Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems

Gotham Central · April 21 2008, 02:57 AM

You know, I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting sci-fi tv to watch. Thanks to internet, it is increasingly possible to go back and find those TV shows that were either one season wonder or long lost treasures.

I don't know if anyone else is interested in these, but I'm curious if anyone knows of quality (or even or less than spectaular) sci-fi shows that some of us may have missed in their initial run and thus never had the opportunity to marvel at their brilliance (or gasp at their crappiness).

I'm not talking about famous failures like Firefly...who hasn't heard of that. But shows that never got much recognition and were quitely sent to the TV graveyard. Or even British/Canadian/Australian shows that never made it to Americans shores or never got global recognition.

I'm thinking about shows like:

Charlie Jade
Mercy Point
Veritas: The Quest
Nowhere Man
Total Recall: 2070
Mann & Machine
even Freedom (though technically not scifi)
Haunted (I think that was the name ....UPN had the corpses of so many shows lying around that its hard to remember them all)

Some might even be shows where only one or two episodes ever aired in the US but there might have been half a seasons worth of episodes (that were probably aired outside of the US....(some shows might have had more than one season, but went largely unknown in the US)

Temis the Vorta · April 21 2008, 03:37 AM

Miracles. Lasted for 10 or 12 episodes as I recall...

Mr Light · April 21 2008, 04:03 AM

G VS E (GOOD VERSUS EVIL)- ran for 22 episodes on USA then Sci-Fi.

A hilarious take on the after-life. Scummy guy gets murdered and reborn in the Corps, undead men and women working for God against the Morlocks, devils who make Faustian bargains with mortals for their souls. It was so funny and over the top yet also a great action thriller (on a shoe-string budget).

For you Firefly fans, it starred Jubal Early as a perpetually 70s-funk cool guy, he was SO hilarious in that role.

TheMasterOfOrion · April 21 2008, 04:18 AM

Dark Skies
The Prisoner
Odyssey 5
Farscape
Silver Surfer '98 cartoon
Planetes Japan anime (Puranetsu)
Lexx
Primeval

witchie · April 21 2008, 04:25 AM

Gotham Central wrote:

You know, I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting sci-fi tv to watch. Thanks to internet, it is increasingly possible to go back and find those TV shows that were either one season wonder or long lost treasures.

I don't know if anyone else is interested in these, but I'm curious if anyone knows of quality (or even or less than spectaular) sci-fi shows that some of us may have missed in their initial run and thus never had the opportunity to marvel at their brilliance (or gasp at their crappiness).

I'm not talking about famous failures like Firefly...who hasn't heard of that. But shows that never got much recognition and were quitely sent to the TV graveyard. Or even British/Canadian/Australian shows that never made it to Americans shores or never got global recognition.

I'm thinking about shows like:

Charlie Jade
Mercy Point
Veritas: The Quest
Nowhere Man
Total Recall: 2070
Mann & Machine
even Freedom (though technically not scifi)
Haunted (I think that was the name ....UPN had the corpses of so many shows lying around that its hard to remember them all)

Some might even be shows where only one or two episodes ever aired in the US but there might have been half a seasons worth of episodes (that were probably aired outside of the US....(some shows might have had more than one season, but went largely unknown in the US)

I loved Freedom. Was so disappointed when it was canceled. Veritas: The Quest was good too.

MeanJoePhaser · April 21 2008, 04:57 AM

Some of those were pretty lame, but...

STRANGE LUCK was one that I though was decent...though I wouldn't call brilliant. I would call very few things brilliant.

One UPN one I was amused by...Deadly Games or something...video game baddies come to life, Levar Burton and Brent Spiner both played baddies, so did Anthony Michael Hall and the recurring lead baddie was Christopher Lloyd.

Temis the Vorta · April 21 2008, 05:30 AM

Mr Light wrote:

G VS E (GOOD VERSUS EVIL)- ran for 22 episodes on USA then Sci-Fi.

A hilarious take on the after-life. Scummy guy gets murdered and reborn in the Corps, undead men and women working for God against the Morlocks, devils who make Faustian bargains with mortals for their souls. It was so funny and over the top yet also a great action thriller (on a shoe-string budget).

For you Firefly fans, it starred Jubal Early as a perpetually 70s-funk cool guy, he was SO hilarious in that role.

That sounds worth checking out - but is it on DVD? Neflix and Amazon don't turn up anything.

Skywalker · April 21 2008, 05:33 AM

I loved G vs. E.

No idea if it's on DVD, though. I haven't seen it.

LizFL · April 21 2008, 05:43 AM

Birds of Prey (A good show that was treated horribly by The WB

)
Max Headroom
Streethawk
The Highwayman
Brimstone

auntiehill · April 21 2008, 05:51 AM

Wonderfalls--always at the top of my list.
Alien Nation
Jeremiah
Earth 2
Invisible Man (SciFi)

Emh · April 21 2008, 05:58 AM

MeanJoePhaser wrote:

Some of those were pretty lame, but...

STRANGE LUCK was one that I though was decent...though I wouldn't call brilliant. I would call very few things brilliant.

One UPN one I was amused by...Deadly Games or something...video game baddies come to life, Levar Burton and Brent Spiner both played baddies, so did Anthony Michael Hall and the recurring lead baddie was Christopher Lloyd.

Oh, yes, I loved both of those shows! I was so sorry when they got canceled. I wish they would be released on DVD.

Another good show from that time period was Nowhere Man. At least it's finally been released on DVD, although I haven't picked it up yet.

Aragorn · April 21 2008, 06:15 AM

Journeyman
Brimstone
Strange Luck

I have a feeling I'll be adding Moonlight to the list.

Anyone remember Space Rangers? With Linda Hunt, Clint Howard and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa?

Sephiroth · April 21 2008, 06:21 AM

Robocop the tv series was actually pretty good

superforce-Early 90's robocop camp-spoof

Mantis-a handicaped man who don's a suit to walk and fight crime

Space:Above and beyond: the ending was rushed and the plot laid out on a silver platter because they KNEW there would be no S2

Mr. Laser Beam · April 21 2008, 07:00 AM

Otherworld.

TheMasterOfOrion · April 21 2008, 07:03 AM

Monsters

April 21 2008, 02:57 AM	#1
Gotham Central Vice Admiral Location: Under the Globe with Clark	Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems You know, I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting sci-fi tv to watch. Thanks to internet, it is increasingly possible to go back and find those TV shows that were either one season wonder or long lost treasures. I don't know if anyone else is interested in these, but I'm curious if anyone knows of quality (or even or less than spectaular) sci-fi shows that some of us may have missed in their initial run and thus never had the opportunity to marvel at their brilliance (or gasp at their crappiness). I'm not talking about famous failures like Firefly...who hasn't heard of that. But shows that never got much recognition and were quitely sent to the TV graveyard. Or even British/Canadian/Australian shows that never made it to Americans shores or never got global recognition. I'm thinking about shows like: Charlie Jade Mercy Point Veritas: The Quest Nowhere Man Total Recall: 2070 Mann & Machine even Freedom (though technically not scifi) Haunted (I think that was the name ....UPN had the corpses of so many shows lying around that its hard to remember them all) Some might even be shows where only one or two episodes ever aired in the US but there might have been half a seasons worth of episodes (that were probably aired outside of the US....(some shows might have had more than one season, but went largely unknown in the US) __________________ Well maybe I'm the faggot America. I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda. And sing along in the age of paranoia Green Day

April 21 2008, 03:37 AM	#2
Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Location: Tatoinne	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Miracles. Lasted for 10 or 12 episodes as I recall...

April 21 2008, 04:03 AM	#3
Mr Light Admiral Location: Pennsylvania	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems G VS E (GOOD VERSUS EVIL)- ran for 22 episodes on USA then Sci-Fi. A hilarious take on the after-life. Scummy guy gets murdered and reborn in the Corps, undead men and women working for God against the Morlocks, devils who make Faustian bargains with mortals for their souls. It was so funny and over the top yet also a great action thriller (on a shoe-string budget). For you Firefly fans, it starred Jubal Early as a perpetually 70s-funk cool guy, he was SO hilarious in that role. __________________

April 21 2008, 04:18 AM	#4
TheMasterOfOrion Fleet Captain	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Dark Skies The Prisoner Odyssey 5 Farscape Silver Surfer '98 cartoon Planetes Japan anime (Puranetsu) Lexx Primeval

April 21 2008, 04:57 AM	#6
MeanJoePhaser Admiral Location: Missile Command	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Some of those were pretty lame, but... STRANGE LUCK was one that I though was decent...though I wouldn't call brilliant. I would call very few things brilliant. One UPN one I was amused by...Deadly Games or something...video game baddies come to life, Levar Burton and Brent Spiner both played baddies, so did Anthony Michael Hall and the recurring lead baddie was Christopher Lloyd.

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

April 21 2008, 05:33 AM	#8
Skywalker Admiral	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems I loved G vs. E. No idea if it's on DVD, though. I haven't seen it.

April 21 2008, 05:43 AM	#9
LizFL Rear Admiral Location: Castle Grayskull	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Birds of Prey (A good show that was treated horribly by The WB ) Max Headroom Streethawk The Highwayman Brimstone __________________ If you wish to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. Oracle Heaven

April 21 2008, 05:51 AM	#10
auntiehill Fleet Admiral Location: Hmph	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Wonderfalls--always at the top of my list. Alien Nation Jeremiah Earth 2 Invisible Man (SciFi)

April 21 2008, 06:15 AM	#12
Aragorn Admiral	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Journeyman Brimstone Strange Luck I have a feeling I'll be adding Moonlight to the list. Anyone remember Space Rangers? With Linda Hunt, Clint Howard and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa?

April 21 2008, 06:21 AM	#13
Sephiroth Vice Admiral Location: Sephiroth	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Robocop the tv series was actually pretty good superforce-Early 90's robocop camp-spoof Mantis-a handicaped man who don's a suit to walk and fight crime Space:Above and beyond: the ending was rushed and the plot laid out on a silver platter because they KNEW there would be no S2 __________________ ~I Will Never Be A Memory~ (>'_')>---------->Kazap< Hunting Humanity and Pestering Cloud since 1997

April 21 2008, 07:00 AM	#14
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Otherworld. __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

April 21 2008, 07:03 AM	#15
TheMasterOfOrion Fleet Captain	Re: Sci-fi Brilliant but Canceled or little known gems Monsters