I think
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Agent
Member # 2759
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 09:05
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quote:I'm a great fan of Doctor Who, but it's not a grown-up show. BSG is. -------------------- "I can't read this thread with that image. But then, that's not a complaint." -Scorpius Geneforge 4 stuff. Also, everything I know about Avernum | Avernum 2 | Avernum 3 | Avernum 4 Posts: 1104 | Registered: Monday, March 10 2003 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2836
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 11:51
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So am I. Why isn't it a grown-up show? Does anyone here watch Babylon 5? Posts: 587 | Registered: Tuesday, April 1 2003 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2759
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 12:11
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Babylon 5 must be one of the greatest tv shows ever made. Admittedly it has a slow start, but season 4 was intensely brilliant. So, in answer to your question, yes. Regarding Doctor Who, it is primarily written for eight year olds. That's Russell T Davies' stated policy. Hence the farting aliens in Downing Street, the Doctor's childish dialogue, the dalek-cyberman war, barely ankle-deep plots, I could go on and on... It's still an entertaining show (with a massive popular following here in the UK) but it's not as serious a show as B5 or new-BSG. Having said that there are always episodes which buck the trend. Eg, "Girl in the Fireplace" was an excellent episode. -------------------- "I can't read this thread with that image. But then, that's not a complaint." -Scorpius Geneforge 4 stuff. Also, everything I know about Avernum | Avernum 2 | Avernum 3 | Avernum 4 Posts: 1104 | Registered: Monday, March 10 2003 08:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 12:49
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Babylon 5 was a very good and very influential show, that really went off the rails when its creator decided that he had to write all the episodes. Half-baked plots, unconvincing speeches, excess cases of the cutes, and general shakiness followed. But a pretty darn good show nontheless. Battlestar Galactica stands on the shoulders of giants. Doctor Who ... meh. OK episodes, terrible endings. If I want SF-lite, I'll watch my Futurama DVDs for the eightieth time each. (And this is from someone who watched every pre-cancellation episode three times during his adolescence. Having people debate the merits of Doctor Who in this new millenium tickles the hell out of me.) - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6489
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 13:09
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The top ten scifi shows, IMHO: Babylon 5 Star Trek the Next Generation Battlestar Galactica Firefly Stargate Atlantis Star Trek Deep Space Nine Stargate SG1 Star Trek Farscape Star Trek Voyager [ Wednesday, September 06, 2006 13:12: Message edited by: Tyranicus ] -------------------- "You're drinking liquor because you're thirsty? How nasty is your freaking water?" —Lazarus Spiderweb Chat Room Avernum RP • Summaries • OoC • Roster Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 14:31
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quote:Oh, come on. The episode I saw had the heroine finding an enemy organic spaceship, which she figures out how to fly by burrowing inside and pulling nerve endings. And somehow, neither the no-longer-airtight seal or the (very convenient) slit she looked through to see where she was going caused any air shortages when she got the thing into space. This is not masterpiece stuff. -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 15:03
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"Oh, come on. The episode I saw had the heroine finding an enemy organic spaceship, which she figures out how to fly by burrowing inside and pulling nerve endings. And somehow, neither the no-longer-airtight seal or the (very convenient) slit she looked through to see where she was going caused any air shortages when she got the thing into space. This is not masterpiece stuff." Dude! Hamlet is stupid! The guy gets help from a ghost! There are no ghosts! Not going to get bogged down in a discussion of this or that bit of techie trivia from one of dozens of episodes. (Though it strikes me as entirely plausible that either Starbuck's emergency kit would have ways to seal a leak or that the cylon ship would have the same.) Anyone can look at anything and nitpick until time itself grinds to a halt. Science fiction is especially prone to this, as you can easily declare the vision of technology in this different time and place that lives in your brain to be completely superior to everyone else's. The genius in Battlestar Galactica isn't in the minutiae of airtight seals or control mechanisms, but in planning and politics, and in the various ways different sorts of people respond to crisis. The engineering may occasionally shaky, but the characters are almost always spot-on. But, just to make sure we're on the same page, it sounds like you've only seen one episode. Yes? I personally don't make judgments on a large collaborative effort like a TV show (whose writers and directors change from episode to episode) without seeing it a couple times, but hey. Whatever floats your boat. - Jeff Vogel [ Wednesday, September 06, 2006 15:04: Message edited by: Spidweb ] -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6489
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 15:21
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quote:Water, usually. :P -------------------- "You're drinking liquor because you're thirsty? How nasty is your freaking water?" —Lazarus Spiderweb Chat Room Avernum RP • Summaries • OoC • Roster Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 3040
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 15:45
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Did Jeff just get trolled, or was that unintentional? -------------------- 5.0.1.0.0.0.0.1.0... Posts: 508 | Registered: Thursday, May 29 2003 07:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 16:07
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"Did Jeff just get trolled, or was that unintentional?" Neither, really. I was riffing. I had an idea for a column, and I was just going with it. Some of the words above may end up on a web site somewhere. In a more processed form, of course. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Veteran*
Member # 5
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 16:11
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Star Trek DS9 is about the only Sci-Fi I've seen recently. That is a good show. Posts: 455 | Registered: Tuesday, May 17 2005 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 16:12
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quote:Arguably so for those who have little interest in it. There's a lot of walking around, flipping bats, adjusting caps, spitting on the ground, and waiting for the catcher to call the pitch. However, if you have a team you're rooting for, a player you're following, and love baseball, there's nothing that beats a good game. -------------------- -ben4808 Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 16:33
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quote:A double-header between Boston and New York. That beats any good game. -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 16:47
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quote:That's my point. It's boring. Give me a footy match anyday. -------------------- DEMON PLAY, DEMON OUT! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 17:12
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I love watching football (pro or college), college basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, cycling, track, and more. Baseball puts me to sleep. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy Encyclopedia Ermariana - Trapped in the Closet ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Veteran*
Member # 5
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 17:46
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Going to a baseball game is a much more entertaining experience then watching a game on TV. Posts: 455 | Registered: Tuesday, May 17 2005 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 18:07
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quote:Isn't it odd that it is like that. I've attended pro and college football games and prefer them on television. Same with soccer. It must be all the running about on the field; it is easier to track it all on the screen. Fewer beers spilled one you as well. Hockey is borderline, with me preferring live college hockey and televised pro hockey. I think that has more to do with the stadiums than anything else. Anyhow, I'm sure Drakey will eventually admit that he is wrong, and he actually loves watching baseball (including the Little League World Series) on television. ;) -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 18:26
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quote:The bad effects are mostly in the original series which came out after Star Wars IV. Babylon 5 had better special effects. It also considered the grand scheme as there were 5 major races and even more political factions all fighting for control. Having the creator control the scripts made it possible for little things in one episode to have greater effects in later episodes. It was a strain to have one person doing so much but it made for better continuity. Many shows are criticized for later writers making mistakes by not knowing what had happened in earlier episodes. Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 18:37
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Looking through a hole in your spaceship and still having air isn't really a nitpicky point to get caught up on. It's not like space being a vacuum isn't common knowledge. But really I'm only ragging on that because it's easy to point to as a nadir of stupidity. Quite aside from that, I saw no characters that felt remotely believable, the plotline was stupid, and as mentioned earlier, that camerawork is horrible. Admittedly I only saw something like 2 1/2 episodes, but if a show is genuinely good I'd expect to see at least a few good things in that time. And I can't give it a second chance, because it got canned in Australia on account of terrible ratings. :) -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6489
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 18:45
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quote:Babylon 5 had [b]the[/b] best special effects of its time (mid to late 90s). They were using CGI when all the other sci fi shows were still using models on strings. They were also one of the first shows to be filmed in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which has nothing to do with effects, but makes watching it on DVD quite nice. As for the continuity, that is one of the best parts of the show. I still remember watching episodes in the later seasons and learning what the point of seemingly trivial occurences in earlier episodes was. This usually resulted in me slapping my forehead and exclaiming, "So that's what that was all about!" -------------------- "You're drinking liquor because you're thirsty? How nasty is your freaking water?" —Lazarus Spiderweb Chat Room Avernum RP • Summaries • OoC • Roster Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 6700
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 20:33
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I've seen two episodes of the original BSG, and can say that it was good for the era. I haven't seen any of the new stuff. I have not seen Babylon 5, though it is on my "to view" list. Right now, my roommate and I are working on season Stargate SG-1 (go Netflix). After that, I dunno. And ze great Dr. Who debate rages on... Personally, I think the new series needs to fire most of the production staff and get some people who are actually serious about, well, not putting crap on the TV screen... The Dr. Who Classic series, on the other hand, was (and still, in a wierd definition, is) a B-rated phenomenon that attracted some of the the most talented actors and screenwriters in the western world. At least, until late in the Peter Davidson era (83-ish, I think. Frankly, the character of Turlough was Davidson's saving grace), and then the entire show went to the dogs. Brilliant characters, enticing plots, foul (though on the rare occasion clever) effects, and low-level camera work, and sometimes even the address of some major issue. Unfortunately, the stuff that made the show worth watching got sparser and sparser as it progressed. Now if someone could take the same premise and put some talent and focus back behind it (and maybe even take a gander at the classic series and try to avoid the mistakes they made)... End of rant. -------------------- The Silent Assassin is also silent while he sleeps. Which does get really creepy, to think that he could still be up and plotting... -------------------- -Lenar Labs What's Your Destiny? Ushmushmeifa: Lenar's power is almighty and ineffable. All hail lord Noric, god of... well, something important, I'm sure. Posts: 735 | Registered: Monday, January 16 2006 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2836
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written Wednesday, September 6 2006 23:32
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It's actually Peter Davison, not Davidson. Who here has seen Red Dwarf? Posts: 587 | Registered: Tuesday, April 1 2003 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
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written Thursday, September 7 2006 04:03
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I didn't like the special effects of Babylon 5 (for example, the space station close-up looked too flawless, like it was made of lego bricks; a too easily recognizable computer animation), nor did I like its plot very much. In the beginning it was more or less interesting, but I couldn't take some of the last episodes seriously. However, I know many B5 fans. I don't know any Finnish fans of the new Galactica. (That doesn't mean they don't exist, of course.) Anyway, I can't stand Balthazar's woman. And I'd prefer a sci-fi show to have something else interesting than just "us" and "them" and how to separate them. And finally, I agree with Mysterious Man: Star Trek DS9 was a good show. And so was TNG. Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00 |
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Loyal Underling
Member # 13
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written Thursday, September 7 2006 04:29
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What about Voyager? Who couldn't love Chakotay and Tuvac? I love watching soccer games in person and on TV - it's definitely better in person because you can see the whole field. College basketball and football games are definitely better in person too. But I think pro football is better on TV. Cycling is definitely better on TV, though. Track depends - in person you can watch all of the events, not just the ones they show you, but it gets really boring watching a 10k. -------------------- [i]Great Potato[/i] "Unless by the force of eloquence they mean the force of truth; for if such is their meaning, I admit that I am eloquent." -- Socrates Posts: 126 | Registered: Thursday, September 27 2001 07:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, September 7 2006 05:22
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Tricia Helfer is a goddess. I think the most boring sport on television is golf. Also up there, as much as I enjoy the sport, would be televised coverage of rowing (usually only to be seen during Olympic coverage). Baseball is great to have on if you're at the bar (as is cricket) and have other things to drawing your attention at the same time. Also, the Sox v. the Yanks series during the playoffs two years ago was riveting, IMO. College basketball, especially during the NCAA tourney in the Spring, however, reigns supreme in my home, but that's to be expected in a couple composed of a UK alumnus and a Duke alumna. [ Thursday, September 07, 2006 05:36: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |