There are some shows that didn't make my top ten that I am sure some of you will bitch about. Please feel free, because your opinion is just as important as anyone's. Seriously, this is just my opinion. Supernatural while being one of my favorite shows of all time is starting to feel like beating a dead horse. It kind of needs to stop while it's ahead. Awake is a show I am just now hearing about and will try and give it a chance as soon as I can. Being Human has both a U.K. version and a U.S. version so it might take me awhile to get through this one. Chuck and Eureka are both sadly already dead. Doctor Who of course is still doing great (with viewership) so it doesn't fit this list, but deserves a mention. Falling Skies is doing great with viewers as well and is just about to start back up again. If you are not already a fan you should start trying to catch up now. I am hearing great things about A Gifted Man too. It is also at risk, but I am just now hearing about it. Primeval is one I keep meaning to catch up with, but have never got around to it. Which brings us to the list. I know there are too many great shows to watch, but if we focus on shows like this and stop watching the scripted "reality" shows maybe a few more will survive to see another day?
Please use Netflix streaming, HuLu, and the networks own websites to catch up on these great shows. Otherwise your viewership does not count. Seriously, this is one of those times you should not use torrents because we need to show the suits the numbers.
10. Lost Girl I have heard that this show is huge in the country that bore it. Canada seems to be the place where more adventurous shows are made. This show barely made my list because at times it gets a little too close to having that "girl power" film over it, but not enough to be annoying. It just keeps it from being one of my higher ranking shows on this list. It is still good enough for me to watch every single episode and you should do the same.
9. Haven More proof that Stephen King is about more than horror, this is a well done drama about a supernatural town with some super natural secrets that create some supernatural issues. Although one of the weaker shows on this top ten list, it is well worth watching.
8. Alphas What makes this show worth watching is Ryan Cartwright as Gary Bell. Never has a young autistic man been such a center of cool. He gets all the great lines and many times saves the day when no ones expects him too. Without Gary this show would be nothing more than X-Men light. Although this show is well worth checking out, I found out that Syfy used it as an excuse for not even giving another (better sounding) show a chance at all. The pilot for Three Inches instead was aired as a made for tv movie.
7. Sanctuary Just like with the shows Grimm and Once Upon A Time, this show keeps it interesting with all kinds of different monsters. The show follows the adventures of an organization set up to make sure the non-humans are taken care of, protected, and jailed properly if need be. Although one of the longer running shows of this list, it would be a shame for it to go out with a whimper. If enough people start watching the show, maybe it will be given proper closure.
6. Merlin Yeah, I am a sucker for dragons, magic, and medieval violence. Sure this version of this tired old tale takes more liberties with the cannon than any before it, but that's what makes it so refreshing. It is truly an original twist and because of that worthy of your time.
5. Fringe How this show keeps getting renewed is beyond me. The ratings have consistently been losing numbers each season. Like some kind of twisted mash up of The X-Files and Altered States, I am always left thinking it is too much for the common mainstream viewer. The constant drop in viewers might mean I am correct, but if enough people rush to start watching it and telling their friends it might have the chance to make the impact it should.
4. Terra Nova I know the storylines can be about as weak as the beer at the local punk rock back yard party, but other than that this show is way better than most will admit. Seriously, this is a much better guilty pleasure than any of those weak ass Karaoke based reality show contests. The CGI is pretty awesome. I think the characters are the secret weapon. If you watch every episode from the first to the most recent, you will see some things developing that could turn out to be interesting. It seems that the writers are going for more of a long tail style approach and if given a second season this show will really take off as far as the storyline goes. Just give it a chance!
3. Alcatraz Many would dismiss this show thinking that it has something to do with some lame history lesson. Nope. If you think Jorge Garcia did a great job playing the fat guy from the show Lost, he does an even more amazing job playing the fat comic book nerd in this show. Seriously. I think he is the main reason I like the show so much. Although close to the personality of his Lost persona, this version is way less pathetic. I never feel sorry for this guy or find him so pathetic that it is annoying. It's like his Lost character but ten times better. My wife watches for Sam Neill. Women are crazy like that.
2. Grimm This show would do really well on the Syfy channel. Just like with Once Upon A Time, this show is too dark for mainstream. This is of course the exact reason I like it so much. Instead of the same old thing every week, you get a new monster each time. It's like a cop show for uber nerds! Imagine Law And Order, but with more original story lines, and half the people are monsters of every kind.
1. Once Upon A Time I think the biggest thing hurting this show is that it is way darker than you would think from the title. To be honest I didn't even give the show a chance until I was stuck not being able to do anything except watch tv for a few weeks because of a back injury at work. I gave it a chance and now it tops my list. It is just THAT good! The people that would like a show as dark as this are not giving it a chance and the people who are looking for a more Disney style are turning the show off because it is too dark. If somehow we could get word out to the people who would enjoy a show like this, I think it would survive.
Oh, and I guess I should mention that the rebooted BSG, Emo-Star Galactica has a spin-off called Blood & Chrome. Let's hope it is not as overly emotional and hormonal as the regular BSG was. Yeah, that's right. I said it. No Lorne Greene? Then GTFO! Oh, and Walking Dead? Zombies are the Wal-Mart of sci-fi! Suck it!
Top Ten Sci-Fi Shows You Are Not Watching But Should Be
There are some shows that didn't make my top ten that I am sure some of you will bitch about. Please feel free, because your opinion is just as important as anyone's. Seriously, this is just my opinion. Supernatural while being one of my favorite shows of all time is starting to feel like beating a dead horse. It kind of needs to stop while it's ahead. Awake is a show I am just now hearing about and will try and give it a chance as soon as I can. Being Human has both a U.K. version and a U.S. version so it might take me awhile to get through this one. Chuck and Eureka are both sadly already dead. Doctor Who of course is still doing great (with viewership) so it doesn't fit this list, but deserves a mention. Falling Skies is doing great with viewers as well and is just about to start back up again. If you are not already a fan you should start trying to catch up now. I am hearing great things about A Gifted Man too. It is also at risk, but I am just now hearing about it. Primeval is one I keep meaning to catch up with, but have never got around to it. Which brings us to the list. I know there are too many great shows to watch, but if we focus on shows like this and stop watching the scripted "reality" shows maybe a few more will survive to see another day?
Please use Netflix streaming, HuLu, and the networks own websites to catch up on these great shows. Otherwise your viewership does not count. Seriously, this is one of those times you should not use torrents because we need to show the suits the numbers.
10. Lost Girl
I have heard that this show is huge in the country that bore it. Canada seems to be the place where more adventurous shows are made. This show barely made my list because at times it gets a little too close to having that "girl power" film over it, but not enough to be annoying. It just keeps it from being one of my higher ranking shows on this list. It is still good enough for me to watch every single episode and you should do the same.
9. Haven
More proof that Stephen King is about more than horror, this is a well done drama about a supernatural town with some super natural secrets that create some supernatural issues. Although one of the weaker shows on this top ten list, it is well worth watching.
8. Alphas
What makes this show worth watching is Ryan Cartwright as Gary Bell. Never has a young autistic man been such a center of cool. He gets all the great lines and many times saves the day when no ones expects him too. Without Gary this show would be nothing more than X-Men light. Although this show is well worth checking out, I found out that Syfy used it as an excuse for not even giving another (better sounding) show a chance at all. The pilot for Three Inches instead was aired as a made for tv movie.
7. Sanctuary
Just like with the shows Grimm and Once Upon A Time, this show keeps it interesting with all kinds of different monsters. The show follows the adventures of an organization set up to make sure the non-humans are taken care of, protected, and jailed properly if need be. Although one of the longer running shows of this list, it would be a shame for it to go out with a whimper. If enough people start watching the show, maybe it will be given proper closure.
6. Merlin
Yeah, I am a sucker for dragons, magic, and medieval violence. Sure this version of this tired old tale takes more liberties with the cannon than any before it, but that's what makes it so refreshing. It is truly an original twist and because of that worthy of your time.
5. Fringe
How this show keeps getting renewed is beyond me. The ratings have consistently been losing numbers each season. Like some kind of twisted mash up of The X-Files and Altered States, I am always left thinking it is too much for the common mainstream viewer. The constant drop in viewers might mean I am correct, but if enough people rush to start watching it and telling their friends it might have the chance to make the impact it should.
4. Terra Nova
I know the storylines can be about as weak as the beer at the local punk rock back yard party, but other than that this show is way better than most will admit. Seriously, this is a much better guilty pleasure than any of those weak ass Karaoke based reality show contests. The CGI is pretty awesome. I think the characters are the secret weapon. If you watch every episode from the first to the most recent, you will see some things developing that could turn out to be interesting. It seems that the writers are going for more of a long tail style approach and if given a second season this show will really take off as far as the storyline goes. Just give it a chance!
3. Alcatraz
Many would dismiss this show thinking that it has something to do with some lame history lesson. Nope. If you think Jorge Garcia did a great job playing the fat guy from the show Lost, he does an even more amazing job playing the fat comic book nerd in this show. Seriously. I think he is the main reason I like the show so much. Although close to the personality of his Lost persona, this version is way less pathetic. I never feel sorry for this guy or find him so pathetic that it is annoying. It's like his Lost character but ten times better. My wife watches for Sam Neill. Women are crazy like that.
2. Grimm
This show would do really well on the Syfy channel. Just like with Once Upon A Time, this show is too dark for mainstream. This is of course the exact reason I like it so much. Instead of the same old thing every week, you get a new monster each time. It's like a cop show for uber nerds! Imagine Law And Order, but with more original story lines, and half the people are monsters of every kind.
1. Once Upon A Time
I think the biggest thing hurting this show is that it is way darker than you would think from the title. To be honest I didn't even give the show a chance until I was stuck not being able to do anything except watch tv for a few weeks because of a back injury at work. I gave it a chance and now it tops my list. It is just THAT good! The people that would like a show as dark as this are not giving it a chance and the people who are looking for a more Disney style are turning the show off because it is too dark. If somehow we could get word out to the people who would enjoy a show like this, I think it would survive.
Oh, and I guess I should mention that the rebooted BSG, Emo-Star Galactica has a spin-off called Blood & Chrome. Let's hope it is not as overly emotional and hormonal as the regular BSG was. Yeah, that's right. I said it. No Lorne Greene? Then GTFO! Oh, and Walking Dead? Zombies are the Wal-Mart of sci-fi! Suck it!