[b]Enik1138 wrote:[/b]
[quote]io9 placed Space: 1999 season two as the ninth worst season of science-fiction/fantasy televsion:

[url=http://io9.com/5855113/the-10-most-mortifying-seasons-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy-tv-shows]The 10 Most Mortifying Seasons of Science Fiction and Fantasy TV Shows[/url][/quote]

What surprised me about the list was the fact that there was no mention of that truly DIRE tv series “Lost in Space”. Virtually every episode is utter drivel. Also, I was surprised that Season 2 of The Next Generation was voted number one! This is the season that had “Q-Who”, “The Emissary” (with K’ehleyr), “Elementary Dear Data” & several other brilliant episodes to its credit. Surely he must have meant Season 1 of TNG which, imho, is virtually unwatchable so bad is the writing and so wooden and forced the acting. I think only “11001001” (a favourite of mine), “Datalore” & “Too Short A Season” are the only episodes I can bear to sit through!

Compared to Season 1 of TNG, Year 2 of [b]SPACE: 1999[/b] (for all its many faults) is far more enjoyable and satisfying to watch!

Then there’s Season 1 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Now, I love the pilot episode/movie “Awakening” & find the characters (Buck, Wilma, Twiki, Doctor Theopolis & Doctor Huer) very likeable, but after the pilot, the series goes downhill from thereon in!

How can anyone compare brilliant episodes of Year 2 like “One Moment of Humanity”, “The Exiles”, “Seed of Destruction” etc. to nonsense like “Flight of the War Witch”, “Space Rockers” & “Cruise Ship to the Stars” & then say Year 2 of ’99 is one of the worst seasons of sci-fi ever screened on tv!! The 3 episodes I’ve named are some of the lamest & most embarassing episodes of Buck Rogers (or any series) I’ve ever watched. They are, imho, utter rubbish!

…but then so is “The Rules of Luton” (although the scenes with Maya talking about her father and Koening talking about his late wife are lovely), “Catacombs of the Moon”, “All that Glisters” (the opening scene in the Eagle’s Pilot Section and the closing scenes where Koenig says “Let’s go home” are the only good things about it tbh! LOL!), “The Taybor” (although Helena’s seduction scene with Koening is a definite highlight of the series for me!) & “A Matter of Balance” (I love the scenes in Command Centre when Tony nearly chokes on a sample of his latest batch of beer. The excuses everybody comes up with to avoid having to try it themselves are priceless. Bill’s “Sorry, I’m on a liquid-free diet” is my favourite!).

Yes, there is a small handful of Year 2 episodes that are pretty poor but compare this to the fact that pretty much EVERY episode of Buck Rogers Season 1 & TNG Season 1 are poor to the point of being unwatchable!

That being the case (imho), Year 2 shouldn’t really be in the Top 10 at all.

I suppose it’s all down to personal choice in the end. I’m sure my top 10 would look very different to i09’s. I’m sure yours would too… & that’s OK 😉

I think I09 was comparing the huge difference between seasons one and two of Space 1999. The changes were overwhelming and the show suffered badly because of it. I agree that there are some good story elements in year two but apart from the name of the show and four regular cast members just about everything else was changed and not for the better. I used to love the fact that every episode of year one left me with a question of either morals or science. I used to spend hours pondering just what those questions could have meant for the Alphans. Year2, every episode left me with a cheap, forced laugh.
My list of the ten worst seasons of TV would not include Space either, but I do understand where they are coming from.

[b]Zack wrote:[/b]
[quote]I used to love the fact that every episode of year one left me with a question of either morals or science. I used to spend hours pondering just what those questions could have meant for the Alphans. Year2, every episode left me with a cheap, forced laugh.[/quote]

Surely not every episode Zack? Yes, the closing scenes of “Rules of Luton”, Space Warp”, “The Beta Cloud” & “A Matter of Balance” to name just four, are all awful. They’re certainly very good examples of the point you’re trying to make whereas “One Moment of Humanity” & “Seed of Destruction” both end on sombre, dramatic notes. The impact of Elizia’s death at the end of “Devil’s Planet” (or “Escape from Entra” as I prefer to call it) is totally undermined by the inapropriate upbeat incidental music used over the scene rather than anything being wrong or shallow about the scene itself whereas the last scene of “The Dorcons” is quite rightly damned by the critics because it’s false and inappropriate. Thankfully, Powys re-dresses this in the subtly altered, bleaker version of this scene in the Year 2 Omnibus, which sets up Koenig’s mood in “Born for Adversity”.

[spoiler]In fact, the Year 2 Omnibus cleverly sets up the undercurrent of Koenig’s increasingly fatigued, tired, angry mood throughout, leading into the events seen in the Year 3 Powys novels very nicely indeed imho.[/spoiler]

Sometimes, I think the comedy works. The ending scenes of “The Exiles”, “The AB Crysalis” & “Bringers of Wonder – Part 2” always make me smile whilst the ending scenes of “The Metamorph”, “The Mark of Archanon” (when Koenig says “Is that all you have to be grateful for? & he & Helena then embrace & kiss oneanother), as well as the final scene of “The Lambda Factor” (where John falls asleep and Helena gently kisses him on the forehead) are all scenes I find touching.

On the subject of those “unanswered questions” that we see at the end of many a Year 1 episode, I agree, they are quite wonderful & thought provoking. My favourite episode endings of Year 1 are the closing scenes of “War Games” (“We’ve lost it”) & “Another Time, Another Place” (where Helena looks at the roses the alternative Victor gave her and our Victor looks away, embarassed perhaps, at having his true feelings for her revealed).

I like the fact that you can put on a Year 1 episode, and be satisfied in so many different ways, and then put on a Year 2 episode and be completely satisfied in an entirely different set of ways.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that Year 2 is, imho, a mixed bag. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s not ALL bad. I can find so many faults with it… but in equal measure, I can find so many good things to say about it.

One final thing: You haven’t seen Year 2 until you’ve seen it in French! (in France, it’s called [b]COSMOS: 1999[/b]) It’s hilarious! :silly:

[b]PatS wrote:[/b]
[quote]Steve, you are quite the romantic.[/quote]

You bet I am Pat! 😉

Talking of me being a bit of a romantic, I forgot to mention how much I LOVE the final scene in “Dorzak”. The warmth & affection Alan & Sahala show towards one another is wonderful. Both actors give really nice, convincing performances throughout the episode. Compare this to many of the “Romances of the Week” seen in various incarnations of Star Trek. Most of them are quite phoney despite the efforts of the talented actors involved. Here, that’s not the case. Both actors shine. The last line: “The way you say it is better” as Alan & Sahala say goodbye with a single kiss serves as a perfect ending to the episode & a really lovely closing scene that DEFINATELY makes me smile every time I see it :cheer:

On the subject of Sahala…

[spoiler]I have to admit, I was saddened to read of her death at the hands of the Pychons in “Born for Adversity”. Saying that, the brief return of Dorzak, was totally unexpected & very welcome. His scenes, though brief, served to highlight how right Sahala was to warn the Alphans about the nature of Dorzak & the Psychons in general. If only the Alphans had listened to her. Sahala is ultimately a tragic figure but in death, she proves herself to be a strong leader and a stand-out female character. It’s a shame we won’t be seeing her in any future Powys novels as I really liked the relationship she had with Alan & felt it had a lot of potential.[/spoiler]

[b]Ultra wrote:[/b]
[quote]I believe you missed the point of the article, which was not “what is the worst season of an SF show”, but
“what is the worst season of an SF show that started good and then went bad” ergo – the first season of the show can’t be the clunker by definition.[/quote]

Ah. I hadn’t realised that. Methinks you have demolished my argument Mr Ultra! LOL! (although I wouldn’t agree that Year 2 is “bad” merely flawed. Year 1 is flawed as well imho, but in very different ways). Buck Rogers-wsie, I think Season 2 is better than Season 1. Perhaps that’s why Season 2 of that series didn’t make it onto the list.

I have to admit, I’m a big fan of some of SF TV’s “Resident Aliens” such a Maya & Hawk. Maybe that’s why I seem to like the second seasons of these 2 series so much! 😉