While the results of the NASFiC poll continue to pour in...
And just for the record, this is quizro's fault:
Pick a favorite TV show. Assume (whether or not this is true) that it's available on DVD and you have a friend you want to introduce it to. Pick your favorite 5-10 episodes to get them started.
Classic Star Trek:
I think I'd go this way, in this order:
Space Seed: It's the precursor to "The Wrath of Khan." Ricardo Mantalban gives a great performance, introduces an iconic character and the premise is real science fiction: what was early space travel and colonization like and what was it used for?
Balance of Terror: The first episode to introduce the Romulans, with Mark Lenard (who later played Sarek) as the Romulan commander. It's a great political episode, tense and dramatic.
Mudd's Women: Because Harry Mudd must be seen to be believed, and because it dealt with substance abuse.
Amok Time: Spock tells how how to do it Vulcan-style . . . and plants the seed for every slash story to follow....
Mirror, Mirror: Four reasons: Great story and sf premise. Sulu, shirtless, weilding a sword. Spock's Van Dyke. Uhura looking hotter than she ever did before. A Piece of the Action: Because it's so freakin' fun. Spock in a pin-striped suit and fedora!
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield: An issues episode: it dealt more straightforwardly with prejudice than almost any other episode and, hey!, Frank Gorshin!
Trouble with Tribbles: Because it's just . . . perfect.
City on the Edge of Forever: Time travel! Time paradoxes! Joan Collins! After seeing all these others, this one makes even more sense from a character standpoint and, well, you always leave the best for last.
I would have chosen the 1980's version of The Twilght Zone, but I'm thinking that I may try to throw a viewing party of the best of that series sometime in mid-October as a seasonal party and don't want to give anything away. Some of those episodes were some of the finest stuff made for TV in the 80's and very few people have seen them.
What would your shows and episodes be?
Edited to include "Amok Time". How could I have forgotten?
Pick a favorite TV show. Assume (whether or not this is true) that it's available on DVD and you have a friend you want to introduce it to. Pick your favorite 5-10 episodes to get them started.
Classic Star Trek:
I think I'd go this way, in this order:
Space Seed: It's the precursor to "The Wrath of Khan." Ricardo Mantalban gives a great performance, introduces an iconic character and the premise is real science fiction: what was early space travel and colonization like and what was it used for?
Balance of Terror: The first episode to introduce the Romulans, with Mark Lenard (who later played Sarek) as the Romulan commander. It's a great political episode, tense and dramatic.
Mudd's Women: Because Harry Mudd must be seen to be believed, and because it dealt with substance abuse.
Amok Time: Spock tells how how to do it Vulcan-style . . . and plants the seed for every slash story to follow....
Mirror, Mirror: Four reasons: Great story and sf premise. Sulu, shirtless, weilding a sword. Spock's Van Dyke. Uhura looking hotter than she ever did before. A Piece of the Action: Because it's so freakin' fun. Spock in a pin-striped suit and fedora!
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield: An issues episode: it dealt more straightforwardly with prejudice than almost any other episode and, hey!, Frank Gorshin!
Trouble with Tribbles: Because it's just . . . perfect.
City on the Edge of Forever: Time travel! Time paradoxes! Joan Collins! After seeing all these others, this one makes even more sense from a character standpoint and, well, you always leave the best for last.
I would have chosen the 1980's version of The Twilght Zone, but I'm thinking that I may try to throw a viewing party of the best of that series sometime in mid-October as a seasonal party and don't want to give anything away. Some of those episodes were some of the finest stuff made for TV in the 80's and very few people have seen them.
What would your shows and episodes be?
Edited to include "Amok Time". How could I have forgotten?