Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

From the way that I seem to mention it every time tv comes up, you may already know that I love this show. If you're mystified as to what I was on about, then let me just say: go the library, take out the boxset, and watch it. I'd ask you what you've been doing with the last six years but the answer is probably "having a life".

For the spoilerphobic, don't worry. I've deliberately made this spoiler free because I'm trying to be evangelical.

The story follows the last humans left alive in a futuristic setting after a genocidal attack by the Cylons, a race of robots invented by the humans but who rebelled. From that, it could sound rather hokey - robots? spaceships? nah thanks.

What makes it work is first of all, that the creators made this world so detailed, from the Battlestar itself to the recurring hexagon designs. The militarty parts feel very real, and it's definitely in the school of sci-fi which shows you battered, lived-in spaceships rather than shiny white perfection.

For a sci-fi show, it's also determinedly realistic, with characters facing problems which range from the mundane to the cataclysmic, and actions having consequences episodes, sometimes whole seasons, down the line. It is actually addressed that this fleet needs to find fuel, food and water, and that it has limited weapons.

And then there's the fact that over the course of very few episodes, you get to know and love the characters. They're all a little messed up, and they all make mistakes, but it's because of that I care. So when some revelation is made, or when a character dies/nearly dies/kinda dies (if you've seen it you'll know what I mean) it hurts. It feels like even when they're not onscreen, people are living their lives. A tiny character who you thought was just a one episode wonder turns out to be pivotal for the entire series; it's been funny re-watching it seeing characters' beginnings again, having seen where they end up.

If you're put off sci-fi because it is overwhelmingly laddish, then you'll be glad to hear that there are plenty of really strong female characters on the show. They call the shots, they shoot the guns, they have meaningful storylines beyond love interests

One of the main things I love about sci-fi is its ability to take abstract themes and examine them, and BSG has a ball with that. Its whole central theme is about God, creation and destiny, with a whole bunch of others on the side. The great episodes engage your brain and your emotions, and the majority of episodes are good (I'm really not sold on one of the season 5 arcs, and its climactic episode was absolutely awful, but that's the worst episode of the whole series).

A good tactic if you're unsure would just be to watch the mini-series (it's the first disc of the boxset) and see if you like it. It's only the length of a film and it sets up the characters and the setting.