Though I've yet to see any good points about Beast Wars.
Have you seen the series yet? I don't mean a glimpse here and there or just a screen shot now and then. I mean actually watch the series through? I think it would be worth your time if you enjoy arc based stories, good scifi, transforming robots, action and humor with a splash of G1 tie-ins.
You beat me to it
GM.
I think its fair to say that Beast Wars is G1-2.0 and Beast Machines is G1-3.0
The whole series is rooted as a sequel set 300yrs after the 80's cartoon timeline. It then via timetravel jumps back to pre-Neandertal Earth(although for 1.5seasons they don't know that). Pick your era I suppose Jurassic, Mesozoic etc. To only eventually find the burried Ark of dormant TF's in Season 3.
When I hear snippets of what they wanted to do for a S4 I curse Aaron Archer and the suits at Hasbro for forcing the shows demise so they could sell "cool new molds". Archer said that himself.
Beast Wars = cool
Best Machines = medicority, although RID made it look like Shakespeare.
RID is its own thing, cool toys, lame universe
Energon/Armada/Cyberton are their own 3pt saga and I've not watched enough of it but what I've seen is very substandard compared to G1/BW/BM.