r/television • u/KaleidoArachnid • 1d ago
What Sci-Fi based show would you say had a successful run from beginning to end?
Lately I was observing how the genre has occasionally had trouble with staying consistent in quality because I noticed how several shows would start off strong, then suddenly fall apart with the third season that I wanted to look into cases where a series avoided falling into such a trap.
Some examples of the effect are Sliders and Andromeda where both shows had an engaging premise as they went well at first, but then fell into problems with their third seasons as different teams that took over them didn't quite understand what made the shows work so well.
Then while FarScape was an amazing show from start to finish, it didn't help that the show was on the verge of cancellation around the 4th season, so again after looking at all 3 cases I mentioned, it made me interested in seeing which ones weren't cancelled while having a consistent level of quality for the most part.
126
u/Crybabyshitpiss 1d ago
Throwing in Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9. Recently, Andor, though it’s only 2 seasons.
31
u/bigmarkco 1d ago
Many people, including myself, regard season 5 of Babylon 5 as the weakest. But the behind-the-scenes shenanigans are largely responsible for that; they did the best that they could.
But that ending. I watched it again the other day, and I was bawling like a baby. Absolutely meets the criteria for me of being a successful run from beginning to end because it was literally written that way: a novel for television with a beginning, middle, and end.
9
5
u/Crybabyshitpiss 1d ago
I find season 1 a tad weaker personally (though that has flip-flopped in the past), but I’d still put both seasons in the ‘above average quality’ category for television overall. 2-4 though are an absolute masterpiece.
2
u/Spurgette 20h ago
Watching the last few episodes of B5 and feeling it wind down is some of the best television I have ever seen.
1
u/ButterscotchPast4812 8h ago
But the behind-the-scenes shenanigans are largely responsible for that;
... Do tell? What BTS shenanigans? Is this the stuff about the network wanting to end the show at season 4 and them giving them a 5th season?
19
u/C_smith993 1d ago
DS9 is the best Trek series. The Dominion War arc is one of my favorite things in the whole franchise.
12
9
u/TessaTumbleweed 1d ago
babylon 5 and ds9 are great picks and andor somehow managed to tell a complete story in two seasons without wasting a minute of it
2
u/mikepictor 18h ago
Babylon 5 is controversial. A lot of people feel season 4 was rushed, and season 5 is aimless.
I think S4 was solid (parts of it were rushed though), but S5, while enjoyable, definitely shows the "we had to churn out extra episodes, and we're not sure what to do"
2
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Babylon 5 is quite incredible because I remember now how much fun I had with watching the first two seasons.
3
u/Crybabyshitpiss 1d ago
Did you keep watching past that? Seasons 3 and 4 are the peak, and 5 has one of the best arcs in the entire show to close out on!
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I haven't seen too much of Season 3 aside from a few episodes, but I can go watch more of the show.
→ More replies (5)
354
u/The_Jordan 1d ago
The Expanse
57
u/wooltab 1d ago
The Expanse probably wins for me, based on consistency. I find certain subplots more interesting than others, but overall the series feels like it's fully-realized from start to finish, aside from obvious budgetary increases along the way.
Granted, I haven't watched the entirety of every show in this category.
6
u/vulture_87 Community 1d ago
I don't think I can start the novels after watching the series. I'm sure it's not better overall but I like the characters as they were after all the writing/acting changes. The book writer/s having a lot implemented inputs really help. Also, Ty and the Guy podcast was an amazing commentary podcast to flesh out the episodes as they came out.
Again, not hating the books. I just liked the tv series.
24
u/Viltris 23h ago
I loved the tv series. I started reading the books, and I'm glad I did. There's a lot of detail in the books that isn't in the show, partly because of the medium, partly because of the length.
There are certain things I like better in the show (I am that guy), and there are certain things I like better in the books. Either way, it's always fun to see the differences between the show and the books.
7
u/Synyster31 18h ago
Definitely read the books! It's one of the best book to TV adaptations ive seen in my opinion. Very little change to main characters themselves other than where story line changes are concerned, for length concerns obviously.
There are some changes to other characters and some were merged into one character in the show. But you won't be disappointed with them books.
→ More replies (4)2
u/caspararemi 16h ago
This is the only series where I love both the books and the tv show, both are in my top 5 favourites for each medium. Highly recommend you read them! There’s a lot more background info you don’t get in the show, and they go into a bit more detail about space physics (usually in Alex’s inner monologue) which really helped me understand the show a lot better.
7
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I am up to Book 2 so far in the novel series, but basically I would like to know how faithful the TV series is as an adaptation. (Pardon me if that sounded a bit strange)
26
u/The_Jordan 1d ago
Pretty dang faithful. They do meld some characters together and make smaller characters bigger.
Enough to make it worth it to read the books and watch the show.5
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Thanks man as I am so looking forward to watching the show soon once I read some more of the novels.
3
u/Tityfan808 1d ago
You might want to watch the show first to get to experience the exciting parts without any spoilers, then read the books to get more of the story and then last 3 books it will be fresh no matter what, since it continues the story almost 30 years after where the show ends.
Either way works tho! It’s a great set of books and the show is pretty solid, the writers were heavily involved with the show as well
→ More replies (1)20
u/toolschism The Expanse 1d ago
The writers were executive producers on the show. It's extremely faithful to the books with honestly just a few revisions and a few characters combined together.
5
u/NoNefariousness2144 23h ago
And they give Amos, Alex and Naomi a lot more individual screentime earlier on compared to the books making you wait a while until you get their POV chapters (book 5).
3
u/FSkornia 15h ago
Some of the biggest changes in the TV series are introducing some ideas, characters, and plots earlier than they show up in the books. This helps make the whole setting feel more complete and reduces the exposition they need when those plots and ideas move to the fore. They also reduced some characters, most importantly folding two notable characters into one which is fine because she ends up being one of the best damn characters in SF television (IMO).
5
u/RNG_HatesMe 15h ago
You're talking about Drummer right? right? Cara Gee is so phenomenal in that part!
2
u/FSkornia 15h ago
She's incredible. If you like video games, I highly recommend the Telltale Games Expanse that features her before the TV series starts.
2
u/RNG_HatesMe 15h ago
Yep! The Expanse is so interesting because it's one of the few adaptations where both the book series and the TV series are excellent and have *different* strengths. The series adaptation and consolidation of several characters into Gee's Drummer ended up elevating that character to something the book just didn't have, which is rare.
Other than the one character's removal (due to outside events), they just did such a great job of adapting a book medium to TV, making changes where appropriate that kept and elevated the parts that played well on TV, and discarding those that wouldn't, while also consolidating to keep up pace.
→ More replies (1)4
u/sp_dev_guy 1d ago
The final season of the show i think while faithful cant represent the fullness of the story as well as the book, visual is not the best medium for that story. Thats also basically book 1 of a new arc so the show stops as its about to get going. Overall fantastic visual/show is great for the first arc. Bit of a character shuffle/divergence early on when a main actor was identified in the "me too" movement & they immediately killed the character
Tl;dr; mostly same but do both
6
1
98
u/Av_Inash 1d ago
Dark
27
u/stanley_leverlock 1d ago
Dark was so good and so complicated that it fell into that category of "how did this get made" in a good way.
18
u/Av_Inash 1d ago
One of the few shows that I respect because they stuck to 3 seasons and didn’t extend it unnecessarily once it got famous. The makers were clear from the get go that it would be for 3 seasons only.
The only thing that I can never comprehend is the fact that how can someone create/write something so complex that extends for 3 seasons. Everything is connected across and throughout. For all the time travel movies and other stuff that I have seen, this was definitely the most well connected through and through.
The only other show that would go Toe to Toe for having everything well connected would be Attack on Titan IMO.
12
u/RateOfPenetration 1d ago
Idk if they have awards for casting directors, but whoever was in charge of Dark’s casting deserved all of them
7
u/Av_Inash 1d ago
Yup. Most goated casting I have ever seen. Didn’t matter what the time period was - you immediately could relate that who this person could be.
8
u/RateOfPenetration 1d ago
Honestly, it’s a goated show in general. The music, cinematography, wardrobe, casting, the writing, and acting are all just top notch. True “lightning in a bottle” show.
Which makes me angry about 1899 all over again
3
u/Av_Inash 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yup. Friends usually gets the edge for me as it’s a comfort show and will always be for me, AOT - is an anime so I leave it out of normal shows generally speaking, but apart from all of that, it’s a perfect show in every sense that one could think of objectively.
There were talks of people having issues with characters with no character development and what not but I think that was never the point of the show. By that logic, I could criticise BB of the plot being not complex enough when in reality that is not what the show is going for.
1899 - Boy the missed opportunity. Makes me hate Netflix to death for this if I am being honest. To this day I feel they don’t give Dark enough credit. Yes the viewership may be lower than other shows in general but I would still call it the best Netflix original they have ever made.
Now they go for easy going shows which aren’t too complex and even someone doomscrolling would be caught up. Dark definitely couldn’t be watched like that. They could have created something similar with 1899 had Netflix persisted with the show but everything is about numbers these days. There’s a reason why Vince Gilligan or someone from Breaking Bad once commented that a show like Breaking Bad could not be made today because platforms don’t like to risk it anymore. Same happened with 1899.
On the other hand they would promote something like Stranger Things - I have nothing against the show but the dip in quality the show had overall and especially the mid final season of the show just left a bad taste in my mouth. Also the fact that I recently played Beyond Two Souls and I was surprised to see how much the creators have copied stuff from the game without giving any credit ( hell they outright denied of taking any inspiration from it ) further ruined the show’s image in my eyes.
If only Netflix would give up the rights to 1899 and probably be let it made somewhere else. The only edge I would give to Dark which 1899 didn’t have is that for me Dark was gripping right from the get go which 1899 didn’t feel like.
I would say Apple TV is currently doing a pretty good job for creating such shows with Severance and Silo.
→ More replies (2)5
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I think that was the German show if I remember right as I have to go check it out.
8
u/RateOfPenetration 1d ago
I highly implore you to watch with the German dub over English dub. The English dub is really bad, and the voice actors don’t convey the same emotional gravitas
→ More replies (1)3
u/Av_Inash 1d ago
Yes. Opinions may differ but hands down it’s the most perfect show I have ever seen given the nature and complexity of the show.
30
u/Oddmob 13h ago
Andor
4
2
u/Human-Function5990 4h ago
Phenomenal show. I was worried that because I wasn't a massive star wars fan i wouldn't enjoy it but it completely stands on its own
44
u/nearcatch 1d ago
Travelers (2016)
Technically it wasn’t renewed, but the last episode is really a perfect ending to the series, and doesn’t leave any cliffhangers. I thought it ended on its own terms for years before I found out it potentially could’ve had more seasons.
7
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Where can I see that show?
6
u/WaffleHouseGladiator 20h ago
FYI, "Continuum" is kinda in the same vein, with some elements like "Fringe."
6
23
u/ecla2 13h ago
Stargate Sg1
The film followed by all those TV seasons
Ignoring the spinoff series, and films, it's hard to argue it was not a success
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 13h ago
That's great to hear how the show was fresh from beginning to start because I got something to look forward to watching.
67
u/ShadowsAtWork98 1d ago
12 Monkeys
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
What did you like about that show? (Sorry if that didn't come out right because I haven't seen the show myself)
30
u/fucuasshole2 1d ago
It starts off like the 90’s movie but by the end of season 2 it seamlessly has plotted and teased its next 3 seasons with great success. It also sticks its landing for one of the best closing endings I’ve seen. It’s not a 10/10 but it’s 9.5/10 easily.
10
u/OrlandoGardiner118 21h ago
I watched it initially because I loved the film. On watching the first episode I soon thought "oh, it's this sort of show" by that I mean obviously lower budget, with a slightly lower level of actor, and all a bit broader and slightly hammier in it's storytelling and acting. By that I mean characters that seem more like caricatures rather than characters. But, for all that, one thing it didn't lack was heart. For some reason it rang true emotionally right from the start. It managed to get you onside with these characters. And by the end I was rooting for them like I have seldomly routed for any fictional characters. This brings us to the finale of the whole show. I'm not sure I've seen a finale (and final shot) that's as earned as this had. I'm mean, emotionally earned. It's a great show with a great ending (something rare with this kind of show). If you are a fan of sci-fi and time travel give it a look. It's so well worth it.
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 21h ago
That was a beautiful writeup you gave that made me interested in the series. (Thanks for the advice)
3
u/OrlandoGardiner118 21h ago
Cheers. It's one of my favourite "non-prestige" shows. As someone below said, it's pretty basic cable stuff (this isn't HBO) in it's production, but the writers, actors, and show runners obviously loved and believed in the material a lot. It comes out onscreen. S1 is a little slow in it's build up but once it gets moving teb following seasons are fantastic. I wish I was watching it again for the first time. Hope you enjoy.
7
u/Historical_Course587 23h ago
I watched it on a whim, and I found it quite unique in its consistentcy. It's not prestiege - it's basic cable. Or to quote Liz Lemon, "It's not HBO - it's TV." But whatever you feel watching the first two episodes is almost exactly how you feel watching all four seasons. It doesn't lag, it doesn't get too complicated, it doesn't get boring - it keeps you precisely hooked like you were at the beginning.
It's pretty good at sticking to a single time-travel narrative. Often those kinds of stories derail things and lead to lots and lots of plot inconsistencies before time travel is being used to undo badly written plot dead ends and such, but 12 Monkeys for the most part feels coherent like it was relatively planned from start to finish.
The humor in it is limited, but that makes it land really really well because you just don't see it coming in a sci-fi drama.
Ultimately, I think it's a nostalgia-tapping show for people who were watching those "PG-13" broadcast/cable adventure drama shows like LOST or 24 or Burn Notice. More modern, but not really like modern prestiege streaming shows or HBO/Showtime quality stuff. But there's a charm to it.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes time travel as a plot device. IDK that any show has ever sustained well with the plot revolving around time travel, but 12 Monkeys is right up there with the best ones.
33
u/Frostsorrow 1d ago
Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis. Supernatural I'd also argue was at worst decent start to finish, even with the whole thing originally being planned to end at season 5. Last one I'll mention is Buffy.
→ More replies (8)
31
u/Bearded-and-Bored 16h ago
Battlestar Galactica
→ More replies (2)5
u/boredatwork1986 13h ago
It's in the Frakking ship!
2
u/Bearded-and-Bored 13h ago
"I seem to be missing something. I lost it in detention. Since you were so buddy buddy with the Cylons, maybe you know where it is. How 'bout it? DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY EYE IS?"
14
u/RandomPersonBob 1d ago
Farscape - The mini series ending the PeaceKeeper Wars was an amazing end to a crazy show
1
u/mikepictor 18h ago
I've tried to get through Farscape twice, and both times I drifted away in the middle of season 2
14
25
u/jackfaire 22h ago
Fringe but it's weird. I'd say the quality was there from beginning to end but the reason for weirdness kept changing. Originally it was the "Pattern" but that vanished and was never truly resolved but the show kept being good.
→ More replies (4)
11
14
u/Matthiasad 11h ago
Resident Alien is probably my favorite comedy show of all time. Loved it from beginning to end
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 11h ago
While I haven't seen that show, I heard it has Alan Tudyk as the eponymous character. (e.g. the actor was in several Disney films)
5
u/Matthiasad 10h ago
You are correct. The show takes a common sci-fi concept, alien walking among us/assimilating, but takes it to a very silly place while also still feeling really heartfelt at times.
36
u/kilamubitak 1d ago
Fringe.
5
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I have this funny feeling that show is awesome as I keep forgetting to go watch it.
3
1
1
u/CarcosanAnarchist 22h ago
While I didn’t really care for season 5 all that much, the preceding 4 seasons wear damn near perfect, and the series finale was fantastic. I have a tattoo of the white tulip, because despite my qualms, the show meant so much to me.
26
u/bigmarkco 23h ago
The Leftovers would count. A sci-fi premise grounded in the humanity of it all. The first season was good but hard work (emotionally) getting through. But the second and third seasons were transcendent.
Station Eleven was only one season but it was a perfect season and ended the story.
5
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
You just sold me in on the Leftovers as I am looking forward to watching the show.
2
u/The_Real_ShoNuff 22h ago
These shows have weirdly the exact same vibe. OP you gonna love the Leftovers, just be ready for some depressing time.
1
9
41
u/incelincinerators 1d ago
Person of interest. Fringe. Chuck. Battlestar Galactica.
20
21
→ More replies (5)2
u/WaffleHouseGladiator 20h ago
I recently rewatches "Person of Interest." It was science fiction when it came out, but depressingly it's just fiction now.
31
u/Historical_Course587 23h ago
I'll throw one out that deserves to be in a lot more of these conversations: Agents of Shield. Lots of people will claim it had consistency issues over it's relatively-massive-for-sci-fi-shows seven season run, but funny enough people always disagree about which seasons were inconsistent.
It's a good popcorn show. It's funny, it's got action, sci-fi, fantasy, spycraft, and overall lays out a very rich fictional world full of interesting things and people.
→ More replies (1)3
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
For Agents of Shield, where does it connect to the MCU?
10
u/Historical_Course587 23h ago
The first season was designed to be watched right after the first Avengers film, with the end of the season tying into the second Captain America movie (The Winter Soldier). I think the show actually handled the twists of that in more interesting ways, so I'd probably just tell people to watch Avengers and then stick with the show.
The show was contractually obligated to avoid crossing over with the movies after that first season, so you get six seasons of it being its own thing and being better off for it. It's probably my single favorite entry in the whole MCU because it isn't busy trying to sell something else.
4
u/Federal_Gas2670 15h ago
I loved for the same reason another user praised Fringe: it's consistent in quality and at the same time it keeps changing every season. Sometimes even midseason (especially seasons 4 and 5). It feels like each season is composed of 2 or 3 well-done mini-series.
17
u/BrightLuchr 1d ago edited 16h ago
As you mention, many of the best scifi shows faced cancellation threats: Farscape, Firefly, Carnivalle, Babylon5 are the most obvious. Some shows were low budget, stayed consistent and told interesting stories, but never rose to greatness because of the low budgets... Stargate (either one) or Andromeda come to mind. StarTrek TNG might be a valid example on it's own, but by the time Voyager and DS9 came around, the franchise was very tired and losing viewers. (Of them all, I still prefer ST Enterprise myself). A lot of shows started great and dropped off in quality: Battlestar (remake) and Westworld are the best examples. The Expanse might be a good example, but I don't think it was successful enough to qualify.
Andor. Andor is your answer. Two seasons of near perfect meticulously produced and interesting storytelling against a backdrop of a StarWars universe that was having one failure after another.
Edit: The Handmaid's Tale also fits. Haven't watched it tho. It is definitely categorized as scifi.
10
u/steak4take 1d ago
Carnivale was a sci-fi show? In what way? It’s a fantasy and a religious one at that.
→ More replies (1)1
u/BrightLuchr 16h ago
After thought: The Handmaid's Tale also fits the answer fir OP. It was nominated for scifi awards and won the Arthur C Clark award. My wife tells me it was excellent to the end. I haven't watched it despite being filmed near me. .
7
u/Frostsorrow 1d ago
I would disagree with TNG, as with most Trek, it took a while to grow the beard.
2
u/Zalvren 1d ago
Andor original plan was 5 seasons though. Then during the time between S1 and S2, it became two seasons. While the creatives said it was their choice to not comit to one show for 10 years, I'm pretty sure there was some Disney decision involved
2
u/BrightLuchr 16h ago
It's impossible to know if it was true, but the main reason given was that Diego Luna was aging and they felt it would be a discontinuity with the movie which was already released.
2
u/Bobjoejj 1d ago
Hell yeah, fellow Enterprise fan! Though I’m a DS9er myself overall. Also I don’t think there’s a single Star Trek series this works for outside of…Lower Decks. Most of em’ are still great for the most part, but almost none had smooth sailing for the whole run.
And yeah, Andor is absolutely the answer.
2
→ More replies (2)3
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
For Andor in particular, how much of Star Wars do I need to be familiar with?
Secondly, yes I was just looking for the most successful ones that start off strong while getting better as they go on, and then culminating in a satisfying ending because I could go for some Sci-Fi shows right now.
14
u/Atharaphelun 1d ago
See, that's the great thing about Andor, you need exactly zero knowledge about Star Wars and everything still makes perfect sense.
7
u/Radix2309 1d ago
Maybe a New Hope?
But honestly I dont think even that is necessary. All you need to know is that there is an empire who rules the galaxy.
4
u/GenralChaos 23h ago
Andor is a spy show set in Star Wars. It have some of the tech and established bad guys, but they are so obviously bad they don’t need any other explanation.
3
u/Finchypoo 23h ago
You probably already know enough Star Wars lore to watch Andor. It starts small in a location that wasn't in any previous star wars stuff. The story builds well and you'll get everything you need watching Andor standalone.
The fun being that if you like Andor, Rogue One fits perfectly as continuation to Andor, and that leads right into the original trilogy.
→ More replies (3)2
u/Artickman 1d ago
None. I have almost no knowledge of SW universe except Mandalorian and like part 4, and I absolutely loved Andor. I'm sure knowing the world well is a bonus, but it's a great series even without it.
8
6
7
28
u/smileymn 1d ago
Battle Star Gallactica, perfect run in my opinion
9
3
4
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
If you mean the 2003 series, I feel like I should start watching it soon. (But I forget the watch order for Season 1 because it has a mini series)
7
6
2
u/kraze_kalm 1d ago
You won't be disappointed if you don't mind religious undertones, mu partner had issues with that.
12
u/DigiQuip 1d ago
12 Monkeys
The show only got better as it went on and the highest rated episodes are the last few.
2
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I have to see if Netflix has that show because I am ready to jump into the series.
2
u/RateOfPenetration 1d ago
If you’re in the US it’s only on Prime (I’m a huge fan of IMDb, it’ll show you where it’s streaming so there’s no guesswork)
→ More replies (1)
6
12
10
u/BobRushy 22h ago
It's not that that sci-fi shows have trouble with quality. It's that television shows by their nature run until they run out of steam. That's just a natural part of show business. The idea that a television show should tell a compelling story with a beginning, middle and end is still very new.
But to answer your question: Star Trek the Next Generation, Blake's Seven, Stargate SG-1 are all shows that never had a major dip in quality.
10
u/RyanofTinellb 21h ago
I disagree. The seventh season of Star Trek: the Next Generation is pretty bad (excepting the finale). There are many fans of SG-1 who completely disown the Ori arc. And Blakes 7 could outlive Blake, but didn't do as well without the Liberator.
3
u/Desertbro 20h ago
The first two seasons of TNG sucked harder than self-sealing stem bolts.
But having Trek on TV after so many years without was worth enduring a little pain and misunderstanding how many lights there are in the room...
→ More replies (1)2
1
u/BobRushy 21h ago
Those are fair points, except for the last one. The least watched season of Blake's 7 was season 2, not 4.
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 22h ago
Thanks man for the feedback because I didn’t know that trope was actually quite common in various TV shows where a show goes from promising to running out of steam.
1
u/BobRushy 22h ago
TV is a business like any other. The idea is to make money and only stop when no one wants the product anymore.
1
u/Lojzko 21h ago
It’s not just running out of steam, it’s where the popularity of the show drops because it runs out of steam, fewer people are watching, revenue drops and the actors salaries exceed it. Unfortunately, this is not instant and takes a while which is why there are usually a couple of bad seasons before it gets cancelled. Big Bang Theory is a great example.
1
u/ButterscotchPast4812 8h ago
SG1 is a good example. They even switched storylines in the last two seasons (while I didn't care for them personally) the writing was still great imo.
9
u/imjealousofyou 1d ago
Fringe
Continuum. As fucked up as the ending was
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
I can look up where to watch those shows because I want to see how messed up the ending of Continuum is.
3
u/Disastrous-Special30 23h ago
Well now I have to rewatch Continuum. Haven’t thought about that show in years.
2
8
4
u/-drunkmoses- 23h ago
Babylon 5 or Stargate SG-1
2
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
Either one looks good to me to get into.
2
u/-drunkmoses- 23h ago
Oh absolutely OP. Babylon 5 had its five seasons written mostly before anything was shot. Unheard of during the 90s. While some sets and CGI look cheap nowadays, its political and emotional core are amazing to witness.
SG-1 is probably the most consistent scifi tv show ever. The crew works towards exploring, forging alliances, obtaining tech and defeating their enemies in ways that feel earned and not made up.
→ More replies (1)
3
5
3
u/Imverystupidgenx 1d ago
Dark
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
If I remember correctly, the premise of that show is that it's basically a weird mystery show that slowly unravels its mysteries as it goes on further, but I might be wrong.
2
5
u/burgonies 1d ago
If being cancelled prematurely counts as “end”, then Stargate SGU
→ More replies (1)1
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
How satisfying was the ending of that show? (Without spoiling anything)
6
u/Andysue28 23h ago
Another show that was juuust getting its stride and got canceled.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/RhinoKeepr 1d ago edited 1d ago
Person of interest
EDIT: It starts cleverly as one kind of show (mostly procedural with a hint of sci fi) and ends as another, slowly morphing over time into greatness. Incredible planning.
1
5
u/-JackBack- 1d ago
Firefly
2
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Every time I hear about that show, I keep realizing I should go check it out as I keep forgetting to add it to my watchlist, so thanks for reminding me about it.
3
u/Historical_Course587 23h ago
I've advocated elsewhere for 12 Monkeys, Future Man, BS:G, and other shows. But if you've never seen Firefly, drop everything you are doing and go watch Firefly.
It's the tightest line-by-line script that has ever been written for television.
3
2
2
u/Thalinde 18h ago
Farscape gets my number one vote here. Followed by Dark, just by a narrow margin. I would also suggest the incredibly underrated Upload on Amazing Prime. Short seasons of short episodes, easy to binge.
2
u/KaleidoArachnid 14h ago
I appreciate the suggestion for Upload because I actually haven't seen the series before.
1
u/Thalinde 14h ago
It has that take about the worst that can come with technology, but instead of making wanna take a scorching hot shower like Black Mirror, it uses comedy and empathy to talk about very interesting subjects. Including AI before it was on everybody's devices.
And the guy that plays the "AI" in the afterlife is just awesome. The whole cast is great anyway.
It's funny, witty, romantic, dark, and very relaist.
2
u/flamingdonkey 17h ago
Counterpart, The Expanse, and Travelers. The Leftovers, too if you consider that to be sci-fi.
3
u/Strict_Release8242 1d ago
Falling Skies.
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
If I may ask, what is the show about? (I haven't ever seen it before)
3
u/Strict_Release8242 1d ago
It was about an alien invasion of Earth and was pretty good, imho.
"Set in the chaotic aftermath of a devastating global alien invasion that wipes out most of human civilization and incapacitates the planet, the story follows the remnants of humanity banding together. "
→ More replies (1)1
u/Oerthling 22h ago
Just gave that a second chance a few months ago - it was so bad, couldn't continue, again.
4
u/peet192 23h ago
Doctor Who as it has never tecnically been Cancelled
3
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
I could start with the 2005 series since I never saw any of the installments before.
3
u/bthoman2 23h ago
Star Trek The Next Generation.
Once it “grows its beard” (a term the show itself coined) each season gets better and better.
→ More replies (1)1
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
I just realized how I need to get back to that show because I haven't finished the first season in a couple of months, so I gotta give the series another chance.
2
u/bthoman2 23h ago
Season two riker grows a beard, which coined the term for a show finding its legs. It’s simply the best from then on.
2
u/Oerthling 22h ago
Season 1 of TNG is of, ahem, mixed quality. First incarnation of Ferrengi were bad bad bad. Most of the episodes were mediocre, with a few highlights and showing promise that would really start to get realized from season 2 onwards.
Better than Voyager where it took 2.5 seasons to get good.
2
u/Ludachriz 11h ago
The Foundation so far has been great each season
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 11h ago
I would like to give the series a chance so that I can see how consistent the writing quality is.
2
2
1
23h ago
[deleted]
1
u/KaleidoArachnid 23h ago
What exactly was so bad about the original movie?
1
u/SaintLicious 22h ago
Sorry! I was trying to add a different comment and didn't realize you commented before I deleted it.
The problem with the dead like me movie was the loss of 1 main character wasn't handled with any care, replacement of 1 actress with a not as good actress, and most importantly all the character growth from the tv show did not carry over into the movie, but that's just my opinion.
1
1
u/Malt129 19h ago
Give Farscape a go it is great the whole way through. They did a two part miniseries special to end the show properly after a fan campaign post cancellation.
Stargate SG-1. It drops off a little in the last couple of seasons with the main cast change but you get a Farscape mini reunion as the replacements. Also one of the funniest episodes in tv history happens in season 4. "Window of Opportunity". Actually Farscape has one as well "Crackers don't Matter" but it's more unhinged.
Both of these shows are so comfy to watch.
1
u/Brother_Farside 17h ago
Travelers pulled off a good three season run. The ending wrapped things up but also left things open.
1
1
u/6ixtyei8ht 14h ago
Andor. Dark. Altered Carbon. The OA.
3
u/palebleudot 10h ago
I don’t think Altered Carbon fits the bill here, but the first season was fantastic. Perhaps if you imagine the second season doesn’t exist…😂
1
73
u/Nerbil 1d ago
Stargate SG-1 at 10 seasons and over 200 episodes. The last few seasons had issues, but they also had Claudia Black, so that makes up for any weaknesses.