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

[Ssosmcin]

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.

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]

No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

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

 

[Galileo7]

No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

Agree.

 

[Grant]

No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

Agree.

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

 

[T'Girl]

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?

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.

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).

 

[T'Bonz]

For my money, the only show that was in the same category as Star Trek, up to the late 70s, was the original Twilight Zone. Most other sci-fi offerings, though fun, were cheesy and well, not top-notch.

 

[ahkyahnan]

I always thought "The Starlost" had a promising premise, though it was a bit slow at times. The concept was pretty interesting though.

Mark

 

[T'Bonz]

Wow...someone else actually watched the Starlost. It was a bit bleak, but I really liked it.

 

[Greg Cox]

For my money, the only show that was in the same category as Star Trek, up to the late 70s, was the original Twilight Zone. Most other sci-fi offerings, though fun, were cheesy and well, not top-notch.

Agreed, although I think the original OUTER LIMITS deserves an honorable mention. It was considerably lessy cheesy and juvenile than, say, the Irwin Allen shows. At its best, say, "Demon with a Glass Hand," it rivaled TZ.

And I admit it terrified me as a kid . . ..

 

[xortex]

1) TZ
2) Trek
3) Buck Rogers
4) Space Rangers
5) Voyagers

6) Space 1999
7) The Outer Limits
8) The Ray Bradbury Theater - It's the TZ in color
9) One Step Beyond
10) Amazing Stories?

 

[KirkusOveractus]

No.

The original Twilight Zone is.

This would be my answer too. TOS is a strong second for me, and its my favorite of the Trek series, but TZ has it beat.

 

[Grant]

It kind of occured to me that in the first 4 decades of TV TOS was just about the best there is and not until Star Trek was revived were there any serious challengers. I believe regular TV broadcasts began in the US in 1946 in NYC.

So I chose a round figure 1946-1985 that, yes, happened to be just before Trek was relaunched.

And seriously does anybody think--that with the exception of TLZ--there are any real challengers?

Yes, this is a Trek site and certainly 99% of folks here like it, but I also trust the honesty of the posters to say that something from that era was better. A few have.

That was my point--I love TOS, but I wouldn't say it's the best as a partisan---I honestly think its the best.

If there are Lost in Space fans out there on their website who say they think thaty show is the best of that era---i salute their passion, but I doubt their taste and their honesty.

I love Next gen and DS9 even Voyager, but I would readily admit that X-Files might be better from that era

 

[Galileo7]

If there are Lost in Space fans out there on their website who say they think thaty show is the best of that era---i salute their passion, but I doubt their taste and their honesty.

Agree. And, yes, I am a LIS fan.

 

[BillJ]

To this day, I don't think Star Trek: The Original Series and The Twilight Zone have been topped.

 

[Grant]

To this day, I don't think Star Trek: The Original Series and The Twilight Zone have been topped.

To me only X-files comes close, but saying that makes me really feel like I'm just being biased against other good sc-fi.

Were they really that good or is a huge part of it nostalgia?