I figured since they get brought up a lot here (by me to be fair a lot LOL), why not have a separate thread for them.
Throughout the 90's and 00's America dominated the sci fi and fantasy market. Xena, Hercules, Buffy, Angel, Babylon 5, Charmed, Smallville and all the Star Trek sequels. I think they established a distinctive style during this time that was different to anything that came before.
The style of these series I'd describe as the following.
They all have ongoing story arcs. I feel this style was pioneered during this era. Things like Classic Who, Star Trek TOS etc where all stand alone. These shows however not only almost all had story arcs, but they played around with them more, like B5 that had one story run throughout the entire series, or Buffy with the big bad story arc etc.
Stronger roles for women. I am not saying things like Classic Who were sexist of course, and there were other big female franchises like Alien and Wonder Woman before the 90's, but I think its fair to say in the 90's female led shows, both big and small were more common for the first time, and all of the most prominent, iconic and successful star women from this decade too.
They tended to be more soap operaish. Regardless of whenever they were set, in the past, the present, the future, they'd tend to focus on the characters relationships, every day worries etc, which again we don't see as much in the older classics like Quatermass and Doctor Who. They were all sci fi and adventure.
They tended to mix camp and dark content together too. Now obviously the older series could be camp (not always on purpose) and they could have lighter episodes, but I don't think it was ever quite like the 90's shows. They did episodes that were out and out parodies like the Buffy and Xena musicals, the Angel puppet episode, the Charmed episode with the fairy tale characters. However they were a lot darker, more violent, and more explicit than any previous decades work too. Even Hinchliff for instance never flayed a guy alive like Warren.
They also reused most of the same character types too. They often have two main villains, one who is desperately in love with the hero (this characters usually a man) who tries to at various points go good to win her heart, or make her go bad. The female hero rejects him all the time of course, but can't resist his sexiness LOL. Spike, Ares and Cole all fit this pattern to a T. The other villain is often a woman and a crazy bitch, who went evil because of a tragic event that pushed them over the edge. Faith and Callisto fall into this category. This villain of course HATES the hero and wants to kill them. They are their archenemy. There was no such equivilant in Charmed, which was a shame IMO. In many ways these characters were an example of how sci fi and fantasy were more female dominated in the 90's as in the past these roles were usually reversed. The more romantic, love struck villain was a woman, such as Catwoman and Irene Adler (in some versions) whilst the rival villain was always a guy (Joker, Moriarty) 90's shows also always have an angsty hero who has done bad things and is trying to make up for them, the heroes one true love that they never shut up about, their best friend who is in love with them (and who the audience often prefers). And they'll make one character become a bisexual or go gay part way through the show. Willow in Buffy, Xena and Gabrielle, Ivanova from B5 etc. Again this was obviously an example of more progressive times.
I'd say that this style really came to an end with Smallville. It was the last big hurrah for this type of show. From the late 00's and 10's on sci fi and fantasy shows in America became a lot more serious, overtly violent, ditched the camp completely, became more down to earth, and featured ensemble casts more. Walking Dead and Game of Thrones fall into this category.
As a result of this most 90's shows are looked on as garbage these days. Buffy and Angel endure of course, but Xena and Hercules are considered jokes, Charmed is looked down on, B5 though having a devoted fanbase is almost completely overlooked. Even a lot of the Star Trek sequels I'd say don't quite have the respect the old 60's one did.
Still IMO it was a golden age for sci fi and fantasy, and indeed whilst that style went out of fashion on American tv, I'd say British sci fi and fantasy completely follows this style. New Who, Merlin etc all have shades of Buffy, Xena, even Smallville in them.
Throughout the 90's and 00's America dominated the sci fi and fantasy market. Xena, Hercules, Buffy, Angel, Babylon 5, Charmed, Smallville and all the Star Trek sequels. I think they established a distinctive style during this time that was different to anything that came before.
The style of these series I'd describe as the following.
They all have ongoing story arcs. I feel this style was pioneered during this era. Things like Classic Who, Star Trek TOS etc where all stand alone. These shows however not only almost all had story arcs, but they played around with them more, like B5 that had one story run throughout the entire series, or Buffy with the big bad story arc etc.
Stronger roles for women. I am not saying things like Classic Who were sexist of course, and there were other big female franchises like Alien and Wonder Woman before the 90's, but I think its fair to say in the 90's female led shows, both big and small were more common for the first time, and all of the most prominent, iconic and successful star women from this decade too.
They tended to be more soap operaish. Regardless of whenever they were set, in the past, the present, the future, they'd tend to focus on the characters relationships, every day worries etc, which again we don't see as much in the older classics like Quatermass and Doctor Who. They were all sci fi and adventure.
They tended to mix camp and dark content together too. Now obviously the older series could be camp (not always on purpose) and they could have lighter episodes, but I don't think it was ever quite like the 90's shows. They did episodes that were out and out parodies like the Buffy and Xena musicals, the Angel puppet episode, the Charmed episode with the fairy tale characters. However they were a lot darker, more violent, and more explicit than any previous decades work too. Even Hinchliff for instance never flayed a guy alive like Warren.
They also reused most of the same character types too. They often have two main villains, one who is desperately in love with the hero (this characters usually a man) who tries to at various points go good to win her heart, or make her go bad. The female hero rejects him all the time of course, but can't resist his sexiness LOL. Spike, Ares and Cole all fit this pattern to a T. The other villain is often a woman and a crazy bitch, who went evil because of a tragic event that pushed them over the edge. Faith and Callisto fall into this category. This villain of course HATES the hero and wants to kill them. They are their archenemy. There was no such equivilant in Charmed, which was a shame IMO. In many ways these characters were an example of how sci fi and fantasy were more female dominated in the 90's as in the past these roles were usually reversed. The more romantic, love struck villain was a woman, such as Catwoman and Irene Adler (in some versions) whilst the rival villain was always a guy (Joker, Moriarty) 90's shows also always have an angsty hero who has done bad things and is trying to make up for them, the heroes one true love that they never shut up about, their best friend who is in love with them (and who the audience often prefers). And they'll make one character become a bisexual or go gay part way through the show. Willow in Buffy, Xena and Gabrielle, Ivanova from B5 etc. Again this was obviously an example of more progressive times.
I'd say that this style really came to an end with Smallville. It was the last big hurrah for this type of show. From the late 00's and 10's on sci fi and fantasy shows in America became a lot more serious, overtly violent, ditched the camp completely, became more down to earth, and featured ensemble casts more. Walking Dead and Game of Thrones fall into this category.
As a result of this most 90's shows are looked on as garbage these days. Buffy and Angel endure of course, but Xena and Hercules are considered jokes, Charmed is looked down on, B5 though having a devoted fanbase is almost completely overlooked. Even a lot of the Star Trek sequels I'd say don't quite have the respect the old 60's one did.
Still IMO it was a golden age for sci fi and fantasy, and indeed whilst that style went out of fashion on American tv, I'd say British sci fi and fantasy completely follows this style. New Who, Merlin etc all have shades of Buffy, Xena, even Smallville in them.