Golden Age of TV Sci-Fi

Remember the 90's? Duff whining indie music, teenage angst, the clone saga and empty Hollywood blockbusters. Its possibly the first era where people decided to do a 60's revival rather than have their own era. However it wasn't all dreadful.

TV SF was on something of a roll. The late 80s had brought back Star Trek, but it was through the 90s that things really kicked in. As usual, what helped was the holy grail of any SF TV series, Crossover appeal. For time frame, rather than dredge years up from my memory, think about from the start of The X Files through to the Start of Buffy the vampire slayer, which inadvertently was a factor in the early 2000 slump.

The X Files was a rare beast when it started. It was SF, undoubtedly so, unashamedly so (Lost, I'm looking at you) but it also had a real populist appeal. Helped by being set in the here and now, as opposed to the future, using existing organisations such as the FBI and particularly before it spectacularly exploded in its own mess, featuring a nice mix of Conspiracy madness and urban folklore. The result pulled SF into the mainstream and, as always, everyone wanted a piece. The advantage of this was that for a few years, it was easier to get a genre show commissioned. For the fans we got more space opera, like the Fantastic Deep Space 9, the legendary Babylon 5 plus a few that didn't make it past one season like Space: Above and beyond. People were also experimenting more, we got small town weirdness in American Gothic, a much more SF take on conspiracy theory and alien invasion from Dark Skies, decent episodic stuff from the likes of Sliders, Quantum leap, while starting early really gained prominence, and should really be considered alongside the X files in populist SF and more fun fantasy from Hercules and Xena. Now granted many of these fell by the wayside, but they all lasted their season and most still have followings. Towards the end we had Stargate SG1 who's franchise would be the torch bearer into the next millennium. Weird stuff was even produced like Lexx and the next mold breakers Farscape and of Course Buffy the vampire slayer.

So, what went wrong. Well, SF started getting expensive, Shows like The X Files from its stars, others from the level of effects. Second was the great populist shows going. X files vanished up its own continuity, Quantum leap finished, and X-Files spin off Millennium ended, never having made as big a splash as its parent series (In fact successful spinoffs in the genre are rare, Trek, Stargate, Buffy and Hercules are the only ones). Babylon 5's Crusade series died under the weight of networks seeking something less cerebral and more populist, and indeed that trend continued in the 21st century. Trek was becoming the very definition of bland, with Voyager generally preferring to be TNG 2. We also had Buffy, which broke the mold and re-write the rulebook on what a genre series could do, and naturally started its own brand of imitators, although the quality was far lower. Newtorks also became more nervous about putting money into a series that would flop. Stargate and Farscape aside (Both of which pretty much lived under the threat of an axe) Space opera was considered a no-no, too expensive. In fact the networks also developed an alarming habit of axing shows mid season, so episodes never got shown, we lost a good few good series like Odyssey 5 and Serenity this way, Buffy ran on but its spinoff Angel again was unloved by networks (Surprising since fans and critics were on the whole positive) and when Enterprise failed, Buffy, Angel and Farscape all ended we were looking at slim pickings indeed, Stargate, Andromeda and Charmed.

But now we're in a new golden age, and once again populist SF is at its core. Lost hit out at all, and while it was a little more ashamed of its SF trappings it did prove that people will accept a slow burn series with some pretty tricky concepts. Space opera was back with the remake of Battlestar Galacica and Lost was eventually followed by the superb Heroes. in the UK, where most terrestrial networks had conceded all Genre shows to sky, the BBC relaunched Dr Who, which was so successful that they commissioned two Spinoffs. It also gave a healthy kick to other networks who started making and buying their own series. Variety and experimentation are now rife again, and we have a wealth of great stuff out now aside from the aformenentioned shows we have the fun Chuck and Reaper, the ambitious Sarah Connor Chronicles, the just plain weirdness of Pushing Daises and a bionic woman remake, all available on free to view channels. And a fair few seem to have weathered the writers strike to get second series.

Long may it continue.

The DIanna non-Conspiracy

So the Trial verdict has decided that she was killed by a drunk driver and over zealous paparazzi. A trial that has cots the good taxpayer 12 million and worse yet allowed Paul Burrel on TV again.

I initially thought this was all part of a plan by Al-Fayed to embarrass the British Establishment for refusing him a passport. However now I do think he believes his wacky conspiracy theories, and for that he should be pitied. To be honest I'd never have let anything which used the phrase Masterminded by Price Philip into court, and would probably use that as grounds to section the Harrods boss for his own safety.

Dianna did not die in mysterious circumstances, she died in a very unglamorous car crash. Many conspiracy theories (Marilyn Munroe's death for example) crop up because people who are obsessed over by the general public can't accept that they can have an ordinary death, or indeed anything as mundane as an accident can take these supposed jewels out.

The Verdict is of course not entirely accurate. ! definite factor killed the occupants of that car, no-one at the trail mentioned this party and indeed it still lurks in that tunnel ready to kill again. Yes, its the concrete pillar. I'm not trying to be funny (Well, a little but still) you have a tunnel with support pillars down the centre, and no crash barrier preventing cars from smashing into aforementioned pillars. If there had been a crash barrier (As you see down the central reservation of most motorways) the car would have bounced and lost momentum. It would still have been crashed but the damage would have been far less severe. Because of there being no barrier the car quite literally went from its high (speeding) speed to dead stop. The seriousness of the accident was compounded by the fact that the occupants were not wearing seat belts.

So, its not a conspiracy, just an absent barrier (Wouldn't happen here you know) and no seat belts. Not exciting, but the truth.

So, 12 million wasted, and all they needed to do was ask me. I even have a solution for Al-Fayed if he wants more investigation. He can have it, funded from his own pocket. It annoys me that we have forked over 12 million, so that's 12 million that could have done some actual good in the world, to indulge a clearly disturbed man's wild conspiracy theories. Although if they're dishing out money for that I'll take some, I've got millions of wild crazy theories. And David Ike, he can have some too, I'd at least be entertained by his quest to prove that everyone in power is in fact one of the aliens off of V.

Secret Invasion

Well, this summer's Marvel event hit, and it hit hard.

I will now do the obligatory warning to anyone who has not read Secret Invasion #1 and wishes to keep mystery to look away now.

Well, cracking stuff, the Skrulls make their first move, and it looks like this invasion is about to become a whole lot less.... Secret.

The Skrulls put a virus into just about all Stark Tech, which due to Stark designing all the coolest stuff, takes the Hellicarrier out of the sky and disables a huge bulk of earths satellites and presumably a good lump of SHIELD technology. And as a bonus Iron Man. The Baxter Building, The Raft, The cube and Thudnerbolt Mountain are hit, the SWORD space station destroyed, Reed Richards is shot and a massive Skrull fleet is headed for earth. It was exciting stuff and has a real feel of "We are so screwed. We also had the ship opening up to reveal a host of 70's heroes claiming they've finally made it home. Also all the attacks have come with the cryptic phrase "He loves you"

I'm wondering if this is going to be more like Annihilation Conquest, where the invasion is swiftly over and next issue or issue 3 will be earth under Skrull Rule. Hope so, this is the sort of industry wide crossover I prefer, and I hope other titles will reference it in some way.

Now for some geeky analyses.

Page 1. Don't worry, not a page by page account, It reads out a SKrull prophecy, supposedly about their world being destroyed. and we then see skrulls approaching some sort of outcast leader. This destruction, is it the massive attack by the Illuminati after the Kree/Skrull war (As seen in Illuminati #1 I think) or the result of the annihilation wave pretty much wiping out the Skrull parts of the universe, or a bit of both.

Since New Avengers #1 there's been a hint that there are corrupting forces within both SHIELD and Hydra. Well, we now know that for an undisclosed period of time Duggan has been a Skrull. We also know from Ms Marvel that the Skrulls were sampling Human DNA just in case it became useful, could it be that an undetectable Skrull has to be in part cloned from an existing human? We don't know since Hank Pym shot Reed before he could say which happily reveals that Pym is the SKrull in Camp Hammond seen in The Initiative Annual #1 who had a goal of putting a Skrull on every one of the 50 state initiative teams.

Jarvis was a Skrull, wow.

We See Noh-Varr in The Cube, a secure holding facility last seen in Young Avengers/Runaways during Civil War, where he took over. Is he a Skrull, or will this forgotten element of an old Marvel Knights title be a key in resisting the invasion?

We also have the crashed transport full of 70s marvel heroes. Who think they've returned home. Which raises more questions. Are these heroes, abducted earlier and replaced by Skrulls. I doubt it. Note Jewel and Iron man amongst their numbers. I'm going to go out on a limb here, where sadly if I'm proven wrong I will be subject to the ridicule of my peer (Look at the comments, I only have one) but the heroes on that ship are Skrulls. The "Finally made it home" comment I reckon is based on one of 2 things. 1. It could be deep cover Programming, as in they are programmed as sleepers, who are convinced they are who they look like until a certain codeword is activated. 2. There is a Skrull belief that Earth is in fact some sort of new home, with the Skrulls definitely displaced by the Annihilation wave, that old prophecy must look pretty attractive now. That could also put a timeframe on when the infiltration started. Either way, the opening of the crashed ship seemed to trigger the attack, and the pieces were all conveniently in the places to do the most damage before it was open, so My guess is it is part of the invasion plan and not escaped real people. Thunderbolt Mountain was attacked by Mar-Vell, I'd heard he may be a skrull. Thought it was a nice response to the people complaining about his return to life if he is.

Worth considering is the list of current Skrulls living on Earth.

Zavin - Super Skrull in training currently one of the Runaways
Hulkling - Son of Captain Mar-Vell and a Skrull, Currently with the Young Avengers
Jazinda(sp) - She Hulk's sidekick, a Skrull bounty hunter, exiled from her own people because she stole some form of science that means she can't die
Crusader - Secretly a skrull, currently in Camp Hammond with the initiative.
Ms Marvel - Not the real one, we see in a recent issue that there has been a Duplicate, probably skrull, wondering around Avengers tower. In fact her issues showed her DNA being recorded by the Skrulls for future use, she may be the prototype for the undetectable Skrulls.

If I remember the splash at the end with the returned retro heroes, Ms Marvel in her first costume is amongst them. This may bring the current number of Carol Danvers's in the MU to 4. (The original, Warbird - the nutty one from an alternate universe, Duplicate Carol at large and seen in Ms Marvel, Duplicate Ms Marvel as seen in secret invasion)

So, theorising aside a great start. Hope for more of the same.