Star Trek/Star Wars/Space Movies and their futures?

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I voted for the Stargates. I like the light hearted comic scripts involved. I've cracked up on a few occasions while watching the show- something that hasn't happened with any other sci fi show that I can remember. I also think it has better and more frequent battle scenes that allow you to see the strategy behind them and show some great special effects.

I would like the Star Wars series better, except it said "current", and I've seen the Star Wars movies enough that I don' t currently feel the desire to see them again.

 

[Maj.Striker]

Wrong... The original series was cancelled after three (?) seasons.

Well almost, I believe it was actually cancelled after one season but Gene Roddenberry and some friends manufactured a creative and successful fan campaign to force (NBC?) have the show return. Then, after their third year, NBC cancelled the show for good.

 

[pygmypiranha]

Yea, why no Galactica choice?

 

[LeHah]

Yea, why no Galactica choice?

Because whomever started this thread has good taste

 

[Confed]

if bsg is really on again, that is where my money is.other then that, sg is pretty much unrivalled right now

FYI : you can still watch episode 13 online on scifi.com (but maybe it's too much of a spoiler if you haven't seen the other eps yet
My vote for current series goes to Stargate (SG1 & Atlantis are tied)
As far as SF movies go, nothing comes close to Star Wars in that genre

 

[AD]

As far as SF movies go, nothing comes close to Star Wars in that genre

Just cause I want to be nitpicky... While star wars is a Space movie, it's not really sci-fi at all. It runs more into the Fantasy category (though the fans like to argue the technical merits of turbolasers and such)

Real Sci-fi is all about.... wait for it... The science. At it's best its a way for people to express fears and hopes about where possible advances in technology could take us. As opposed so all those action movies in futuristic settings, (or fantasy... drama, etc) The last really great sci-fi movie I can think of is Gattaca. Like I mentioned, The Island wasn't bad but was full of missed opportunities and movies like equilibrium borrowed alot from Fahrenheit 451.

Now, for space shows, I like star wars alot, I have all the episodes of BSG here but havent watched them yet, I had been into Stargate but lost track/interest when I didn't have cable for a while. I caught the last part of Enterprise (which was great) but I honestly don't watch much TV (other than movies) much anymore. But I'll probably check out that star wars show when it eventually aires.

 

[LeHah]

Real Sci-fi is all about.... wait for it... The science.

Theres really not all that much science in any popular sci-fi media though. Unless you're going to try and sell me that you can explain in rational terms about how a warp core is possible without breaking every law of physics known to Man.

 

[Shaggy]

I have to disagree, with AD, that real Scif Fi is all about the science, it's not in my opinion, it's about the characters and story, otherwise all you have is a textbook. Hard SF has heavy elements of science playing into the story, but if you read some of the great Hard SF authors-like Arthur C. Clarke or Stephen Baxter, you find the may purpose of the story is all about the people, the circumstances they are involved in and how they are changed by those circumstances. The Light Of Other Days is a really could example of this, plus it was written by Baxter and Clarke together
Personally, I think Sci Fi is doing alright at the moment. Sci Fi movies have never been Oscar quality endeavors, except in the technical awards, it's usually best taken in book form. This is even true of Star Wars and, forgive me, Wing Commander.
Will there ever be a film like Star Wars or WC4? Eventually.
When the new BSG eventually gets cancelled they will probably look to feature films to carry on the story.
Besides, there's supposed to be two Star Wars TV series coming out around 2007.

 

[ace_starfighter]

Star Trek's warp cores are possible (only matter/anitmatter reactions which by the way is possible today!!!!!!!!!!!; Freaky!) One THEORY is that if you can bend space around a ship into kind of a 3D cone then space (not matter) will travel at warp speeds while the matter inside rides along with it travelling at regular speeds. Star Trek uses warp "bubbles" however this may have come before the theory by which your accusations may still be valid.
I actually forgot about Galactica. Srry BSG fans.

 

[AD]

..it's about the characters and story, otherwise all you have is a textbook. Hard SF has heavy elements of science playing into the story, but if you read some of the great Hard SF authors... you find the may purpose of the story is all about the people, the circumstances they are involved in and how they are changed by those circumstances.

Ummm and those circumstance would be?...

I wasn't trying to imply that character etc wouldnt play a role. For the stories to be most effective we need to be able to relate to the feelings of the main characters. However it is the idea, or theories and their aplication that always play a central role in the plot. So the key is how the characters respond or interact with the said circumstance. 2001 for example deals with the concepts of a higher intelligence/power guiding the evolution of man, as well as the idea that Artificial Inteligence will someday decide Humans are redundant (even a threat), even if by accident. Quite a bit of the cautionary Sci-Fi stuff has to do with the idea of mans creations getting out of hand on him... Kinda like Jurrasic Park (I really liked chrichtons Prey book too).

All I'm really saying is that just cause the show is set in space doesnt automatically make it sci-fi. I guess it's really just semantics though as the pop-culture definition has basically become anything in a futuristic setting or set in space...

 

[Shaggy]

Okay AD, going back to The Light Of Other Days:
The story revolves around a company that discovers a method to open wormholes at will at any point in space and time. The wormholes are too small to travel through but light can pass through them so the wormholes are used as sort of spy cameras at first then as they find ways to adjust the time period they are viewing they can research the past or see the future. The wormholes and the technology that creates them is secondary to the basic idea of the loss of privacy. You could take the same story and most of the events and set them around some kind of new advanced camera system. Then you might have contemporary thriller story. Or you could take all of the events and wrap them the idea of a crystal ball, in which case it would become a fantasy story. Stephen King has even used crystal balls in the Dark Tower series which allowed people to do the same type of viewing of opther people and times, and they could even be used for travel.
The other point of what makes SciFi SciFi, is that while the science is secondary to the story, the Sci Fi elements are so far in advance of what we have that it isn't currently on the horizon, maybe close but not quite.
For example, I don't consider Jurassic Park or Prey Sci Fi because we have cloning technology and while we don't have the means of production nanobotic theory is well developed and waiting mainly for the means.

Also the idea of man's creations, robots androids whatever, getting out of hand and deciding the creators are no longer needed can be traced back to the basic idea of child growing up and no longer needing it's parents, or an adolescent rebellion. HAL may not have been Dr. Chandra's biological offspring but he still looked to Chandra as a father figure.
There's even slavery in the droids of Star Wars.

 

[AD]

Your confusing "plot device" with Theme. It's like making a big deal about the case everyone is after in Frankenheimers Ronin.... It could have been an accordion for all it matters. It simple provides the motivation for the action. It has no purpose other than that... Its contents aren't revealed and neither do they matter. A romantic comedy in which the subjects ferry between planets on spacecraft doesnt make it more of a sci-fi movie than a romantic comedy. The girls (brave enough) to see it won't give a shit about whether its a shuttlepod or a motorcycle as long as it gets the guy and the girl together in the end.

For example, I don't consider Jurassic Park or Prey Sci Fi because we have cloning technology and while we don't have the means of production nanobotic theory is well developed and waiting mainly for the means.

That's plain idiotic. So tommorow you expect clouds of semi-inteligent noanobots that can mimic people to show up at your door and take over your body? People have a lot of theories about robots and androids too. Does that discount I' Robot and AI as sci-fi? Hey, they're working on AI systems in labs all over the world after all.

 

[Halman]

was M.A.N.T.I.S. about the cripled black guy who used a suit to fight crime?

 

[AD]

was M.A.N.T.I.S. about the cripled black guy who used a suit to fight crime?

I remember the show your thinking of... It was out around the time of that Viper show about the Dodge viper that could change shape or something. But I can't remember if it was M.A.N.T.I.S. or not.

 

[LeHah]

was M.A.N.T.I.S. about the cripled black guy who used a suit to fight crime?

Yes.

 

[Dahan]

Well I like all of the shows listed the vote list and I am not really fussed at all. Although I like to see how GL can come up with the idea of a Star Wars series and how successful it can be. Star Trek did pretty well, although with the axing of the series Enterprise it did pretty well with what they had. Just to wait for the next possible movie.

 

[Raptor leader]

i voted for Star Wars. I've been into since the early 90's. With Videogames,comics,novels and two TV series in the works. I believe 'The Force is still strong in this one'.

 

[Spien]

I vote for the new Battlestar Galactica as well. It hasn't been spectacular but some episodes like the season finale last week really stand out.

Trek remains my favorite over all but BSG is my current favorite.

 

[ace_starfighter]

I havent been following the BSG anymore. I kind of prefer the original and that flavor of show. Does anyone have any comments about Star Trek or what has been happening with the cancellation and all?

 

[ChrisReid]

There's several long threads about the recent Star Trek developments. Most of the staff got a chance to hear Trip talk in person a few weeks ago, and I just got my Enterprise 3 box. Yay!