Is TOS the best sci-fi TV American series until 1985?

[Harvey]

Greg Cox wrote:

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Yeah, I remember griping during the early eighties that the quality of TV sf had gone down since the days of STAR TREK . . . .

Given that the standard-bearer of TV sf from the 1970s is probably Space: 1999, it's hard to disagree with that assessment. As woeful as a number of 1960s sf shows were (paging anything Irwin Allen ever produced!), compared to sf TV in the 70s, many were classics.

[MacLeod]

But is it more a case of there is/was just more of it in certain periods following the cancellation of TOS?

The more of something that is produced the greater the likelyhood of some it being sub-par.

[Harvey]

Well, following Sturgeon's law, the vast majority of television sf would be crap. Still, I think the output during the 60s and 90s was far more interesting than that of either the 70s or the 80s (excluding TNG, although I think the best of that series was produced in the 90s).

[MacLeod]

The vast majority of TV is crap period.

[ssosmcin]

Grant wrote:

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I had already mentioned Invaders and by slim pickins I meant any shows that could be considered good. That list is of shows are less famous than the ones i listed.

So yeah, quality sci-fi was slim pickins in that era.

Ah, I thought you just mean US sci-fi shows in general (being famous and being good, though, are separate issues). If you mean actually GOOD, then the real list is even shorter than yours. Honestly, much as I love them, the Irwin Allen series can be excluded. So could Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run, Buck Rogers & Battlestar Galactica.

If you're shooting for simply enjoyable, yes, they'd all be on the list. But quality sci-fi? I don't think the bionic shows would qualify either.

[ssosmcin]

Grant wrote:

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You have to hand it to Serling, Roddenberry an Stefano--they created better sci-fi on a shoestring, than others did with better tech, bigger budgets and better acceptance of the subject matter by the public, for many years after.

Sometimes there was an honest effort. When Trek got popular inthe 70's, a few network shows tried to emulate the format, and writers like DC Fontana, David Gerrold and even Harlan Ellison were hired to pen some good SF. Logan's Run was a nice try, but their scripts were watered down by the producers or the network. The Fantastic Journey was also another good shot at quality SF. But budgets seemed even smaller in the 70's (even at it's cheapest, Trek didn't look as crude as Logan's Run). However, once Star Wars appeared, intelligence went right back out the window and Glen Larson took over.

Grant wrote:

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And is calling Wild Wild West, sci-fi, accurate?

I know they had gadgets and a few sci-fi concepts thrown in, but c'mon it's a western with some high tech spy nods.

It works as a fantasy, if not sci-fi. And I still hold to the opinion that Twilight Zone was primarily a fantasy series with sci-fi episodes in the mix. It was still a "magical stuff happens" series.

But that was my point--nothing before it or 20 years after it, topped it. IMO.

So you know, I am not disagreeing with you at all. I was just saying the list of choices for American sci-fi in general was longer than you suggested. But I'm with ya.

[Grant]

I had totally forgotten and in some cases never heard of some of those shows.

I was of the opinion that TOS was the best sci-fi show of the first 40 years of TV, but I felt maybe it was my love of the show that blinded me to what might have been better.

But from what I gather it's not just my bias--it probably was the best.

It really seems like it was 'lightning in a bottle'--- Roddenbeery's concept, getting the writers he did, the casting of the 'big 3', the mostly serious tone taken and the 'mankind will survive/prosper' theme.

Combine with the fact that tv in general in the 60s was made by people who had skill and pride despite what many people might have derided as 'a kids show' or 'not serious material' and we were fortunate to get a show that has stood the test of time--cliche' as that sounds.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

[Balrog]

TOS and TZ were two of the best, IMO...

... that is, until 'Manimal' came out in 1983.

[Grant]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

'Mr Dingle the Strong'---classic sci-fi!

[Galileo7]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

Agree.

[Grant]

Galileo7 wrote:

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Agree.

Mr. Bevis---classic. One thing TLZ did to perfection was comedy.

[T'Girl]

Mr. Spook wrote:

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Logan's Run was a nice try, but their scripts were watered down by the producers or the network.

If only they had followed the overall theme of the original novel, now that would have been some interesting sci-fi television.

[MANT!]

I think the following series gave TOS a run for it's money..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_Theatre

[Kegg]

This is the kind of question that is so carefully formulated that you have few like, reasonable answers. The Twilight Zone is pretty much the only obvious, credible alternative, but past that you're left with arguing the merits of the original Battlestar Galactica or Lost In Space, and while those shows no doubt have fans who may argue they were better than TOS, how many of them post on a TOS subforum of a Star Trek website?

Grant wrote:

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TOS is the best American sci-fi series until 1985 (which is a date I just plucked from thin air)

Totally. That Star Trek: The Next Generation aired the next year and a plethora of well liked sci-fi programs also came into being thereafter is pure happenstance.

Harvey wrote:

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Well, following Sturgeon's law, the vast majority of television sf would be crap. Still, I think the output during the 60s and 90s was far more interesting than that of either the 70s or the 80s (excluding TNG, although I think the best of that series was produced in the 90s).

I would absolutely agree with this. They're easily the two best decades of sci-fi TV (the 90s in particular - simply because of the quantity of quality sci-fi series, not that those series were better than the cream of the 60's crop).