[Black Wolf]

Not sure if anyone else has been watching this series, but the most recent episode "Lolani" was released a few days ago and it's really, really good.

http://m.youtube.com/user/StarTrekContinues

Without any spoilers, the basic plot is classic Trek, with Orions, a mystery on board an alien ship, a moral dillema and a resolution that makes you think, if in a slightly cliché fashion.

They are going for as faithful as possible a TOS replication (which keeps both costs and, to a certain extent,  expectations down) and they absolutely nail it. Everything from the sets and costumes to the way the music works, the character interactions, even the plots and scripts feel like they could have been pulled directly from the 60s series - with all the good and bad that entails I suppose. And even as someone who never really enjoyed TOS as much as TNG and (in particular) DS9, I really found it very watchable.

The previous episode was okay, but had a few weak acting and editing moments - those problems are largely gone in the followup, partly because the episode just happens to focus on the better actors in the cast, partly because it doesn't have any major effects shots and is pretty much a character piece, and partly as a result of gradual improvement.

If I were the guys at Viacom watching this, Id probably be very seriously considering funding these guys, canonizing the series and profiting off DVD sales. They've already proven they can make quality Trek on a budget, and there's a massive, nostalgia-hungry audience who'll pay for the DVDs of a web series if it has the official trek logo on it and a modicum of quality, which this really does have (in spades).

[karajorma]

This is the one with Grant Imahara from Mythbusters as Sulu, right?

I'll have to see if I can find a non-YouTube link then.

[Scourge of Ages]

Karajorma, you're thinking of Renegades, the successful kickstarter that is currently in production.
This is something else entirely, and just from the first few seconds of EP1, looks very promising...

EDIT: Yes, this is exactly that thing

[Nuke]

i saw one episode of it. it was obviously cheep but still on par with an episode of tos.  doohan's son makes an excelent scotty too.

[karajorma]

I managed to watch the first episode (downloading the second one now) and I must admit that if I mentally replace everyone's face with the original TOS actors, I could be watching an episode of the original Trek. I have a fellow teacher who is a trekkie, I'll have to hand her the episodes too.

[Dragon]

i saw one episode of it. it was obviously cheep but still on par with an episode of tos.  doohan's son makes an excelent scotty too.

It might be because TOS was cheap, too. Probably why they took on that era - compared to other Trek series, it was done on a shoestring budget.

[karajorma]

I suspect they took on that era cause it's the best loved era.

Also while TNG was great but it's much harder to find someone to do a good Picard than a good Kirk. Enterprise and Voyager aren't worth continuing and since B5 is finished they won't be able to find plot lines for a DS9 fan show.

[OverDhill]

and since B5 is finished they won't be able to find plot lines for a DS9 fan show.

I love it... Deep Sleep nine can rest in peace. B5 was awesome and I grew up watching TOS first runs so I really like the chemistry between Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

[Nuke]

b5 started out really good, but they ruined it towards the end. ds9 was the other way around. it was slow to get good then it got really good and they put an end to it before they could ruin it and had the decency to tie off all the loose ends. ds9 was ultimately the higher quality show, but b5 clearly had more interesting plot lines. i watched both and regret neither (i wish i could say the same thing about voyager).

i saw one episode of it. it was obviously cheep but still on par with an episode of tos.  doohan's son makes an excelent scotty too.

It might be because TOS was cheap, too. Probably why they took on that era - compared to other Trek series, it was done on a shoestring budget.

i like to think of this as evidence that you dont need to throw down a large wad of cash to make a decent sci-fi series.  i would love to see a resurgence of sci-fi series. right now this genre seems to be severely lacking. i keep crossing my fingers hoping that amc will come up with a new scifi series (the walking dead doesn't count, i always put zombies into the horror category, great show though).

[starbug]

Have you guys seen this, ST Phase 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=419hNYe2OaY Its pretty good, the effects are like the remastered TOS.

[General Battuta]

Person of Interest is the best SF show on TV right now.

[OverDhill]

I like Almost Human... but yeah there is not much in SciFi these days

[OverDhill]

b5 started out really good, but they ruined it towards the end. ds9 was the other way around. it was slow to get good then it got really good and they put an end to it before they could ruin it and had the decency to tie off all the loose ends. ds9 was ultimately the higher quality show, but b5 clearly had more interesting plot lines. i watched both and regret neither (i wish i could say the same thing about voyager).

Well once B5's story arc had completed with the Shadow war it went down hill fast after that and in the 5th season it almost sucked.

[starbug]

Doctor who for me, but what has happened to scifi? Why are we getting all these supernatural,  paranormal shows? What happened to the space scifi shows ie star trek, stargate atlantis, why dont they make shows like that?

[Nuke]

ive been watching classic who. recently finished the first doctor. i might skip the second and jump right into doctor 3. there were a lot of missing episodes. some were found but i dont think they have been made available yet. so i might hold of on #2 for a bit.

id love to see a hard scifi space opera type series. that would be totally awesome.

[starbug]

Nuke dont jump past the second doctor there are some brillant gems, the moonbase, tomb of the cybermen,  seeds of death, the invasion.

[MP-Ryan]

b5 started out really good, but they ruined it towards the end. ds9 was the other way around. it was slow to get good then it got really good and they put an end to it before they could ruin it and had the decency to tie off all the loose ends. ds9 was ultimately the higher quality show, but b5 clearly had more interesting plot lines. i watched both and regret neither (i wish i could say the same thing about voyager).

Well once B5's story arc had completed with the Shadow war it went down hill fast after that and in the 5th season it almost sucked.

Meh.  B5 was all-around great until season 5, where I concur, it went downhill fast.

[Nuke]

Nuke dont jump past the second doctor there are some brillant gems, the moonbase, tomb of the cybermen,  seeds of death, the invasion.

im just waiting for the recently recovered material to come out. its doctor who, time wimey, etc. its actually easier to follow than a tarantino plot.

[karajorma]

Meh.  B5 was all-around great until season 5, where I concur, it went downhill fast.

The main reason for that is that they faced cancellation right up until they'd filmed all of season 4, only to be told that they would actually get a season 5 right at the end. Had they been told earlier Season 4 was to have ended with the episode where Sheridan is tortured, season 5 would probably have contained the best episodes of season 5 (towards the end, the show did start to pick up again).

The reason why B5 was so great is that the whole plot line for the entire series was already decided in rough before they started making the show. So you shouldn't get moments like in BSG season 4 where it's quite obvious they had no idea what the Cylon Plan they'd been going on about actually was. Or DS9 where they have to pull a literal Deus Ex Machina to resolve the Dominion War. That all falls apart if you're forced to condense everything from the last two seasons into season 4 and then later get told to make a season 5 with whatever you have left over.

[AdmiralRalwood]

In spite of all that, I still rather like Season 5. For one thing, I love its opening theme, and for another, Season 5 has this scene.