Scifi's new programming
- Thread starter RAMA
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Yes, getting the wrestling was a stupid decision, and I hate the way it has glommed onto conventions as well. Wrestling belongs with monster trucks, Honey Boo Boo and fried everything. Catering to that audience has inevitably resulted in erosion of the network's core.
I wouldn't call it a mistake either, I liked Eureka. However I am used to a certain type of science fiction that had meaning and metaphors and shining a light on topics that can't otherwise be showcased on telly. Shows like Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Being Human just felt like fluff that I only had to watch when I want to smile and have a laugh. They weren't shows I feel compelled to keep watching religiously. And Scifi cancelled The Alphas, my favorite of that era because it didn't "fit" in their scheme. Like Owain said above, they also missed out on Being Erica, which fitted extremely well with their style of light and funny shows that still had a tonne of substance.
So what's wrong with "fluff"? Singin' in the Rain is fluff. The Marx Bros. are fluff. Much Ado About Nothing is fluff.
Don't get me wrong. I like serious SF sometimes, too, but serious isn't necessarily better or more important than silly. And who cares about elevating the public perception of the genre? Syfy's job is provide entertaining programming, not promote serious SF for sake of the cause . . . .
Science fiction is not a cause. It's just a genre, like westerns or romances.
I quite agree with both points In fact, I will admit to enjoying cheesy drive-in monster movies.
There is such a thing as being so bad that its good (that is, entertaining). Plan 9 From Outer Space is a classic in that respect. Now consider such entertainment as Rock Monster, Sharktopus, Dinocroc vs Supergator, Frankenfish, Megapython vs Gatoroid, Raptor Island, etc. Some of those who posted comments to the link used terms such as "campy" or "goofy" for some of these movies, thus good for pure, light hearted escapism. However some of the so called reality programs could be dumped. The ghost thing in particular was simply boring, change the channel....
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Yes, I know. That's more or less what I was talking about. But I think that with good enough programming, they can reverse that, and hopefully it will serve as a good example for others to follow. Bring back good topic-oriented programming, and the audience will find you and become loyal.
There's been too much drift, and therefore, I think once-loyals have felt disillusioned and abandoned, going elsewhere to seek what they can't find. Building a brand is all about connecting with your audience, and if your audience goes in search elsewhere, then you have a problem. In Canada, our Space Channel doesn't have wrestling and is already better for it, though they still do show the reality shows.
But I'm seeing signs of it swinging back the other way. Even the History channel has shown to be making more of an effort with their programming. The World Wars docu-drama that aired recently has been excellent and easily one of the best things that have aired on that channel in some time.
Anyway, I agree with Greg on the lighthearted stuff. I think there's room for both. I think the fact that shows like Eureka have been pointed to as problems show a lack of understanding the issue. Not to mention, it must be insulting to those who've starred in those shows.
I agree, there is room for both the light hearted and serious stuff. Keep the cheesy/campy monster movies, keep the Eurekas/Warehouse13s. Even keep a show like Face Off.
But what other programming would you choose? (Besides reruns).
But what other programming would you choose? (Besides reruns).
Well, I did say 'Yes and no'.
Eureka and Warehouse were great 'fluff' and I was distinguishing between these and 'crud' (you will note the ease with which I use these complex technical terms) - good fluff deserves it's place. There's even room for some 'crud' on occasion, but neither are really why I like science fiction and fantasy.
Yes, I know I've crossed over into 'It's all about what I like/want' now, but it isn't just that I prefer it, good space opera, hard sci-fi and serious fantasy is practically non-existant.
I'd love to see a balance between 'fluff' and serious stuff. At that point I might even appreciate a little cheesy Saturday night 'crud'...
Could something like X-files be viable?
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Maybe if they could get the license to air them, then yeah, I could see them airing on there as it fits their overall sci-fi and paranormal themes.
As for other programming, I've mentioned that they could always air stuff that they've missed the first time around. Could be classics that have been previous staples of the channel, or some older stuff that never appeared on there the first time around. There's a treasure trove of sci-fi out there just waiting to be seen or revisited. Heck, I think the channel could even do with Buck Rogers and Lost in Space which are entertaining in their own right. There are multiple facets to getting more varied programming.
As for other programming, I've mentioned that they could always air stuff that they've missed the first time around. Could be classics that have been previous staples of the channel, or some older stuff that never appeared on there the first time around. There's a treasure trove of sci-fi out there just waiting to be seen or revisited. Heck, I think the channel could even do with Buck Rogers and Lost in Space which are entertaining in their own right. There are multiple facets to getting more varied programming.
Exactly. Sometimes you're in the mood for Battlestar Galactica. Sometimes you're in the mood for Eureka . . . or even Sharktopus.
(Says the guy who was watching an old Man from UNCLE rerun last night.)
Yes, I agree with Greg Cox, sometimes you are in the mood for different things at different times. And variety is the spice of life.
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The Seattle public library...awhile back i came across DVD of the original Buck Rogers. Quite entertaining. Right, there is a fair amount of material for an Encore channel.
Yeah, I'd love to see an SF Encore channel or a Sciffy retro sub-channel. But when it comes to serious SF, I stick to the literature. When Sciffy tries to do something aimed at adults, it usually turns out like 70s underground comix-- it says adult on the cover, but it's for adolescents inside. I'm satisfied when they can do something decent and straightforward, like Eureka and Warehouse 13.
The one about the aging formula? I'm loving these MeTV re-runs. I've never seen first season episodes before.
That's well and good from our perspective as an audience. I was looking at things from the cable network's point of view. I believe they want to (A) attract an audience, (B) keep them coming back on a weekly basis and (C) encourage them to watch other shows.
I realized my point wasn't about fluff or light hearteness and more about shows with independent episodes. Shows like Eureka and Warehouse 13 where (almost) everything resets back to the status quo at the end of each episode. Such shows may attract an audience, but the audience has the luxury of not coming back to watch more episodes since each episode is pretty much independent.
Compare that to shows with a compelling and continuing storyline like Battlestar Galactica, Defiance, HBO's Game of Thrones and House of Cards. I find myself coming back week after week to see what happens next. Afaik, Syfy only had Defiance and Bitten. They needed more of this kind of show.
Correct!
For the record, I loved both Eureka and Warehouse 13. Nothing wrong with a little dessert.
Greg, didn't you write a Warehouse 13 book?
Did you watch Warehouse 13 and Eureka? They were not all standalone episodes, where everything reset at the end of every episode? There were most definitely Arcs, and consequences and changes throughout their runs.
Yep. I wrote the one and only WAREHOUSE 13 novel to date. .. and had a ball doing so. It was fun to go completely crazy and throw in every wild idea and wacky artifact I could think of.
I will never understand the issue people have with wresting on SyFy. It'd be one thing if SyFy chose to put on wresting instead of other programming, but that's not the case. It's actually the exact opposite. The money SyFy makes off of wrestling allows it to spend on science fiction programming, which traditionally is one of the most expensive genres. People should be thrilled with the role wrestling plays in SyFy's budgeting process. I just do not get all the negative reactions to it. Ok, it's not your thing, it's not mine either. Just don't tune in, there's plenty other things to watch.
And since i'm ranting about meaningless things anyway, can we call a statute of limitations here on making fun of the name change all ready. Big deal, it's pronounced differently than it looks. Welcome to the English language. It's been like 8 years or whatever. Can we as a community accept that this is what it is and it's not changing and just move on. It's kind of annoying at this point.
And since i'm ranting about meaningless things anyway, can we call a statute of limitations here on making fun of the name change all ready. Big deal, it's pronounced differently than it looks. Welcome to the English language. It's been like 8 years or whatever. Can we as a community accept that this is what it is and it's not changing and just move on. It's kind of annoying at this point.
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