Best nod to original series in sci-fi reimaginings/remakes/next gen things?

[ChrisIII]

When a science fiction series is revived after years of dormancy, there's the ocassional nod to the past show. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the current "Doctor Who" both take place in the established continuity of their previous series, and have featured guest stars from the past showing up. Some other recent shows have also done this as well, although not necesarilly in the same continuity. Any favorites?

Some examples:


Spock, Scotty, McCoy and Kirk in the TNG series....


Sarah Jane and K-9 in the new Doctor Who (As well as their own spin-offs!)

Richard Hatch (Original Apollo) as Tom Zarek in New BSG....


Adam West as Grey Ghost in Batman:TAS...

[Sanagi]

The best one in Doctor Who was his diary from the episode "Human Nature," filled with sketches of Doctor incarnations, objects, and monsters from both new series and old. Although the new series was always meant to be consistent with the original, that was the moment where it really felt like "Wow, this really has been the same character and the same show all along."

[Kirayoshi]

I'd have to go with the Deep Space Nine ep "Trials and Tribble-ations". The writers took the classic Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" and made it even funnier by seamlessly transposing the DS9 crew into the original episode, and having them interact with the original Enterprise crew. Favorite line; "I can't wait to get back to Deep Space Nine and see the look on your face when you find out I was never born!"

[The Batman]

Agreed on DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ations". I thought the Enterprise episodes that nodded to the Original Series and the Mirror Mirror Universe were really good too.

[Sanagi]

Trials and Tribble-ations was great, especially considering that the idea of editing together new and old footage was quite ambitious at the time it was made.

[Infernorhythm]

The Doctor's Journal of Impossible Things in the Doctor Who two parter Human Nature/Family of Blood.

[rick]

I've got to go with the Sarah Jane Smith reintroduction on Doctor Who.

It was sad, funny, exciting and had the added benefit of Tony Head as the villain.

And while I did like the Doctors journal with his past faces in it, I never for a moment had any doubts that the current Doctor was the Doctor, so while it was cool, there just wasn’t any “wow” factor to speak of.

[Kirayoshi]

Trials and Tribble-ations was great, especially considering that the idea of editing together new and old footage was quite ambitious at the time it was made.
And while we're talking DS9, I loved the eps that involved Kor, the original Klingon(the first one also featured Kang and Koloth, IIRC). Very cool to see the older warriors going out with a bang.

[Chiasm]

In the new Battlestar Galactica it was very cool when the Lucy Lawless cylon was still posing as a reporter and doing a documentary of the crew. In her documentary they played the theme music from the original series for dramatic effect.

[Bouncing Boy]

While it wasn't sci-fi per-se, I enjoyed the museum in Scooby Doo 2: Monster's Unleashed, which had a bunch of the different "Monsters" that they faced in the various series'.

[The Mutt]

I don't think it's worth starting a seperate thread for WORST nod, so I'll put it here. The worst nod to an original was in that god-forsaken mess they called Night Stalker. In an early scene in the first episode, we saw Darren McGavin in his searsucker suit and boater, "standing" in the newsroom when the characters walked by. He was so obviously editted in that he was glowing like Obi Wan at the end of Jedi.

[the goddamn batman]

Agreed on Trials and Tribble-ations...

though, I always wished they mirrored the DS9 cast in the bacgrounds of the original Trouble with Tribbles episode when they remastered it.:D

[BoosterBronze]

Kirk Allyn, the original Superman appearing as Lois's dad in "Superman"

[the_big_billbowski]

Kirk Allyn, the original Superman appearing as Lois's dad in "Superman"

Lois's mom was the Lois Lane from the Adventures of Superman tv show (I forget her name off hand)

She and Jimmy Olsen from the show also made an appearance in Superman Returns as the rich old lady and the bartender.

I like the DS9 "Trials and Tribble-ations" was great because they mentioned how Worf and the Original Klingons looked so different. Worf said they are forbidden to speak about it.

I also like how Chris Reeve showed up on Smallville

[the goddamn batman]

I also like how Chris Reeve showed up on Smallville

So did Tom Wopat(sp)... in a charger at that. And yes, they made many 'subtle' jokes.

[Sanagi]

Oh yeah, not quite sci-fi, but Adam West as "The Grey Ghost," the campy TV hero who inspired a young Bruce Wayne in the animated series. Not only a great nod to Adam West's version of Batman, but also to early costumed vigilante characters like the Crimson Avenger and the Shadow.