Babylon 5'ers...I need your help converting someone

[Twich]

I've got a guy on another messageboard who is a RABID (I mean RABID) B5'er. He says it's the BEST Sci Fi show and REFUSES to even give Farscape a chance. (Mainly because so many have called it the best and he knows B5 is the best so...*shakes head*) From the things he's said I know he would enjoy it. He also LOVES Dr. Who.....but NO FARSCAPE.

Tell me how to get to him....PLEASE!!!!!!

[tribsaint]

I wonder who that is...

I've been trying, twich. I think. :)

[Jat]

if he doesnt turn, shoot him! :) hehe

[stellar]

I love both. If I had to choose, I'd choose Farscape. I own all available releases on DVD (except In The Begining and The Gathering, because The Gathering should have been included on the Season 1 set). I just bought B5 season 4 yesterday.

They can be simillarly grand when they're both at their best... yeah, tell him that.

[Nicola]

Just remind him that there is no law in the universe that says you can't like more than one show...

And look a little puzzled at him, as if you can't figure out how come he didn't know that already!

[Skippy doo]

I love B5 and Farscape, but they are so different. Try the since he loves B5 then he must love quality. Farscape is the only sci-fi show I have seen anywhere near B5 in story and writing.

[Jat]

Ive seen B5, i was impressed with it, but diidnt have the time to watch and understand the whole story... I like farscape better though, for me theres a less star trej style to it. Which I have gotten use to watching ST TGN, DS9 and voyager, after watching them 3 i realised it was the same thing again and again with different words. All 3 did have there moments but now I demand more :). If I ever stop watching farscape, I might switch to B5....

Tell him that there are alot of B5 lovers here or something...

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by Skippy doo
I love B5 and Farscape, but they are so different. Try the since he loves B5 then he must love quality. Farscape is the only sci-fi show I have seen anywhere near B5 in story and writing.
Actually both shows do have some distinct similarities, particularly in how they are both different from typical Star Trek. The key is that the reset button is not always pushed after each week's episode, and what happens in an episode often has long term consequences. Another key similarity is that seeming insignificant plot points can have major consequences in the long term. "Sure I'll trade you my wormhole data in exchance for having Farscape 1 repaired."

Finally both shows have someone who may come off at first as just a nasty villian, but is actually a far more complex charactor with not necessarily simply selfish reasons for his actions, and he may even ally with the good guys at some point in the show.

[fandom]

Maybe you can tell him about how many Star Trek fans refuse to give B5 a chance since they think it would be disloyal in some way.

I don't know if it is true, but JMS mentions it from time to time.

[jeffrabb]

Originally posted by fandom

I don't know if it is true, but JMS mentions it from time to time.

Fandom, it's TRUE!

Personally, Farscape does JMS proud. Twich, tell the guy that.

Tell him if he's having B5 withdrawals waiting on the new B5 project to come out, to check out Farscape. From a fellow B5er, he won't be disappointed.

Jeff

[Twich]

Thanks all! I'll try it and let you know what happens. If he actually DOES give it a shot, we'll call him a convert we can *all* claim. :D

[ipimen]

well if he won't try a new show because he thinks another one is the best, then i'm glad he chose B5 as the best. Can you imagine if he had chosen Tremors or Scare Tactics, all the great things he could be missing :evil:

I have no need of chosing between B5 and Farscape, i couldn't. I think they are both great shows in their own way. I have just added DS9 to my top shows, because it is just that great too and DS9 doesn't suffer as much from the reset button syndrome. What's is wrong with liking more than one show? NOTHING!! The more selection of great shows you have, the less depressed you'll feel about tv :D and the less bored you'll be in life...

[ranger1]

hello. my name is ranger1, and i have a confession to make.....

i like stargate sg1. i didn't know i'd like it, but one evening i was just looking, and then a little more, and then a little more after that. am i a bad person? :D :ewink: :D

but seriously, i got interested in stargate sg1 by my brother, whom i wouldn't ever think is a scifi fan. he was watching s3 on dvd. now, i still don't think it holds a candle to Farscape, or B5 for that matter. however, it has just enough wierdness to hold my attention. Richard Dean Anderson is a self-admitted smart-a$$. and i admit there have been some funny AND shippy moments. i got to give some props to a show that 1: is on track to being the longest-running scifi show ever, and 2: doesn't totally embarass the scifi genre to the world (it must be doing something right to have been renewed this many times - going on a possible 8th season).

can anyone think how spoiled we Farscape fans would be if we were looking at an 8th season???? :cool:

[dzelika]

tell him that Farscape has: better acting, original stories, higher budget, better makeup, no full time villains or full time angels, and a GREAT fandom!

[aeryncrichton]

Originally posted by dzelika
tell him that Farscape has: better acting, original stories, higher budget, better makeup, no full time villains or full time angels, and a GREAT fandom!

Um, my advice would be never to tell a fan of anything that the show you're trying to get them to watch is BETTER than their fav show. Tends to bring out the defensiveness in most of us....

As a major B5 fan myself -- who had a hard time getting into Farscape because I was still coming down from the B5 high, and who was VERY defensive about anything that someone said might even come close to the glories of B5 -- I'd suggest stressing the similarities, as people have said: Fantastic characters, great stories, originality, a long-term arc (even though FS's arc is much less formal than B5 was)(B5 fans are suckers for arc stories), the depth, the brilliance of the acting and writing (B5 fans are suckers for writing!), etc....

They're very different shows, but what I used to tell people who liked B5 was that where in B5 the characters were developed through their interaction with the arc, in FS, the arc is developed through interaction with the characters. Character and story are very important in both shows.....

This probably doesn't help much, but...it's worth a shot.

(And you can also tell him that there's a whole bunch of us rabid B5 fans who are also rabid Farscape fans....we'll be happy to talk to him about the wonders.... :D )

[MaveZ]

Best way is to borrow couple Farscape episodes to him. If you have Farscape DVD:s, all the better.
My friend did that to me, and I think that your friend cant resist them either.

I know, because I was couple months ago in a same position, where your friend in now.
Dont try to sell this show to him, give him little time and something to watch.
If he likes Scifi, it shouldnt be a problem to get him watch Farscape.

And, dont forget to show this place/thread to him.

[farsidescaper]

I myself am a B5er and it and Farscape are my two fav shows period. When I first heard about farscape I had doubts. A few people I knew said it was very bad. Ofcourse this is when it was in it's first season so I guess people don't like different things. My best friend then showed me a farscape 4 ep primer with the eps:
Premiere, PK Tech Girl, Durka Returns and A Bug's Life. When I first saw those eps I thought they were interesting and neat, ofcourse it wasn't until season 2 that's when I got hooked. It was the Look at the Princess Trilogy that did it for me (They were the first of season 2 I ever saw) I then automatically got satelite w/ sci-fi and started taping them from "Beware of Dog" I got hooked and I got season 1 and some of season 2 that I missed copied from a guy online. And today I can't keep from watching from my dvd's or tapes. Now here is a suggestion you should start him out on these episodes:
Premiere
Throne for a Loss
PK Tech Girl
DNA Mad Scientist
Till the Blood Runs Clear and
The Flax

Good classic eppies, if he likes follow up with Durka Returns/Human Reaction/Nerve/Hidden Memory and so on... Or just show him the best of season 1 dvd but he will get into it as I did.....

[roseym64]

Ask your friend when he first realized that he was "hooked" on B5. I can remember very distinctly when I became hooked on both shows and it was a different feeling or experience each time. However, I was thorougly hooked. If he likes quality scifi as the above posts have mentioned, and he has Farscape DVD's or tapes to watch, it'll probably happen. I am a great fan of both also and enjoy the superb writing and characterizations and arcs of both. To me. Farscape has a bit more "polish" than B5, but that in no way detracts from my fascination and enjoyment of B5. Just some thoughts, hope they help.

Rosey:D

[Col.Batguano]

send him the URL to this thread.

I am a fanatical B-5r
my all time favorite sci fi shows are (in alphabetical order) Babylon 5, the Dead Zone, Farscape, and the Prisoner.


Farscape is very much a show in the same caliber as Babylon 5.
what has been so far describes it perfectly
the plot development, the character arc, the inter playing storylines, the returning surprises.
for me most importantly, it isn’t always a happy ending, some stories have a darkness to them. and both shows have an ominous feel about the Role of Fate and the Nature of the Universe.
also ,if he was caught up in the romance between John and Delenn, he will be enthralled with the romance between John and Aeryn.

the difference is, I am content with the conclusion to B5, it is a story that had a beginning a middle and an end, for me that story is done.
Farscape still has a ways to go to complete it’s story.

[Frellster]

OK I was a huge DS9 fan. So much so, that NOTHING came close. I thought this was how things would be forever. I tried watching B5 and was not impressed. I didn't even like the IDEA of B5 because so many B5 fans didn't respect DS9. So, I wasn't planning to watch Farscape either. However, no one told me it was better than my favorite show, just that it was good and I should give it a chance. Eventually, there was a farscape marathon on and I was flipping channels - every once in awhile I'd catch a clever line - eventually I stopped flipping - somewhere during that marathon it got me. I dreamt about Farscape that very night. I've loved it ever since.