Andrea--
 
I think the problem is just that you're researching a subject that most
people don't know enough about or care enough about to respond.  For
example, I watch QL sometimes myself, but certainly not often enough that
I could name 10 favorite episodes.  QL isn't like, say, Star Trek in that
a large number of people get deeply involved with the show.  Most people
just watch an episode of QL and move on.
 
I doubt that identifying it as a research project would harm your
chances; it ought to increase them, since that way people know that you
actually NEED the information and aren't just playing around.
 
Have you been posting to the most relevant groups, i.e. rec.arts.tv,
the scifi groups, etc?  You might scan the Internet List-of-Lists to find
what groups would be most interested in responding.
 
Good luck...
 
--Aaron