The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
An alien spaceship crash-lands on Earth, and humans discover the use of Robotechnology due to the scientifically advanced nature of the craft. This ship, known as the SDF-1, is also linked to an energy source called “protoculture,” and three successive waves of alien invasions befall the Earth in an attempt to claim that powerful substance. But the humans use their ingenuity, along with the new technology they have discovered, to resist the alien attacks.
Aired: 1985, 1 Season Totaling 85 Episodes
Starring: Rebecca Forstadt, Melanie MacQueen, Tony Oliver, Lisa Michelson, Gregory Snegoff
Developed By: Carl Macek
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
Robotech arrived in the U.S. at a time when animation was experiencing a boom on afternoon television, but audiences in the States were not very familiar with Japanese anime. Astro Boy and Speed Racer had been popular in the 1960s, and Battle of the Planets and Voltron also received some exposure, but all of those—especially the latter two—were heavily edited in their English translations. Carl Macek wanted to adapt Super Dimension Fortress Macross, but it did not have enough episodes to meet syndication requirements, so he added two additional (unrelated) shows—Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA—to create an 85-episode epic for U.S. audiences.
In order to do so, Macek had to make some changes to the storylines to link them together as three generations each facing off against alien invaders, but he still kept much of the spirit of the original anime productions. Whereas the American adaptations of Battle of the Planets and Voltron edited out the violence and more mature themes, Robotech kept much of that with its adaptation. The series depicted humans at war with dangerous enemies, and it did not pull punches or tone down the violence, including the deaths of major characters throughout the show’s run. This was a vast epic with grand space battles and actually did a much better job of delivering intelligent, mature sci-fi to television than live-action entries from around that time like Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
And even if you take issue with the changes made to the source material, you still have to acknowledge that Robotech introduced audiences in the States to the superior animation being produced in Japan and helped spark a boom in popularity for that genre that has grown and grown for years. And if you take Robotech on its own merits (ignoring its origins), you have to admit that it has some darn good storylines and compelling drama—and it stands out as a superior animated entry that deserves to be counted among the best in the genre. (You can read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
Robotech is a travesty, and not only does it not count as a sci-fi TV great—it should be expunged from existence. Super Dimension Fortress Macross is one of the greatest anime shows of all time, and yet they had to rewrite it and connect it to two unrelated shows just to have enough episodes for a syndication run in the U.S. While the basic story remained, they made enough changes—especially the addition of protoculture—that it was not the same masterpiece as the Japanese version. And the changes to Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA were even greater, practically making those unrecognizable. People in the U.S. were already in the process of discovering anime at that time, and they did not need this hacked-together money grab to help them appreciate the genre. If anything, it turned off true fans of anime and continued the trend of Americanizing and bastardizing the Japanese product. Robotech was a bad idea and should just be ignored, along with other failed adaptations like Voltron and Macron Z.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
I encountered Robotech after someone had told me about a show they had been watching with this great space battle between the people of Earth and an invading alien force. I sought it out on afternoon television, but by the time I tuned in, the Second Robotech War had begun and these were not the same characters I had heard about. Still, it was a fascinating tale of people from a rebuilding Earth fighting against a new alien invasion, and it definitely had more mature storylines than your typical afternoon cartoon entries like Transformers and G.I. Joe. I eventually watched the series from start to finish, and I was truly amazed by this epic story that spanned across three generations as they fought for the survival of Earth. Robotech quickly became a favorite of mine, and I started to seek out other anime entries. There were not too many offerings at first, but by the late ’80s and early ’90s, the video market started to explode with them. Whether Robotech spurred that interest or if it would have happened anyway, I don’t know. But I do know that this series revealed to me just how good anime could be, and it still holds up when going back and watching it today. I acknowledge that it did take liberties with its source material—but in the best way—and I would surely count it as a sci-fi TV great.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD including editions that package the American versions with the original Japanese series they are based on, but those are out of print and can fetch fairly high prices. You can purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon.com and it is available for streaming with a subscription to Crunchyroll.
Do you consider the original Robotech to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows or does it count as one of the bad examples of Americanized Anime? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.
Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations
Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers.
Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production.
And be sure to follow us on social media: Blue Sky | Facebook | Mastodon | Twitter.
