mhg83

As the thread title indicates I have never seen an episode of any of these series except for bsg which was only the pilot. I'm not a big sci-fi fan so I'd like to start out with a series that's easy to get into. Which one do you guys recommend I start out with? These are all going to be watched on netflix streaming.

david2708

Probably X-Files if you aint a big Scifi fan. I know the X-Files had its Scifi element, but much less so than the others. After that Galactica.
Personally, I loved Farscape for its inventiveness and it taking risks which both succeeded and sometimes failed. They didn't just play it safe like other shows of its genre.

chuckd21

X-Files. The longer you wait, the more dated it'll seem.

mhg83

I've heard fringe compared to x-files a lot which I love that show. How similar is it to fringe?

Draven

Initially, Fringe felt like a poor-man's X-Files...FBI agents, monster-of-the-week, shot in Vancouver, etc.

Fringe has since surpassed the X-Files in my opinion, because they seem to be telling a much more coherent and planned story. The X-Files had a lot more of a "making it up as they go along" feeling. But Mulder and Scully are great characters and if you like them, you'll like the show.

That said, I'd start with BSG - I'm currently rewatching the series, having only seen it when it aired originally. It's a lot more hardcore sci-fi, but the show is just damn exciting and interesting from the get-go. Especially watching it knowing where it's all going to go.

Red Dog

Never cared for X-files. Still have not seen Farscape. So btwn B5 and BSG, definitely B5.

Michael Corvin

I like Fringe, but it is essentially X-Files 2.0, right down to the opening credits. Hell every few episodes it seems they rip something(idea, character, plot, etc.) right out of X-Files. As coherent a story as they present, they definitely lose points for that.

Double_Oh_7

I can only guess at this point, but I'm thinking Fringe's finale will not be a total letdown.

benedict

I've never seen BSG, and probably would've said X-Files for someone only comfortable on the fringes of science_fiction... but it'd be a toss-up between B5 and Starscape for the full-on "skiffy" experience!

Imagine my surprise on voting when I saw that the scarcely-mentioned BSG was leading the poll by a mile! Maybe Draven is its only literate fan

rfduncan

This is sad but true. I think Fringe learned a HUGE lesson from that. Interesting that you note that... wasn't Babylon 5 plotted out in its entirety from the very start of the show?

davidh777

I'm a big fan of X-Files and BSG, both of which I watched during their original runs. I've only watched bits of Farscape (1 episode) and B5 (I keep starting the first season and getting distracted).

I agree that The X-Files is not as hard sci-fi as the other series, but I know a lot of non-sci-fi fans who enjoy BSG because it's a great drama in a sci-fi setting. I also think it'll be a little bit more of a satisfying experience for you because the run is shorter than X-Files or B5 (four seasons plus a skippable add-on, The Plan) and it's the newest, least-dated show on your list. So I voted BSG.

Note: I also enjoy Fringe and it does seem like X-Files 2.0, but maybe the surge it's had this season makes it 2.1.

And according to another thread (Fringe maybe) here, B5 was plotted out in its entirety, but the fifth season was an unexpected bonus so that one is not as cohesive as the rest of the run. Again, I haven't seen much of the show myself, but I keep intending to watch because I've heard so many good things about it (including the fact that it will get much better when I get past this first season).

Fist of Doom

I voted Babylon 5. It starts out a little uneven, but turns into a great show.

superdeluxe

X-files. especially the monster of the week episodes are really easy to get into.. They mythology episodes are fun, but you will be disappointed by the end (Although when the first few seasons..the mythology episodes were a ton of fun)

spainlinx0

Farscape, then Babylon 5. I don't know which show I think is better, but I believe I was more emotionally invested in the Farscape characters. However, you have to watch them both.

mhg83

The problem with watching x-files first is the number of seasons and episodes might be overwhelming. Is there a point when I should stop watching since I heard the quality dips?

superdeluxe

I'd say stop at the end of season 4 (lead up to the first X-files movie), would be a good place to stop, but you should definitely go ahead and still pull out great 'monster of the week' episodes for the remaining seasons.

DJariya

Why stop at season 4 for X-Files? I say watch everything and even slug through the bad episodes. Robert Patrick is introduced in season 8 as John Doggett and I think he is one of the most underrated characters in the show.

Yeah I know that's over 200+ episodes and will probably take you months to get through, but I think the journey is worth it.

NORML54601

I'd go with the X-files first.

JayDerek

Wrong - Season 5 leads up to the first film

Michael Corvin

+1 but I think we've covered this ad nauseum.

superdeluxe

Because the OP wanted a good stopping point. and if you are going to stop..I would think all the events to the first movie would be a good spot..and the whole season? Season 9 was a abortion honestly..season 8 was refreshing I acutally thought it was not half bad.

superdeluxe

I am mistaken..watch up to season 5.

kstublen

The X-Files is easily one of my favorite television series, but even I'm willing to admit that there are indeed some bad episodes. Personally, I preferred the Mythology episodes to the Monster of the Week episodes 9 times out of 10. But that isn't to say the Monster of the Week episodes were bad, I've just always preferred serialized stories.

Farscape is great too, but I can see it not being for everyone. I'd probably recommend checking that one out later since it is probably the most science fiction of the one's I've seen (haven't seen Babylon 5). And as has been said, Battlestar Galactica is more about the drama on the ship than science fiction, really.

Thank you! I know the later seasons get criticized fairly often, but I actually sort of liked the direction they took the series with the introduction of John Doggett. Robert Patrick is a great actor and his take on Doggett was wonderful. Sure, I missed Mulder, but people definitely don't give Doggett the credit he deserves. It's really the perfect example of how replacing a character with their polar opposite is a better idea than a carbon copy.

I watched the entire series of The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, and Millennium a few years back and it took a while to get through. I had seen most of The X-Files and Millennium before, but hadn't seen The Lone Gunmen. I watched them in such a way to keep the timeline relatively consistent; I watched all of The Lone Gunmen episodes immediately before "Jump The Shark" and all of the Millennium episodes immediately before "Millennium". I forget how long it took me exactly, but even marathon viewing over a winter break it still took me a while* to get through all of the series. Oh yeah, and I threw Harsh Realm once I was done with the rest; that show started out rough, but showed some potential toward the end.

*For frame of reference, I was able to watch every episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in under 10 days.

brainee

I like all these series, but for the purposes of this thread my vote is for the X-Files. It's by far the most "reality grounded" of the series (not taking place in the future, or some distant galaxy). I think it would be easiest for non SF fans to get into - especially if they already like other police/federal agent thriller/drama tv series.

Runner-up would be BSG. It's the most-recent, and doesn't suffer from dating yet (like older SF series are susceptible to). And it's a solid dramatic show - that happens to also be in the SF genre.

I love Farscape, but it's not for everyone. The tone can be pretty far out there (ranging from heavy drama to Loony Tunes comedy). And the series doesn't start out strongly, so non SF fans may get frustrated.

Overall, I think B5 is the best series of the bunch. But it's the oldest, so if you're fussy about effects that'll be a turn-off. Like Farscape it starts slow. And the show is essentially a gigantic 5-year story, so you need to show some commitment as a viewer to get the most out of it.

mhg83

I think with the series being similar to Fringe and all the recommends I'm starting off with The X-files. Thanks everyone for your input.