OK, so we love our Star Treks and our Twilight
Zones and our Losts (I think it's ok to call it sci-fi), but what about the worst science fiction
shows of all-time? Let the arguments begin...
My picks after the jump...
- Far Out Space Nuts: Gilligan in space, with the production values of your local cable station. And about as funny as leprosy. Even as a kid I said to myself, "wow, this stupid...I wonder if Bugs Bunny is on right now?"
- Cleopatra 2525: I think this was something about an exotic dancer who's frozen and thawed in the future and helps two other females save the planet? It was one of those shows that seemed to just saturate in its own instant kitsch and "we're so bad we're good!" But the show was horribly acted, had mindnumbing plots, and the sets were laughable.
- Battlestar Galactica (original): I was so excited about this show when I heard about it, but even as a 14 year old sci-fi geek, I couldn't get into it. The special effects just looked cheesy to me, the Ceylons were about as scary as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, and the stories didn't hook me at all. Plus it had a kid and some goofy Muppet as a pet.
- Mann and Machine: Sure, Yancy Butler in a bathing suit was great, but other than that. It was about a rebel cop (his name was Mann) who was teamed with a female partner who was a robot (she was the Machine). Her name was Eve, so I think they should have just named him Adam and called the show...oh, never mind.
- Electra Woman and Dyna Girl: Yeah, I know, it was for kids, and there's some kitsch value, but...what a bad show. This starred Days Of Our Lives veteran Deidre Hall and was part of the Krofft Supershow, along with Dr. Shrinker, Wonderbug and The Lost Saucer.
Oh, The Lost Saucer! That was awful too. Jim Nabors and Ruth Buzzi on a spaceship. Yikes.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-27-2005 @ 1:49PM
elf said...
Don't forget Holmes and Yoyo! It certainly preceeded Mann and Machine as far as pairing a human cop with a robot partner. It was intended to be a comedy, though apparently nobody was laughing.
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10-27-2005 @ 1:50PM
Emily said...
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. What a stinker.
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10-27-2005 @ 2:08PM
Andrew said...
I dont think any of these ever made it to the UK. If they did i missed them... shame. (Or perhaps just lucky)
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10-27-2005 @ 2:11PM
big d said...
Galactica 1980
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10-27-2005 @ 2:21PM
The Jeremy said...
ElectraWoman is sometimes shown on TV Land. I caught an episode or two last year. Made me laugh.
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10-27-2005 @ 2:31PM
Joe Taylor Jr. said...
What, no "Homeboys in Outer Space?"
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10-27-2005 @ 2:31PM
R-Bro said...
Man, I don't know how old I was at the time (9 or 10, maybe?), but I used to *love* The Lost Saucer. And I had a bigtime crush on DynaGirl.
My personal worst sci-fi series? Star Trek Enterprise. Completely and utterly ruined Trek canon and just plain sucked to boot.
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10-27-2005 @ 2:33PM
TheMatt said...
I think you forgot the best worst show ever, AUTOMAN:
http://www.chuckwagner.com/automan.html
Cursor ruled.
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10-27-2005 @ 2:39PM
elf said...
Wait one big fat second here. Can anyone seriopusly argue that "Lost in Space" does not deserveone of the top two or three spots on the list?
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10-27-2005 @ 2:40PM
Seth Brundle said...
First, yeah it was a kids show so why are you categorizing it as sci-fi?!!? Would you consider 'Saved By The Bell' a bad sitcom? Target audience matters. There is plenty of bad sci-fi that you dont need to pick from kids shows!
But whats more - this was a *great* kid's show. I loved it, so did everyone I knew. It was way ahead of its time, with powerful hero chicks in tight costumes. Sure, seems cheesy now because it's so dated, but at the time it was fresh and fun.
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10-27-2005 @ 3:28PM
Measure said...
Look, my cultural history only goes back the the 80's, when I got old enough to watch TV. So I don't know about all those old shows, but I can think of a couple of really bad Sci-fi I've seen in the last 20 years.
Sliders - Especially the sci-fi network version
Seaquest - I never watched this much because of the talking dolphin, but I'm told they eventually dealt with great science fiction topics like underwater wormholes???
Earth 2 - Tried to get into this one. Remember it being astoundingly horrible.
I'd also put any Star Trek series except ST:TNG and ST:DS9 on the list. And I'm probably being too kind to those two shows, but I was a fan.
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10-27-2005 @ 3:54PM
Tim said...
It's About Time! Mid 60's astronauts get thrown back in time where they meet Joe E. Ross (from Car 54) and Imogene Coca hitting rock bottom in their careers playing cave people. [pun intended]
When the premise flopped half way through the season, they altered the situation so the astronauts returned to the present and brought some of the cave people with them. Hilarity did NOT ensue!
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10-27-2005 @ 3:57PM
LC said...
Although it had a bit of camp to it, I would like to add Misfits of Science to the list.
Space Rangers also belongs in the upper echelon of Bad Sci Fi.
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10-27-2005 @ 3:58PM
TheMatt said...
Measure, I think you mean seaQuest DSV. Gotta get the capitalization right! Actually, the first two seasons were servicable. Then came that third year when the sub appeared in a cornfield or something. And that one character died, yet since they aired them out-of-order that year, he was in the episode after he died.
Yet it did have one redeeming feature: Kathy Evison. Still one of the top 5 most beautiful women on TV.
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10-27-2005 @ 4:08PM
TheMatt said...
And since I'm waiting for a program to compile, let me throw some more out:
VR.5
Time Trax
Tripping the Rift
Invisible Man (the old one with Ducky; the newer one was one of the best)
Sapphire and Steel, Lexx (I hated that show)
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Streethawk (why not)
Andromeda after RHW left
Mutant X (from the first episode)
Earth: Final Conflict (Liam on)
Black Scorpion
Manimal
I'm sure there are more...
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10-27-2005 @ 4:15PM
Jakob said...
cleopatra 2525 as #2? Are you insane. its one of the best shows ever. Have you seen how good Jennifer Sky looks? Enough said.
There are plenty of worse shows. Just in the last few years...andromeda (S3 and on), Jeremiah, odyssey 5, dr who and em i dunno Firefly. Yes i said it.
Surface is also pretty close to getting on this list if that annoying kid doesnt get eaten. The guy is more annoying than wesley Crusher, looks like an Ewok and has a small Jar Jar like pet. You cannot create a more annoying combination if you tried unless you put both the Ewok kid and that Jar jar i mean Nimrod in Paris Hiltons purse next to that ratdog thing she has.
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10-27-2005 @ 4:20PM
TheMatt said...
Since it's still compiling and I want stars, dagnabit:
Small Wonder
Wild Palms
Quark
Mercy Point
The Starlost
Starman
Touched By An Angel
My Favorite Martian
Strange Luck (that's from a friend, I actually liked it)
Robocop
Forever Knight
V: The Series
Beauty and the Beast
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10-27-2005 @ 4:49PM
Jamie said...
1. Buck Rogers
2. War of the Worlds
3. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
4. Beastmaster
5. MANTIS
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10-28-2005 @ 1:27AM
Josh said...
I don't know... I've always thought Doctor Who was pretty bad.
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10-28-2005 @ 2:44AM
jOHN said...
Would Baywatch Nights be considered Sci-Fi? If yes, then that should be on the list.
I liked Cleopatra 2525. I want a Jack of All Trades complete DVD set.
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