TV What's a good sci-fi show set in the future?

YawJr

Cadet
Can someone suggest to me a good sci-fi show which has a futuristic setting that actually remains in the future?

I just watched the 1st episode of "Continuum" and liked it. However, I really wish that the creators of the show had chosen to keep the story in the time of 2077 rather than time-traveling the story back to present day. This was also the case in Tera Nova, as we get a cool, futuristic Earth scene in the beginning then the story travels way back in time. This also happens in Battlestar Galactica, as well as several other shows. See the pattern?

Doomsday events and time-travel are fun, but must every show tease us with a grand, technologically superb future world only to shift from that to a basic country setting or wrecked planet? It's always either time travel or an apocalypse of sorts in every show and it's starting to look a lot less like good creative direction and more like an obvious attempt to save on production costs. I know it must be cheaper to film a barren wasteland than it would be to produce a light-filled futuristic cityscape show after show, but wouldn't it be nice if a few shows actually managed to deliver such scenery throughout its series? Are there any sci-fi shows where the setting actually takes place completely (or mostly) in the future?

It's such a disappointment at times to see such an awesome futuristic world only briefly before the show changes its setting to something we see everyday.
 
Firefly is a Sci-Fi western, that may work for you.

I don't think Star Trek spends much time anywhere but the future. (Can't confirm as I've never watched more than a few episodes. Can't stand Star Trek.)

But a lot of Sci-Fi shows take place 10 minutes into the future because it's more accessible to the viewer. Example, Stargate.

It's also a way to reduce the cost of filming if you don't have to build extravagant sets and have fancy special effects.
 
During its time, there was Space: 1999 set in the future. Some other ones like that were RoboCop (the TV series), Lost in Space, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Space: Above & Beyond, TekWar, and Babylon 5.
 
Man, Buck Rogers, I was so stoked last year when I found out it was on during my lunch break. Then 2 weeks later it was replaced with Ellen.
I got to watch the episode with Gary Coleman though so HAH!
 
Man, Buck Rogers, I was so stoked last year when I found out it was on during my lunch break. Then 2 weeks later it was replaced with Ellen.
I got to watch the episode with Gary Coleman though so HAH!
Replacing Buck Rogers with Ellen? Ouch! :P I can't even remember the last time I saw it airing on TV.
 
Neither television nor Hollywood have produced much in the way of great science fiction.

On the TV side there are few stellar examples which remained interesting, fresh, exciting, convincing, and challenging, more or less, to the bitter end. Those include Star Trek, Stargate, and Doctor Who. I never got the point of Battlestar, either time around; in my view it was Bonanza with (spacey) knobs on.

On the big screen, few movies stand out. Alien would have to take pole position for FX-driven shock and awe with Bladerunner equal first for its epic cinematography and tautly enigmatic plotting, denouement and open ending. However, too many otherwise very entertaining movies (The Fifth Element for example) are just an amusing romp with "spacey future stuff" to distract one from the sad fact that the (sci-fi element of) plot is rather thin. Modern TV sci-fi is pure undaulterated pants, and the USian stuff is mostly worse. Anyone seen trailers for Revolution????
 
Anyone seen trailers for Revolution????
Revolution the TV show? If so, then in the US the first season has already aired and the second is about to start in few weeks. I understand that it is just about to start airing the first season in the UK.

If you're not averse to some possible spoilers, we've been having a conversation about Revolution at Sci-Fi - Revolution (NBC). :smiley:
 
I've already decided to avoid Revolution. For two reasons. First because it's Hollywood. Second because its initial set-up is ludicrously silly (and will in all probability never be explained). And third ... :P ... because teaser clips suggest it'll be more like a lame steam-punk version of Bonanza.
 
I would recommend Space Above and Beyond. Like Starship Troopers set in the future but not too 'high tech'. Humans fighting against Aliens, test tube humans, US marines in space what's not to like!
 
I would recommend Space Above and Beyond. Like Starship Troopers set in the future but not too 'high tech'. Humans fighting against Aliens, test tube humans, US marines in space what's not to like!
Space: Above & Beyond was a great show that I was a fan of. I was surprised that it did not fare better ratings at the time.
 
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