Ancient Geeks episode 30: Fan service

2025-09-01

We've mentioned fan service in past episodes. Now, we take it head on. Tom and Steven have a lot to say about fan service, because it's a big part of geek culture today. But was it also a major part of our earlier geek lives? How much more of geek culture, especially on the screen, is dominated by it today? Is it always a bad thing, the death of creativity and quality? Or, in the right hands, can it be used for good. Sequels! Remakes! In-jokes! Deep cuts! Updates! Transmedia! Spirited debate...

We've mentioned fan service in past episodes. Now, we take it head on.

Tom and Steven have a lot to say about fan service, because it's a big part of geek culture today. But was it also a major part of our earlier geek lives? How much more of geek culture, especially on the screen, is dominated by it today? Is it always a bad thing, the death of creativity and quality? Or, in the right hands, can it be used for good.

Sequels! Remakes! In-jokes! Deep cuts! Updates! Transmedia! Spirited debate between Steven and Tom! It's all here.

Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic!

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