Just this year, we discovered the SyFy channel show, Eureka. It’s been on the air since 2006 but for whatever reason, we just hadn’t watched it, perhaps because it was on a weeknight, and our habit is Sci fi on Fridays.
But, desperate for something to watch last spring after all our favorite shows ended (for the season or for good, depending), we rented the first season from NetFlix. And quickly became hooked.
It’s not the best sci fi show I’ve ever watched. Farscape and Battlestar Galactica are more or less tied for that slot in my world view, for different reasons, with the original Star Trek getting honorable mention for nostalgic reasons. But it’s a good family science fiction show, and I like finding television that we all can enjoy.
Here are a few reasons why I like it:
The plots are always fantastic-strange, with some sort of mystery or conumdrum that needs to be solved, but they are also easy to follow. This makes the show accessible to kids my son’s age. Nothing loses the attention of a nine-year old like a convoluted plot. But it’s not dumbed down; they just keep things simple
While it is an adult show, it’s clear that the producers understand that they have a family audience; there’s no strong language and the youth characters are as well drawn as the adults.
The entire cast is excellent — even the smart house Sarah — but Colin Ferguson who plays the central character Sheriff Jack Carter, is absolutely terrific. Often cast in the role of straight man to the outlandish antics of the other characters, he can speak volumes with a wry look. I’m also particularly enjoying his romance with new character Tess Fontana, played by Jaime Ray Newman.
If you like a good sci fi mystery, I suggest you check it out, Fridays at 9pm on SyFy, with the previous week’s episode repeated at 8pm. There is an ongoing storyline, so it does help to watch in sequence, however, the episodes can be enjoyed stand-alone as well. If you’ve never watched, on September 4th, there will be a daylong marathon of viewers’ choice favorite episodes, with the final two new episodes airing on September 11th and 18th. The show has been renewed for a full fourth season.
BTW, I still think changing the network name from SciFi Channel to SyFy was a bonehead move.
