Babylon 5

[AtW]

I never got B5; it was just plain boring

[NotAllThere]

WSS.

I never got B5; it was just plain boring, and the acting and writing were sub Hollyoaks. The only time I got into it at all was when Walter Koenig was in it (and he didn't even have to say "nuclear wessels").

Walter Koenig was in 12 of the hundred or so episodes, spread over a long period of time, so it's hard to see how you get "into it" on the basis of his presence.

We might start re-watching Star Trek TNG now we finished Smallville. Or maybe get DS9.

I'm totally turned off by most of Star Trek - except for the original, which was just a bit of a laugh, I found most it rather worthy and intensely irritating. The problem many ST fans had with B5 was that they couldn't get their heads around the concept of "story arc". It most definitely was not a series of self-contained episodes. For the most part, the B5 storyline was planned out. It was conceived as a 5 series show. Outside forces prevented it being exactly as envisaged, so in places it gets strained. But overall the writer(s) did a good job.

Once B5 is finished... and Crusader, then we'll go through Sapphire and Steel.

Now there's proper SF. Relying on things like "acting" and "script", rather than special effects.

[VectraMan]

Walter Koenig was in 12 of the hundred or so episodes, spread over a long period of time, so it's hard to see how you get "into it" on the basis of his presence.

By accident of channel hopping I think. I just happened to see him on the telly, and watched and found myself quite enjoying B5 for a couple of weeks. But then pretty soon after I remembered why I'd given up on it in the first place.

I'm totally turned off by most of Star Trek - except for the original, which was just a bit of a laugh, I found most it rather worthy and intensely irritating.

Which is why DS9 was the best. They had a whole range of characters beyond the goody-goody Star Fleet types. I could never stand TNG for the reason you say, and Voyager was very hit and miss.

The problem many ST fans had with B5 was that they couldn't get their heads around the concept of "story arc". It most definitely was not a series of self-contained episodes. For the most part, the B5 storyline was planned out. It was conceived as a 5 series show. Outside forces prevented it being exactly as envisaged, so in places it gets strained. But overall the writer(s) did a good job.

Oh dear, the tired old "B5 invented the story arc" argument. No point having a 5 year planned out story if the individual episodes are so boring people stop watching. They may as well have done a 30-minute summary of the story arc and saved everybody a lot of time.

And DS9 had story arcs coming out the wazoo.

[NotAllThere]

DS9 was the best of the ST universe. But I still found only just watchable. Of course, there's plenty of conspiracy theories about DS9 ripping off Straczynski's ideas - he claims he showed Paramount the plot summaries for the first 22 episodes of B5 which apparently bear some resemblance to DS9 stories . Don't really know or care. In my opinion B5 was by far better written, and the storyline was stronger.

Though there are characters in B5 who I find almost as irritating as Kira Nerys, Odo, Bashir and Jax... Delenn, Talia Winters, Byron - Sheriden's cheesy grin is annoying at times.

[cailin maith]

DS9 was the best of the ST universe. But I still found only just watchable. Of course, there's plenty of conspiracy theories about DS9 ripping off Straczynski's ideas - he claims he showed Paramount the plot summaries for the first 22 episodes of B5 which apparently bear some resemblance to DS9 stories . Don't really know or care. In my opinion B5 was by far better written, and the storyline was stronger.

Though there are characters in B5 who I find almost as irritating as Kira Nerys, Odo, Bashir and Jax... Delenn, Talia Winters, Byron - Sheriden's cheesy grin is annoying at times.

Dax....

Yes, I'm a saddo.

[Platypus]

I loved DS9. Prob my fave one.

Interesting, because after watching the whole thing, I concluded that I didn't like it. The who Sisco chosen one thing annoyed me. There were some excellent episodes though: the Roswell one was just superb IMO

On balance, Voyager is my fave.

Even now, whenever I hear the words "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One" I feel a stirring in me loins

[VectraMan]

Jadzia or Ezri?

I have to admit to a certain amount of drooling whenever Ezri was on TV. Yes I am a saddo.

[cailin maith]

Jadzia or Ezri?

He didn't say which one

Interesting, because after watching the whole thing, I concluded that I didn't like it. The who Sisco chosen one thing annoyed me. There were some excellent episodes though: the Roswell one was just superb IMO

On balance, Voyager is my fave.

Even now, whenever I hear the words "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One" I feel a stirring in me loins

She was hot... no doubt.

[cailin maith]

I have to admit to a certain amount of drooling whenever Ezri was on TV. Yes I am a saddo.

Really? I liked Jadzia.

[DaveB]

Susan Ivanova