Looking for dark sci-fi or fantasy TV suggestions

Currently enjoying Pennyworth...a good  Brit tale (1960's setting) of crime fantasy ,etc...with Alfred from the Batman saga I believe.

I binged Ad Vitam the other day on Netflix (only six episodes). Some complain that this French show moves far too slow, but such a pace is not uncommon with French shows, or anyone used to watching Art House films. Some complained about the dubbing into English, but I never go for dubs, preferring subtitles. Some complained about its lack of CGI and special effects, but for me that worked as a plus. It could be more convincing in its world building, and I do think I have seen better, but I liked it despite any financial limitations (so aside from its technology central to the show, the technology is very much like our own) and was ready to spend a certain disbelief. The ending felt a bit rushed and a little too unlikely in a certain respect.

While I could just place it in a fictional world, as it is, I tend to think of it as parallel world. If in our world, then it would have to be about 200 years in the future, but it's not that different from the way things are. The idea is that people (not everyone) have achieved the potential for very long lifespans due to regenerative technology. This could lead to overpopulation, birth restrictions, and various societal issues. But the world we see is not that heavily populated, which may be because hiring extras is expensive. The vehicles with tailpipes which indicate petrol sound like electric cars. I don't have a problem with that. I'd like to see more sci-fi shows that aren't FX driven or action oriented. While it's slow to some, and it doesn't have quick edits, even as a young child I preferred the pace and atmosphere of 2001: A Space Odyssey to Star Wars. Ad Vitam may be no masterpiece, but it's attractive to look at, and I really enjoyed it. It has some of the same feel as another modern French show on Netflix called Osmosis and can be likened in theme to another modern Netflix shows, Altered Carbon -- I enjoyed Ad Vitam more than those others. My favourite French TV show of this decade probably was one called Les Revenants (the Returned), which is of a supernatural drama ilk.

I enjoyed series one of Man in the High Castle, but never watched through much of the later ones (I am big fan of Philip K. Dick and so have read the novel -- the series is very different). I couldn't get through the re-imagined Lost in Space It's a bit too frenetic for me, and I didn't find the plot engaging (things going wrong again and again). The original was some silly fun.

I've been watching through a classic, The Invaders (saw the series when very young), but I would prefer the show if it had a stronger narrative arc and if I felt that it was getting to some resolution, but from what I recall, it was cancelled before having a resolution. I do tend to prefer shorter run series, or serials, preferably ones that were through-written, o at least that have strong "season" narrative arc. I also like anthology series. I still return to Blake's 7 often. The shows I'm most looking forward to in 2020 are new seasons/ series of Fargo, Westworld, Inside No. 9, and hopefully there will be some new Black Mirror in 2020 (late 2020 I would guess). And then there will be Doctor Who, which will have a New Years day one.   I've rather gone off the show, but I expect to find the next series/ season more satisfying than the last.

Edited by Logan - December 22 2019 at 12:19

dr wu23 wrote: Logan wrote: ... I've been watching through a classic, The Invaders (saw the series when very young), but I would prefer the show if it had a stronger narrative arc and if I felt that it was getting to some resolution, but from what I recall, it was cancelled before having a resolution. I do tend to prefer shorter run series, or serials, preferably ones that were through-written, o at least that have strong "season" narrative arc. I also like anthology series. I still return to Blake's 7 often. The shows I'm most looking forward to in 2020 are new seasons/ series of Fargo, Westworld, Inside No. 9, and hopefully there will be some new Black Mirror in 2020 (late 2020 I would guess). And then there will be Doctor Who, which will have a New Years day one.   I've rather gone off the show, but I expect to find the next series/ season more satisfying than the last. I've been watching the Invaders also...on one of the oldie cable channels....I watched it of course when I was a teenager. I don't recall it not having a conclusion but I guess we'll find out soon. ;)

I could look it up to confirm, and my memories are vague, but I'd rather not as it might rather spoil it. We shall indeed see.

Atavachron wrote: I too started watching Invaders but stopped due to the poor production.   I've also been enjoying Twilight Zone's being shown on MeTV as some of the episodes were not shown when I originally saw it back in the 70s, and are new to me.   What a remarkable series.

I haven't had a problem with the Invaders production, I've been enjoying it a lot, again. The show is before my time, so I caught it in-re-runs originally. I'm also watching it on MeTV, and re-watching Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which is some silly nostalgic fun for me. And Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and been enjoying The Planet of the Apes TV series, although it doesn't hold a candle to the films (which I love).

I adore The Twilight Zone, and have seen all of the episodes multiple times. Not all were shown on TV here either, but I was watching the others on Hulu, I think, some years back. Rod Serling is something of a hero to me. The Twilight Zone is truly remarkable. While the Outer Limits was capitalising on the success of the Twilight Zone, and is not as good on the whole, I also love The Outer Limits, and it has some terrific episodes. If I were MeTV, I would want to show those back-to-back.

Edit: The classic Twilight Zone is such a creative show (wasn't keen on the latest iteration on TV), and what I like to is how it deals with moral issues, and the humanity that comes through.

BrufordFreak wrote: Did you see Canadian SciFi production series Continuum 2012-2015? One of my absolute all-time favorites. I only wish it had been able to find funding/support to have played out to the full 7-10 seasons that creator Simon Barry had intended, but they do a great job. You can find it on Showcase or SyFy. Well worth your time.

I caught a bit of Continuum when I had Showcase methinks. Will have to see about getting that again. My favourite Canadian sci-fi series was probably LEXX, but then I was very involved in the LEXX community, very fun and funny community, before joining this site, and got to help host some discussions with the creators and actors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFRe4nl8ugM

Edited by Logan - December 23 2019 at 13:08

^ I really loved both The Boys and The Umbrella Academy. Been wanting to watch the HBO Watchmen. My other particular favourites on Prime were Good Omens (though I may slightly favour the radio series -- I'm getting the novel for Christmas), American Gods, and Preacher. And I liked Carnival Row.

My favourite SF or speculative fiction show on Netflix remains Black Mirror. And The Kingdom which is Koream historical zombie show on Netflix was excellent, I thought (Dead Set, another zombie series showing here on Netflix by the creator of Black Mirror I also thoroughly liked). I did enjoy the fantasy series version of The Dark Crystal (a film I adore).

Mentioned I think at the beginning of this thread, but for those into very dark speculative fiction avenue, I thought Utopia was terrific. It's disturbing and brutal, though.

With, Lost in Space, I'd rather see it slow down a bit. It came across as frenetic to me, but then I'm not a big fan of action fiction, generally-speaking. Maybe my brain is too slow, so I tend to favour telling stories at a more leisurely pace that gives me some space to think. I like some space in my space shows. Even as a kid, Star Wars didn't really do it for me that much, but 2001: A Space Odyssey, which some find painfully slow, did. So much of it commonly is the ideas that I am interested in (and cinematography/ aesthetic, as well as characters are important to me).

Edited by Logan - December 23 2019 at 13:15

Logan wrote: I binged Ad Vitam the other day on Netflix (only six episodes). Some complain that this French show moves far too slow, but such a pace is not uncommon with French shows, or anyone used to watching Art House films. Some complained about the dubbing into English, but I never go for dubs, preferring subtitles. Some complained about its lack of CGI and special effects, but for me that worked as a plus. It could be more convincing in its world building, and I do think I have seen better, but I liked it despite any financial limitations (so aside from its technology central to the show, the technology is very much like our own) and was ready to spend a certain disbelief. The ending felt a bit rushed and a little too unlikely in a certain respect. While I could just place it in a fictional world, as it is, I tend to think of it as parallel world. If in our world, then it would have to be about 200 years in the future, but it's not that different from the way things are. The idea is that people (not everyone) have achieved the potential for very long lifespans due to regenerative technology. This could lead to overpopulation, birth restrictions, and various societal issues. But the world we see is not that heavily populated, which may be because hiring extras is expensive. The vehicles with tailpipes which indicate petrol sound like electric cars. I don't have a problem with that. I'd like to see more sci-fi shows that aren't FX driven or action oriented. While it's slow to some, and it doesn't have quick edits, even as a young child I preferred the pace and atmosphere of 2001: A Space Odyssey to Star Wars. Ad Vitam may be no masterpiece, but it's attractive to look at, and I really enjoyed it. It has some of the same feel as another modern French show on Netflix called Osmosis and can be likened in theme to another modern Netflix shows, Altered Carbon -- I enjoyed Ad Vitam more than those others. My favourite French TV show of this decade probably was one called Les Revenants (the Returned), which is of a supernatural drama ilk. I enjoyed series one of Man in the High Castle, but never watched through much of the later ones (I am big fan of Philip K. Dick and so have read the novel -- the series is very different). I couldn't get through the re-imagined Lost in Space It's a bit too frenetic for me, and I didn't find the plot engaging (things going wrong again and again). The original was some silly fun. I've been watching through a classic, The Invaders (saw the series when very young), but I would prefer the show if it had a stronger narrative arc and if I felt that it was getting to some resolution, but from what I recall, it was cancelled before having a resolution. I do tend to prefer shorter run series, or serials, preferably ones that were through-written, o at least that have strong "season" narrative arc. I also like anthology series. I still return to Blake's 7 often. The shows I'm most looking forward to in 2020 are new seasons/ series of Fargo, Westworld, Inside No. 9, and hopefully there will be some new Black Mirror in 2020 (late 2020 I would guess). And then there will be Doctor Who, which will have a New Years day one.   I've rather gone off the show, but I expect to find the next series/ season more satisfying than the last.

 

Anyone watching His Dark Materials with Ruth Wilson and James Mcavoy..?