What's your most-loved non-star movie/show?
Most Scifi fans I have ran into can pretty quickly rank the four stars –BattleSTAR Galactica, STAR Trek, STARgate, and STAR wars, but what lesser-known or less-prestigious shows hold a special place in your heart?
No, Firefly doesn't count as lesser-known.
It's definitely not lesser known, but my favorite is The Expanse.
I would do unspeakable things for more stories set in the Expanse universe. The TV series should at least get another season or two in order to catch up to the last two books and I think it would be great if the authors/showrunners could explore some of the side plots more fully.
I really liked the last two books. I thought I wouldn't care after the time jump but I was super wrong. I liked the show but I loved the books.
It's happening! The story directly after the show and in between the 20+ year gap to the next book is now being told in the new comic book series. The Expanse: Dragon Tooth furthers the story of where we last left off. I'm planning to get the whole volume after all the issues release.
Also, if you haven't checked into it yet, The Expanse video game from Telltale is a prequel with Cara Gee returning to once again be the voice of Camina Drummer!
Wait, didn't Telltale go out of business?
They did, but they're back. Probably not many of the same people, if any, so it remains to be seen if they've still got it, but the Expanse game looks awesome, and who can resist playing as Drummer? :)
A lot of the people who left started another company making a Star Trek telltale style game.
Agreed! I would absolutely love them to finish off the story. The show does such an incredible job of developing deep characters and a generally realistic world, I always try to recruit new fans when someone asks for a recommendation.
Salazar, is that you?
This would be mine too - it's the one series that I've actually been back and re-watched multiple times, and I've gone back to the books too.
In contrast to others comments I'm not sure I want any more seasons of it. I loved the current set but it feels like it ran its course and I'm not sure I need anything more.
Farscape.
Look upward, and share the wonders I've seen.
Farscape definitely deserves a spot in the greatest sci-fi’s of all time.
Man I have rewatched that so many times. Ended to early
It really went off the deep end towards the end there though
I love this show so much! It seriously has is all and like no one knows about it. I’m about to make my boyfriend watch it actually.
Damn right. Pretty much my favourite show ever!
Space: Above & Beyond. I thought it had some interesting ideas that were never given a chance to be fully explored.
Babylon 5. It's probably up there as #5 in your top 4, tbh.
Planet of the Apes. 1970s movies and TV series.
Space: Above & Beyond was also a classic network bait and switch where they were X-Wing pilots until the budget ran out, then they were the A-Team in space.
Yes, yes, something about "every Marine a rifleman" but still, teenage me was underwhelmed.
For anyone considering watching it for the first time, I strongly recommend the Episode Guide. B5 came out in a unique time, where techy people were on usenet, but the wide internet wasn't a thing yet. The writer J. Michael Straczynski was on Usenet discussing the show and answering questions, and the episode guide integrates that, so you can read along after each episode for an idea of the questions that came up at the time and his answers, without spoilers.
Space: Above and Beyond was well ahead of its time, one of my favourite of the raft of mid-90s sci-fi that followed the success of TNG and early X-Files.
Planet of the Apes TV series is hilarious to me. It really feels like Coy & Vance Duke where sent to the Planet Of The Apes.
I remember really enjoying the Planet of the Apes TV series back when it was first broadcast and I was about 13. I haven’t seen it since then, and I think I’ll leave it that way. Why spoil a perfectly good memory?
Definitely Farscape. A very weird but very good show. Ben Browder did a great job playing the lead role and it's a shame he hasn't done anything like it since.
He did though, he was on Stargate until 2007! Also, he's 60 now, so I doubt he's taking on a lead role in a sci-fi as his same goofy self again.
Dagnabbit, never heard of it, but it’s free on Plex and highly rated on IMDB. Starting it right now
You're in for a great time! I know people say this about every show, but the start of season 1 can be hit-or-miss. Things really pick up near the end of the season so it's worth sticking until then.
Very glad I got to introduce someone to this show though, I hope you have fun with it.
I love Final Space :)
"Chookity pok" -Mooncake
I like how it developed into something mature, but that initial premise of "quirkiness in space" irked me to no end.
Galaxy Quest! I don't know if it counts since it's parody, but it's hilarious and well-made.
I always thought of it as a love letter to Star Trek fans
As someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s and was a HUGE TOS fan, I think they really nailed what that was like as we got older and understood more about the actors and their relationships with each other and their roles.
One of my top 5 favourite movies.
By Grabthar's Hammer... what a savings.
I will go for the oddball answer. The Outer Limits. The originals and the later ones. The episodic short story format works very well for me.
Anthology series are seriously underrated. Remember the Ray Bradbury Theater?
Spielberg had one I recall. Many of the episodes from that show turned into movies. Amazing Stories
We never got those on TV this side of the world, South Africa. I did read a lot of his short stories growing up though. Pulp paperbacks with cracked glue and cello tape where their backs used to be. Even the smell of those can feature directly in a Bradbury short.
I loved the outer limits. I always get the older ones mixed up with twilight zone, but they were fantastic. The newer ones were great as well.
Same here. There is an element of horror/fantasy in there as well. I recently enjoyed Netflix's Black Mirror, which reminded me strongly of the Outer Limits style.
You could try Sliders, but the 90s corniness might turn you off.
As a kid, I was obsessed with the nickelodeon remake ofThe Tomorrow People but it doesn't stand up very well
Then there's Dark City and Gattaca for some more late 90s sci fi that I feel was bigger back then but no one really references anymore, but I think they are worth a view.
City of Lost Children is super weird but you can't deny the aesthetic is unique.
Winner of best movie with stupidest climax goes to Sunshine
I cannot bring myself to watch sunshine, as the entire premise is dogshit. Exploding a nuke that small (compared to the sun) on the surface of the sun would do absolutely nothing.
This is true- the premise isn’t scientifically sound in any way. But the movie isn’t really about that. It’s about the journey through space under the stress of this being earths last chance and also kind of eldritch horror. Plus probably my fav roll for Chris Evans. He does a great job being an unlikeable guy who is technically right so you can’t really be against him. I liked it lol.
But the entire premise not making any sense whatsoever, in a sci-fi film, completely takes me out of it and renders me unable to enjoy any of it.
"A team of international astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057"
You telling me every description of the movie I can find is wrong?
Even disregarding that, I didn't like the movie at all. Very overrated IMO.
You don't know what was in the nuke, whether it cascaded particles to origin by some unknown yech. Calling it a "nuke" saves the audience technical mumbo-jumbo whilst conveying accurate intent, in the same way that a "phone" probably refers to a mobile phone that can connect with several tech frameworks, instead of a landline dial toner.
I used to whisper "SLIDERS!" as loud as I can to my husband several times a month, so I made him watch it to know what I was talking about.
I realized that child-me made up that part of the intro, since they definitely don't shout-whisper sliders.
I stopped whispering sliders at him.
And the sad thing is that Sunshine started out with a lot of potential, but holy shit did it not stick the landing
Fringe is an excellent show. It begins really episodic, like old school Outer Limits and early X Files. But by third season you're knee deep in a mind-bending larger story arc that absolutely rocks. The finale stands as one of my top 3 series closers. It expertly closes out the show with deep character resolution. And the show as a whole doesn't fall prey to the Lost Mystery Deficit. Mysteries are resolved, and there's great callbacks in final season to the mysteries of season one and two.
Furthermore, the cast is excellent. Joshua Jackson. John Noble pulling off Walter White levels of excellent acting and character change (you'll recognize him as Denethor from Lord of the Rings), and heck, Leonard Nemoy is in it.
If you love sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Fringe.
I love how it starts out as a “monster of the week” show but if you pay attention there are clues to the overall story arc in the background.
Maybe a bit of recency bias creeping in here but the first season of Severance was spectacularly good. Really hope they can keep that quality up.
Given the amount of people I recommend it to who have never heard of it I think this definitely counts as "lesser-known".
If you count it as sci-fi, the HBO adaptation of "His Dark Materials" seems to have gotten basically zero attention in the US but was really quite excellent.
Also the original "The Prisoner." (the remake with Ian McKellen was meh)
It is definitely much better than the movie. I still haven't finished it, but it's a fun break from other interests from time-to-time.
The hbo/bbc his dark materials was brilliant, so glad they finished all the book material. I think it was quite well received here in the uk
I’m gonna check this show out now! Thanks for the share
Is His Dark Materials really science fiction?
I mean it's debatable - as with much SF - but if you go by Asimov's definition, "that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology," I think it would have to qualify - heck, the opening chapter involves a researcher asking for money to find a scientific expedition, and discoveries concerning the nature of Dust drive an awful lot of the plot line.
And genre-marker-wise, it involves parallel universes and steampunk-y vehicles / machines / etc, and doesn't really have any of the traditional fantasy ones like elves and goblins and dragons and wizards, or really much of any reliance on "magic" that's not mediated through technology.
Westworld season 1 is still one of the best seasons of science fiction television ever, in my opinion of course.
I didn't care for anything that came after personally, but season 1 was absolutely amazing.
As a star Trek fan, The Orville. It takes a bit to get its footing, but season 2 and 3 are great. I hope it gets renewed for a 4th.
As for movies, Primer (2004) is one of my favorite. The first movie of its director (Shane Carruth), filmed with a ridiculously low budget of $20 000. It's hard science applied to time travel.
Be warned that this movie requires at least 2 or 3 viewings to really understand its story. Yes, it's that complex.
I think it was 8 viewings for my tired brain.
Relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/657/
😂 that xkcd is perfect for Primer.
Yep! Had to watch it twice to understand, but absolutely brilliant movie!
Defiance was amazing, it's clear SciFi was spending a bunch of money on it, which ended up getting it killed.
Akira.
Absolute classic.
Have you read the manga? I don't usually go for manga personally, but that one was very much well worth it. It pretty much starts and ends in the same place as the film but takes a very different route to get there - which is not surprising as Katsuhiro Otomo had only written the first volume or so when he was asked to work on the film!
I have a real soft spot for Raised by Wolves. It's so weird in all the right ways.
Such a shame it was cancelled. I guess it was too weird for most people, but I loved it. It was playing with some interesting myths and metaphors.
I really like Raised by Wolves, but I think it had a couple of things that actively helped it get cancelled.
Gotta disagree with your assessment about AI and feeling robots being less popular. I think we're going to see a rise in those, only the AI/robot is going to definitely skew more 'evil'.
You might be right about the skew, but I suppose we'll see. It's definitely not going to continue in the same vein.
If you haven't seen it yet, check out the movie Coherence (2013)! It's one of my favorite sci-fi movies. The actors were taken aside and given certain direction but were never given a full script, so every time you see them arguing or trying to figure out what's happening or surprised by something, it's all genuine.
Here's the synopsis but don't read anything else about it before you watch: [Synopsis: Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.]
It's free if you already have Amazon Prime. A fantastic sci-fi puzzle to solve (similar to Primer in that way but very much its own thing).
I really liked this one too. It even had a bit of a psychological thriller aspect to it. I don't know what it is about the film quality, cadence, music/ambiance - but something makes you feel quite uneasy throughout the entire movie.
Dunno how lesser-known were Dark Matter and Killjoys but these are probably my favorite non-Star, non-Firefly, non-Expanse shows. I did also like S1 of Altered Carbon and Raised by Wolves
I'd forgotten about Dark Matter! I binge watched the whole of that and was then disapointed that there weren't more series. Not the biggest production but I got drawn in by the characters.
Red Dwarf.
It's goofy. It's campy. It's sometimes terrible.
But it grows on you and by the time you are done through season 2 you love the show and only want more. And oh yes there is more, much more.
Andromeda holds a place in my heart that it probably doesn't really deserve. Definitely full of cheese, and the character of Dylan Hunt is awful.
I'll probably still always love it, mainly because it came out when I was a kid.
Sorbo is a lot harder to like these days. The characters he played were all super cheesy though, so it's hard to rewatch anything of his.
Fringe was very cool.
I tried watching Fringe but I felt that some of the dialogue / character interactions were insufferably bad, cheesy, cliche. Couldn't get into it.
Fringe is a slow-burner. It's definitely a slow start, but it's an incredible show and will grow on you.
Rough around the edges at first but it ages like a fine wine and has a place with the best of TV sci-fi.
I loved Altered Carbon. Also, if you guys like anime, Psycho-Pass was really cool. If you like slow paced but atmospheric shows with a lot of connecting events and don’t mind watching a show in another language (German), then I would really recommend Dark.
The first season of Psycho Pass was brilliant, IMO, but the second one was immensely disappointing. Getting rid of the most charismatic character of season one was probably not the best move.
Dark Matter was amazing. Farscape was almost perfect, in my opinion. Finally, Firefly was astounding in its short time.
All are worth checking out.
I enjoyed Dark Matter (didn't watch all of it though) but some parts of were kinda cringe, especially space ninja prince. Also I felt like some characters weren't played very well, for example that Seer villain and Torri Higginson's character (female corporate captain).
Farscape was incredible. It's easily the most memorable sci-fi show that comes to mind. It was goofy, but it had some of the most unique sci-fi ideas that have become longstanding tropes and some of the most memorable characters.
It's not really less-prestigious, and I am not really a sci-fi fan, but Contact.
I never understood the hate that movie got. It was wonderful and thought provoking. Jodie Foster may not have been the best choice for lead, but it's hard to imagine anyone else in her place at this point.
Wow I don't know it was hated! To me it was a classic, and an interesting way to discuss the relationship of religions and science/technology -- I believe some messages from the film are still useful in today's context.
It even made it way into Southpark because people thought it was such a flop. Personally, I thought it was a great movie.
Agreed. I absolutely love it.
Off the top of my head, Fringe, but that's not really lesser known. On more thought, Earth: Final Conflict and Primeval.
Oooh, Earth: Final Conflict would be an amazing show to remake!
Oh my god, you're right.
Babylon 5, Farscape, 12 Monkeys, Timeless, Warehouse 13 & Eureka, Fringe, Dark Matter, Killjoys.
And right now, Silo.
(And The Expanse of course, but has been mentioned many times already!)
In the spirit of the question (not picking the most common ones), I'd say Sanctuary was good. I think it was very (very...) low budget (everything is green screen) but the stories were great. There are a lot of fantasy elements but I think it's very scifi.
As my username suggests- I love 'Lexx'.
It's beautifully sleezy sci-fi fantasy and not nearly enough people know about it. I caught it on Netflix about 10 years ago but I think you can watch it on youtube now free with commercials.
Highly recommend to any fans of sci-fi, but especially if you loved stuff like Farscape and Red Dwarf.
Also shout out to 'Avenue 5'. Hilariously dark sci-fi comedy that HBO criminally underpromoted. Also 'Other Space'.
I was looking for this one in the comments. Such a batshit crazy show that went in some very weird directions, and I absolutely loved it.
I don't remember much of Lexx, but the song the Brunen-G sang will always be in my heart. Whatever it means.
Yo-way-yo!
Wow that's a blast from the past! Remember this being on late at night when I was a teenager!
I would have been just out of high school when the first season came out but I don't recall ever seeing it on TV. I don't know if it was run in my area. I don't think I even heard of it until I saw the title card on netflix.
I'm British so pretty sure it was on Channel 5 which is where all of the weird shows like this ended up. Had quite the following among my little friend group of outcasts lol.
no love for 12 monkeys tv series? great series
I have tried on several different occasions to start this show, but can't get past the first 5-6 episodes. I don't know why.
I loved that show, so that's at least two of us 😁
we are dozens, dozens of us!!! xD
I see what you did there 👏🏻😁
awww :(
Less Prestigious would be Flash Gordon; utterly camp and very fun. DIVE!
Big Hero 6. Seriously, I love the franchise.
It annoys me that it was so massively overshadowed by How To Train Your Dragon 2, which was also computer animated and came out at about the same time. Big Hero 6 a far better film!
A couple of others I haven't seen here that I loved:
Some comic/hero shows that could technically count as Sci-Fi:
I think I'm the only person to ever watch all of Andromeda. It was not my favourite show, but there was something comforting whenever i was watching it. Maybe it just reminded me of the old Hercules, but in space.
Firefly definitely counts as lesser known. Op is on drugs.
I would pick Firefly, the Expanse, and Orville (for an unexpected great show.)
I agree with your choices, they're fantastic shows. But those are definitely some of the most high-profile sci-fi shows I can think of. Those are the ones that come to mind immediately when people mention sci-fi shows, so I wouldn't necessarily call them 'lesser known'.
Lesser known but amazing you say?
Total Recall 2070
Wild Palms
Terminator: The Sarah Conor Chronicles
That was a terrific show. I especially enjoyed the first season, where they blended killer robots from the future with high school teen drama.
They mostly got rid of the high school aspect after the first season, and I was so disappointed never to see what happened after the female terminator agreed to be John’s friend’s prom date.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. At the time, I couldn't understand why everybody preferred that boring FBI monster show with the monotone lead actor.
For a long time my answer would've been Doctor Who - I was an original Who fan who got hooked on PBS in the 80s and kept the candle burning in the 90s and early 2000s with books and Big Finish audio dramas. Now that it's back and more popular than before though, I don't know if it'd really count as "lesser known" like it used to, so for that criteria I'd have to say... Blake's 7
It's definitely not lesser known anymore, but strangely still seems somewhat niche in the US. For as high budget as it has become and how popular it is, very few people I've encountered IRL have ever seen any of it. I absolutely adore Doctor Who. Even in the darkest of storylines it's light-hearted and fun.
"Moon" was quite good.
I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but I liked Humans (2015).
I also like several Black Mirror episodes, but I think those are "well known".
Since The Expanse has already been covered, gotta go with Firefly. I have a couple of the books on my bookshelf at work but I haven't gotten to them.
Firefly? Lol OP is going to be so mad at you
Nobody I know IRL has watched it so I'm counting it lol
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone. It's a solid example of 80's scifi, post-Star Wars and pre-Matrix. A little cheesy, a little Mad Max-y. And Molly Ringwald still makes me laugh.
@DerisionConsulting
I really enjoyed Dark Matter. It got a little wild as the story went on, but the premise was very good, and I enjoyed a lot of the characters. (Especially the Android)
It would be Netflix's Lost in Space for me. Love that show. It's got such a well-written plot and great characters, I'm so sad that not many people have seen it. It's only three seasons too.
Firefly will never not be my favorite. Truly before its time... imagine how many seasons it would have run for if it were made today and on a different network...
Today it would run forever with 9 spin offs.
Serial Experiments LAIN. It's a 13 episode anime, in a "future" where everyone is connected to "The Wired" via wireless devices. For a 1998 anime, it is highly prophetic. It even predicts the idea of people having completely different identities in real life then they have online, and does a great job musing on the blurry line between the internet and the real world.
Counterpoint, amazing spy thriller Sci-Fi.
Space: Above and Beyond. It was a short-lived show on FOX about a group of space marines that are pressed into service against an alien menace, but not everything is as it seems. The show was a a bit of a mashup between Aliens, Blade Runner, and Starship Troopers, and it was awesome. If there was ever a show that needed a remake, it's this one.
This sounds like a Warhammer 40k tv show by your description! I'm gonna have to check this one out and be disappointed when it ends far too early. :(
Farscape has been covered, so to bring up something that definitely hasn't been mentioned, Charlie Jade. A Canadian/South African co-production from the 2000s about three parallel Earth versions of Cape Town colliding. Awesome show, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows it.
Without a doubt, Doctor Who.
Electric Dreams
I found these to be super enthralling and well made.
IMDB short summary, "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" is a 10-episode science-fiction anthology series that journeys into unique worlds beyond the reach of the imagination. Based on short stories written by Dick, each stand-alone episode is inspired by a different story.
I was mad obsessed with Dollhouse and Fringe. It felt like both ended way too soon, but at the same time they didn't outstay their welcome as so many shows do.
They Live: John Carpenter's documentary about what yuppies and Republicans have been doing to America since 1980.
Probably doesn't count as 'lesser known' but my answer is Galaxy Quest