The Sci-Fi 25 Greatest Moments

[sindatur]

Although, since the shows are still airing, it's premature IMHO to be including them in a greatest SciFi list.

Well, since it's about specific moments in the series, not the series as a whole, I don't think there's a problem as far as that goes.

To each his own, I just feel until it's finished, you may not even realilze the full impact of certain moments.

[dANdeLION]

Heroes and Lost don't belong on the list because they're not really sci-fi.

Thank God someone else said that. I've watched both shows sporadically, and neither is sci-fi.

Well, Heroes has folks with super powers, so, it falls into a sub genre of SciFi, along with all the comic book movies and series of Super Heroes.

If you allow that line of reasoning, you'd have to allow most all of the superhero films, especially Superman, since he's an alien lifeform....speaking of, Starman should have made the list!

[sindatur]

Thank God someone else said that. I've watched both shows sporadically, and neither is sci-fi.

Well, Heroes has folks with super powers, so, it falls into a sub genre of SciFi, along with all the comic book movies and series of Super Heroes.

If you allow that line of reasoning, you'd have to allow most all of the superhero films, especially Superman, since he's an alien lifeform....speaking of, Starman should have made the list!

Most "sciFi" lists don't prejudice themselves against SuperHero genre, I don't think. I've seen many Superhero shows/movie on SciFi lists and/or listed in the genre SciFi.

[matrixman]

As long as I get the whole storyline, I'm happy. How many parts does the original MiniSeries have?

--A

First Mini is 4 hours with commercials (originally aired as two nights with 2 hour timeslots), second mini is 6 hours with commercials (originally aired as 3 nights with 2 hour timeslots). I thought I had heard of a new project coming up in 2008, set 25 years after the Series itself, with many of the original cast, but, can't find anything on IMDB under "V". I'll check another site. BRB.

Hm, not sure why it didn't come up under "V", but, here it is

imdb.com/title/tt0366112/

Thanks, Sin, I didn't know about this at all! Maybe I would've known, had I paid more attention to "V" fan sites. I have some misgivings about this new project, but at least it comes from Ken Johnson himself.

Av, if you're talking about the episodic series, I'm not sure you're gonna get the "whole storyline" because I think it got cancelled before any story arc could be resolved. V the series was pitted against Dallas, but unfortunately Dallas gobbled it up for lunch the way the Visitors gobbled up rodents. I didn't mourn the loss of the series that much, though, because I stopped watching it myself after the first several episodes.

Why? Because honestly, I felt the show had become more and more inane. It lost direction - not surprising given that Ken Johnson was not at the helm. If I recall correctly, shortly after the original miniseries, Johnson lost creative control of V to NBC after a dispute with the network, and thus refused to be involved with the sequel miniseries "The Final Battle." It was still a huge ratings hit (and I did enjoy it at the time), but you could tell it had strayed from the more somber feel of the original miniseries.

**SPOILERS FOR V: THE FINAL BATTLE** (like anyone really cares, but whatever...)

That in itself was no big deal, but The Final Battle also began to show signs of absurdity and sloppy writing that would plague the weekly series. For instance, the way the alien/human hybrid child saved the day and our heroes by, uh...what, literally waving her hand? That was a cheat. And just why were we suddenly shown footage of humanity everywhere apparently celebrating the "defeat" of the Visitors by the Resistance? Why should people be celebrating? Hadn't most of humankind been duped into believing the Visitors were friends, not enemies, and that only the Resistance knew the truth? Did the writers suddenly forget the basic premise of V?

Another basic problem with the weekly series was that...well, did it really have a reason to exist? We had just seen in The Final Battle that the red dust spelled the end for the Visitors. If we also buy that people all over the world really were celebrating victory and thus know the Visitors for what they are...well then, the game's up, the mask has been ripped away. But come the weekly series, and lo and behold, the Resistance is still fighting its guerilla war, and humanity is still apparently in the fog about the true nature of the Visitors. Seems absurd, don't you think? But I'm not in a position to make a clear judgment since I saw only a handful of episodes.

So...I'm just glad Ken Johnson is back in charge. But given his non-involvement with The Final Battle and the follow-up series, I wonder if it means his new story will follow directly from the original miniseries. It does sound that way.

Holy crap, that was a long rant.

[aTOMiC]

I've posted this before but I watched V back when it aired. I was 18 or so at the time. I was intrigued by V when it began and watched like many others did but something killed my interest. I couldn't let loose of the concept that aliens capable of interstellar travel would cover that incredible distance and then, once here, begin bickering and back stabbing each other like human characters on a bad afternoon soap opera. Like Matrix just mentioned it went up against likes of Dallas and I suppose popular night time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty and so on might have had an influence. All negative in my view.

I also think that EWs list is clumsy. If it were up to me I'd have said 25 greatest television moments or moments in film but not both together. It seems to make a mess of the list, fluttering like a used piece of toilet tissue blown about on a summer's breeze.
Frankly although Star Wars and Empire were too old to make the list, as much as I dislike Ewoks, Return of the Jedi should have made a presence over some of the other rather goofy entries. IMHO.

[Avatar]

Thanks for all the info guys. I gotta say I was 9 years old when the half-human girl flew the alien mothership away, (end of Final Battle? Or of tv series? Not sure), so my critical viewing facilities probably still left something to be desired.

The miniseries that I've just watched certainly did have a sombre feel that was very appropriate. The end of the first part in particular was brilliant I thought.

Regardless, I'll still find them and watch them.

--A

[matrixman]

I've posted this before but I watched V back when it aired. I was 18 or so at the time. I was intrigued by V when it began and watched like many others did but something killed my interest. I couldn't let loose of the concept that aliens capable of interstellar travel would cover that incredible distance and then, once here, begin bickering and back stabbing each other like human characters on a bad afternoon soap opera. Like Matrix just mentioned it went up against likes of Dallas and I suppose popular night time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty and so on might have had an influence. All negative in my view.

Yes, V the weekly drama had very much devolved into a kind of soap opera. Jane Badler's Visitor villainess Diana could've challenged Joan Collins for the title of Queen Bitch of Prime Time TV. But the original V miniseries wasn't like that at all: it had story and purpose. I still think it represented a high point for sci-fi on television - certainly of the last 25 years.

I also think that EWs list is clumsy. If it were up to me I'd have said 25 greatest television moments or moments in film but not both together. It seems to make a mess of the list, fluttering like a used piece of toilet tissue blown about on a summer's breeze.

Heh...I agree.

I gotta say I was 9 years old when the half-human girl flew the alien mothership away, (end of Final Battle? Or of tv series? Not sure)

Yeah, that was the end of Final Battle. Despite my bitching, I have to say that the development of the girl's character and her powers was one of the few things that kept my interest in the weekly series. Still doesn't explain how a convergence of mere human genes and, um, alien lizard genes can somehow lead to a superbeing. Maybe they've got their own Kwisatz Haderach going.

[Avatar]

--A

[Loredoctor]

You guys like the psychic girl ending???? Are either of you on crack?!!!!

[dANdeLION]

I couldn't let loose of the concept that aliens capable of interstellar travel would cover that incredible distance and then, once here, begin bickering and back stabbing each other like human characters on a bad afternoon soap opera.

I thought it was odd the aliens would travel all the way here just to eat out of our dumpsters.

[Trapper]

V=hot babe swallowing a rat.

Fine with me...

[Avatar]

I couldn't let loose of the concept that aliens capable of interstellar travel would cover that incredible distance and then, once here, begin bickering and back stabbing each other like human characters on a bad afternoon soap opera.

Just out of interest, I've been reading the novelisations that I've got, and there's a credible explanation for the 5th Column etc. Not sure how much detail the miniseries went into on it though, but at least it explains the bickering and backstabbing.

--A

[matrixman]

I haven't read the novelisations - didn't think they were worth my time. I understood generally what the 5th Column was about, but I don't remember how much background detail (if any) the miniseries or the weekly show revealed. I only remember that Martin dude being the 5th Column's contact with the Resistance.

[Avatar]

Basically, they were people who opposed the great leader and his plans, and wanted to overthrow him, and incidentally cause his attempt on earth to fail in order to discredit him. They were the remnants of the old administration.

(The novelisations aren't great, but they don't suffer from bad effects either. )

--A

[matrixman]

Basically, they were people who opposed the great leader and his plans, and wanted to overthrow him, and incidentally cause his attempt on earth to fail in order to discredit him.

Yep, that I knew.

They were the remnants of the old administration.

That I didn't know, or I forgot. This is turning into Star Wars, heh. What, the old republic? Before it turned into an evil empire?

(The novelisations aren't great, but they don't suffer from bad effects either. )

Touche!

[Avatar]

They were the remnants of the old administration.

That I didn't know, or I forgot. This is turning into Star Wars, heh. What, the old republic? Before it turned into an evil empire?

Yeah, basically. It was a relatively peaceful culture and when the environmental catastrophes struck, the Great Leader overthrew the government, became dictator and started on a mission of conquest, largely to be revenged on some other species who had defeated him in the past. With the environment destroyed, he needed food, water and slave-troops. The 5th Column were morally opposed to his rule and was formed largely of officers and administrators who survived the purges ect undetected.

--A

[sindatur]

Thanks Av. I too was unaware the 5th Column were actually the last remaining vestiges of the Old Administration fighting back. From the series, I thought they were just average soldiers with a concience that thought what the Great Leader was doing was morally wrong

[Avatar]

Just finished the last of the novelisations I've got...some of them were also adherents of a Buddhist-like religion banned by the new government.

--A

[Elfgirl]

I can't get this list to load past number 3. Is Stargate on here? 'cause it should be - Stargate is the new Trek, in both good and bad ways.

NO!! BIG OVERSIGHT!! SG-1 and Atlantis were cheated out of their rightful place on this list - HEROES, ESOTSM, Lost, are not real 'sci-fi' as I see it. No bug-eyed aliens or cool spaceships = no sci fi as far as I'm concerned.

[SleeplessOne]

If Lost qualifies, why not Twin Peaks ? Parallel dimensions, man ..