"Top 5 Most Successful Sci-Fi Universes..." Topic

My top five are on the blog today:

link

Agree/Disagree?

you forgot Firefly/Serenity

I considered it, but really the show only ran half a season and had one film. I think most people would find it hard to call it a 'success'.

My only question would be about the difference between the audience for a TV show and a movie. I just don't know which would be bigger and I'd say that the one that had more viewers would be counted as more successful, or at least that would be one way to measure it.

For example the Aliens movies $1,007,575,098 USD at the movie theaters plus DVD, laserdisc, video tapes sales and commercial revenue for when they were run on TV.

The Predator movies made half that at $581,698,378. USD

The Terminator beats both of them with $1,399,522,017 USD in ticket sales.

Whereas the sales for one Stargate DVD, the Ark of Truth reached only $7,009,147. USD

Even though I like Sci-fi stuff I've never seen an episode of Babylon 5 or Stargate but I have seen most of the Alien, Terminator and Predator movies.

Looking further at the numbers even the last Terminator movie has sold $29,802,622 USD in DVDs.

I think the only resaon that Firefly/Serenity didn't make the list is that the show was cut too soon.

Will always be a sad memory for me what that show could have been.

Cut too soon because it was successful. ;)

I'd replace either Bab V or Stargate with "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".

Hi,

And Perry Rhodan"? With 2675 books and 4 movies since 1961 is this universe by far the deepest….
Greetings

Only films or novels count too?
Honor Harrington series.

Perry Rhodan is a very interesting point. Unfortunately, it is not widely known in the English speaking world. I believe a bunch of the books were translated into English back in the 70s, but not much has been heard since then.

I think I'll have to do a separate list based on books, which would certainly include Perry and probably Honor Harrington.

Well, the Predator franchise is due for another bump, perhaps next year, or the year after, since they will be releasing Predators 2.

Given that Predators was a decent sequel to the original, and better than the other sequels, hopefully this bodes well for it.

Good choices, but too TV-centric.

I'd say at least one video-game universe should make the cut.
'Final Fantasy', maybe… 'Halo' or 'Doom'.
Given that games-driven franchises are the coming thing, and that sci-fi is a real mainstay of the industry (as opposed to a minority niche on TV).

Also: how strictly do you want to draw the line between 'sci-fi' and 'superheroes' as seperate genres?
Because both the Marvel & DC multiverses trounce SG & B5 for longevity, cultural impact, and revenue generated.

And: no love for Godzilla?
I mean… wake me up when B5 has been going strong for 58 years and racks up thirty big-screen releases.

Really can't see Stargate, or Babylon 5 making the list over the Terminator, and Alien franchises. Also, why not include Resident Evil in the mix? It's as much Sci-fi as the rest. And ditto the Godzilla comment above!

And no love for Blake's Seven?

I'm a big Stargate fan !

Isn't bums on seats and numbers of DVDs sold a better measure of how successful a franchise is than dollars at the box office? Otherwise you have to spend half your life doing 'adjusted for inflation' calculations to make up for the fact that I can remember a time when going to the cinema cost 30p and now it costs £8.50 GBP to £14.00 GBP

He means top 5 television/Movie universes.

In terms of Sci-Fi universes allowing dead tree.

Ringworld, Uplift, Thunderbirds (tv I know), Judge Dredd and Culture eat them for Breakfast.

Mostly because those figures are gross, so first remove the costs to actually produce etc and it is a lot less clear cut.