The Persuaders, The Champions etc.

Red Dwarf, Discworld, Hal Spacejock. Where does humour work well in speculative fiction? Where does humour not work well? What sort of humour is suited to particular circumstances?

In 1985 BBC Controller Michael Grade ordered long-running SF drama Doctor Who off the air for the first time in 22 seasons. It returned in 1986, its season truncated and its viewing figures shattered. The following year the series returned for its 24th season with a new time slot, a new script editor, new writers and a brand-new Doctor in Sylvester McCoy.

A ...

Since the return of Doctor Who to television in 2005, British television has experienced a resurgence in science fiction and fantasy unheard of since the 1960s. Series like Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Spooks: Code 9, Merlin, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Hyperdrive and others have helped bring genre TV back to Britain in a big way. Why are these ...

It's been commented on that many Anime characters fall into one or more archetypes. This panel will explore what those archetypes are and how they differ from those used in 'Western' story telling. We'll discuss examples of some of the more common archetypes and why those archetypes are so prevalent in Anime. Come along and suggest how you would classify ...

What is Wuxia and where did it begin? Elements of the panel might include the defining Characteristics of Wuxia, it's intersection with Fantasy, Wuxia in literature vs movie/television, and it's genre influences on anime & western drama.

Armed with only a whiteboard and an enthusiastic audience, we'll try to determine the ten best Science-Fiction and Fantasy TV shows of all time. Come along and cast your votes to determine the winners! Will your favourites make the grade?

More than 70 years of comics, eight feature films, two movie serials, countless television shows - the Batman is one of the most iconic and effective pop culture heroes of the past century.

Why is the character so effective? What is the core appeal? Does Batman exist as a simple vigilante fantasy, or are there deeper themes at work? An examination of Batman ...

A presentation of some of the strangest film, television and animation clips you're likely to see. The funniest bits. The funniest bits that aren't intentional. The "oh god what were they thinking" moments of science fiction. An eclectic late-night presentation by Grant Watson and David Gunn.

Adult themes.

Across their personal storyarcs, many of the characters in Heroes have undergone major shifts in their direction, experiencing significant changes in focus, personality, goals and morality which impact both the character in question and the show as a whole. Are these transitions plausible and elegant, and what do we, the viewers, think of the methods the ...

The TV series Lost is scheduled to conclude in 2010, with just over twenty episodes remaining. This definite time-limit suggests that The Survivors and Others are finally headed towards some sort of climactic endgame. This panel will encourage open discussion on the current and previous seasons, as well as speculation on future events.

Battlestar Galactica's final episodes screened in Australia on March 21st. How well did it end? How did everything tie together? Was it a satisfactory ending, or should it have gone differently? What key moments defined each season, both for the characters and the audience's perception of them?

Note - this panel will contain spoilers up to and including the ...

Join A, B and C as they discuss their appreciation of the somewhat strange, frequently sinister and always intriguing works of David Lynch. Speaking backwards is encouraged.

No panellists - not this year.

"Battlestar Galactica (2004) vs Buffy: The Vampire Slayer - which is the greater feminist text?".

Panellists selected from audience, moderated by X.

With a second big budget feature film coming to cinemas this year, hit animated series on television, critically acclaimed new comic books being released from IDW and a seemingly constant string of toys hitting department store shelves, 2009 seems to be a new "golden age" for the Transformers. Current Transformers comic writer Shane McCarthy (Trana...

From Federal Agents fighting to reveal the paranormal truth in the face of deliberate scepticism, to 'criminals' investigating the paranormal under the Federal radar. The X-files ran for 10 seasons, Supernatural is confirmed for its 5th. What makes these type of paranormal TV series successful? How does the character setting (established legitimate federal ...