Science Fiction Television 'Ages'

[zorcarepublic]

For a few weeks I've been thinking about the sci-fi you see nowadays on TV, and I've also been thinking about books and movies, but for the moment we'll stick to the TV genre. I've noticed that there seems to be a gradual change from 'space opera'-style TV series (series which don't go too much into the nuts and bolts, with protagonists famed more for their good looks than their skills) to harder sci-fi, where we have more nuts and bolts, sometimes literally. I was wondering if this is because we are entering what could tentatively be described as a second age of TV sci-fi, where writers actually focus on the nuts and bolts because now the audience has some grounding in science, or can at least make guesses as to what the pointy-eared science officer or engineer is trying to say. And, if indeed we are entering such an age, could we enter a third age where we are able to keep up with all the long technical-sounding words.

[Connavar]

Are there even these SF show you are talking about?


The only good Sf shows i know of are BSG,Stargate both of them.

I wish for once there would be a new trend for SF shows like there are for all these new Supernatural ones like Supernatural,440,Ghost Wishperar(crap),Medium etc

[j. d. worthington]

I'd say Ellison addressed this one some time back, during a symposium of writers for radio, tv, and film on sf and fantasy: Not so much a grounding in science, but the audience has been exposed to enough of the basic concepts of science fiction to where they can get their heads around some of this without losing interest too quickly. We saw this beginning as far back as the 1980s, though, with some of the episodes of the new Twilight Zone, and some aspects of ST:TNG, where there were discussions of "nuts-'n'-bolts" aspects of science -- something almost universally shunned in most prior TV sff shows. (In some ways, I'd say we went through another period of "dumbing-down" for a while after that, focusing on some truly lame "fantasy" series -- as well as a few with some sparkle and wit -- and a lot of pure crap sf --about on the level of a 1940s comic book -- before seeing just a peep of intelligence emerging once again....)

[Jason_Taverner]

shows like BSG and Firefly are very entertaining because its not all about the science and more about the ficton. Too much science makes things very very very very very boring, I don't care how your dam engines work, I just want to see it fly.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Jason_Taverner

shows like BSG and Firefly are very entertaining because its not all about the science and more about the ficton. Too much science makes things very very very very very boring, I don't care how your dam engines work, I just want to see it fly.

Mmmm. The ones I was thinking of weren't on quite that level... they brought the science to bear on the linchpin of the stories themselves... biology, astronomy, etc., where it actually was a crucial element in plot, providing the "threat" or motivation -- but they presented it realistically, rather than skirting it or dumbing it down, showing a regard for the viewers' intelligence.... In other words, they brought the science (not engineering) back into television sf.....

[williamjm]

Originally Posted by Jason_Taverner

shows like BSG and Firefly are very entertaining because its not all about the science and more about the ficton. Too much science makes things very very very very very boring, I don't care how your dam engines work, I just want to see it fly.

I think you can have scientific explanation without making it boring, but I imagine it is very difficult to write and I can understand why most shows avoid having much 'real' science in them. One current show I think makes a good job of the science is a Canadian SF show called "Regenesis" about a government biology lab who deal with assorted bioterrorism threat, big epidemics etc. They do a very good job of explaining the science clearly and concisely without detracting from the storytelling or characterisation (which is also very good). It manages to be both intelligent and entertaining which is rare and I think they even have reasonable scientific accuracy, although I may just think that because of my lack of knowledge about biology.