Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Greg]

Since we all have Doctor Who in common, there's at least one area where our taste overlaps. That being the case, it may be that we would share an interest in other shows as well.

The idea for this thread: list your favourite TV shows in any of the genres above, up to 10. I'll compile a list of the shows nominated, with a score for 1 point for each show mentioned by each person. They'll be recorded in this post.

If you are naming a show that has spawned spin-offs, each spin-off would count as a separate show - Doctor Who would be one show, Torchwood a second, and Sarah Jane Investigates a third. Star Trek is the original series, and each of the spin-offs (um, four of them?) should be listed separately if you want to include them.

It'd be nice if you tell us something about why you like them as well, but that's not obligatory.

For those wanting an idea of how to go about doing this, I'm going to list all the shows I like and then cut the list down to 10. Starting a list and stopping when you reach 10 means you'll probably find you've forgotten something later!

No prizes for guessing which show will come out on top, but the rest may be interesting...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RESULTS:
1 Doctor Who [7 pts]
=2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer [3 pts]
=2 The X-Files [3 pts]
=3 Angel [2 pts]
=3 Babylon 5 [2 pts]
=3 Blake's 7 [2 pts]
=3 Firefly [2 pts]
=3 Heroes [2 pts]
=3 The League of Gentlemen [2 pts]
=3 Monkey [2 pts]
=3 Star Trek (original) [2 pts]
=4 Battlestar Galactica (new series) [1 pt]
=4 Carnivale [1 pt]
=4 Century Falls [1 pt]
=4 Ghost in the Shell [1 pt]
=4 The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Universe [1 pt]
=4 Invader Zim [1 pt]
=4 Lost in Space [1 pt]
=4 Metal Mickey [1 pt]
=4 Parallax [1 pt]
=4 Pokemon [1 pt]
=4 The Prisoner [1 pt]
=4 Red Dwarf [1 pt]
=4 Sapphire & Steel [1 pt]
=4 The Simpsons [1 pt]
=4 The Six Million Dollar Man [1 pt]
=4 Stargate Atlantis [1 pt]
=4 Stargate SG-1 [1 pt]
=4 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine [1 pt]
=4 Star Trek: The Next Generation [1 pt]
=4 Squarebob Spongepants [1 pt]
=4 Supernatural [1 pt]
=4 Torchwood [1 pt]
=4 Tru Calling [1 pt]
=4 Twin Peaks [1 pt]

Votes from: charlie, dave, Greg, meglos, montypython, Sulp Niar, Theta Sigma

[Greg]

OK, gone off and had a think. Here's my choices:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A show full of highs and lows, but the highs are really high! Over the course of seven years, the ongoing characters got to change and, in some cases, mature. Some of the twists in the storylines were jaw-droppingly good.

Carnivale: Rich and strange, this story of good vs evil set during the Great Depression bears watching and re-watching, as the subtly woven strands build up a larger picture behind the obvious foreground story. The substantial ensemble cast provide the opportunity for a complicated net of interrelationships, making the travelling circus a real community with all the good and bad that can embody.

Century Falls: Russell T Davies second TV series, this ran for only 6 episodes and yet was full of the potential of greatness that is only sometimes fully achieved in his later work. In many respects you can see his Doctor Who fannishness inherent in this, but turned to make something new and creative. If you get a chance, have a look!

Doctor Who: The first TV show I ever remember watching, this show had such an impact on me that I still get a rush of excitement when I hear the theme music. It's a show that can remake itself whenever it needs to, tell all kinds of stories, and very rarely go stale. It has certainly had several periods that I enjoy less than others, but it always bounces back.

Firefly: Cut off too soon, this space-western took a substantial cast and gave us stories that put the characters into situations to make hard choices, sometimes with surprising outcomes. In its telling, humour was inherent so that the viewer could laugh with the characters rather than at them (well, except Jayne) - often just before a surprising and violent twist. Sadly, the movie didn't fill the hole left behind.

The League of Gentlemen: Darkly inventive, this is one of those comedies that pushes the boundaries of humour and good taste, and yet comment on everyday matters from a very bizarre angle. Largely avoids repetitive catch-phrases that are the bane of many comedy series, it returns to characters and scenarios and moves them along, finding new humour and horror as each story continues.

The Prisoner: Now here's one I'm hesitant to try to explain! A show that has been analysed by many people, with all sorts of theories put forward - maybe all of them wrong... A clever and determined mindgame played on the audience, which will undoubtedly drive some away - and very British to boot.

Sapphire and Steel: Described as better than Doctor Who by some, this series ran for three years and presented viewers with a series of bizarre situations which the title characters used their unusual abilities to overcome. Very light-on for explanations, the each of the six stories effectively stands alone with no real continuity. Very inhuman and yet oddly compelling, some people find it difficult to enjoy.

Supernatural: I'm slightly surprised to include this one! Two brothers travel across America destroying supernatural threats to normal people. Sounds bad? I was surprised by the care that went into this series, making each episode scary in its own right and still telling an ongoing story while it does it. Probably the closest thing to a guilty pleasure on this list.

The X-Files: A show that overstayed its welcome on TV by 2-3 years, this nevertheless went a considerable way to making shows of the mentioned genres more acceptable to TV networks. Its the classic set-up: take two characters who are largely polar opposites to each other, and put them through a series of mysterious and life-threatening situations, hinting at a broader picture to both them and the audience. It was a new template, one that works well when it does work, as was often the case in the first four years of this series.

[dave]

My list:

Doctor Who: As with Greg, this is one of the first shows I can remember watching, and its versatility and creativity in the face of its limited budget still surprises me today (I'm talking mostly of the classic series here).

Six Million Dollar Man: This is the only show that I have memories of stretching back as early as those I have for DW. Watching it now I tend to enjoy it mostly for nostalgia value and for some hilarious double entendres, but I'll always get a kick out of those opening credits.

Firefly: I'd never watched anything Joss Whedon was responsible for before getting into Firefly, nor have I since, but this leaves me inclined to thinking the man's a genius. Possibly the best ensemble sci-fi show I've ever seen, and somehow, tragically, it didn't even get a full first season. Great humour, good worldbuilding, great characters...this show had everything.

Heroes: Currently my favourite show bar none. A very interesting and modern take on super heroes which, as of episode 18, just seems to get better with each episode. Amazingly good stuff.

(New) Battlestar Galactica: I've only seen up to the end of season 2, and have been hearing bad things about the third season, but this is dark sci-fi done almost to perfection. When it's good, it's very, very good, when bad it's still better than most.

X-Files: Until Mulder left, this was a great show. A highly versatile format allowing for interesting self-contained stories and also some continuing plotlies. My fave eps were often the ones where things are left open at the end; where not everything's spelt out.

Babylon 5: I only picked this up around the fourth season, but once I got into it found it to be very good. Liked the way they had continuing storylines as well as stories contained within a single episode, something which has become a model for more recent genre shows.

Blake's 7: I guess one of the forerunners of shows like Firefly, this was dark sci-fi with a good ensemble cast and interesting story-arcs.

Monkey Magic: Another show I loved as a kid, and find hilarious as an adult. Just way over the top silliness, with a morale to the story tagged onto the end. Great stuff.

Ghost in the Shell: A very intelligent anime, with awesome, mind-blowing animation which explored numerous themes in a very interesting manner. I don't think anime shows come much better than this.

Honourable mention (not in my top ten): Ultraviolet, the british series about a government group charged with hunting down leeches (vampires for those who've not seen it) was very good; nice and dark. Pity it only got one season.

Edited to remove my running tally.

Methinks we're going to end up with a loong list. Which'll be good. Curious to see what others put down as their faves.

[Greg]

People don't need to worry about tallying the results - I'll keep updating the first posting.

And, personally, I'm hoping to get some viewing recommendations out of this list...

[montypython]

My list (may add more later):

Doctor Who: Never saw any until the new series started, and then I was blown away. It kept me glued to the screen. The action, the adventure, the humour, the drama (and the, ehem, romance, but not GITF, which was one of the worst episodes). I could say more, but I think we all know how good it is. BTW it's my English mid-course exams soon, and we have to do an essay on Change. I can tell you that Doctor Who will be a big part of mine. You can't get more change than that!

Heroes: Engaging, suspenseful, very interesting. Some of the stuff that happens leaves me gaping, e.g. Claire waking up in the middle of the autopsy.

Okay, it's very short, but I don't watch a lot of sci fi. Actually, just for the sake of it:

Parallax: Not-very-well-known ABC kids show about kids travelling into parallel universes. They make friends, encounter strange creatures, and are being hunted down by their mother's evil twin Betti. It sounds kinda dumb, but it's really funny and engaging. And not on anymore. Oh well.

[Sulp Niar]

Haha, I've seen Parallax. Bizarre show, and very confusingly written. It really doesn't tell you what's going on, does it? I guess it must be a loyalty programme.

Greg, in your original post you say "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" as opposed to simply "The League of Gentlemen". So does TLOG fit under horror then?

In which case, I vote it in.

The League of Gentlemen I think because I have an avatar of Papa Lazarou that it's pretty evident I've seen the show. And loved it to pieces. Every series and special revamps the format, pushes it further, and I love that. I love shows that constantly change (Doctor Who is a great example). Series 3 is in particular a fantastic series, being so unlike what they're famous for, and better because of it. Fresh, exciting, and dramatic. Plus they started actually acting! Always a bonus.

Doctor Who Well erm, this was pretty obvious. I don't need to list the reasons that I love this show 'cos I could go on forever, but: I love this show. Not every story, but every era, every Doctor, every everything. Nearly perfect, which is a damn sight better than most shows.

Red Dwarf It's a sci-fi. A comedy yes, but so's The League of Gentlemen. The two comedies are constantly in battle for me over which is better: I'll say one's better one week and the other is the next. But Red Dwarf is so good, and has such a brilliant cast, that I've enjoyed simply listening to the commentaries on the DVDs over and over again. More so than the Earthshock commentary! Top notch series, and shamefully left out of most "Greatest British Comedy" lists.

Curiously though I'm not really a fantasy or sci-fi fan at all. I don't think I adhere to genres, I just pick and choose what's good and what isn't. Purely by looking at my DVD collection you'd assume I'm a sci-fi (cos of Doctor Who) and a crime fan, but I only pick and choose what's actually good (I have Cracker, Wire in the Blood... I also love Jonathan Creek and, erm, Hamish Macbeth... so it's not really a crime series. Ah well).

[Greg]

[charlie]

post retracted

whoops

[Greg]

Not sure Seinfeld, Full Frontal or House fit into the 'science fiction/fantasy/horror' range - but I'm willing to be convinced. Have included all the rest...

[Theta Sigma]

As it says in my signature:
Whoniverse
Blake's 7
Star Trek
Lost In Space
Babylon 5verse
Stargate
Buffyverse

Other than those shows, I of course watch other shows in the genre. Of the other shows, I probably like Supernatural the best. Other shows in the genre that is currently on free to air TV that I watch are:
Heroes
Medium
Lost
The 4400
Charmed

I also enjoyed The Six Million Dollar Man & The Bionic Woman. (I love the theme tune of The Bionic Woman.)

A show that has not yet been on Australian TV but would like to see is The Dresden Files.

Here is more info on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dresden_Files_%28TV_series%29

I also like to see Primeval which has already been mentioned in the Primeval thread will start on April 28 on 9.

[Greg]

[meglos]

Doctor Who
Torchwood
Tru Calling
Buffy
Angel
The Hitch-hikers Guide
Monkey
Lost In Space
Twin Peaks
Metal Mickey

I'm sorry I can't give you any detail but I am not very good at that sort of thing.

[Theta Sigma]

[Greg]

Thanks for complying with the rules, TS. It would have been odd to not have included votes by you in the outcomes!