The SF Site: Babylon 5.1 by Rick Norwood

Babylon 5.1
by Rick Norwood

SF on TV

Websites
Other Babylon 5.1 Columns
For more information, you can try the following sites:
Rick Norwood's Website
Worldwide TV Schedule
The Official Babylon 5 Website
The X-Files
Pocket Books: Star Trek
Paramount Star Trek

Ratings
Ratings are based on a four star system.
One star means that the commercials are more entertaining than the program.
Two stars watch if you have nothing better to do.
Three stars is good solid entertainment.
Four stars means you never dreamed television could be this good.

Falling Skies is the best new science fiction tv show since 2009's Defying Gravity, which was also a Summer series. Defying Gravity was cancelled half-way through its first season. I hope Falling Skies has a longer run.

It is too soon to tell if Falling Skies will turn out to be a "keeper," a series I'll want to watch a second time. I've enjoyed the shows so far, but except for the terrorist/chef the characters are stock characters: a widower, his teen-age son, his cute kid, a woman doctor, a wise commander, a tough second-in-command, a Black guy, and an Asian guy. To be worth a second viewing, we need to see some character development.

SF on TV in July 2011

Sunday, July 3
True Blood, "You Smell Like Dinner", by Brian Buckner, who wrote for Friends.
Falling Skies, "Grace"

Torchwood Monday, July 4
Teen Wolf, "Heart Monitor"

Friday, July 8
Torchwood, "The New World , by Russell T. Davies, who has written for Queer as Folk and Doctor Who.

Sunday, July 10
True Blood, "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'", by Alan Ball, who won an Academy Award for writing the film American Beauty.
Falling Skies, "Silent Kill"

Eureka Monday, July 11
Eureka (season premiere), "Liftoff"
Warehouse 13 (season premiere), "The New Guy"
Alphas (series premiere), "Pilot"
Teen Wolf, "7"

Friday, July 15
Torchwood, "Renditions", by Doris Egan, who wrote for Smallville.

Sunday, July 17
True Blood, "I'm Alive and on Fire", by Nancy Oliver, who wrote for Six Feet Under.

Teen Wolf Sunday, July 17
Falling Skies, "Sanctuary, Part One"

Monday, July 18
Eureka, "Reprise"
Warehouse 13, "Trial"
Alphas, "Anger Management"

Friday, July 22
Torchwood, "Dead of Night", by Jane Espenson, who won a Hugo for her writing for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and has also written for Caprica and Game of Thrones.

Warehouse 13 Sunday, July 24
True Blood, "Me and the Devil", by Mark Hudis, who wrote for Nurse Jackie.
Falling Skies, "Sanctuary, Part Two"

Monday, July 25
Eureka, "Glimpse"
Warehouse 13, "Lovesick"
Alphas, "Cause & Effect"

Friday, July 29
Torchwood, "Escape to L.A." by Jim Gray and John Shiban. Shiban has written for many genre tv series, including The X-Files, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Smallville.

Sunday, July 31
True Blood, "I Wish I was on the Moon", by Raelle Tucker
Falling Skies, "What Hides Beneath"

Doctor Who has been renewed for another season.

Rick Norwood is a mathematician and writer whose small press publishing house, Manuscript Press, has published books by Hal Clement, R.A. Lafferty, and Hal Foster. He is also the editor of Comics Revue Monthly, which publishes such classic comic strips as Flash Gordon, Sky Masters, Modesty Blaise, Tarzan, Odd Bodkins, Casey Ruggles, The Phantom, Gasoline Alley, Krazy Kat, Alley Oop, Little Orphan Annie, Barnaby, Buz Sawyer, and Steve Canyon.