The most pretentious science fiction - fantasy TV shows

November 2, 2009

[EveningStar]

Ever heard the story about Harlan getting fired from Disney?

No. Do tell. :)

[Sloth]

He surely deserves it; and the Brit accent is especially grating as it is meant to show that he is both smart and entitled to be ill-tempered and snooty.

It's not just his "I'm so much smarter than everyone else that trying to explain anything to you is like talking to insects" attitude (which hardly seems justified since it's his fault they're stuck there in the first place)... it's his consistent pattern of withholding important information and not being held accountable. The Colonel keeps saying "he needs a lot of work." No, he needs a one-way trip through the airlock.

[Mr. Silverback]

I'll bypass whether Quantum Leap was pretentious, and just deal with this:

Correcting past mistakes? By whose opinion were they mistakes?

Um...since in almost every episode the person's original choice led to them or someone close to them suffering a horrible tragedy, I'd say they qualify as mistakes to fix. For example, in one episode the guy he leaps into has to save a woman from a car crash that kills her. In another he's trying to prevent the guy's sister from marrying a dude who will beat her for the rest of her life. It's not like he leaps into people to prevent them from voting for Reagan in '80 or something.

[tarheelswamprat]

“Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Enterprise” that I still have, with enough info about the refit Enterprise to send any nerd to geek Nirvana. It even had floor plans for crew quarters, and there was a “refresher” in each one. Even some of the department maps (like recreation, IIRC) had refreshers on them.

The "refreshers" were probably the other half of the replicator system. "Whatever" needed to be disposed of could be recycled and rematerialized as whatever was needed, such as lunch or "tea, Earl Grey, hot"... /g

[Mr. Silverback]

Occasionally, when my sons and I are playing Halo3, someone will call out, “Jean-Luc, I think you got him!” This most often occurs after I’ve made use of a gatling turret.

[Mr. Silverback]

In allseriousness, that’s how it should be. Since the replicator builds stuff atom by atom, you aren’t drinking poo, you’re dringking the same hydrogen, oxygen and carbon you would be if the tea were grown and made with fresh water.

But I wouldn’t write it into the series. :0

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'm reminded of the 1st-season episode where Weasel-boy Crusher falls and breaks a flower pot on some orgy planet and gets sentenced to death for it.

Talk about a missed opportunity.

[Mr. Silverback]

IIRC, this happened on his first day. Short version: He was overheard by Walt Disney’s brother while he was (for an audience of several Disney employees) doing an impression of what a porn film starring the major Disney characters (Mickey, Minnie, Doanld, etc.) would sound like. By the time he reached his car with his belongings, there was already a maintenance guy changing the name on his parking space.

This tale was told by either Robert Heinlein (in “Expanded Universe”) or Larry Niven (in “Playgrounds of the mind”) and since I own both, I’ll try to find it. It’s probably Niven, he collaborated with Ellison on some projects in the Seventies.

[Sloth]

“Number One, is it just me, or does this tea smell like, well, ‘Number One’?

[tarheelswamprat]

I'm with you on all of it. Bladerunner has never been equaled as a sci-fi cult hit and is an example of Hollywood's unheralded ability to see a notoriously troubled production through to a worthy completion. ...

Appreciate the background info. Regarding the various versions and cuts which emerged, however, I'm probably in the minority in that I believe the theater release with the Harrison Ford narration was the best version, particularly for people who had never read the book. As always, YMMV.

[Kartographer]

YES! I loved Frances Sternhagen! The dialog and the interaction was what made the movie the sci-fi aspect was secondary with to the characters who were just doing the job the fact that it was in outer space they were doing it in was secondary. People are people the scene were the two miners are bitching about thier supervisor while outside in spacesuits with the Planet Jupiter hanging over their heads covering half the sky was just secondary the scene could have been 1800’s coal miners or Egyptian pyramid builders.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Hey, its slim pickings out here."

How do you like Stargate Universe so far? (Assuming you have seen it of course)

I was not a huge fan of the first offerings in the series BUT this one has a bigger budget and at least the filming and music is really good. The writing could be a bit better and the acting so far is decent.

The premise of the series is interesting at least.

[Kartographer]

"I'm probably in the minority in that I believe the theater release with the Harrison Ford narration was the best version, particularly for people who had never read the book."

I agree the enjoyed the narration too.

[tarheelswamprat]

“Number One, is it just me, or does this tea smell like, well, ‘Number One’?

"I'll have Mr. LaForge run a level 3 diagnostic on the replicators right away, Captain!"

[Mad Dawgg]

"For my own pretentious list, gotta put ‘Eureka’ on there."

"Eureka" and "Warehouse 13" are akin to Buffy, sorta tongue-n-cheek SciFi with lots of sarcastic dialog.

And I love sarcasm...

[tnlibertarian]

Easily the most ridiculous, sappy and pretentious sci-fi/fantasy show out there today is Smallville.

I watched the first couple of episodes hoping for something good, but then began referring to it as "Clark's Creek".

[Mr Inviso]

“Almost 200 posts and no one has mentioned Quantum Leap?

Amazing. The most pretentious show ever. Correcting past mistakes? By whose opinion were they mistakes?”

Oh, man, is that ever right!

Pretty much anything with Scott Bakula in it can be counted on to be whiny and pretentious.

[Rockingham]

I too am partial to the original theatre versions of Bladerunner — and Star Wars as well. There are many examples of the much-derided Hollywood process generating better entertainment than when auteurs are given a free hand.

[ShadowAce]

It's not like he leaps into people to prevent them from voting for Reagan in '80 or something.

I understand that. However, in real life, every action has a consequence. If a person dies in a car crash, then perhaps there are organs to be donated that would help save someone else's life. Now that other person will die.

The law of unintended consequences is huge in that show, and they just ignore it.

[Rockingham]

A Marine Corps style 'attitude adjustment' for Nicholas Rush after lights out might work -- and would be entertaining as well.