I hear so many conflicting rumours about new shows that I don’t know what to believe.  Virtuality and Caprica are both pilots for sci-fi shows and I’ve heard they are/are not being picked up so often I just don’t know.  But I sure hope they both get greenlit because they’re both pretty good.  And they both deal with virtual reality.

Caprica is a prequel of Battlestar Gallactica but all it has in common with BSG is the Adama name and the cylons.  It’s set on a planet instead of in space and it’s about the beginnings of cylon autonomy.  The cool thing is that even if I’d never seen BSG I would have liked it.  It has a complete story all its own.  But it also makes a compelling origin story that is enriched by having a good groundwork in BSG lore.  It can’t help having a few cheesy elements because it is restricted by preexisting cylong modelling but I think the centurion over the topness is actually used effectively.  There’s a cool retro futuristic feel to everything that works for me.  I also liked the characters and actally cared about where they might end up.  So I’m gonna give this thing 4 niqueheads. 

I think my score for Virtuality is also 4 niqueheads but if I were to choose one series over the other I’d choose Virtuality.  It’s got some cool space scenes, cool ship scenes and kind of dorky virtual reality scenes that are the whole point and premise of the show.  Now don’t misunderstand, I don’t necessarily use the word “dorky” in a negative way.  Again, that’s part of the point.  And I’m on board.

Just as Caprica relies on the “rise of the machines” cliche, Virtuality uses a similar sci-fi staple, that of virtual reality: what’s real and what isn’t?  But just because a concept has been done doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done again.

I’m pretty picky about characterization and in the first half of Virtuality, there were a couple of characters I was iffy about but by the end I had gotten over my qualms and fully supported where they had taken each character, even though, again, there were a few cliches in place.  There are also a few things to be nitpicked but I was able to rationalize them without effort so as far as I’m concerned the writing held up.

Is it a sign of my desperation for more sci-fi that I’m so forgiving of all the cliches and nitpicks?  Or are these shows actually worthwhile?  Honestly I think it’s a bit of both.  But in a world where the Sarah Connor Chronicles just got cancelled, please TV gods, let these shows live on.

[rating:40]