Summer Season's New Sci-Fi/Fantasy Shows (cable)

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'm skeptical about everything skiffy does. It's all such garbage anymore. If Alphas takes the same happy-dippy tone that Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Haven do, I won't be watching for long.

I could never get into The 4400. I really have no sense of whether I'd like a show because Behr is involved, minus everyone else who worked on DS9.

Being Human USA isn't that bad, but the original BBC version is definitely better. Maybe because I've seen 3 seasons worth of it.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I always find it funny when I read something like that, because it is the "happy-dippy tone" of Eureka and Warehouse 13 that have made them two of my all time favorite shows. If had to pick between more dark BSG (another favorite of mine) type shows or light, fun Eureka/Warehouse 13 type stuff I would pick the later by a long shot.

Fine by me, I'm the opposite. Why should it be "funny" that everyone in the world doesn't have the same tastes as you? It would be a lot stranger if it were not that way.

I'm skeptical about everything skiffy does. It's all such garbage anymore. If Alphas takes the same happy-dippy tone that Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Haven do, I won't be watching for long.

I could never get into The 4400. I really have no sense of whether I'd like a show because Behr is involved, minus everyone else who worked on DS9.

Being Human USA isn't that bad, but the original BBC version is definitely better. Maybe because I've seen 3 seasons worth of it.

I don't like the American version at all, so I doubt I'd like any other version of that story.

 

[Christopher]

From what I saw of the US Being Human, it was largely the same in tone and substance as the UK version. However, I'd given up on the UK version since it was way too dark for me, so I didn't stick with the US version for long.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'm a new fan, I love it. Was a perfect amount of dark for me when it did get dark, in addition to being pretty funny. Plus with the shorter amount of episodes, it seems alot tighter, less fluff. The US version is just way too emo and melodramatic, but I'll still check it out when it returns.

The overall plot is similar, but there are some major differences between the two worlds. For example, the BBC version vamps didn't appear to have any powers. No superspeed, no super strength, just the bloodlust, the immortality and the ability to be in sunlight, which the US version also shares. The main vamp guys are portrayed differently as well. In Buffy terms, Mitchell's seems more akin to Spike, while Aiden seems more akin to Angel. There are some major differences between Annie the ghost and Sally the ghost that are noticeable off the bat. George is less of a pansy compared to Josh. He actually is a bit of a dick at times. All in all great show!

To each their own Temis, but I think you should give it (BBC version) a shot, sometime.

And if you're not gonna do it for me then do it for the kids. The kids, Temis, The Kids!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Hey, here's a handy list of premiere dates! Oh look, Toddlers & Tiaras is still on. What an avalanche of crap. Here are the only ones I can find to check out:

Falling Skies -- 6/19 -- TNT
Futurama -- 6/23 -- Comedy Central
Alphas -- 7/11 -- Syfy
Breaking Bad -- 7/17 -- AMC (oooh I forgot that was summer now!)

As for Being Human, I've already committed to checking out The Vampire Diaries, so I think I'll give that a crack first.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Sweet Breaking Bad!

Quite alright. I'm gonna check out TVD as well. And Doctor Who!

 

[Christopher]

For example, the BBC version vamps didn't appear to have any powers. No superspeed, no super strength, just the bloodlust, the immortality and the ability to be in sunlight, which the US version also shares.

Along with a lot of other pre-cinema vampires, including Stoker's Dracula. The thing about sunlight killing vamps was invented by the silent film Nosferatu in 1921, only 90 years ago, but people swiftly forgot that it hadn't always been part of vampire lore. The power of the mass media.

The main vamp guys are portrayed differently as well. In Buffy terms, Mitchell's seems more akin to Spike, while Aiden seems more akin to Angel.

I would've said the opposite, at least going by season-1 Mitchell. He seemed a lot more committed to reforming before finally falling off the wagon late in season 2. But the US show's Aidan seemed a lot quicker to indulge his vice, at least in the few episodes I saw.

There are some major differences between Annie the ghost and Sally the ghost that are noticeable off the bat.

Such as the fact that Sally has a special-effects budget and can do things like levitating or disappearing in a swirl of ethereal vapor rather than just a jump cut. Although it seems Sally took far longer to develop the ability to touch and manipulate objects. And character-wise she isn't as girlish or neurotic as Annie -- which makes her relatively dull.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I tried both Being Human shows and I didn't care for either one myself. The SyFy one deals in cliches and the characters are flat and uninteresting.

 

[O'Dib]

I quit the U.S. Being Human about 9 episodes in (strangely enough, just when the storylines seemed to start diverging, even though I had been looking forward to that point). Took me about as long to bail on Haven.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I tried both Being Human shows and I didn't care for either one myself.

Ya know? Can't say that I'm not surprised.

 

[Greg Cox]

Warehouse 13 got a nice writeup in USA Today this morning They named it one of "11 Shows to Watch in 2011," and called it a "well-done, well-cast sci-fi procedural" and good escapist entertainment.

Works for me!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

USA Today isn't my gold standard for dramatic criticism, I'm afraid...

 

[Greg Cox]

USA Today isn't my gold standard for dramatic criticism, I'm afraid...

Maybe, but it's a nice quote to put on a sell sheet for the book!

I've already forwarded it onto Pocket Books . . . .

 

[CorporalClegg]

I like WH13. It doesn't try to overreach.