons in quick succession. I rather envy those who watched Lost for the first time that way, instead of getting little bits and pieces over the months/years...

[mackiedockie.livejournal.com]

A miniseries based on "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or "Stranger in a Strange Land" would be interesting. Or a regular series based on Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. With Jim Byrnes *g*.

Or for a really wild ride, a series based on Cordwainer Smith's Instrumentality of Mankind.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oooh, definitely with Jim Byrnes! :)

Last year when I went to UCLA and got to talk to Tim Minear of Firefly and Wonderfalls fame, he said he had written a script for a new adaptation of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. From the way he talks, he really gets Heinlein. He wasn't sure if it had any hope of getting picked up, though, in part because of its faithfulness to the text (in other words, more things happen than just big explosions alone). If it did, I bet it would be fantastic.

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

I gave up on Lost last season, but I can't stop watching Jack Bauer kicking ass. I'm also still die-hard on BSG. I'd like to suggest Bones to you, as it stars Angel and is a solid procedural.

As for the show I wish for, I want that zombie apoclyapse series they promised me last year! I want my undead eaters of the living!

I would also be happy with a Dr. Horrible series.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh man - imagine a Dr. Horrible series!!! I would be SO THERE.

I need to see if the earlier seasons of Bones are on DVD. I bet they are. I miss Jack Bauer with a passion. I can't wait for the return of 24.

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

A return of Firefly would be acceptable as long as everything from the film Serenity would be labeled apocryphal.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

LOL!

[serpentcoils.livejournal.com]

Did you ever watch HBO's Carnivale? That quote reminds me of something the main character said - "Everything's impossible, 'til it ain't." :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I loved Carnivale! Talk about shows that were gone too soon...

Now that you mention it, I remember that quote. :)

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

Adding to my tickies, we don't have premium cable or I would also watch Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, and True Blood. I watch BG when it comes out on DVD. I enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse novels so would like to try the series. We just returned from a trip to the East Coast (Mythcon plus a family visit and touristing) and noticed the True Blood ads on buses and on bus stops.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I bet it won't take long for the new series to make the leap to DVD. It seems like it used to take forever, and now new seasons show up in boxed sets and on Netflix almost immediately.

I'm so sorry I missed MythCon this year. I hope it was fantastic as always! And I hope your trip was terrific.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I don't like supernatural scary stuff because then I get too scared to sleep for the rest of the week, and I found Heroes annoying because of the choppy editing. BSG was too depressing. The one I'm really looking forward to is Torchwood. Stupid stories, great fun ;) (Though I wouldn't complain at all if they could keep the fun while improving the stories.)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I have a love/hate relationship with Torchwood. It seems to have terrific premises but very poor follow through, and while there's good acting, there's no attention in the scripts to consistency in the characterizations. But I still watch it. I much prefer (and now miss!) Doctor Who. :)

I totally agree with you about Heroes being annoying!

[alicambs.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who and Torchwood - it's on in the Autumn.
Merlin looks interesting so I hope it's not a let down.
I'm actually rather fond of teh slacker comedy/fantasy Reaper and I know that's returning in the Autumn listings as well according to my well thumbed SFX (can't say that many of the new shows tickled my fancy), oh and Primeval is back later this year. Yep, a Brit who rather enjoys the home made stuff although Heroes is in my top three this year. :-)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping Torchwood improves; I have a real love/hate thing going on with it right now in terms of the consistency of the characterizations and the scripts. I much prefer (and now miss!) Doctor Who, which absolutely rocks my socks. :)

And speaking of Brit TV, I'm a fan of Hustle, as well, and I'm super excited that it's coming back for another season after a year's hiatus!

[sithdragn.livejournal.com]

It's only genre-ish: Batman: Gotham Knights (animated). Only because David McCallum is voicing Alfred (he was considered for Batman Begins), but I'm nothing if not predictable.

I was tempted to click 'anything Star Trek', but after Enterprise, I've learned that that's not really what I want. *g*

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, good catch re: Batman: Gotham Nights! What's not to love about David McCallum? Especially his voice!!!

LOL re: Star Trek. I feel your pain.