SF on TV

[Stan]

(TV includes legally available streaming - better than live, actually)

What SF is out there that's worth watching?

I just finished Dark Matter (Jeff and Mike were right). I like Farscape, Firefly, some Trek. Tried a bit of BSG, didn't care for it - I'm tired of conspiracies where they dole out tiny amounts and you have to watch 5 seasons to get anything. Such shows often have lots of filler eps to intentionally slow the pace. I like Who but was never thrilled with Moffat. I tried to watch Babylon 5 but couldn't get past the first few episodes due the ridiculous acting and writing. I'll watch things without space ships but zombies bore me and I'd hesitate to watch vampires.

(Supers are ok but that's a whole different topic.)

So, what's out there worth watching? I haven't tried Star Trek Discovery due to the pay wall - is it any good? I've started watching The Orville - it's ok, but not great, I'll probably keep watching is as a show to wind down in the evening.

[mimekiller]

The Orville improves in almost every way as the show continues, and STD(tee hee) is AMAZING and worth subscribing to CBS all access in January when the show comes back.

Its kind of low rent but TRAVELERS via Canada on Netflix is some cool SF.

[El Jefe]

Travelers (and Continuum), both Canadian SF productions, both on Netflix. Travelers is only a single season, and no word on a date for the second to start filming yet. Continuum has four-ish season, I think?

I've heard good things about the Expanse from trustworthy friends, though I haven't had the funds to buy the books or access to check out the show so far.

I've also heard some good (but mixed) reviews for Mr. Robot on Fox from similar sources.

Also, B5 was crap. It was always crap. And Brucey B deserves nothing more than continuous punches in the nose. For all eternity. Londo and G'Kar were the only worthwhile thing on that show, and everybody needed to simply die in a fire. Especially the fucking creator. I realize how much of ST: DS9 was stolen from the concept, but the execution (and cast) between the two shows...there's no comparison. And that's one I'll argue with my dying breath. And I'll be right.

[Mike]

Holy crap! I forgot I watched Travelers!

Great show. Great take on time travel. I wish a second season was coming.

[Kyle]

Mike's right. Future Man gets way funnier as it goes along. I'm on the episode at James Cameron's house, and I think I've just witnessed the pinnacle of hilarious, dumb humor.

[Zen]

I watched the first episode of Expanse a while back and thought it was pretty good. It's on my 'gee... I should watch this sometime when I'm not trying to finish a novel and writing another book instead because I can't seem to write the novel I'm supposed to be working on' list.

I'll have to put Travelers (and Continuum) on that list as well.

It's more of an urban fantasy thing, but I've watched a few episodes of another Canadian series: Lost Girl. The main character is a bisexual succubus, so... it has entertainment value in that you don't see that every day. But, it's got werewolves and stuff, so there will probably be vampires eventually... (It is mostly Faeries. Basically the main character is caught in the middle between two warring clans of Fae, having grown up not knowing her true nature.)

[buckett]

It might not quite be what you're asking for, but Netflix's Black Mirror season 3 starts up on December 29. First two seasons are pretty good.

[mimekiller]

[buckett]

Always forget the first 6 eps are two different seasons. Yeah, Season /Four/ starts end of December and the first /three/ seasons are pretty good.

[El Jefe]

Another one I thought of while discussing an entirely different genre today...Fringe. All of the seasons are free on go90.com (at least I think they're still on there, no account even needed, though it does make it easier to handle picking up on what you've already watched).

It definitely has some up and down points over the course of the seasons, and in no way hard sci-fi. But the writing weaknesses are often overcome by a cast that fits together incredibly well. And by Walter. Because everybody needs more Walter. All the time Walter.

[Phoebe]

Do you still watch the Blacklist?

[El Jefe]

I've watched the current 3 seasons. I'll likely check out the fourth when it airs on Netflix. The first two work quite well, while the story gets stretched a little bit too far in season 3. It still works due to the cast (and Spader talking, because Spader talking conquers all), but just not as well as the first two. There appears to be more of a humor angle in season 4 judging from trailers, which seems like an odd choice. But it does still have Spader talking, so...

While not sci-fi, I'm currently working my way through Veronica Mars for my first time. All those things I thought I liked about Whedon found their boss-level final form in Rob Thomas' work on this series. I'm quite looking forward to checking out iZombie now.

[Mike]

iZombie is a bit two-dimensional most of the time... The plot stuff is sometimes thin and simplistic. But the characters make it work for me. Rose Ivers is SO charming. I know this seems like mediocre praise, but I enjoy this show on the same level that I enjoy Once Upon a Time. You don't have to use a lot of brain power--it's not some deep exploration of the genre. But I like the characters and soap opera aspect of it. It's episodic but with season-long plotlines that actually go somewhere. The cliffhanger at the end of the last season on Netflix tells me they're going for something bold in the next season.

My most serious complaint is about one of the key aspects of the show. When zombies eat brains they take on personality aspects of the person they eat. I'm cool with that part. It's the gimmick that lets Liv (Rose Ivers) take on a totally new character each week. Sadly though, for some of them, she really takes on the most stereotypical aspects of that "type". So for example, she eats the brain of a woman who works as a dominatrix, and now she's all non-stop domination and cruelty and bondage for the rest of the episode as if that is the sum total of who that person was. Like a real life dominatrix is always in character. A little annoying.

[mimekiller]

Traveler fans I'm happy to report that the all episodes of season 2 will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 26th