Category: Television

Science fiction and fantasy television from a fan’s perspective.

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Science Fiction Television

Stargate Atlantis premieres tonight

Technically, Stargate Atlantis already premiered, but my DVR is still chugging away as it records the program for me. I am headed to the tv to watch the season 5 premiere episode Search and Rescue (really looking forward to it) as soon as I finish up a few things I wanted to do tonight.

One of those things was adding the Stargate: Continuum info to the site. I’ve done that and you can catch it under the science fiction & fantasy shows.

Of course, I’ll have to share my thoughts on SGA later, but that’ll have to be tomorrow! I feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. I’m certainly ready to watch some tv tonight! It’s been a long day.

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Science Fiction Television

Henry’s new look (Eureka)

Henry Deacon - EurekaNotice Henry’s hairlessness? I think it’s a good look for him, but it does make him look different! Certainly, it’s not how I’m used to seeing one of my favorite Eureka characters.

Season two added complexity to Henry’s character, and I’m not sure what season three brings for him, but there are hints. See the item titled “Who’s coming back to Eureka in Season three?” at eurekafan.com.

This photo is from the season three cast pics.

See info about Henry Deacon.

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Science Fiction Television

Stargate SG-1 without General Hammond

Don S. Davis has died, and with his passing, I feel like an essential part of Stargate SG-1 has gone missing. What is Stargate SG-1 without General Hammond? General Hammond, Stargate SG-1To be frank, when changes came to Stargate SG-1 in season seven, I missed Hammond more than I missed Jack at first. Maybe because his leaving was so abrupt, but Jack’s dragged out. By the time Jack became the General, it was a have-to case of him either moving on or ruining the show with his continued absences.

That’s not to say I didn’t miss Jack (Richard Dean Anderson) when he left, because I certainly did. But Hammond had always seemed like such an integral part of the series. I came to like Landry quite well after a while, but he was no Hammond.

I’ve posted news about Don Davis’s death for those who might want to know the details of Davis’s passing.

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Science Fiction Television

Which one is better…Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman or Catherine Tate?

Hmm…this one is a hard decision for me. Well, partly. Billie and Freema are my two favorite Doctor Who companions since the relaunch of the series in 2005. Frankly, poor Catherine’s character is such a smarty pants most times that it makes it hard to watch.

Anyway, I’d love to know who your favorite Doctor Who companion is. All three will be appearing throughout the season, but mostly you’ll get to see “The Runaway Bride” Donna Noble who will be played by Catherine Tate. But Freema Agyeman, who was the Doctor’s companion Martha Jones in series three, does return during season four for “The Sontaran Strategem”, “The Poison Sky”, “The Doctor’s Daughter”, and two episodes in the finale. And, Billie Piper, who was Rose Tyler through two doctors and starred in the first episode of the new series and on through series two and will be in the three final episodes of season four. You’ll have a chance to catch a bit of their personalities, and should be able to figure out who you like the best.

Until next time…

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Movies Science Fiction Television

From tv series to movie; anxious for Stargate Continuum

So, last week I officially preordered Stargate Continuum from Amazon. I will be adding the show to the site soon, and of course, the moment I watch, I’ll be writing and posting a review.

Of all the television shows that could have made it in movie form, I think Stargate has been perfect in that format. I’m anxious to see this new one though since it’s clearly going to be more able to stand alone than the last (which was an excellent wrap up of the Ori story).

Continue reading “From tv series to movie; anxious for Stargate Continuum”
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Science Fiction Television

A little about the doctor…Doctor Who?

Hi, everyone!

Though I’m new to posting on Scifi Fantasies, I’m not new to watching science fiction shows. I grew up on the likes of Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and, of course, Doctor Who. It amazes me that after all these years (Lord, I’m not going to tell my age here…really…I hope!), that there are a few of the same shows still alive today. At least in some form or another. One of those is the British television show, Doctor Who.

If you were a fan of the old show set in the late 60’s, never fear, the show hasn’t changed that much. It still has the most fantastic storylines. And the doctor still has a companion!

There are a few things that have changed, of course. The actor who plays the doctor has changed several times over the years. But the latest one isn’t bad at all. David Tenant does a great job.  And the supporting cast members are most excellent.

If you’re a fan, I’d love to know what you think about the new companion–Donna Noble. If you’ve never seen it, I’d say you should definitely give it a try. There are weird creatures, mystery, science, technology, and a bit of twisted romance combined into an all-in-one action packed television series.

Until next time…

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Science Fiction Television

Battlestar Beckons

I’m holding out at the moment on my decision to avoid watching any more episodes of Battlestar Galactica until the season’s end. I can’t say that I’ll stay strong to the last episode, but watching in two to three episode blocks seems the way to go!

Besides, it will give me more time to catch up on my DVRed The Universe episodes. I caught Gravity this week and was quite amazed at how interesting they made the subject. My family watched with me and we all enjoyed it. Of course, the roller coaster always seems to make it into any documentary talking about gravity, but I think the prop was well used.

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Science Fiction Television

As BSG’s end nears, my nerves wear thin

It’s interesting to note that although I enjoy Battlestar Galactica, I’m becoming a nervous wreck as I watch the episodes. It’s the final season, and inevitably that means someone–or many someones–is going to die. Not that I’m spoiling here, because this is all speculation based on the episodes I’ve seen to date.

As the series winds up, I grow entirely too nervous to watch live. After this latest episode, The Ties That Bind, I think I’m going to start DVRing at least three or four episodes before I watch–hell, I might just skip all of them until the series is over and then spend a Saturday with the rest of the final season.

My nerves are short and I have little patience with drawn out story lines at this point. I know that to pull it all together everything can’t come out rosy, but oh how I wish that it would.

All I can say is that I sincerely hope the show doesn’t become unwatchable in reruns (on DVD of course), with the death of too many sympathetic characters. Quantum Leap, a long ago favorite of mine was relegated to the never-watch-again category after its they-might-as-well-have-stabbed-out-my-heart ending.

This is my plea to the creators of BSG–please don’t ruin the rewatchability of this favorite!

Update: Blah. I don’t think I will ever watch this show again. The ending wasn’t bad, per se, but it didn’t leave me feeling particularly warm and fuzzy about old episodes either. I am notoriously hung up on the big picture when I watch a series and I can’t watch individual episodes as stand alone material. The big picture for Battlestar Galactica didn’t turn out to be that compelling for me.

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Science Fiction Television

The well-deserved cancellation

Of all the shows that won’t be back next season, Bionic Woman is one I won’t miss, although I’m actually disappointed about that. The show had so much potential, but the show had nothing that made me want to watch more than the first two episodes. I stuck it out for a few more, but by the end of the fourth it was pure torture just to watch and I gave it up.

I realize dark is in, but dismal? No thanks.

Bye bye, Bionic Woman. Maybe in another ten years someone will try again, and do a better job of it.

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Sci-Fi Views Television

What!? TV on DVD

What compelling reasons keep me shelling out good money for something that was available for (mostly) free at one time?

Farscape, Stargate SG-1 and Firefly all have season sets available on DVD Farscape, Stargate SG-1 and Firefly all have season sets available on DVD

Why TV on DVD makes sense

Unless you share the obsession, you might thing it’s crazy to spend anywhere from $35 to $125 for a single season of a television series—especially if that TV series is still showing episodes on easily accessible channels. I even used to be one of those people…until I found Stargate SG-1…Smallville…Star Trek Voyager…Stargate Atlantis…Star Trek Enterprise…The Dead Zone…and too many other series to count. My growing collection of series DVD sets attests to the fact that I have officially stepped over the line and become a television-crazed fanatic. What compelling reasons keep me shelling out good money for something that was available for (mostly) free at one time?

Commercial Free TV
Seriously. No commercials. The ability to watch television commercial free is enough reason all by itself. However, there are others…
Portability
TV on DVD means I get to watch what I want when I want. I’ll never be subject to a television station’s programming whims again.
Unaired episodes
I get to watch television series that might never play in syndication. The powers that be oftentimes kill a good show well before it deserves to be canceled. Look at Firefly. Flash Forward. Jake 2.0. Threshold. The Dresden Files. Invasion. Surface. Jericho. More, more, more…. DVD gives me a chance to watch episodes that often don’t even make it on the air.
Extras & Bonus Materials
DVDs usually come with extras, such as audio commentary on the episodes, interviews with cast and crew, featurettes and more. I actually kind of like these things sometimes and they certainly don’t usually show up on television—unless it’s a Scifi Channel series.
Premium TV Shows
I get to watch television shows that aired on premium channels without having to subscribe.

Although I love the digital age, and watch downloaded television programming quite often, I still prefer to own the DVDs when they’re available. Otherwise, I have to burn my digital files to DVD for posterity because my hard-drive just isn’t big enough to keep them all, nor is my DVR. So, yeah, call me crazy, but TV on DVD is perfect for me.

Sci-fi fantasies