Ben Paddon

io9 post list of top 100 scifi shows, have big ugly face that’s as dumb as a butt

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io9, the scifi & fantasy blog owned by Gawker Media, have taken time from their busy schedule of Googling for pornographic Futurama fan-art to post a “Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Shows Of All Time” list. I happen to side with Mil Millington on the subject of “lists as journalism” – namely, it’s bollocks – and their list is more reprehensible than comprehensive. Let’s take a look at some of the items on that list, shall we?

#100 – Dead Set
I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment, however their blurb about Dead Set includes this beautiful quote:

How to make zombies seem fresh again? How about a five-part daily mini-series (Yeah, Torchwood got the idea here)…

Right. because absolutely no one had done a five-part miniseries before Dead Set. What a new and invigorating concept! We’re only in the first entry and already io9 seem like a bunch of wankers. Let’s press on.


#97 – Thundercats
No. Sod off. Thundercats is utter bollocks and does not deserve to be on this list at all. The only list it should appear on is “Top 100 Crappy Old Cartoons That You Thought Were Great When You Were A Kid But Have Since Grown Up And, Having Recently Picked Up Said Old Cartoons On DVD, Have Discovered That Actually They Were A Bit Shit.” But no one would read an article with a header like that.


#95 – Warehouse 13
Seriously? We’re barely halfway through the first season and you already think it’s one of the greatest science fiction shows of all time? Give it some room to breathe, guys. Come on.


#93 – He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
I refer my esteemed colleagues to the answer I gave some moments ago for item #97.


#71 – Star Trek: Voyager
No, io9, I don’t think Robert Picardo, talented though he may be, is enough to propel this disaster of a show into the top 100.


#68 – Being Human
Again, it’s only a season in. What’s wrong with you?


#59 – 3rd Rock From The Sun and #54 – Red Dwarf
These are great shows…


#52 – Knight Rider, #34 – Lexx, and #30 – Mork & Mindy
…and these are not. In what manner of reality is this an acceptable order to put these shows in?


#16 – Dollhouse
Considering just how mind-numbingly dull the first five or six episodes are, and considering we’re still only one season into the show, can we really say this is the 16th greatest scifi series of all time?


#1 – Star Trek (The Original Series)
No. While it’s safe to say that Star Trek has had the most cultural impact, most of the stories were utter shash. Spock has his brain stolen in one episode. How is this great scifi? There is no way you can watch an episode of Star Trek and think, “Yep, this is the best science fiction that has ever graced our screens.”

Honestly. If they always compile lists like this, what next? A “Top #100 fantasy novels” list that places the Twilight series above Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series? io9, please stick to what it is you’re good at – latching onto rumours and misreporting them.

Comments

10 responses to “io9 post list of top 100 scifi shows, have big ugly face that’s as dumb as a butt”

  1. BobCesca Avatar
    BobCesca

    As always, “Top 100” lists show that the person in question had about 20 good ideas and then was left scrambling desperately for the other 80.

    I really wish they wouldn’t bother; no one is ever going to agree with someone else’s list, and it just proves annoying. Though, you are wrong about Thundercats. Sorry.

    Reply
  2. Levine Avatar
    Levine

    Well the same criticism could be levelled at Red Dwarf as Thundercats to be fair, on the old “not as good once you’ve grown up” front. But Thundercats wasn’t sci-fi and nor was He-man. That’s the biggest problem I have with those being on this list.

    Reply
  3. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    Thundercats and He-man weren’t even scifi unless I’ve forgotten something intrinsic to them. But to be fair the “You… Have Since Grown Up” argument knocks out a few things that should fit on a list of this nature. I think we need to have a “good for the age of the target audience and the era in which it was made, so therefore a good programme” consensus.

    Reply
  4. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    It’s less about having grown up and more about having developed (hopefully) some kind of quality barometer. Both shows are demonstrably awful. If you have to put an animated children’s show from the late 80s/early 90s on that list, why not go for “The Real Ghostbusters”? Despite some bad animation and one or two ropey episodes, that show actually holds up over time.

    Reply
  5. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    I agree. If you’re going to accept ‘kids like it, therefore it’s good because it’s for kids’ then any list of top-100 shows will just be a ratings chart. You might as well say ‘The X-Factor is good because it is considered good by its target audience, which is morons’. Sure, it’s ‘good’ business, but it has no integrity or artistic merit, which can also be termed ‘good’. There’s enough truly great kids’ TV throughout the years that this excuse doesn’t really stand up.

    Reply
  6. BobCesca Avatar
    BobCesca

    I suppose it’s a subjective thing, but I really don’t like ‘The Real Ghostbusters’, wheras I will quite happily sit down and watch hours of ‘Thundercats’ or ‘DangerMouse’.

    Taste is subjective, which will forever be a problem.

    Reply
  7. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    Danger Mouse is fantastic, and I guess that’ll be the overlap in our “Cartoon shows that are awesome” zen diagram.

    Reply
  8. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    I don’t think non-scifi cartoons should be on this list at all, however good we think they are. Just as the Simpsons shouldn’t be included on a “100 greatest stand-ups” countdown.

    Reply
  9. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    It’s a “Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy” list. Thundercats and He-Man fitsthe theme, even if they don’t belong anywhere near the list.

    Reply
  10. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    Oh okay, fair enough. I didn’t read that properly first time.

    Reply

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