Top 25 SFX TV Shows

Citation :

Number of seasons: Seven (1997-2003)

IMDB keywords: Demon High School Vampire College Chosen One Destiny Death Crypt Angst Bereavement British Interracial Relationship Alternative Reality Werewolf Ex Demon Homosexual Teenager Enemy Bad Girl Forbidden Love Popularity Heroine Father Daughter Relationship Clique Super Strength Dead Parent Witchcraft 1950s Supernatural Power Lesbian California Doomed Romance 1800s Tutor Teenage Girl Cult Favorite Teacher Student Relationship Vampire Slayer Martial Arts Band Cult TV School Principal Geek Monster Microchip In Head Small Town 1970s Bisexual Divorced Parents Vampire vs Vampire Girl Power Beautiful Woman Cheerleader Action Heroine Master Vampire Cult Mythology Drowning Carpenter (eh? Charisma, maybe?) Ex-Girlfriend Bleach Blond (that’s just getting personal) Anti Hero Bug Woman Boxer Rebellion Key To Life Librarian Doll Lied To By Parents Based On Film Stake Impalement Friendship Vampire Human Love True Love Corpse Deception Teenage Love Cowardice Unrequited Love Curse Principal Resurrection Magic Evil God Mentor Jewish Commando Female Vampire Good Versus Evil Student Principal Relationship Female Protagonist Prophecy High School Friends One Woman Army Dark Humor Military Vampire Sex Boots Dorm Life Violence Witch Graveyard Body Sharing Vampire Driving Car Male Female Relationship Peer Pressure Leather Coat Dark Side Dark Hero Dead Teacher Undead Love Triangle Character Name In Title

Keywords SFX would add: Just five words: “Out for a walk… bitch.”

Influences: The Lost Boys, Clueless, Buffy The Vampire Slayer the movie, decades of horror movies

Influence on: Xena: Warrior Princess, Firefly, Blood Ties, Moonlight, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Twilight, Being Human, Glee

Theme tune: Emo rant by Nerf Herder

Title sequence: More clippage, more gothic typography. No Whedon show has ever really attempted anything more, which is odd for a guy who stretches formats in so many other ways

Catchphrases: Just general valley speak, inverted into something much more witty

Biggest misstep: Some of those potentials in season seven were downright dire, and Buffy’s speeches in the same season were hard to stomach too

Which season should you buy on DVD? Two

Citation :

Number of seasons: Five (1999-2004)

IMDB keywords: Vampire Redemption Vampire Slayer Powers That Be Supernatural Demon Actress Spin Off Lawyer Vampire vs Vampire Karaoke Returning Character Killed Off (spoiler!) Dark Comedy Cult Hero Hell Hallucination Sex Monster Vampire Detective Haunted Apartment Good Versus Evil Homosexual Karaoke Bar Billionaire Evil Child Prophet Curse Dark Hero Police Brutality Rogue Demon Hunter Cult Favorite Physical Abuse Street Gang Attempted Murder Vampire Human Love Self Sacrifice Attempted Child Murder One Word Title Gypsy Curse Resurrection Anti Hero Police Doomed Romance Dark Fantasy Neo Noir Dead Sister Evil Lawyer Host Hero Alternative Reality Magic Vampire Driving Car Interracial Relationship Oracle Rich Girlfriend Homosexual Demon Former Cheerleader Los Angeles California Cult TV Death Ghost Conflicted Hero Stake One Man Army Computer Genius Dungeons And Dragons Character Name In Title

Keywords SFX would add: Talking Hamburger Bromance Sexy Blue Chick Dodgy Irish Accent Dodgy English Accent Poetry

Influences: Forever Knight, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, film noir

Influence on: Blood Ties, Moonlight (a virtual rip-off), Being Human

Theme tune: Spooky, emo rock, a bit like the Buffy theme played at 33 1/3 instead iof 45.

Title sequence: One of those standard US-style montage jobbies, enhanced a bit by gothic typography.

Catchphrases: “Angel Investigations. We hope you’re helpless.” “The Powers That Be.” Inserting the word “hero” randomly into sentences…

Biggest misstep: The way Cordelia’s plot line just fizzled out

Which season should you buy on DVD? Two. Unless you’re a Spike fan, in which case five, which is pretty bloody good too, anyway.

A noter également la présence de Firefly, à la 3ème place :

Citation :

Number of seasons: One (2002-2003)

IMDB keywords: Alliance Pilot Captain Doctor Future Psychic Spacecraft Space Preacher Companion Mechanic Fugitive Soldier Smuggling Outer Space Infirmary Morality Mercenary 26th Century Unrequited Love Mandarin Space Travel Mythology Husband Wife Relationship Spaceport Clever Dialogue Future War Shepherd Dystopia Sexual Humor Wisecrack Humor Female Soldier Cult TV Medic Old War Buddies Civil War Interracial Marriage Warrior Woman Man With No Name Cult Favorite Femme Fatale Action Hero Wit Terraforming Space Shuttle Interracial Friendship Psychic Power Fictional War Class Conflict Reavers Space Western Spaceship Name In Title (erm, in best nerdy voice, “I think you’ll find…”) Cryogenics Mysterious Past Nose Bleed Cargo Space Colony Brother Sister Relationship Gun Nut Space Exploration Space Opera Space Fight Spaceship Space Battle Anti Hero

Keywords SFX would add: Tightpants Adam Baldwin Grimacing Metal Parrot

Influences: Westerns, space operas… you’d never guess, would you?

Influence on: Battlestar Galactica

Theme tune: A good’ol’ slice of country slide guitar, yeee-haw! ”The Ballad of Serenity” was written by Joss Whedon and performed by Sonny Rhodes.

Title sequence: Mainly clippage, but the glowing typography is very fancy and the final shot of the Serenity swooping low over a pack of spooked horses is sublime

Catchphrases: “Ai ya, wo mun wan leh!”

Biggest misstep: Getting cancelled

Which season should you buy on DVD? Hobson’s choice, sadly