As I watch thread after thread pop up about Firefly/Serenity I'm curious to see how this matchup goes. For the body of work of Firefly I'm including the movie Serenity since for Battlestar Galactica (2004) I'm including the miniseries. I think in every facet except perhaps costume design BG crushes and still don't understand how Firefly developed such a cult following, although I think it's ok.

This is actually a bit of a tough choice. I think Firefly took too many episodes to really catch it's stride. Between that and the very limited number of them, it knocks it down a few pegs.

But, I consider both to be my favorite sci-fi shows since DS9 and B5 ended.

I don't think I can decide. Howsabout a third option - "Choosing between these shows is a problem you want to have"?

They're two different shows, it's like apples and oranges.

I think if Firefly had been allowed to continue, it would have quickly become my favorite TV series of all time. Well, maybe second favorite. I love BG, but Firefly holds a special place in my heart.

I feel much the same way. I like Firefly, but I would put it around 8-10 on my list of Sci-Fi TV shows. It has a very campy feel to it, perhaps this is Whedon's touch as I see Buffy had the same camp feel, and the fans take it more serious than the show itself does.

Very well put and I completely agree.

Farscape

Cute Firefly story: I think my 85-year-old dad has a crush on Kaylee. He keeps asking me why that actress (Jewel Staite) isn't a big star, and if she's in anything else...

Buffy could be dead serious fairly often as well. That's the reason why fans take it seriously. The campiness is what I think helped fans end up carrying more when it got really dead serious. I think a lot of people aren't aware of how serious the show was at times. On Buffy one of the most beloved and nicest characters . It doesn't get much more serious than that.

All I know is Joss Whedon knows how to give a show a soul.

BSG is ok, but I enjoyed Firefly much more.

Firefly and Whedon's other shows are really about character development first followed by story and then season arcs. Battlestar seems to be about the continuing story first followed by style and then character development. I think they are both good shows, but I can't imagine myself getting very emotonally involved watching Battlestar.

I think part of the problem is that Sci-fi fans in general like shows with a lot of technical jargon and high concepts ala Star Trek and don't really get it whan a show adds in humanity the way Firefly did.

I couldn't choose between the two. In a perfect world they would be like a primetime double feature on SciFi.

And I think true science fiction fans don't like mindless technical jargon, instead only when it's used as part of the story, and not a deus ex machina. Reading Ron Moore's blogs on BSG, he admits keeping the details on how BSG works to a minimum, just to avoid falling into the technobabble trap.

And I've never really seen Buffy/Angel or Firefly as "camp". People always talk about the "witty" dialogue, but I don't think that's the intended point. I can't remember where I read it, but it was something from Whedon where he said he didn't write like that to be realistic, but instead just to hear the beauty of the English language in spoken form. Like how a piece of classic literature may read beautifully, but you know nobody really talks like that, but because it's printed, it comes across in your mind differently.

While BSG doesn't quite have this same type of dialogue (save the "bring in the cat" sequence from the mini, which I love btw), it still doesn't fall into the usual scifi-tv trap that could doom it.

I'll second that!

can I pick the new Doctor Who?

No contest. Battlestar Galactica (2004-Present) is vastly superior to Firefly. While Firefly was one of the best sci-fi shows on TV during its run, Battlestar Galactica is one of the best shows on TV...period. Firefly was fun, but it doesn't have the emotional depth or characterzation that BG does.

Cant even pick,just the 2 shows ive enjoyed most in years and although i havent seen any of season 2 yet of BG(since it doesnt start here in Canada till Jan) i would rate both 1st seasons as 10 outta 10.I dont buy many tv series on dvd but i proudly have both of these

edit-wow just checked the poll results(so far) and its 37 Firefly 36 Battlestar Galactica,but i still aint voting

This is like asking me if I'd rather have sex with Laetitia Casta or Adriana Lima. There's just no way to come up with an answer without my head exploding.

Fixed.

Very, very difficult poll indeed. Love them both so much. Personally I think the best episode of Galactica are better than those of Firefly, but I guess there are more less interesting episodes on Galactica than there are of Firefly. So I choose Firefly as my favorite.

Love both shows for different reasons. B.G is intense but needs to lighten up from time to time. Firefly was full of adventure but they got themselves into some real binds too. Firefly was a bit more fun but Battlestar is a bit more deep. Depends what you are in the mood for at the moment. Both can exist quite sucessfully.