My Abandoned SF

     In my last post, I referred to my "top twenty," indicating that I had a list in my head of my favorite movies and TV shows (in this instance, of the science-fiction genre). I must admit, this is not exactly true, in the sense that I don't have such a list currently constructed. I know, you feel cheated and lied to, but I promise I'm working on said list as we speak. It's actually harder than it seems, because it's not just a matter of thinking of twenty good science fiction shows/movies, but ones that are good enough to make a list out of. I'm actually only up to fifteen at this moment.
     In the meantime, I've realized that there are some ostensibly seminal works of the genre that I have never been able to get myself to sit down and watch completely. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably try to get around to most of them eventually. But they're pretty low on my priority list. Also, let me mention that I'm only going to talk about shows that I tried (or am trying) to watch, but just can't drum up the enthusiasm to continue. I'm not much one for going back to watch classics just for the sake of seeing them, so no, I'm not even going to mention things like Lost in Space and crap like that.  So, feel free to mock and scorn me for the following:

Would you feel better if I said I was referring to this one?

     Battlestar Galactica. I've actually just now started to sit down and watch the show on Netflix, and it is part of the reason I even had the idea to make this post. I had no real interest in watching BSG while it was on the air. Too much drama is the main drawback, I think. While I like some paranoia and intrigue as much as the next guy, I can only take so much in one sitting. I was expecting more space battles and robot-shooting, and so far it's not delivering the goods.
     Babylon 5. I may be most ashamed of this one. I love J. Michael Straczynski; his comic series Rising Stars is probably the best vision of realistic portrayals of superheroes in the modern world since Watchmen. And many people have recommended it to me highly (people who's opinions I actually value, too). But I made it through only a handful of episodes of this one before I had to admit that I was bored all the way through, the effects are laughably outdated, and none of the actors were particularly compelling. Again, call me un-intellectual, but I need some kind of action going on in my science-fiction.
     Star Trek. Any of them. I watched a good bit of Next Generation and Voyager while they were on the air, but not all of them, and I did not follow them closely enough to remember anything but the most large, vague points. I just never could get behind the universe that Star Trek is set in. I think the pseudo-science gets to the point of ridiculousness, such as the holodeck, the replicators, and beaming technology. I have a hard time believing that a society that could create holograms that could be physically interacted with, machines that could make damn near anything out of thin air, and safe teleportation would have any reason to explore the universe. I mean, the friggin' universe can pretty much just come to you in the safety of your own home with that combination of technology. Also, I can't get behind the idea that 90% of the alien races out there look like humans with just varying amounts of head-ridges.
      Stargate Universe. I love the other two Stargate shows (SG-1 and Atlantis), but SGU was trying too hard to be BSG and that just killed it for me. I'm going to just come right out and say it: unrelenting drama and interpersonal conflict is no substitute for shooting aliens. Also, the other two Stargate shows had a healthy dose of wit and humor tossed in, which made them overall more enjoyable shows. Add to this a cast of characters that was not able to boast a single likable character, and I just gave up after a handful of episodes.
     Lexx. Again, I've heard good things about this show, by people who should know better. I'm also usually a fan of "cult" shows. But this one just isn't very good, really. The acting and writing is B-grade (which I understand is supposed to be part of its charm), and the special effects don't quite stand the test of time. This is another show where I could not find a single likable character in the entire cast, which is going to be the final nail in the coffin of whether or not I'm going to take the time to watch it.

     Honorable mention goes to Andromeda and V, which I have never tried to watch. In all fairness, though, they're not on Netflix yet. So, if they ever do, I'll give them a try. But I'm certainly not interested enough to go out of my way for it (which says a lot in itself).
     I'd love to hear your guys' opinions on the above mentioned shows. I'm not saying your going to convince me to give them another try, but I'll say I'm willing to entertain arguments in their favor. Have at.