Modern sci-fi versus old school sci-fi

[thjorska]

Back in the day, British television used to be the home of the grim sci-fi. The grungy sci-fi. Oh, you can knock the flimsy sets and the rubber outfits, but old school British sci-fi would stone cold kill a bitch right in front of you. Just to see if you'd flinch. Blake's 7 was full of delicious moral ambiguity, Quatermass dared suppose that the

Comments

[darklyobscure]

America still has its' upbeat Sci-Fi.

Firefly was hardly the dark gritty future. The characters were rather funny and cavalier without getting too dark. Even the Reavers were sympathetic villains. If you can feel sympathy for creatures that skin you alive because Daddy didn't hug them or whatever.

The only thing dark or depressing about Futurama (other than the humor) is the fact it was canceled too soon. Secretly, I hope the future is more like Futurama than anything else.

And isn't Mohinder the Daggitt of Heroes ? C'mon.

I would like to see Sci-Fi get back to a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galazy approach. Put normal but a touch crazy humans into absurd situations and derive humor from the old Babel "fish out of water" cliche`. Some of the great humor in Futurama was from Fry trying to fit in.

I agree that the next generation of writers needs to concentrate on interesting and 3 dimensional characters. .. that can be made into action figures... and cosplayed. :)

[thjorska]

I never said America didn't produce any, I said that it's now the the only one producing any. Britain's pumping out campy crap that... well, look at this scene from the original series of Doctor Who. Contrast it with this scene from the relaunch.

America makes dark sci-fi and upbeat sci-fi, shows that depress you and shows that cheer you up. All Britain makes is basically live action Scooby Doo.

And I'd like to see Daggitt hold doors even half as good as Mohinder :P

[darklyobscure]

I had no idea it was that bad.

I stopped seriously watching Dr. Who when Peter Davison regenerated. It made me cry. After his run the show became Dr. Who's Companion.

I mainly wanted to comment to show my new icon I made. :P (Daggitt)

[zerotime]

That David Tennant is quite a dish, though!

I don't even know where to start with Torchwood. It's as though they're trying harder and harder each episode to shock an audience who've become infinitely jaded to human sexuality, and failing miserably. Ben Elton has been going the same way with his last few novels, and that makes me a sad Zerotime.

[thjorska]

On the one hand, it's an attempt to make a British sci-fi television programme, and when every other drama is based around the emergency services in some way, that's commendable. On the other hand, it's shit.

I'd really love to see more British sci-fi, but for some reason it's ignored and mistreated like a cheap whore. Maybe it's the strange idea that sci-fi = special effects = expensive.

I blame George Lucas.