this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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I am personally against it despite Sam Esmail's involvement (I really liked Mr. Robot). It's not that I don't think it could be a good show, it's that NBC has plenty of other properties from former science fiction shows they could redevelop, but they're redeveloping this one instead.

If they want to reboot a show for the third time, why not V considering the first reboot was so disappointing? Or maybe go for the 90s nostalgia and reboot SeaQuest DSV or Earth 2.

And then there's all the Sci-Fi Channel/SyFy properties they have at least some stake of ownership in.

I realize asking for something original is asking too much these days, but can't we at least do something other than Battlestar Galactica every 20 years?

I'm willing to be open-minded and give the show a chance if it gets produced, but I don't think it should be produced in the first place.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I agree with you. A second reboot of BSG is just unnecessary. The first reboot was almost perfect (except for some of the subplot conclusions, which they botched).

And yes, there are so many other good intellectual properties out there. But not just ones they already own, but many other ones where a screen adaptation hasn't yet been attempted. For example Gateway, and Hyperion. Both of those were planned by someone but they've never materialized. And there's also William Gibson's entire Sprawl series, which would be very cool to see on a screen.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

And there's also William Gibson's entire Sprawl series, which would be very cool to see on a screen.

I love the Sprawl books, and Neuromancer has been in development hell a few times IIRC, but I'm hesitant.

Reading Gibson's words, they're so evocative, but a lot is left unspecified and the reader kinda fills in the blanks based on the feeling he is conveying. A show pins everything down visually and I'm afraid even Neuromancer would get rendered as generic cyberpunk without Gibson's unique style.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

OTOH that's an opportunity for someone to show us something fresh but still true to be books. Not that I really think that will happen, but it's at least a possibility.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh I agree with you, I'm just saying if they must reboot an NBC property, there are other science fiction properties they own that they could go with instead.

And that doesn't even go into all the Universal science fiction movies. If they must make a TV show based on their properties, let's see what a good showrunner could do with The Thing or They Live or The Last Starfighter.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

I didn't know how much I needed a Last Starfighter show until right now...

[–] [email protected] 44 points 10 months ago (3 children)

The last reboot was so well casted, acted, scored, written, and is even more culturally relevant now then when it came out.

It's a hell of a pipe dream to imagine making something better at this point.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If Sam Esmail was showrunner, I'd think he might do something interesting with it, but since he's only producing, I'm guessing not. But even if it does end up being good, it should still never have been greenlit in the first place in my opinion. It might be good despite that. I'll keep an open mind and watch the pilot because I will give practically anything taking place in space a chance, but I wish something else was given a shot instead and I'm not hopeful.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

As an example, you see a lot of high-budget TV and movie productions scored by Bear McCreary nowadays. The dude made his chops with BSG, and has done a ton of work since.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 10 months ago (2 children)

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Stop with the lazy rebooting of everything!

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago (2 children)

"As of this moment, we are at war"

The miniseries was at the peak of what is achievable in sci-fi IMO. The follow up with "33" just cemented it.

While watching it at the time the later seasons faltered, I rewatched it all just over a year ago and it flows better as a binge despite some of the shortcomings.

All of this is to say I don't think a reboot is necessary but I'm keeping a hopeful, open mind.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (6 children)

The miniseries was at the peak of what is achievable in sci-fi IMO. The follow up with “33” just cemented it.

That's exactly why they shouldn't reboot it. It's hard to make good TV. Reboots are rarely good, because you don't just have to beat the average, you have to beat the previous show. The odds of beating that original BSG are essentially nil.

There's plenty of things they could reboot instead. Do a reboot / spinoff / prequel of Stargate. Re-do Sliders. Buy the rights to Babylon 5 and do a spinoff of that (also, re-release the full quality original, which has been locked up for decades now). Re-make Day of the Triffids, but as a series. The concept there is pretty open-ended so you could go for years.

Or, there's a whole lot of superhero-comedy stuff that could do well. Less extreme than The Boys, but stuff like Misfits of Science, Greatest American Hero, My Secret Identity, etc.

Or adapt something new, like Ringworld, Hyperion, make an Ender's Game series.

Don't try to re-remake one of the most successful remakes ever.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Re-do Sliders.

Yes! Imagine a reboot of Sliders that actually explores all the fascinating possibilities of parallel dimensions. The concept always had so much more promise than the show actually delivered. Also, don't do the whole Kromag thing this time around.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Just finished a rewatch. Definitely not as good as I remember it.

That poor left Viper always landing crazy!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Fair enough. Did you watch it as it was airing originally?

I ask because I felt the writers strike really hampered it at the time. Just felt like it lost a lot of momentum that I thought it retained on a rewatch.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Isn't this the second reboot and the third version?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Pardon me, you are correct. I will adjust the title.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Okay, deal. But they keep everything from Season 1 and 2 exactly the same, and then take seasons 3 and 4 in a new direction.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Right? Being stuck planet side with a shitty self-preserving President is too close to the future potential of real life, and a reminder of four+ years ago.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't think they should reboot a show or remake a movie that was initially successful and still holds up. Ironically it seems like that's the criteria for rebooting a show or remaking a movie.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I would love to see Sea Quest rebooted!

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I just want a Babylon 5 reboot! Goddamnit!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There is the animated movie coming out.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Already came out months ago, it was terrible.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

Earth 2 had so much potential too! It doesn't have a cult following, so would be a good candidate to reboot. seaQuest was just weird/goofy (I liked it despite the campiness), but if done right, could work

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (6 children)

I'm looking forward to it. Yes, it's dumb they are going for the third reboot but at least it kind of fits the existing story for it to all happen again. An Earth2 reboot would be awesome and I would be a lot more happy with that. New IP would be even better, but also probably have a higher chance of not being good or finding an audience. I just hope the new show makes it for a full run even if it's not great. I'm so sick of shows that die after the first season or two.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I hope they go back to the original source material and come up with something that actually makes sense this time. Maybe take a few details from the newer version that "worked", but otherwise discard it and try again from scratch. Do something new with it.

And if you're going to put "they have a plan" in the tagline for a series, actually have a frickin' plan in mind.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

BSG and Lost were both going on around the same time and they both had a lot of intriguing puzzles and twists that never ended up actually paying off.

But hey, good to know that Asimo was the beginning of the robot revolution and the new Cylon 2.0 (or... 3.0?) uprising.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (3 children)

"Mystery box" storytelling is the name for it and, yeah, Lost, especially, is the poster child for not executing on it particularly well. It can be exciting, and it does a good job of making following a story feel like a communal experience that everyone can participate in - speculating on where things will go next, for instance - but it also often feels like shows using it end up over-promising and under-delivering (and often leaves viewers feeling a little soured at the end).

I feel like Dark was a good example of it being well-executed, and proves it certainly can be done well. But yeah, BSG definitely didn't end up paying off for me either.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

I would actually like to see a new V show. I actually liked the last show ( never seen the original). I think NBC did Heroes, maybe they could make a new series in that world or something.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Hmmm do they also have Stargate? It was on sci-fi channel

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

3rd time... Everyone forgets Galactica 1980.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That was a sequel, not a reboot. And it wasn't even really a sequel. It was a next season that they slashed the budget massively for, recast and retitled. Also, it's best forgotten.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Why not make it a continuation instead

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

I'm not sure how you could continue from the either the original or the reboot's storyline, but years ago I worked very hard (and ultimately failed) to get NBCU to agree to a pre-podcast era (i.e. sold on CD) radio drama about a different ship in the reboot BSG fleet and it's adventures while the main show went on, and you would feature all the fleetwide broadcasts from the show at the right times to fit everything chronologically and I still think that would be an amazing idea. Oh well.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (3 children)

And where's the Firefly reboot?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Beware what you ask for.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't know that I'd want them to reboot it. That show was lightning in a bottle.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'd like to see spinoffs in the universe but agree about trying to recapture the original cast. And they're too old now to come back and just keep being space outlaw cowboys like nothing happened.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

A spinoff of an older River who has her shit together and picked up a lot of Mal-isms and is leading a new crew on the old firefly? Occasional psych-karate mixed on? Fuck it I'm in.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

That show could only be made worse.

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