Your "Sci-Fi Not Seen" Shame!

I was thinking about all the sci-fi movies and TV series I've watched over the years and was pleased that I'd seen most of the important ones, but was dismayed by how much I haven't seen, and it got me thinking, I was almost ashamed to call myself a sci-fi fan for some of the ones I've not seen.

This got me thinking.....what's your secret shame? What's the movie and/or TV series that you know, deep down, as a hard-core, card-carrying, batleH wielding, Spock-grocking sci-fi fan, you SHOULD HAVE WATCHED BY NOW!!

I mean, if you're young, that's one thing, there's a lot you've got to catch up on, but I'm nearly into my 5th decade and I've got a few, so what's yours?

For instance, up until recently, I had never gotten round to watching Firefly and Serenity! (I know, I know!!) and it was only thanks to the pointed stare from Dreamweaver that finally made me get around to it and I loved it and will be eternally grateful to her for doing so.

Now......well.

Tv - The New Battlestar Galactica.

Everyone raved about how good it was, how epic it was, how I should have watched it, but I just never fancied it!! I will get round to it one day, honest!!

Movie - Blade Runner!

OMG I SHOULD BE SHOT!! How have I never watched this yet?? And they're planning a remake or reboot or something?? I might even end up seeing that one first if I'm not careful!!


Wow, feels like I've been to some geek confessional or something.....forgive me Shatner, for I have sinned!

Ok, now you lot, who's feeling brave?

I'd only recently seen Blade Runner.

There's more I haven't seen from television, though: any of the Star Trek series, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, and pretty much any other outer space adventure show aside from Firefly.

I tried watching the new BSG on several occasions and totally hated it. I think I've watched almost every other major Sci-Fi TV show at some point though.

Not really "ashamed" that I never watched any of these, but...

The new Battlestar Galactic series
Babylon 5
Farscape
Any Doctor Who aside from maybe 3 or 4 random episodes here or there.

Those are the biggies. I also haven't watched many of the more recent network Sci-Fi shows.

Movies I'd have to think a little harder on...

Which version of Blade Runner? I actually have the VK case and it's not nearly as sad as Topless Robot makes it out to be.

Well according to IMDB's top 50 sci-fi films list the only ones I haven't seen are as follows:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The War Game (1965)
Stalker (1979)
Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973)
The Man from Earth (2007)
The Face of Another (1966)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
Kin-Dza-Dza (1986)

And given that I've never even heard of most of these I think I'm doing pretty well there.

As far as TV goes probably the biggest sci-fi series I've missed in recent history is Lost. I haven't seen a single episode of it. Otherwise if you can name it I've probably seen at least a few episodes of it.

Still haven't watched more than one episode of Nu-BSG. Which is apparently bad, as the geeks in my new office confirm common agreement with "So Say We All" in unison.

The biggest void I feel is for not having seen any of the old school (pre-Eccleston) Dr. Who episodes. One of these days I'll track them down...

I couldn't get into the new BSG for reasons to numerous to go into here, so I didn't see more than the pilot movie and a few episodes early in the first season. It's crash-and-burn final season vindicates my indifference.

For sheer science fiction snobbery, Solaris, Stalker, and Alphaville probably top my list, but among popular favorites, the beloved-by-everyone-else-except-apparently-me Back to the Future may be the most notable omission, geek-wise.

For me its just BSG and Lost mostly (there was a lot of sci-fi shows on at the time). Also the new episodes of Torchwood (as I don't have Starz), but I'll get to them.

I've seen pretty much every episode of everything else (including Doctor Who from "An Unearthly Child" to the most recent, and every Star Trek episode of every series).

As for movies, there's probably a lot I haven't seen, though I do try to catch those I've missed when they pop up...to keep up my geek cred.

For BSG haters that stopped after the pilot, I offer my own testimonial...

I too hated the pilot, it evoked the movie "Wing Commander" to me. I'm not sure why now, but at the time, it did.

Starting with "33" though, I got hooked.

Also, for Babylon 5, that's another one that's not a good candidate to cherry-pick episodes. It has an overarching plot that demands the viewer watch the episodes in succession. I think it's a very rewarding series to start at ep 1. Feel free to stop though, when the Shadow War ends, I don't think you'll be missing much after that.

Lost, as much as I tried to get into this series I just could'nt. I've borrowed DVD sets from friends but kept them on a coffee table vs watching them on a DVD player, and then handing them back after a week or so. Giving generic answers and replies when questioned about what I thought about watching them.

Babylon 5 and Farscape, I have not seen a single episode from these series and really couldn't tell you anything about 'em aside from what I've heard from friends and wiki entries. All I know is that they take place in outspace and that's about as far as my knowledge goes.

New Battlestar Galactica series. Seen bits and pieces of episodes and I still have Season 1, still shrink wrapped, sitting on a shelf, collecting dust. I'll get around to watching it... someday.



-Edit-

Firefly, another sci-fi series I haven't seen. Mostly because from the tv ads I saw it just screamed Cowboy Bebop clone to me.

I wonder if never having seen ET counts?

Also never saw Lost or the new BSG (beyond the Pilot, which utterly failed to impress me). I don't really know that I care to fix either of those omissions.

My Sci-Fi not seen Shame.

-Serenity (Though I have caught a few episodes of Firefly)

- Mobile Suit Gundam (This includes everything haven't seen any of it)
-Neon Genesis Evangelion (Same, maybe caught part of an episode)
-Babylon 5 (Part of an Episode)
-New BSG (Have only seen 1 or 2 episodes of it)

I didn't grow up with television, so I missed a lot. I watched most of Star Trek (we did TOS, TNG, DS9, and the first half of Voyager), but that's about it. I'm kind of sad I missed Babylon 5, BSG, and so on. I've also heard good things about Stargate, which I missed as well.

Eventually I'll go back and rewatch all this stuff. On the other hand, I made up for it by watching loads and loads of SF Anime, so it all works out!

~Freitag

Edit:

I suppose I should clarify that I did see the first season of the new BSG and got frustrated with the characters, which is why I stopped. I still want to finish it though. Additionally, I saw the B5 ?miniseries? ... I don't remember what it was called, but it was a feature-length intro to the series.

I was behind the curve on nu-BSG, but watched it all (and liked the finale - stone me if you must...). Most of the SF on tv that I've not seen really doesn't even register. I suppose I should be vaguely ashamed for having never seen a single episode of B5, but I had a really hard time taking a show seriously if it cast "Flounder". My loss.

My biggest geek regret isn't tv or movie related - it's that I've never read the "Sandman" series. Which I know doesn't quite fit in with the theme of the thread, but there it is.

FWIW, I recently added the first 7 volumes, I think, to my Amazon wishlist...