Introduction to the Guides

Personal Insights

If I said that I believe Star Trek, in all its variations, represents the best that science fiction TV has had to offer, one might assume that I don't think too much of other scifi shows that have come and gone over the years. That assumption would be wrong. In this section, I present episode guides for some of my favorite "non-Trek" science fiction series. With the exception of Babylon 5, I watched and enjoyed each of these series in their original runs and, in the case of Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Space: 1999, and Earth 2, I enjoyed them all over again on the SciFi Channel.

Babylon 5 has been a special case, because it simply wasn't available in the Virgin Islands, where I live. However, I read about B5 in Starlog magazine and followed the "great debate" in the Compuserve SciFi forums about whether Trek or B5 was the better series. When I got access to the Internet and found the Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5, I started following the Babylon 5 story each week, eagerly waiting for the next episode synopsis to be posted. When (in April 1996) I bought a satellite dish to substitute for the island's cable TV system, which Hurricane Marilyn had blown away in September 1995, I finally gained access to Babylon 5 -- already in the middle of its third season. Needless to say, I was hooked ever since. Now in 2005, I'm enjoying the new version of Battlestar Galactica, which - although it's much darker and has less humor than the 1979 original - is still an excellent science fiction series that tells gripping stories about its characters. I was skeptical about this new take on the cult-classic series, but I'm hooked again.

In addition to the classic TV science fiction series noted above, I've included a section with some of my favorite photos and an episode list for Lois and Clark. I came into Lois and Clark late in its original run and, although I had the opportunity to see most of the episodes in reruns on the TNT Network, I'm not familiar enough with the entire series to compile a full episode guide. I've also decided to add an episode guide for J.A.G.. Although it's not "science fiction," I think that J.A.G. is the best non-science fiction series on television in the 1990s-2000s. The cast includes a group of likeable characters who you get to know and care about, the production standards are very high, the stories are realistic and thought-provoking, there's the right balance between drama and humor, and the naval aviation background of the show fits perfectly into the overall theme of this Sandcastle V.I. web site. Next, I added an episode guide for the British cult-classic spy thriller The Avengers. I absolutely loved this show during its initial run in the 1960s with the lovely Dianna Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel, and now that it's available on DVD, I've had to chance to revisit all of the thrilling episodes again. Lastly, I've added a section on the written works of my two favorite science fiction authors -- Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. These two visionaries have written some of the most thought-provoking and enjoyable science fiction and nonfiction ever put into print. Enjoy!

Episode Guide Menu

Babylon 5 - (Series Theme)

Crusade

Earth 2

Battlestar Galactica - (Series Theme)

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - (Series Theme)

Space: 1999

Lois and Clark - (Series Theme)

The Avengers - (Series Theme)

J.A.G. - (Series Theme)

The Written Works of Arthur C. Clark & Isaac Asimov