Agree.
What would be considered the third great science-fiction franchise?
I think it would have to be Doctor Who. After that it gets trickier.
Netflix developing 'Lost in Space' remake!
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I think it would have to be Doctor Who. After that it gets trickier.
One could also make a case for PLANET OF THE APES, THE TERMINATOR, MAD MAX, and, back at the time, THE MATRIX.
And I'd put FARSCAPE on the same tier as BABYLON-5, although I'm not sure either has the same sort of name-recognition value when it comes to the general public. And, as I recall, this was years before BATTLESTAR GALACTICA had become a going concern again. (And DOCTOR WHO had yet to rise from the ashes.)
And I'd put FARSCAPE on the same tier as BABYLON-5, although I'm not sure either has the same sort of name-recognition value when it comes to the general public. And, as I recall, this was years before BATTLESTAR GALACTICA had become a going concern again. (And DOCTOR WHO had yet to rise from the ashes.)
That would be a definite contender, too.
So back in 75 or so I'd presume? I guess POTA would've had multiple movies, a series and a cartoon and probably generate less snickers.
Nah, this was back in 1997, when they were filming the LOST IN SPACE movie with Gary Oldman, etc. The APES franchise would have been relatively dormant back then, but compared to LOST IN SPACE . . .
Hell, back in 1975, STAR TREK was still in limbo, awaiting its second coming.
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^ Ah yeah, that makes sense, I had Logan's Run on the brain.
It's an interesting question since it seems the mythical "third great sci-fi franchise" always seems to be whatever happens to be popular at any given time. Certainly some franchises have had popular resurgences over the years, but nothing else in the genre it seems has had the staying power of those two. Even in the lull periods where no new movies or TV shows were being produced, Star Wars and Star Trek were still very much in the pop-culture awareness.
Indeed, it was surprising to actually witness just how quickly the new Galactica seems to have faded from memory. At the time it was a legitimately popular show and not just with sci-fi die-hards. I wonder if the same will be true of the likes of 'Game of Thrones', 'The Walking Dead' and the Marvel movies once they're over and done with?
Anyway, if I had to pick a "third franchise" then I think I'd have to take a sidestep into fantasy and go with Harry Potter. That it seems, appears to have left a lasting mark, though only time will tell *how* lasting.
Indeed, it was surprising to actually witness just how quickly the new Galactica seems to have faded from memory. At the time it was a legitimately popular show and not just with sci-fi die-hards. I wonder if the same will be true of the likes of 'Game of Thrones', 'The Walking Dead' and the Marvel movies once they're over and done with?
Anyway, if I had to pick a "third franchise" then I think I'd have to take a sidestep into fantasy and go with Harry Potter. That it seems, appears to have left a lasting mark, though only time will tell *how* lasting.
DOCTOR WHO matches the other two for breadth and longevity, although it took a bit more time becoming a widespread phenomenon in the USA, as opposed to overseas.
If we go by amount of stuff made as part of the franchise I'd have to say it would be Stargate. It had one movie, a spin-off series with 214 episodes and two of it's own movies, a second series with 100 episodes, a third with 40 TV episodes and 34 webisodes. There have also been a whole bunch of books based on the original movie, and some for all three TV series, some comics based on two of the series, 3 video games based on the shows, a trading card game, an RPG, two video games based on the movie, and three amusement park rides.
It's not like we even need to accept that publicity guy's premise that there are three great franchises, because it sounds like he was just claiming that in order to play up Lost in Space as being on the same level as Trek and Wars. So maybe there are just those two and everything else. (Although personally I still think of Star Wars as an upstart franchise riding on the coattails of Star Trek.)
When I was a kid back in the 70s, Doctor Who was huge here. Everything was Star Trek and Doctor Who. There wasn't even a contender for a third until Star Wars came along (not that anybody was thinking about it).
I did think of 'Doctor Who', but I sort of discounted it on the basis that (as I am given to understand) it's international popularity is relatively recent (VERY recent given it's 50 year history) and has yet to really stand the test of time outside the UK's borders.
Of course over here it never left pop culture, even for those of my age who mostly grew up in the lull years. I have only very dim memories of McCoy being on the air as back then I think I was more interested in He-Man and Ghostbusters. Still, everyone knew what a Dalek and Cyberman was and what the TARDIS looked like. But I'm not sure the same could be said for people of my age who grew up on the other side of the pond.
I've heard Who had a bit of a cult following in the states during the Tom Baker era, but that's all it was. A cult following. Nothing like the broad market appeal of Star Wars or Star Trek.
Mind you, even Trek wasn't that popular in it's time and only really took off in the 70's with the endless repeats.
I'm not sure that sheer quantity alone is a reliable metric. Ask most people on the street if the the word "Goa'uld" means anything to them and I'd be willing to bet most will just give you a blank look. Ask the same people if they know the word "Jedi" or "Spock" and you're likely to get a much more positive response.
The Highlander franchise has also (somewhat inexplicably) put out quite a bit of media over the years in the form of at least two TV spin-offs that I can recall, plus a cartoon, an anime movie, several theatrical sequels are a few...uh...other films.
Despite that (and even though I've always loved the first movie) I don't think anyone would put Highlander up there with the big boys.
If I had to place Stargate anywhere, it'd be about on par with the likes of Farscape, Firefly, Galactica & B5. Well known to the genre fans, not so much to the public at large.
I suppose in terms of public recognition, the 'Alien' franchise is probably the closest to Wars & Trek. Whether people have seen all the movies or not, I think most people know a xenomorph when the see one (even if they wouldn't necessarily call it by that label) and the second movie in particular seems to have spawned about a dozen fairly well known quotes.
The first two, absolutely. Like Battlestar Galactica's reboot, they tell a self-contained story and are generally aimed at an older audience than first time viewers of Star Wars and Star Trek. It's a lot easier to compare these kind of shows' audiences to other adult-oriented TV programs - Sopranos, Breaking Bad, etc. - to which they have about similar durability.
As for the third: I'm not entirely convinced I'll live to see the end of the Marvel movies.
It was seen in 110 countries aroud the world before it was a hit on PBS here in the States. The major Doctor Who conventions here in the States existed long before the revival.
Yup, like I said, DW was omnipresent here in the 70s.
Conventions for fans don't really reflect general recognizability of the show though.
Pre revival, outside of UK, US and parts of the Commonwealth you'd be pressed to find people who knew what you were talking about when you mentioned Doctor Who, especially among people born after 1980 (even in the US).
UK is still really the only country where it's part of pop culture as much as SW and ST are.
For the rest of the world it isn't any "bigger" than B5, BSG, Farscape, Stargate or even Lost in Space...
