Ranking - for Adikins, of course

My Top Ten Sci-Fi Tv series

Now, obviously I have not watched every science fiction show there is (though with Sci-Fi Channel now -hurrah- I can come even closer to everything! ha ha). So, this is a personal list of my favourite sci fi shows.

1. Eureka
The best. Sheriff Jack Carter. Funny normal everyday guy who is trying to contend with strange - in quantum physics, not X-files, sort of way - town. Somehow, even with his average IQ in a town of geniuses, he is the one who makes the connections, and saves the day. Sort of like the US/Russia, pen/pencil (urban?) legend.
Good characters and interplay between the characters. Fresh storylines - and when you are dealing with genre...well, it's easy to get generic. Mutant X vs.Dark Angel, if you know what I mean.


2. Dr. Who (BBC)

Almost made it to Number One. Did not...because plot wise, has some fantastic episodes and some run of the mill ones, while Eureka does consistently well. Still, good characters, good stories, also.

3. Space: Above and Beyond

Little known, but will always have a place in my heart. Watched this with my sister at one am, every week, even when we had school the next day. To start with, might be dismissed as a typical shoot 'em masquerading as sci fi (think Star Wars - I am a fan, but you have to admit, more SFX less sci-fi). But the twist at the end, where you find out how the war started, is the stuff of sci-fi.

4. ST: DS9

Surprising, perhaps, since I love VOY. Like Eureka vs. Dr. Who, this is a close one. Both has good characters, but DS9 took more risks in plot, characters and even shots. And there is 'Far beyond the stars' (Season 6), one of the most interesting episodes in Star Trek.

Of course, Dr. Bashir tipped the scale a bit. Hee hee.

5. ST: VOY

Going where no man has gone before. Finally, returns to the essence of Star Trek, I think, anyway. Stranded in the Delta quadrant, Voyager explores space and rediscovers the wonders of the universe.

A crack at TNG here: no politicking, blah Federation bits. Sorry, TNG fans - it just got a little dull towards the end.

6: Sliders

Perhaps not the most original premise, but saved by the good characters, interesting plots. Lost steam towards the end, but most shows do.

7: The Lost Room

Not too sure if this qualifies since it is a three part movie. Or a really long one, depending on how you look at it. But too good to be left out. Breathtaking shots, enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and original storytelling - in all senses of the word; the way it is told, and the story itself.

8. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

A slicker (and more tightly plotted) production than the original movie. I loved the characters, especially the interaction between John and his mum, I can forgive the somewhat weak storyline.

9. Heroes

Not terribly original in premise of storyline (think X-men gone series) but the characters are engaging, SFX great and somehow the retelling of the whole mutant thing works. It just does, and I don't know why.

10. Roswell

Again, not too original and lost steam towards the end. But I liked the OC meets sci-fi vibe.

So, why not X-files? Almost a sacrilege, maybe. I loved X-files, esp the first three seasons (conspiracies did not work for me!) It was groundbreaking,certainly. But it is one of the shows that I liked purely intellectually but did not have emotional resonance. But hey, it's my list.

Here's the strangest thing: Xena and Buffy are sci-fi? I love them both, but sci-fi? Hmm...who classifies all these?