Fantasy/sci-fi TV series NOT available on Netflix?
November 30, 2013 7:47 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for a DVD stocking stuffer for my partner, who loves fantasy and science fiction television series of varying quality (examples within). He uses his Netflix account heavily. Do you know of any fantasy or sci-fi series that are slightly more obscure -- meaning they're not available on Netflix, but are still available for DVD purchase?
He has enjoyed watching Eureka, The Event, The 4400, Supernatural, Haven, Grimm, Wonderfalls, and the like. He also likes suspenseful shows like The Walking Dead.
Bonus points for shows with handsome male actors.
He has enjoyed watching Eureka, The Event, The 4400, Supernatural, Haven, Grimm, Wonderfalls, and the like. He also likes suspenseful shows like The Walking Dead.
Bonus points for shows with handsome male actors.
If he didn't watch it when it aired, Orphan Black appears to be unavailable on Netflix streaming. It's fantastic, though it's got mostly female characters. (The one important male actor is, I think, attractive.)
posted by jeather at 7:52 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by jeather at 7:52 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
See my user page for a write up about the anime "Mouretsu Pirates".
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:05 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:05 AM on November 30, 2013
Black Mirror? (Only available coded for Region 2 at the moment.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:07 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 8:07 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
I would have said Farscape, but they have that now - when'd that happen?
If you want something that's hard to track down get Blake's 7.
posted by Artw at 8:08 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you want something that's hard to track down get Blake's 7.
posted by Artw at 8:08 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Fades is a BBC show about preventing the apocalypse. It's streaming on Amazpn but not Netflix.
posted by spunweb at 8:08 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by spunweb at 8:08 AM on November 30, 2013
Black Mirror?
Was coming here to say this. Very interesting and high production value and at least one of the episodes that I recall has a handsome fella in it.
posted by jessamyn at 8:32 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Was coming here to say this. Very interesting and high production value and at least one of the episodes that I recall has a handsome fella in it.
posted by jessamyn at 8:32 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Lost? Lotsa handsomeness between Jack, Sayid and Sawyer
posted by cgs at 8:48 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by cgs at 8:48 AM on November 30, 2013
We love this stuff, too! I am glad to see these kinds of shows are gaining popularity again. I have never seen Farscape, but heard good things. If it is on Netflix now, maybe we should both give that a try.
Suggestions:
Seconding Alien Nation! The two of you can watch the movie with Mandy Patinkin, and if he likes it, pick up the series for him.
Logan's Run? The movie had Michael York (definitely qualifies as handsome), but as I recall the series had some attractive men, too (been a long time, though, as I remember watching that as a little kid).
There's an old S/F comedy series--I don't know if it's available anywhere!--called Quark that I'd bet he'd enjoy. You'd both get extra bonus sci-fi nerd points if you find it and introduce him to it. You would certainly get street cred in my book. ;)
Others, off the top of my head: the original V series, the original Battlestar Galactica (that has to be on Netflix, though?), Space 1999 (OMG was that horrible! But maybe fun in a Sharknado-train-wreck kinda way).
Obvious, but, since you didn't mention it: He has to have seen Firefly, right? Amazon had the whole series on video on sale for six bucks this Black Friday weekend.
posted by misha at 8:55 AM on November 30, 2013
Suggestions:
Seconding Alien Nation! The two of you can watch the movie with Mandy Patinkin, and if he likes it, pick up the series for him.
Logan's Run? The movie had Michael York (definitely qualifies as handsome), but as I recall the series had some attractive men, too (been a long time, though, as I remember watching that as a little kid).
There's an old S/F comedy series--I don't know if it's available anywhere!--called Quark that I'd bet he'd enjoy. You'd both get extra bonus sci-fi nerd points if you find it and introduce him to it. You would certainly get street cred in my book. ;)
Others, off the top of my head: the original V series, the original Battlestar Galactica (that has to be on Netflix, though?), Space 1999 (OMG was that horrible! But maybe fun in a Sharknado-train-wreck kinda way).
Obvious, but, since you didn't mention it: He has to have seen Firefly, right? Amazon had the whole series on video on sale for six bucks this Black Friday weekend.
posted by misha at 8:55 AM on November 30, 2013
A note Re:Farscape - it has puppets. You may find this alarming. Relax and just go with it.
posted by Artw at 8:59 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 8:59 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh, hey, Nowhere Man! Very cool, psychological, character-driven series. I think Bruce Greenwood is attractive. YMMV.
posted by misha at 9:06 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by misha at 9:06 AM on November 30, 2013
I'm dying to see Orphan Black, which hasn't been available online AFAIK, so that's a great suggestion.
Nothing much from premium cable ever makes it to Netflix, so Game Of Thrones is a good option if he doesn't watch it already.
posted by Sara C. at 9:26 AM on November 30, 2013
Nothing much from premium cable ever makes it to Netflix, so Game Of Thrones is a good option if he doesn't watch it already.
posted by Sara C. at 9:26 AM on November 30, 2013
I've never seen it on DVD, but N...
Oh, misha already said Nowhere Man.
posted by Jacob Knitig at 9:33 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh, misha already said Nowhere Man.
posted by Jacob Knitig at 9:33 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seconding Logan's Run and Alien Nation. I'd suggest UFO, BeBeBeBeBuck Rogers in the 25th Century, and War of the Worlds.
posted by Rob Rockets at 9:37 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by Rob Rockets at 9:37 AM on November 30, 2013
I've still not gotten hold of Utopia.
Utopia is the best British show I've seen in years
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:48 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Utopia is the best British show I've seen in years
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:48 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hey, I thought of some more he might not have seen!
There's a fabulous British series, Primeval. Great characters, and a big Yes on the male attractiveness. Strange creatures breaking through into our world from portals that open up, monsters slithering around conference rooms, etc. of course there is a Team that tries to keep us regular folks from knowing this stuff is even going on.
I would say that Warehouse 13 is the American equivalent. (I only ever sat through one episode of Warehouse 13, but I understand it gets better.) it's about...hmm. Okay, remember the big Warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark? Where weird otherworldly stuff is stored? Okay, imagine if you're security at that warehouse, and had to keep that stuff under control. Good premise, anyway.
Which reminds me that, believe it or not, there was an old series called Friday the 13th that was actually really good!
WAIT! Before you write it off, it is NOT like the slasher horror movie of the same name. Instead, its premise was similar to Warehouse 13, but with added creepiness. An evil old man sold cursed artifacts (the devil made him do it, hate it when that happens) to unknowing innocents out of his creepy old antique shop. The series takes place after his death. His young (college age, attractive) heirs, discovering what he has done, get stuck with figuring out the curses so that they can round all the nasties up and contain them again.
posted by misha at 9:53 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's a fabulous British series, Primeval. Great characters, and a big Yes on the male attractiveness. Strange creatures breaking through into our world from portals that open up, monsters slithering around conference rooms, etc. of course there is a Team that tries to keep us regular folks from knowing this stuff is even going on.
I would say that Warehouse 13 is the American equivalent. (I only ever sat through one episode of Warehouse 13, but I understand it gets better.) it's about...hmm. Okay, remember the big Warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark? Where weird otherworldly stuff is stored? Okay, imagine if you're security at that warehouse, and had to keep that stuff under control. Good premise, anyway.
Which reminds me that, believe it or not, there was an old series called Friday the 13th that was actually really good!
WAIT! Before you write it off, it is NOT like the slasher horror movie of the same name. Instead, its premise was similar to Warehouse 13, but with added creepiness. An evil old man sold cursed artifacts (the devil made him do it, hate it when that happens) to unknowing innocents out of his creepy old antique shop. The series takes place after his death. His young (college age, attractive) heirs, discovering what he has done, get stuck with figuring out the curses so that they can round all the nasties up and contain them again.
posted by misha at 9:53 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., starring the very handsome Bruce Campbell!
posted by Room 641-A at 10:03 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Room 641-A at 10:03 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Space:1999 or UFO.
Can't comment about attractive dudes, except that the early 70s vibe works against attractiveness in general. But UFO has the best theme music ever.
Alternatively, the original Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:13 AM on November 30, 2013
Can't comment about attractive dudes, except that the early 70s vibe works against attractiveness in general. But UFO has the best theme music ever.
Alternatively, the original Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:13 AM on November 30, 2013
Many people who enjoy recent sci-fi TV don't always respond well to the classics, but I'd definitely recommend both The Prisoner and The Avengers. Especially the former. It's remarkable.
posted by MyFrozenYear at 10:15 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MyFrozenYear at 10:15 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Space: 1999 and UFO just got added to Hulu, along with some other Gerry Anderson shows. Yiss! I'm surprised no one has mentioned a personal favorite, Babylon 5 yet, so I'll go there.
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 10:39 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 10:39 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a kid in England in the late 70s, the few episodes of Sapphire and Steel that were shown proved plenty enough to give me a lifetime of nightmares. Still plenty of DVDs of the complete series available, and I think they are re-releasing them again this year as well.
posted by seasparrow at 10:49 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by seasparrow at 10:49 AM on November 30, 2013
Since it's Christmas… The Box of Delights.
posted by popcassady at 11:12 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by popcassady at 11:12 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Sapphire & Steel is available on Amazon video but in mislabeled, random order. They're great though.
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Äkta människor (Real Humans), a 2012 Swedish science fiction/drama series set in an alternate version of modern day Sweden where humanoid robot workers and servants are widespread.
posted by Tom-B at 4:18 PM on November 30, 2013
posted by Tom-B at 4:18 PM on November 30, 2013
The first thing that sprang to mind was Ultraviolet but looks like it would be pretty hard to come by. You could also try Lost Girl - don't know if that's on Netflix or not, I'm not in the US, but it definitely has pretty people in it.
posted by Athanassiel at 5:34 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Athanassiel at 5:34 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Black Mirror! It's quite obscure (in that it's not even available in Region 1 encoding at this point), but is obscenely good.
posted by julthumbscrew at 8:14 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by julthumbscrew at 8:14 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
I have been told that Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda is worth watching.
Looks like it is on Netflix.
posted by LarryC at 9:49 PM on November 30, 2013
posted by LarryC at 9:49 PM on November 30, 2013
Response by poster: Awesome list. Thank you, everyone!
posted by southern_sky at 6:19 AM on December 1, 2013
posted by southern_sky at 6:19 AM on December 1, 2013
Cannot recommend Black Mirror enough. It is currently airing in the US on DirecTV's network.
posted by getawaysticks at 11:14 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by getawaysticks at 11:14 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ah! Again, anime: Summer Wars. It's a movie, not a TV series. The basic concept is: There's an online community sort of like "Second Life" and it's become omnipresent. Everyone is on it, and it's become a place where commerce takes place, and even government operations. Then a malevolent AI gets loose in the place and starts causing trouble.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:52 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:52 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
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