# Science Fiction Tv Shows And Movies That have Not Aged well



## BAYLOR (Sep 19, 2014)

Which Science Fiction Films and  Tv Shows have not aged a well?


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## Rodders (Sep 19, 2014)

Babylon 5 is the best SF but we will never see a Blu Ray version.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 19, 2014)

Rodders said:


> Babylon 5 is the best SF but we will never see a Blu Ray version.




Why can't they  simply remaster the effects like they did wih the original star trek?


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## Vince W (Sep 19, 2014)

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. So much spandex and disco hair.


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> Why can't they  simply remaster the effects like they did wih the original star trek?


Very expensive. Even the DVD was a problem as they had dumped all the original files. CGI source files was several warehouses. Too expensive to keep. This also problem with scanning film at 4K and downsampling for DVD. When BluRay came along most of the raw 4K scans had been trashed. The live parts (film) of PAL Region DVD are thus higher quality than the CGI parts already! Not so noticeable on Region1 DVD (480 lines vs 576 lines in PAL Regions). I think they only had the TV station distribution tapes for the CGI parts.
Actual 4K or UHD needs even higher resolution scans. Basically you need always to sample at twice the vertical and horizontal resolutions of your destination to avoid jaggies and aliasing effects such as Moire fringing etc.


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

Buck Rodgers has aged maybe more poorly than original Lost in Space.
The original Cinema episodes 1930s Flash Gordon, I can't make up my mind!


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## Vince W (Sep 19, 2014)

You could include many films/programmes where the future is now the past.


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## Venusian Broon (Sep 19, 2014)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Buck Rodgers has aged maybe more poorly than original Lost in Space.
> The original Cinema episodes 1930s Flash Gordon, I can't make up my mind!



Ah Flash Gordon! I like to think that somewhere in the multiverse there is a universe where spaceships can fly with what looks like sparklers rammed into their exhaust pipes. And make that loud droning sound. 

It's hard to imagine but there was a time when there was so little content for the television that the BBC had to run 1930-40's cinema reels to fill up space. (God how I hated Champion the Wonder horse. That's a Black Beauty-type horsey thing and Western mashup for those who don't have a clue what I'm talking about - both genres I admit to not really liking much at all )


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

Champion was recycled as Skippy the Kangaroo


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## HareBrain (Sep 19, 2014)

Venusian Broon said:


> God how I hated Champion the Wonder horse.



Oh, lord ...

This is without internet help, note:

Like a streak of lightning flashing cross the sky
Like the swiftest arrow whizzing from a bow
Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly
You'll hear about him everywhere you go
The time will come when everyone will know the name of
Champion! The Wonder Horse!
Champiaaaaan! The Woooonderrrr Hoooorse!!!!!!!


And yet, when I try to remember where I put my keys ...


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

Skippy Skippy a bush kangaroooo

We watched Champion and Skippy or else the TV might not get turned on again ...


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## Venusian Broon (Sep 19, 2014)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Champion was recycled as Skippy the Kangaroo



Yes, I also completely avoided that too.

As well as Gentle Ben, Grizzly Adams, Lassie...

I think the whole human-animal drama thing really didn't click for me. 

Harebrain - you definitely deserve a like for that, not for reminding me of the tune, but for your exceptional memory skills.


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## HareBrain (Sep 19, 2014)

The hitherto secret, awful truth is that it sunk in so well because I actually liked it.

ETA: anyway, it was an interesting point you raised about the BBC not having enough content even to fill two channels in those days. Do you remember those short information films they showed? There was one about Australian lifeguards that seemed to be on every ten minutes.

(Sorry to OP for threadjack.)


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## Venusian Broon (Sep 19, 2014)

Yep there was a load of weird stuff that did seem to be repeated on endless loops. That's probably why we can remember them so well now. 

But I can't remember the Ozzie lifeguards at the mo' - I do remember loads of Canadian stuff - especially a series about a guy going about the countryside in a station wagon and a huge canoe. I remember it well because it was me reminiscing about this series, from the National Film Board of Canada, with a good friend in the later 1980s/early 90s that planted the seed for him to eventually find his band's name, I'm proud to say. 

Bringing it back a bit to the original thread. I remembered that Buck Rodger's (the Studio 54 version - bidi bidi bidi) had the weirdest juxtaposition of theme tunes, the closing one was just not SF at all. So I found them on youtube...






Of course when they did Star trek: Enterprise they reversed this and put the ballard as the opening tune.


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## HareBrain (Sep 19, 2014)

Surprised no one's yet mentioned the first version of Battlestar Galactica. I think I tended to get it a bit confused with Buck Rogers -- I remember thinking the robot said "By your command -- bidibidibidi".


And I can't help thinking that if someone from NASA had watched Buck Rogers and realised the space shuttle could also be used as a deep space probe, they might not have mothballed it.


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## Jo Zebedee (Sep 19, 2014)

I rather like Buck Rogers. And Blake's seven which was dated when it was filmed, frankly. The datedness is part of their appeal. (Well, maybe not Buck Rogers. Bidi-bidi was the only appeal.)


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

*The repeated loops were 1962 (start of BBC2) to 1970s approximately to promote 625 lines.*  There was only schools TV (BBC1) during day and to start with BBC1 wasn't on 625, but 405 (1936 - 1939 and 1946-1985. ITV started in 1955 on 405.  The 405 system ended in 1985. From about 1961 to 1970 there were dual standard sets with BBC1 & ITV on VHF 405 and BBC2 on UHF 625. By 1972 most areas had added BBC1 & ITV to UHF 625. The C4 started November 1982 I think. I left UK in 1983 so missed the disastrous Channel Five rollout which was also Free To Air on Analogue Satellite. The system was planned for only four channels. Five was intended for Digital TV which hadn't arrived. 

So these loops were chosen for photogenic properties and visual attraction. Sound was irrelevant. They were *Trade Test/Demo transmissions so the shop windows would not just have a test card!*


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 19, 2014)

The Space Shuttle was pointless for manned expansion in Space. It couldn't even reach geo sync orbit. A major purpose was retrieval of Spy satellites using high definition flim.


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## Venusian Broon (Sep 19, 2014)

HareBrain said:


> Surprised no one's yet mentioned the first version of Battlestar Galactica.



I enjoyed the proper series. I think it was the final series when they found Earth and it seemed both the Galactica and the Cylons had ran out of fuel to have space dog fights or really do much else. Other than pop down to Earth for cheap away-day escapades. 



Apparently one of the worst British SF _and _sitcom's of all time was _Come back Mrs Noah_. circa 1977 - Mollie Sugden wins a cookery contest. Prize: to travel up and win a British space station. They lose control of station and she is trapped there. How could that fail???

I think I was far too young to see this, not a scrap of memory about it. Perhaps my parents did the correct thing and shielded my sensitive young mind from it.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 19, 2014)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Skippy Skippy a bush kangaroooo
> ...




They showed that steaming pile of   on tv in the  US back in the 1970's.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 19, 2014)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Very expensive. Even the DVD was a problem as they had dumped all the original files. CGI source files was several warehouses. Too expensive to keep. This also problem with scanning film at 4K and downsampling for DVD. When BluRay came along most of the raw 4K scans had been trashed. The live parts (film) of PAL Region DVD are thus higher quality than the CGI parts already! Not so noticeable on Region1 DVD (480 lines vs 576 lines in PAL Regions). I think they only had the TV station distribution tapes for the CGI parts.
> Actual 4K or UHD needs even higher resolution scans. Basically you need always to sample at twice the vertical and horizontal resolutions of your destination to avoid jaggies and aliasing effects such as Moire fringing etc.



Disappointing


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## BAYLOR (Sep 19, 2014)

Venusian Broon said:


> I enjoyed the proper series. I think it was the final series when they found Earth and it seemed both the Galactica and the Cylons had ran out of fuel to have space dog fights or really do much else. Other than pop down to Earth for cheap away-day escapades.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The 1978 Pilot was okay , but the show itself was pretty mediocre stuff a best.  Galatica 1980 is unwatchable.

The Ron Moore version is far superior.


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## Rodders (Sep 21, 2014)

Monkey! 

Must see television when I was a kid. Now look at it? It's truly awful 

Most of the seventies television has dated. The stories are quite simplistic compared to what we enjoy today. TV has evolved.


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## Vladd67 (Sep 21, 2014)

Space 1999 has not aged well, neither has UFO, although with modern sfx UFOs dark storyline could be remade today. A pity nothing seemed to come of the film version.


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 21, 2014)

Space 1999 even when new was poorer than his puppet shows!

But I think most UK TV is poorer than *UK* 60s, 70s & 80s programs. 
Soaps, reality TV, imported Daytime TV junk, dominance now of US programs.


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## Ursa major (Sep 21, 2014)

HareBrain said:


> Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly


They don't sing about the landings, I note. One has to hope that _they_ weren't cannonball-like.


Ray McCarthy said:


> Champion was recycled as Skippy the Kangaroo


Not to mention _Flipper_. (Sorry, I didn't mean to mention it.)


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## Ray McCarthy (Sep 21, 2014)

Is Staff here allowed to mention Flipper?


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## BAYLOR (Sep 21, 2014)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Is Staff here allowed to mention Flipper?




I don't think Flipper counts as science fiction.


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## Foxbat (Sep 21, 2014)

Venusian Broon said:


> .
> 
> It's hard to imagine but there was a time when there was so little content for the television that the BBC had to run 1930-40's cinema reels to fill up space.


 
I've got a fair few of these and probably still watch them more than I do regular TV. I am a bit of a serial geek of course

Buck Rogers gave us Erin Gray in a tight catsuit so I don't care how dated that show is

*The Tomorrow People* definitely didn't age well but one (I think) that stood the test of time pretty well was the children's show Timeslip. It gave kids some serious subject matter to ponder.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 21, 2014)

The original* Outer Limits* looks a bit long in the tooth but It's still a great tv show to watch.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 21, 2014)

The original trek is also looking a bit dated,  but they seems to have breathed new life into it with the new special effects and sequences.


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## Jo Zebedee (Sep 21, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> I don't think Flipper counts as science fiction.



What!? Keels over. Show me anyone who talks to dolphins...


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## BAYLOR (Sep 21, 2014)

springs said:


> What!? Keels over. Show me anyone who talks to dolphins...



There was Darwin the talking Dolphin on Seaquest


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## BAYLOR (Oct 5, 2014)

Vladd67 said:


> Space 1999 has not aged well, neither has UFO, although with modern sfx UFOs dark storyline could be remade today. A pity nothing seemed to come of the film version.




*Space 1999 *had great visuals which have held up pretty well,  but The moon traveling at sub-light velocity is one of the major flaws that this series. But if you suspend disbelief, it is entertaining.  Season One is the best season two is downright silly.


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## Vince W (Oct 6, 2014)

Just ordered the *Space 1999 *Season One blu-ray. I'm really looking forward to watching it again. If they ever release the second season I'll probably get it just for completion sake.


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## BAYLOR (Nov 1, 2014)

Vince W said:


> Just ordered the *Space 1999 *Season One blu-ray. I'm really looking forward to watching it again. If they ever release the second season I'll probably get it just for completion sake.




They were supposed to do a reboot of 1999, Id love to have seen that. 

They did do a Graphic novel series * SPACE 1999 AFTERSHOCK AND AWE.*


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## Vince W (Nov 2, 2014)

BAYLOR said:


> They were supposed to do a reboot of 1999, Id love to have seen that.
> 
> They did do a Graphic novel series * SPACE 1999 AFTERSHOCK AND AWE.*



I didn't know that. I'll have to track a copy down and give it a look. Thanks.


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## Ice fyre (Nov 20, 2014)

I think everyone has mentioned the main ones, I have happy memories of Battlestar Galactica being re shown on wednesday nights on BBC 2 some years after it was first shown. Galactica 80's, in a word, dreadful, horrible mess of a show. Buck Rodgers, sigh, where to start. I remmber the 30's and 40's series being shown on kids morning TV, usually after the main programmes, some years it was Flash Gordon some it was Buck Rodgers. Then of course we had the 70's version, lots of very tight lycra, how many young men's first crush was Wilma Dearing......just me? Erm ok then....cough I'll get me coat. then the second series ruined it. The "Seeker" was a terrible terrible idea. Changed Twiki's voice too! Murf! Just wasnt the same!


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## SimpleCountrySysadmin (Nov 22, 2014)

After a recent revisit, I'm sad to report that _Seaquest: DSV _also aged very poorly...


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## BAYLOR (Nov 23, 2014)

SimpleCountrySysadmin said:


> After a recent revisit, I'm sad to report that _Seaquest: DSV _also aged very poorly...



It looked dated when it was new.


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## BAYLOR (Dec 1, 2014)

*knight Rider * when it came out in 1984, it looked cutting edge , 30 years later it looks quaint.


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## BAYLOR (Dec 21, 2014)

*The Six  Million Dollar Man *   and  *The Bionic Woman       *In it's day seeing Steve Austin and Jamie Somers run in slow motion to simulate speed was appropriate for the 70's . Today It looks dated and silly .


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## BAYLOR (Dec 23, 2014)

Just about evry series done by Irwin Allen but they are still fun to watch.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 2, 2015)

*The Twilight Zone *Though the story telling is timeless, the special effects and props are not.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 8, 2015)

Star Trek The Next Generation, we've pretty surpassed some the things they have, like data pads for example. 

We're still working on warp drive though.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 22, 2015)

Ray McCarthy said:


> Space 1999 even when new was poorer than his puppet shows!
> 
> But I think most UK TV is poorer than *UK* 60s, 70s & 80s programs.
> Soaps, reality TV, imported Daytime TV junk, dominance now of US programs.




The acting in *Space 1999* and *UFO *was a bit wooden.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 15, 2016)

Some of the effects on *Babylon 5 *haven't aged well.


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## Kylara (Feb 15, 2016)

Anyone tried to watch _IT_ recently? That has not aged well at all! Poor _IT, _looks more comedy than horror now


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## reiver33 (Feb 15, 2016)

Blakes-7 was 'BBC effects' from the get-go, so always ropey, but it was the characterisation which lifted it above the mire of wobbly sets and that damn quarry.

Star Cops hasn't aged too badly, in my opinion (but then again I fancied the Australian girl something rotten)


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## BAYLOR (Feb 15, 2016)

Kylara said:


> Anyone tried to watch _IT_ recently? That has not aged well at all! Poor _IT, _looks more comedy than horror now



The Giant Spider looks even more cheesy.


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## logan_run (Feb 17, 2016)

the starlost from the 70 s!


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## BAYLOR (Feb 17, 2016)

logan_run said:


> the starlost from the 70 s!



That looked cheesy even when it was new.


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## Vladd67 (Apr 11, 2016)

reiver33 said:


> Blakes-7 was 'BBC effects' from the get-go, so always ropey, but it was the characterisation which lifted it above the mire of wobbly sets and that damn quarry.


I have recently been watching this on YouTube, my daughter, aged 11, loves it. Ok the effects are a little ropey but the stories really have her hooked, she watched series one episodes 1 to 8 in one sitting.


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## galanx (Apr 11, 2016)

"Voyage To See What's On The Bottom", as the Mad magazine parody called it. 

I remember my excitement at a preview of what was finally going to be a real modern science fiction adventure show on TV - turned out to be "Lost in Space".


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## Old_Man_Steve2016 (Apr 14, 2016)

Some early episodes of the X-Files seem a bit dated. Some don't.


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## nzreader (Apr 21, 2016)

Vladd67 said:


> I have recently been watching this on YouTube, my daughter, aged 11, loves it. Ok the effects are a little ropey but the stories really have her hooked, she watched series one episodes 1 to 8 in one sitting.


Be cool to see if they do a remake


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## Vladd67 (Apr 21, 2016)

nzreader said:


> Be cool to see if they do a remake


Seems to be an idea that pops up now and again.
Blake’s 7: Whatever Happened To That Reboot Series, Anyway? | Giant Freakin Robot


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## BAYLOR (Apr 21, 2016)

Vladd67 said:


> Seems to be an idea that pops up now and again.
> Blake’s 7: Whatever Happened To That Reboot Series, Anyway? | Giant Freakin Robot



It sounds like it stuck in development limbo.


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## logan_run (Apr 26, 2016)

BAYLOR said:


> They showed that steaming pile of   on tv in the  US back in the 1970's.


Originaal battestar galactica,  babylon 5


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## Ray McCarthy (Apr 26, 2016)

logan_run said:


> Originaal battestar galactica


Wasn't great then



logan_run said:


> babylon 5


Still one of the best SF TV Series, that actually managed to be mostly SF.


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## Kieran Song (May 27, 2016)

The original star trek. I'm sorry, but pink cotton balls aren't menacing.


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## BAYLOR (May 30, 2016)

Kieran Song said:


> The original star trek. I'm sorry, but pink cotton balls aren't menacing.



The old special effects don't look so good on high definition.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 29, 2016)

Old_Man_Steve2016 said:


> Some early episodes of the X-Files seem a bit dated. Some don't.



Most of them do hold up.


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## logan_run (Oct 30, 2016)

Quantum leap


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## coffleprong (Nov 29, 2016)

Star Trek for me too


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## BAYLOR (Nov 29, 2016)

coffleprong said:


> Star Trek for me too



The old Trek timeline hasn't aged well at all.


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## Justin Swanton (Nov 29, 2016)

Space 1999


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## Dennis E. Taylor (Nov 29, 2016)

TBH, Space 1999 wasn't great when it was first broadcast. I've never figured out why directors think that having people move in slow motion indicates "in vacuum".


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## Nate Hoffelder (Nov 29, 2016)

BAYLOR said:


> SimpleCountrySysadmin said:
> 
> 
> > After a recent revisit, I'm sad to report that _Seaquest: DSV _also aged very poorly...
> ...



Seaquest was a Star Trek knockoff from the start, and was created by people who didn't really understand what made Star Trek great. As a result they made a cargo-cult copy - all surface and no substance.



BAYLOR said:


> Star Trek The Next Generation, we've pretty surpassed some the things they have, like data pads for example.
> 
> We're still working on warp drive though.



Many of the ST:TNG shows are still watchable, though.



Old_Man_Steve2016 said:


> Some early episodes of the X-Files seem a bit dated. Some don't.



I find the entire X-Files series to be dated and unwatchable. It did not age well now that we have so many good SF series to watch.


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## HanaBi (Dec 7, 2016)

*UFO*

Everything about this old 70s TV show looks incredibly dated! And in particular the female Moonbase Alphans and their purple bobs, overdone makeup and semi-revealing "string vest" things. And the blokes in their tight-fitting, loud coloured, no-collar suits and mandatory sideburns.

Moreover, you had the computers with lots & lots of flashing lights and banks of switches that didn't actually do or tell you anything. But looked sufficiently impressive for "1980"

It was a good show for its time: like a live-action Captain Scarlet/Thunderbirds rolled into one. But looks rather hokey now (although the gull-wing car Ed Straker swanned about in, had a very Delorean feel about it)

The opening theme music still gets the pulse going though!


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## reiver33 (Dec 8, 2016)

Many years ago the SF Society at uni had as a guest speaker a special effects guy who'd worked on UFO. The gull-wing cars were so unreliable that they were generally given a pushed 'running start' to get them into shot - hence the smooth deceleration.

Oh, and the model of Princess Leia's ship in the original Star Wars was bigger than the Imperial Star Destroyer.


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## BAYLOR (Dec 8, 2016)

reiver33 said:


> Many years ago the SF Society at uni had as a guest speaker a special effects guy who'd worked on UFO. The gull-wing cars were so unreliable that they were generally given a pushed 'running start' to get them into shot - hence the smooth deceleration.
> 
> Oh, and the model of Princess Leia's ship in the original Star Wars was bigger than the Imperial Star Destroyer.



Which company built the cars for UFO?


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## reiver33 (Dec 8, 2016)

The futuristic, gull-winged cars driven by the Ed Straker and Paul Foster characters were originally built for the Anderson movie _Doppelgänger_ (from Wikipedia)


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## BAYLOR (Dec 8, 2016)

reiver33 said:


> The futuristic, gull-winged cars driven by the Ed Straker and Paul Foster characters were originally built for the Anderson movie _Doppelgänger_ (from Wikipedia)



Ive seen that film and it didn't dawn on me that those same cars were used in UFO.


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## Vladd67 (Dec 8, 2016)

reiver33 said:


> Many years ago the SF Society at uni had as a guest speaker a special effects guy who'd worked on UFO. The gull-wing cars were so unreliable that they were generally given a pushed 'running start' to get them into shot - hence the smooth deceleration.
> 
> Oh, and the model of Princess Leia's ship in the original Star Wars was bigger than the Imperial Star Destroyer.


Well it was going to be the Millennium Falcon, so it was originally an important model.


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## Ursa major (Dec 10, 2016)

Bizmuth said:


> I've never figured out why directors think that having people move in slow motion indicates "in vacuum".


Because it sucks...?
​


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## Vladd67 (Dec 10, 2016)

I always thought it was more zero or low g than a vacuum.


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## Ursa major (Dec 10, 2016)

But that's just wrong: things ought to be moving very fast to simulate waitweightlessness....


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## Lafayette (Dec 16, 2016)

Battle Star Galactica and Buck Rogers were not my favorite programs which was rather unfortunate because I like science fiction.

What disturbed me the most about Buck Rogers was that Buck Rogers was only a Captain and here he was bossing around Colonel. Deering. Anyone with any military knowledge knows that a Captain is below a Colonel. If there was a logical reason for this I don't remembered it being explain. On reflection it makes you wonder what else the writers, the directors, and producers were totally ignorant about.

The program I did like was 'The Greatest American Hero'.


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## Nate Hoffelder (Dec 16, 2016)

Lafayette said:


> The program I did like was 'The Greatest American Hero'.



That was a stinker of a show even when it was new.

I'm not saying it was bad - just low budget and campy. It embraced both those qualities.


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## Lafayette (Dec 18, 2016)

When you say campy I think of the old Batman tv show which in the long run was a disappointment to me. 

I never thought of The Greatest American Hero in the same way. Batman and Robin were corny and not very believable where as The Greatest American Hero was. The poor guy, Ralph Hinkley, half the time didn't know what the powers were or how to use them, wasn't crazy about being a super hero in the first place, and on top of that had to contend with a gung ho FBI agent Bill Maxwell. Even if you (the viewer) couldn't identify with Ralph you could sympathize with him.

And on a minor note (again my opinion) Ralph Hinkley in his red underwear didn't look as bad as Batman and Robin in their costumes.

I believe if the network took the program more seriously it would have turn into a less cheesy program and made the Super Hero genre a more respectful genre than the big and bad joke that Batman was.


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## Danny McG (Dec 29, 2016)

Phoenix 5  and Star Maidens tv series.    And the film A.I looks dated due to the twin towers rising out of the future flooded New York.


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## Ajid (Dec 29, 2016)

I would say the TV series Sliders has aged terribly and it is a shame some concepts in the odd episode were very good.


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## BAYLOR (Dec 29, 2016)

Ajid said:


> I would say the TV series Sliders has aged terribly and it is a shame some concepts in the odd episode were very good.



Getting rid of Professor Arturo really ruined this show.


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## RX-79G (Jan 4, 2017)

I thought Stargate SG1 was dated on day one. Same with Firefly.

Most of the X-Men movies look cheap.

The over CGI'd Star Wars Ep. 1-3 look like SyFy channel productions.


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## BAYLOR (Jan 9, 2017)

HanaBi said:


> *UFO*
> 
> Everything about this old 70s TV show looks incredibly dated! And in particular the female Moonbase Alphans and their purple bobs, overdone makeup and semi-revealing "string vest" things. And the blokes in their tight-fitting, loud coloured, no-collar suits and mandatory sideburns.
> 
> ...



Setting it in the year 1980 didn't help.


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## BAYLOR (Jan 19, 2017)

dannymcg said:


> Phoenix 5  and Star Maidens tv series.    And the film A.I looks dated due to the twin towers rising out of the future flooded New York.



Ive seen a couple of episodes of Star Maidens.  The special effects do look about quaint.


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## Galactic Journey (Jul 11, 2017)

Lafayette said:


> I never thought of The Greatest American Hero in the same way. Batman and Robin were corny and not very believable where as The Greatest American Hero was. The poor guy, Ralph Hinkley, half the time didn't know what the powers were or how to use them, wasn't crazy about being a super hero in the first place, and on top of that had to contend with a gung ho FBI agent Bill Maxwell. Even if you (the viewer) couldn't identify with Ralph you could sympathize with him.
> 
> And on a minor note (again my opinion) Ralph Hinkley in his red underwear didn't look as bad as Batman and Robin in their costumes.



I showed my daughter TGAH 30 years after it came out (she was seven, the same age as I was when I first watched it), and she loved it.  So... I think that indicates it aged well!


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## Lafayette (Jul 12, 2017)

It is always gratifying to know that others don't think you are a moron.


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## Galactic Journey (Jul 12, 2017)

Lafayette said:


> It is always gratifying to know that others don't think you are a moron.



Far from it!  I remember when Ralph had to change his last name so as not to be associated with the President's would-be assassin...


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## Lafayette (Jul 13, 2017)

Okay. Now I am a real moron. What does Ralph having to change his name has to do with me being a moron? I am not angry, just puzzled.


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## Galactic Journey (Jul 13, 2017)

We're having a strange miscommunication.  I never said, not meant to imply, that you are (or that I think) you are a moron. 

Hence "Far from it!"  i.e. Greatest American Hero is an awesome show, and no one is dumb for liking it 

As for the latter, that's just a (clunkily segued) related thought.  Ralph started out as Hinkley until another Hinkley shot Reagan.  Then his name was changed to.. Hamdy?  Or something like that.


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## Lafayette (Jul 13, 2017)

Thank you for the clarification.

Yeah I remember Ralph having to change his name. I had a friend named Skip that thought the producers of the show were pretty cowardly for doing that.  His last name was changed to Hanley.


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## Dennis E. Taylor (Jul 14, 2017)

Hanley.

It essentially shone a light on the thing, so had the opposite effect of what they intended.


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## Mirannan (Jul 17, 2017)

Lafayette said:


> Battle Star Galactica and Buck Rogers were not my favorite programs which was rather unfortunate because I like science fiction.
> 
> What disturbed me the most about Buck Rogers was that Buck Rogers was only a Captain and here he was bossing around Colonel. Deering. Anyone with any military knowledge knows that a Captain is below a Colonel. If there was a logical reason for this I don't remembered it being explain. On reflection it makes you wonder what else the writers, the directors, and producers were totally ignorant about.
> 
> The program I did like was 'The Greatest American Hero'.



Well, a naval captain is of the same rank as a colonel in any other service (in the USA; just looked it up) and Buck Rogers might have been a naval flier. And there is no doubt who had seniority!


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## Vladd67 (Jul 17, 2017)

According to Wiki Buck Rogers was a NASA/USAF pilot so not a navy Captain. Must have because of seniority.


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## BAYLOR (Aug 14, 2019)

Vladd67 said:


> According to Wiki Buck Rogers was a NASA/USAF pilot so not a navy Captain. Must have because of seniority.



That show certainly hasn't aged well.


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## BAYLOR (Nov 11, 2019)

Galactic Journey said:


> We're having a strange miscommunication.  I never said, not meant to imply, that you are (or that I think) you are a moron.
> 
> Hence "Far from it!"  i.e. Greatest American Hero is an awesome show, and no one is dumb for liking it
> 
> As for the latter, that's just a (clunkily segued) related thought.  Ralph started out as Hinkley until another Hinkley shot Reagan.  Then his name was changed to.. Hamdy?  Or something like that.



Changing his last name made no sense at all.


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## Rodders (Nov 12, 2019)

It's fair to say that TV has now become so well produced that everything will not age well at all. We've become quite sophisticated with our TV requirements. The "Ship of the Week" shows we grew up with have been replaced by complicated and detailed story arcs with character backgrounds to go with them.


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## BAYLOR (Jul 30, 2020)

Rodders said:


> It's fair to say that TV has now become so well produced that everything will not age well at all. We've become quite sophisticated with our TV requirements. The "Ship of the Week" shows we grew up with have been replaced by complicated and detailed story arcs with character backgrounds to go with them.



Indeed.


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## BAYLOR (Aug 17, 2020)

And yet I find I can still enjoy these shows that have become dated.


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## Rodders (Aug 17, 2020)

Once I finish with new Who, I'm looking to binge watch the Original Series of Star Trek. I know they were refreshed somewhat, but it'll be interesting to see how they've dated.


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## BAYLOR (Aug 30, 2020)

Wonder Woman  the series.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 24, 2020)

*Looker *1981   A Micheal Crichton film


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## Guttersnipe (Oct 2, 2020)

Soylent Green (1973)


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## BAYLOR (Jun 13, 2021)

Guttersnipe said:


> Soylent Green (1973)



It does look like a 1970's projection of the future and a bit low tech though it did have a Solar Quest video game in it.


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## Mon0Zer0 (Jun 13, 2021)

BAYLOR said:


> *Looker *1981   A Micheal Crichton film



I *Love* Looker. it's a bonafide cyberpunk classic!


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## Mon0Zer0 (Jun 13, 2021)

I think Collosus: The Forbin Project hasn't aged well in terms of aesthetics, but I think the story is more relevant than. The sequels would have been interesting to film, too.

Demon Seed hasn't aged too well.


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## BAYLOR (Jun 13, 2021)

Mon0Zer0 said:


> I *Love* Looker. it's a bonafide cyberpunk classic!



It was cutting edge in it's  day and age and was entertaining . Its become a forgotten film.


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## BAYLOR (Jun 13, 2021)

Mon0Zer0 said:


> I think Collosus: The Forbin Project hasn't aged well in terms of aesthetics, but I think the story is more relevant than. The sequels would have been interesting to film, too.
> 
> Demon Seed hasn't aged too well.



Ive seen the Forbin Project and read the book ,  A very good film , very well acted  with  a great cast lead by Richard Braeden . Yes , the sequels would have been cool.

Ive seen Demon. It hasn't aged well but could do with a reboot.


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## Ori Vandewalle (Jun 13, 2021)

Guttersnipe said:


> Soylent Green (1973)


The main problem I had with Soylent Green is that Chuck doesn't actually do anything. He wanders around and is told plot points by other characters.


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## JohnM (Jun 13, 2021)

The original Star Trek still holds up, and includes a human element missing from later TV SF. The original Outer Limits. In doing the remake, those involved could not identify how the original worked. Anything after the original Star Trek just aged poorly and kept getting worse as new attempts were made to keep Star Trek going.


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## Saiyali (Jun 13, 2021)

I'm thinking too literally, but all the episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960s (William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton stories) that were basically thrown away and destroyed by the BBC in the 1970s because of re-broadcasting rights complications...

That whole sorry tale has not aged well


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## Laura R Hepworth (Jul 12, 2021)

*Space Precinct* and *Timecop* definitely are very dated. Though I must admit to enjoying Space Precinct. Just finished watching Timecop on Tubi, found it hilarious that their 'future' was only set in 2007 just ten years after when the show came out   .


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## BAYLOR (Jul 12, 2021)

Laura R Hepworth said:


> *Space Precinct* and *Timecop* definitely are very dated. Though I must admit to enjoying Space Precinct. Just finished watching Timecop on Tubi, found it hilarious that their 'future' was only set in 2007 just ten years after when the show came out   .



Id say that qualifies for obsolesce .


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## reiver33 (Jul 13, 2021)

'Timecop' is set in 2007 because when time travel is eventually invented, that's the furthest back the tech could be retconned. Obvious when you think about it...


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