GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

SF Movies/TV shows as good as or better than Firefly/Serenity

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 12:10
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 3:02 PM

CHRISISALL


Movies/TV shows I *like* better than Firefly/Serenity?

None.

Now, objectively, there are a bunch that are better, I guess.
2001, Planet Of The Apes, etc.
But in terms of what I love...
Dark Angel comes close for me. Star Trek TOS is its only true equal in my eyes. The Star Trek 2-4 trilogy is a sentimental favourite. Blade Runner, Nausicaa & Empire Strikes Back are also up there.
But really, NOTHING does it like Mal & Co.
Out Of Gas, Objects In Space & Serenity (the movie) in particular just still blow me TF away, EVERY time.

Comments?


The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 3:46 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.


Firefly is the best television show I've ever seen, bar none. As for films, there are two SF films I think are better than Serenity, and yes I do like them more than I like the BDM, that being 2001 and Blade Runner. Also, there are several non-genre films I would rank above even those two.




wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 3:53 PM

STORYMARK


There's lotsa movies I like better than Serenity. Bit tougher with TV. For me, LOST, Babylon 5, ST DS9 and Farscape are on par with it, I'd say.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 3:55 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by ecgordon:
Also, there are several non-genre films I would rank above even those two.

I could name a few myself, most notably "The Road Home."
But Serenity just hits me where I live & breathe.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 10:14 PM

SEBA


Deadwood, Carnivale and The 4400 were pretty awesome...getting a theme of canceled shows? Why do I bother?

In seriousness, as far as TV shows that are "better" than Firefly I'd have to say The Twilight Zone would rank higher for me and Deadwood is very, very close, but I "Love" Firefly in a way that no other show has ever really done for me: it was right in all the right ways that so rarely happens. Doctor Who gets a good deal of love from me too but in a campier way.

For what it's worth, I'm also a fairly big Trek fan (Gene's, not JJ's) but that's because I see them as opposite sides of the same coin, telling opposing sides of the same story that are both worthy of being told. Problem is we've gotten plenty of one side of the story through countless science fiction properties and Firefly was really one of the few to give us that other side and left us hanging, wanting so much more of that world.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 12:42 AM

HAKEN

Likes to mess with stuffs.


This is tough. It's like comparing apples to oranges with some pears thrown in.

I can tell you what I liked, which isn't necessarily better, but just had that same wow-factor that made me want to watch more.

Not in any particular order:

Farscape
Futurerama
Babylon 5
Crusade
Star Trek: Next Generation
Star Trek: DS9
Dark Angel
Space: Above and Beyond
seaQuest DSV (1 & 2 second season, not 3rd)
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict (1st season with Kevin Kilner)
Dr. Who
Torchwood
Battlestar Galactica (old and new)
All the Stargate series (well, maybe not quite Universe).
Buck Rogers in the 25th century (1st season).
V (original)
The 4400

Though, not sci-fi, I was a big fan of The X-Files and Millennium.

I'm sure I left out something, but these series come straight to mind.

As for movies. That's tougher since the list is way more expansive. Gotta think about that one, but just the top few and not in any particular order:

Star Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
The Matrix
The Abyss
Blade Runner
Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn
The Day the Earth Stood Still (original).
Silent Running
Logan's Run
Time Bandit
Brazil

Quite a few actually, now that I think about it.

Better stop, because I could probably go on for a bit more.

Haken


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:37 AM

JONGSSTRAW


No TV show is or was ever better than Firefly. None were even as good. That is my personal opinion, based on my viewing choices over the last 40 years. When I have free time to enjoy a dvd, it's usually one of those 4 discs.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Serenity. I like the movie, and I'm eternally grateful it got made, because without it I likely never would have discovered Firefly. But there are hundreds of movies I prefer to watch.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:42 AM

BORIS


Firefly is my number 1 but The original Battlestar Galactica had a similar appeal for me as Firefly at the time that I was into it though it's so obviously retro now, I invested a bit of my heart in the series and characters, and still watch it nostalgically. Like Firefly It makes me feel warm and fuzzy...and I still want to be the woman that Starbuck retires with.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:47 AM

PENGUIN


Blasphemers!!










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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:11 AM

GWEK


I mirror the opinions stating that FIREFLY is the best TV show ever (sci fi, non-genre, whatever). For my money, the only thing that comes close is THE SHIELD.

Of course, I do sometimes wonder if FIREFLY has the advantage over many other shows in that it didn't have time to go bad, or at least get mediocre. It's much harder to do 150 amazing episodes than it is to do 15. There are many series that can probably match FIREFLY on a "run" of a dozen or so amazing episodes (the aforementioned SHIELD, LOST, BtVS, ANGEL, STARGATE SG-1, BABYLON 5, X-FILES, maybe even CHUCK...), but because those shows have more episodes, their overall "lifetime averages" are lower.

(And that leads to a whole different conversation: Was FIREFLY so great--and do we love it so much--because it burned so quickly? I would liken FIREFLY to a tempestuous, passionate, and unforgettable summer romance.)

SERENITY does not fare as well as FIREFLY. It's a very good movie (maybe even a great one), but pales in comparison to both the series and to greater sci fi movies. EMPIRE STRIKES BACK comes to mind, as well as... well, okay, I can't think of many right now, and I suppose there are far worse fates than to be #2 to ESB.

I will say this, though: as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I didn't think there would be any movie scene I would be looking forward to as much as the onscreen confrontation between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. (I don't care what your opinion of the movie itself was, if you grew up in my generation, that was something that was written about, talked about, play-acted out, and speculated on for nearly three decades).

The moment those two lightsabers ignite brought one of the biggest in-theater smiles to my face ever... but that smile was matched by the one I had when we first see Serenity sail across the big screen.

2005 was a good year indeed.







www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:28 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by GWEK:
I mirror the opinions stating that FIREFLY is the best TV show ever (sci fi, non-genre, whatever). For my money, the only thing that comes close is THE SHIELD.



Agree on those thoughts about TV and THE SHIELD, and I'll throw in THE WIRE, but both are so different than FF.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:32 AM

ZEEK


I agree with a lot of the people here. There is no better TV series than Firefly. I can't think of anything that even comes close. I was trying to think of my favorite TV show on the air currently and there's nothing that I really like even out there right now.

As for movies there are better. I don't know about better scifi movies. It's sort of tough to compare. Empire Strikes Back is great but a very different style movie IMO. I really can't think of many great scifi movies. Though I can think of a lot of movies in other genre's I'd rank higher than Serenity overall.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:32 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by boris:
The original Battlestar Galactica had a similar appeal for me as Firefly at the time that I was into it though it's so obviously retro now, I invested a bit of my heart in the series and characters, and still watch it nostalgically. Like Firefly It makes me feel warm and fuzzy...and I still want to be the woman that Starbuck retires with.


That original show had a great family feel to it, and it is still very much beloved, as evidenced by the popularity of the former cast who regularly attend sci-fi conventions. The cast members that I've met have all been very friendly, and they're all appreciative of how loyal the fans still are to that show.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:40 AM

GWEK


Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Quote:

Originally posted by GWEK:
I mirror the opinions stating that FIREFLY is the best TV show ever (sci fi, non-genre, whatever). For my money, the only thing that comes close is THE SHIELD.



Agree on those thoughts about TV and THE SHIELD, and I'll throw in THE WIRE, but both are so different than FF.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com]

Yes, THE SHIELD and FIREFLY are superficially very different, but I'd argue that good storytelling and good characterization is universal.

And, honestly, taking away the trappings of setting, and isn't Mackey just a much darker version of Mal, doing what he feels he must to keep his family together (both his literal one and the Strike Team) while he "keeps flying"? If Simon were less pretty and had a different talent than medicine, might be not be too different from the also too-smart-for-his-own-good and socially-awkward Dutch?

Seriously, though, individual characters aside, I think both shows are about disparate groups of people forced by circumstance to live/work together on a daily basis. Sure, that describes many, many shows, but, hey, most of them don't pull it off nearly as well as either of these two...

Certainly, while working on the Virtual Series over at www.stillflying.net, FIREFLY itself was top of mind, but my writing was equally informed by shows like THE SHIELD, PRISON BREAK, LOST, CARNIVALE, and RESCUE ME (most of which share the FIREFLY themes of forced/found family and marginalized "outsider" heroes).

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:52 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by GWEK:
... taking away the trappings of setting, and isn't Mackey just a much darker version of Mal, doing what he feels he must to keep his family together (both his literal one and the Strike Team) while he "keeps flying"? If Simon were less pretty and had a different talent than medicine, might be not be too different from the also too-smart-for-his-own-good and socially-awkward Dutch?





Muuuuuuch darker. Gives me the chills just remembering that show!

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:02 AM

GWEK


True enough... although maybe not darker than Inara getting gang-raped by Reavers (as Whedon had originally considered...)

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:28 AM

CHRISISALL


I forgot The Prisoner. A high water mark in all of television.
But I like Firefly more.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:29 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
Quote:

Originally posted by boris:
The original Battlestar Galactica had a similar appeal for me as Firefly at the time that I was into it though it's so obviously retro now, I invested a bit of my heart in the series and characters, and still watch it nostalgically. Like Firefly It makes me feel warm and fuzzy...and I still want to be the woman that Starbuck retires with.


That original show had a great family feel to it, and it is still very much beloved, as evidenced by the popularity of the former cast who regularly attend sci-fi conventions. The cast members that I've met have all been very friendly, and they're all appreciative of how loyal the fans still are to that show.

The ep where Serena dies destroys me...



The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:18 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by Haken:

Though, not sci-fi, I was a big fan of The X-Files and Millennium.




Okay.... now I could see maybe Mellenium.... but how is the X-Files, a show that revolved in great part around aliens - NOT sci fi?

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:19 AM

STORYMARK


Oh, yeah - since others reminded me, let me also add Deadwood, The Wire and The Shield to my list.

Really, the 00's was a hell of a decade for TV.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:29 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST


er.......



NONE.........



No other sci-fi TV show comes close to Firefly for me..... and the only other show that is on a par with Firefly is Northern Exposure. But it does that on a whole other level...





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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:34 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

No other sci-fi TV show comes close to Firefly for me..... and the only other show that is on a par with Firefly is Northern Exposure. But it does that on a whole other level...


Yeah, we've talked about that before. Northern Exposure's strength was its characters, just like Firefly. And the unexpected moments in the dialogue.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:46 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST


Indeed Big 'C'

My girlfriend bought me the entire Six Season Box Set!!! I am ploughing through the ones that evaded me all those years ago before I restart right from the beginning.

It's still as great as ever and I honestly feel it hasn't aged a bit. There are episodes that really tug on the heart strings in the most profound yet simple way.

Who could possibly know that watching a coffin whizz through the air played out to the chimes of Procol Harum's 'Whiter shade of Pale' would evoke a tear to the eyes. It's unquantifiable (if there is such a word). That is it's greatness.


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 8:41 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by chrisisall:
The ep where Serena dies destroys me...



She signed on for the 3-part pilot, but she never wanted to do a weekly series. She did give us 1 additional 2-part episode, and I'm grateful for that. She wanted to make movies and TV miniseries. One of the first things she did after leaving Battlestar was Somewhere In Time, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I forgave her.






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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 8:41 AM

JONGSSTRAW


dbl

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 11:24 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
One of the first things she did after leaving Battlestar was Somewhere In Time, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I forgave her.


I did too.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:39 PM

HAKEN

Likes to mess with stuffs.


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:
but how is the X-Files, a show that revolved in great part around aliens - NOT sci fi?



Do correct me if I'm wrong, but it was never proven that there were aliens until 'The X-Files: Fight the Future' movie came out. Everything up to that point could have been a result of covert government and corporate experiments or just overall weirdness of the natural world (i.e. Fringe). X-Files was more speculative fiction than Sci-Fi.

The big selling point of The X-Files series was whether as a viewer you believed or not. Were you a Mulder or a Scully? This constant tug-of-war between hard science and the unexplainable made the series attractive. At least to me anyway. Once the movie came out and outright said that Mulder was right, it was no longer the same X-Files because we can blame everything on the aliens thereafter.

IMHO, the TV series should have ended with the movie instead of returning back for a 6th & 7th TV season. But FOX got greedy with the ratings and wanted more. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way they planned and the ratings tanked.


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:48 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Haken:

IMHO, the TV series should have ended with the movie instead of returning back for a 6th & 7th TV season.

Absolualienlutely!


The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:40 AM

BORIS


I almost forgot Homicide: Life on the Street... I like it as much as Firefly...and I loved the Rockford files.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 12:10 PM

PCCH7


Quote:

Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
No TV show is or was ever better than Firefly. None were even as good. That is my personal opinion, based on my viewing choices over the last 40 years. When I have free time to enjoy a dvd, it's usually one of those 4 discs.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Serenity. I like the movie, and I'm eternally grateful it got made, because without it I likely never would have discovered Firefly. But there are hundreds of movies I prefer to watch.



I would add that there will never be a show as good as Firefly.. Disagree about Serenity though, it´s my absolute favorite movie. But Blade Runner is probably the best sci-fi, and possibly in general, movie I´ve seen.

Shows that come close: TSCC, Deadwood, True Blood, Dexter

"Summer Glau can simply walk into Mordor.."

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