Stargate SG-1 or Babylon 5 (1 Viewer)

[Chris Huber]

Right now I am looking for something new to get into.

I loved Star Trek:TNG. I thought DS9 was good. Voyager seemed like it kinda lost something, and I didn't get started with it. I am following BSG, and enjoying it (not as much as TNG though).


How would SG-1 be? What did you guys think with regards to the above?

 

[BobSchneider]

I love both shows and have all the seasons of sg-1 and B5 and although I was a hugh ds9 fan Ive havent collected all the seasons due to stupid pricing on all star treks season sets (here in LA used season sets of ds 9 still go for 60.00 to 70.00 range still) . If you like the serious drama of ds-9 , B5 would be right up your alley its a serious sci fic , with one caveat the special effect were first gen computer generated animation are not up to snuff with star trek stuff done of the same area (ie star trek pc oh sorry next generation) but its the story lines and the character development is awsome (like ds9) . But I also enjoy slightly less serious sic fic like SG-1, it really a great buddy aventure , with great villains (both alien and earth bound) nice special effects great, complex stories and but cut with some humor so it doesnt come a stiff military sci fic drama like bad 50's sic fic movie. B5 sets used tend to be abit more expensive, 25.00 to 35.00 range used were sg-1 season sets new can go for as little as 19.95 (watch for loss leaders in sunday ads). I love both shows and they both stand repeated watchings. Have fun.

 

[Will_B]

Farscape. Somewhat erratic writing at times, but the Jim Henson studios made it visually impressive. A very colorful universe.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I haven't seen B5, but Stargate is a hell of a lot of fun. It was some of the most fun I've had watching a TV series. I still need to catch up on the most recent seasons.

 

[tjguitar85]

B5 all the way.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

BOTH!!!

B5 is superb drama, with a pretty tight and interesting story arc.

SG1 is the ultimate in team adventures. Is it a bit less serious than B5, INDEED!

 

[RogerH]

I agree with Qui-Gon John. I own both series (watching SG-1 season 10 now) and they are both worth owning they are great entertainment. Also don't forget Stargate Atlantis

 

[Scott-S]

I would vote for B5. You won't be disappointed. But you have to commit to watch it all. Don't judge the show by it's first few episodes. It takes a while for the main story arch to get going.

B5 has one of the best stories and characters in any series I have ever watched.

 

[Arild]

That should probably be said about SG-1 as well. Love the show, but there were some real crappy episodes in the first season.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I have to admit, while both shows are pretty good, Stargate SG-1 is more fun to watch. Babylon 5 is more of a military sci fi series while Stargate doesn't go too far into that aspect. I'd recommend Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis.

 

[nicholas_g]

I like both series but B5 is very serious drama. B5 also has five movies and there is spin off Crusade/Crusade movie pilot at the end.

SG1 is perhaps my favourite TV series even over my other favourite X Files. SG1 can be serious when it has to be but it can be very funny at the same time.

I would go for SG1 and Atlantis (watch Atlantis S1 from SG1 season 8).

 

[BrandonJF]

I really WANTED to get into B5.... and I tried. I watch 4.25 seasons of it. I definitely saw some good stuff in there, but, overall, didn't have much fun with it (well, I do recall liking season 3+4 quite alot). I thought half of the cast was great and half of the cast was awful. I found it to have a certain charm and I can't say I felt like I wasted my time, but at times it felt like "work" to get through it. And, obviously, the last season was getting to be too much work, since I bailed at that point. I still regret selling off the DVD sets. Maybe if WB goes the complete series route and offers up more extras/spiffy packaging it will give me an excuse to revisit.

I found Stargate SG-1 to be much more fun - at least, the earlier episodes I've seen. I did skip forward to seasons 9/10 when the Farscape leads joined the cast and didn't care much for those episodes. Although, maybe they just have the disservice of being watched along with Stargate : Atlantis, which I find to be phenomenonal. I still need to start watching those Stargate DVDs again...

 

[Katherine_K]

Babylon 5 would be my vote but I own both and like both. Okay, I should say I like the first five seasons of Stargate. It got very long in the tooth, especially the last three seasons. In the end though they are very different. Season 5 of Babylon 5 has troubles because the studio basically told the creator he wasn't going to get a fifth season so he wrapped up his storylines in a neat little bow in season four.

The one thing to remember about Babylon 5 is that the studio interfered a lot in the first season and insisted on stand alone episodes and many of those are weak, but it picks up in season 2. There is very little scifi around that I think can compete with how good Babylon 5 was in it's second-fourth seasons. The movies are generally good too, but skip Legend of the Rangers. I don't mind the first gen computer special effects, but I don't watch shows for FX.

You didn't ask but since we had someone rec Farscape I will say that that was a very interesting series but they quickly got to the point where it was very self referencial and difficult to follow. And I watched the entire series in a few weeks time. It was still difficult to follow season three on. But when it's good it's great.

I would also rec the new Battlestar Galactica as being a great serious drama, but I joke that it should come with a bottle of prozac and a balloon. Babylon 5 never got quite that bad and still had a sense of humor about itself.

 

[BobSchneider]

Considering the low budgets B5 was produced it a amazing show but you got to watch all five seasons because season five is the pay off of the series. The set prices for crusade (13 episodes no resolution) and still 50.00 bucks retail 40.00 on DDD is still a bad buy useless I can get used cheap (rather save my pennys for jag , ncis or the sg alantis sets).
SG-1 I agree I like the richard dean anderson years best, I dont hate claudia black or ben brower, its I just miss Jack, lol. Btw as a extra in either season seven or eight it has Richard Dean Anderson receiving award from the US air force assoication for SG-1's positive portrail of usaf and usaf officers in major tv show or motion picture. It was a big black tie shingdig and the then Command general of the usaf and secretary of usaf showed at the washington event. So although SG-1 isnt too military to be unwatchable, the USAF enjoys the free publicity the show gives the air force.

 

[Marko Berg]

Those are very different series, but like many others in this thread, I would recommend both. I, too, own every season of both series and enjoy them immensely.

 

[Sam Favate]

I can't speak to Stargate (never followed it, although I've heard so many good things, I should probably check it out), but if you are looking for a show to get into, I highly recommended Babylon 5. There is a great universe of characters, worlds and species in B5 that rivals any other genre program or film series. It's perhaps the finest science fiction program ever to be, and with the strongest vision that is consistent throughout the years.

 

[JoePassmore]

My vote is for Stargate. I was never really a fan of B5; I thought the acting was poor and the VFX cheesy...took me out of the story.

Then go into Stargate Atlantis as well...

 

[Aryn Leroux]

I realize there are quite a few die-hard fans of B5. I tried several times to get into the show myself. I can get passed the terrible cgi that doesn't bother me really. But the acting in this show is flat out terrible, some of the worst you will ever see for something as popular as this. I think it is highly over-rated but that is just my 2 cent's.

Of the two shows you have to go with SG-1. As with B5 though it also starts with a not so good first season. It is still highly entertaining though (while b5 s1 is a snoozefest) So once you get by that it really takes off into being a great show from seasons 2 through 8. I would do yourself a favor and don't watch beyond that. S8 is a good end to a great show.

 

[whisperintherain]

I for one, have never watched a single episode of either Stargate show (I've simply never been attracted to it, specifically because the military uniforms they are constantly shown wearing in cast pictures made me think the franchise was heavy-handed on the military stuff) and would highly recommend Babylon 5, which is just captivating, especially Seasons 3 and 4. Out of curiosity, I would like people who complain about the acting on the show to single out who exactly they have a problem with in the cast as I myself only find one particular actress terrible (Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander) and don't really see why people keep saying the acting on the show is awful. Bad acting doesn't prevent me from enjoying an engaging story, though (if it did, Tom Welling would have made me give up on Smallville long ago and I wouldn't have sat through Michelle Rodriguez's stint on Lost).

 

[BobSchneider]

LoL wow B5 posts alway bring out its haters lol . Hey I understand I can not stand anything written by Ann rice or her bd porn stuff written as ann rampling bleh! But I think every one agrees that SG-1 fun show to watch a collect and if you look at the sunday ads season can be found in the 12.00 to 15.00 range. Btw I like so far all ten seasons of sg1, but I do have a preference for the first eight "jack' seasons, season one was effected by showtime wet dream of "serious R rate sci fic" I think they wanted a sex in the city or something like the god awful reincartion of the Outer soft porn or sorry new outer limits of sci fic and got something else which is why they dropped after the third season. One of Sci Fic channels smartest moves was to pick SG-1 immediately

. There only three stinker eposide I hate to watch in the ten season of sg 1. Its the esopides with the martin chacter (worm hole excreme, 200 and if forget the first eposides name) But out 10 season to only have (in my mind) three sinkers is pretty good for sci fic. Yeah get sg-1 , although b5 is a loss leader at worst buy for 19.95 good to test the waters on that show too.