I'll second that! The third season is pretty amazing!

I didn't start watching it until about a year and a half ago. My partner couldn't believe I had never watched it, being the Sci Fi fan that I am.He had seen the show during it's initial run so he wanted to watch it again and I got to experience it with him. People are right saying the first season is a bit rough but after that it's wonderful Television.

ClarkKentKY...Give Farscape a chance! Very cool show. It gets better and better.

I enjoyed Babylon 5 up to that point. After this episode It had me for life!!!
Great ending to this episode!!

ClarkKentKY: Try Farscape out again! As others have said. I think you bailed out too early! If you can make it to the last quarter of the season then I think you will be hooked!

Take care all!!!

Just another voice chiming in to urge ClarkKentKY to give Farscape more of try. After about the 5th episode of Season 2, Farscape just takes off. It and Babylon 5 are both worth watching through rough first seasons because there really is a payoff for paying attention. (Along with The Black Adder, they're my all time favorite shows, too.)

Why, I'm anaspeptic. Prasmodic. Even compunctuous to have caused you such pericombobulation.

Well as two shows I haven't seen I want to give them both a shot. I know das is all over the B5 recomendations, but I have a question to everyone else:

I watched the first episode. I know you can't base a whole show on one episode, but man it was awful. Bad acting, bad dialog, bad F/X, poor costume design, just poor produciton overall. I would give it an F. My dead grandmother could do better than that. It really was like trudging through mud. On to the question, everyone says it gets better, how much better? I only ask b/c anything would be better than that 45 minutes I will never get back. Marginally better, or 110% better? Is it a complete turnaround?

Farscape: I just ordered the first Starburst disc the other day, should arrive tomorrow. I'm looking forward to checking this one out. Seems more up my alley. And this is what an intro/starter dvd should be(7 eps), not the 2 episode crap FOX is going to shill onto people.

I'm an Xfiles / Stargate / Twilight Zone guy. Can't get into Buffy / Angel / Star Trek.

You are absolutely correct. Back in early 1998 about the time when TNT acquired the rights to show Bablylon 5, I had seen a lot of commercials for show during NBA games, but I never bother to watch. A few weeks later I was channel surfing and happened to tune to TNT when this episode aired. An addict was born.

As for the bad opinion of the first episode, I really can't comment since it was one of the last episodes I saw aside from the last half of season 5.

:lol:

Off to watch Ink and Incapability-- I will return before you can say, "Antidisestablishmentarianism."

Edit: Er . . . now that I think of it, that's actually in Dish and Dishonesty. Seems like it belongs in the dictionary episode though.

Well, which "first episode" did you see? Was it "The Gathering" or "Midnight on the Firing Line"? In case you can't place them by the title, The Gathering involved , and MotFL involved .

The Gathering is the pilot movie, and if I remember correctly, was made a bit before the series actually started. Either way, not everything from the pilot makes it over to the series. The sets get a major overhaul, and the FX get a boost (a minor one, with the FX getting signifigantly better as the show progresses). Not to mention the fact that not only were those effects pretty groundbreaking in '91, but this was the first show to really do CG on a regular basis. All of the other space-based shows at the time still used models, so all things considered, it's expected that it's going to be a bit rough around the edges.

The acting does start out a little stiff, and it really is written differently from pretty much anything else out there. Again, this improves throughout the first season, but it still has the same sort of feel to it. The performances never end up sounding like something you'd hear on Trek or anything like that. They're always a little "rough", but for me, it's always made the characters feel a bit more authentic.

I believe it was "MotFL." It has been a few months since I watched. I'm sure I will trudge though more eventually, I'm just not sure whether to give this another chance, or jump into Farscape.

I can take the F/X that is understandable, I didn't know the show was that old. The acting on the other hand is what makes it painful to watch.

Knowing your tastes, I wouldn't bother with either of them.

das

:lol: Knew that was coming that is why I asked for others opinions.

So requiring a show to have good acting is bad taste?

Faulty circular logic. I only respond that way because you so frequently preface posts with specific requests for anyone but me to respond.

In truth, <i>Babylon 5</i> makes <i>SG-1</i> look like child's play, but I'd prefer you give up and not find that out, lest it ruin the fun dynamic we've developed over the years. :p So I suggest you don't watch it. Besides, I don't think you're man enough to make it to the second season anyway.

das

No offense but never understood the facination with SG1 and have tried several times to get into it based on people's positive opinions.

You shoulod have gone for the reverse-reverse psychology and told him to watch it. That way he would have immediately replied "no way!" but then thought "wait, that's just what das wants, isn't it? I'm going to watch it!"

I too am beginning to watch Farscape (3 disks down do far) with B5 on my queue...Ill stick with it (I like Farscape so far) if you guys do.

Ah, memories of the late Wallace Shawn. He will be missed. :(


;)

Hope you are renting the Starburst Editions. Season one will be 6 rentals instead of 11. Then you could move on the B5 and rent the other Starbursts as they come out.

You won't be sorry on Farscape. Easily my favorite show in recent memory...certainly the most fun.

I can't speak for B5 yet, but will update as I go. I should have two seasons and the pilot in the next week or so.

Damn. :( Why wasn't he featured in the Oscar memorial?

He was great in My Dinner With Andre and Waiting for Guffman.

I always feel required to post in any newcomer's B5 thread...I love all the shows you've listed...B5 is neck & neck with Farscape as my favorite television show...both shows have episodes that stand neck & neck as the finest tv ever recorded...however, I've got to say that the finale episode to season 3 is my favorite hour of television I've ever seen...I literally got chills when I saw it and its images and dialogue stayed with me long after the credits rolled....I envy anyone who has yet to experience this episode (and of course all the ones leading up to it).

As for the movies, don't watch In the Beginning yet. I feel that it spoils the 'air of mystery' build-up during the first season especially plus many other secrets that are revealed throughout the series.

The Gathering certainly isn't among the best episodes made but it establishes relationships that are integral to the rest of the series especially in light of how characters change during the series. I'd recommend paying very close attention to what is said during this episode as certain antagonisms are at the root of the entire series.

Season 1 is definitely more standalone than any other series but that does not mean that each episode does not contribute to the greater story, the "novel for television" that B5 is. By the time I got to the season finale, I was definitely in it for the long hall...the finale set in motion some big plot reveals that definitely turned the already established B5 story upside down.

You won't be disappointed

Michael

Oh yeah? Sports Night, Sports Night, Sports Night, Sports Night. Good luck on catching up on your other shows. ;)

The gauntlet is down.

*^%@q&!!!

Im getting the wacky out-of-numerical order disks from Netflix...what are these Starburts disks you speak of, and how can I see if Netflix offers them?

Out of order disks...the very reason I gave up on renting season 3!

The Starburst sets are the rereleases. Each season will be made up of 3 2-dvd sets. The discs are flippers with 2 episodes on each side (7-8 episodes/set). The third and last set of the first season will be released on the 15th, with another set coming out every few months. Do a search on Amazon or DDD and you'll see them.

I can't say whether Netflix would have them (Blockbuster doesn't) but a search for Farscape Starburst should work. Otherwise, I would argue that they are worth purchasing at $15/set or $45/season. I think you'd probably get your money back on half or ebay.

You must have missed the winking smiley face at the bottom of bboisvert's post. Wallace Shawn did not die and is still alive, but there was some false information or rumor that he had indeed shuffled off this mortal coil. Kind of like the rumor that Mark-Paul Gosselaar was beheaded at a summer camp.

rotfl I've restarted the rumor! :)

This is a running joke (not a particularly funny one, but one I enjoy nonetheless) because back when The Digital Bits reviewed the SE of Princess Bride, they referred to him as "the late Wallace Shawn" in the review. It was corrected the next day, after they received about 4000 "WTF?" e-mails about it. The reviewer just assumed the guy was dead for some reason.

Since that day, many around here can't type his name without adding "the late" to it.


Slightly (?) on-topic, I'll never forgive the Academy for not featuring DeForest Kelley on the memorial after his death. He had a decent career in Hollywood, aside from his Star Trek work... including a few noirs and westerns. I hope Wallace's DS9 connections don't curse him as well, when his time comes. :)