Is the delay until Spring killing the show for you?

[Brent]

Syfy.com/SGU says the shows returns in spring 2010

Is this long delay killing the suspense, or impact, or your interest at all in SGU?

Is it hurting the show and ratings do you think?

Personally, I hate the long delay, I'm ready for it to be back on this week. I think they should have teamed SGU up with Caprica, back-to-back, would have drawn in viewers perhaps.

 

[The Wormhole]

Killing my interest? No. So far, SGU hasn't really made much of an impact on me. I'll watch it when it returns in April, of course.

However, I do not see the logic of these stupid extended hiatuses Sci-Fi or Syfy seems to insist in having for mid-season breaks in recent years. SGU will have a 5 month mid season hiatus, which seems unnecessary. I understand taking a break in December for Christmas, but the show should return at some point this month. There's no reason for five months.

This is not the first time something like this has been done. While I understand the seven month hiatus during BSG's fourth season was a result of the writer's strike, there's still the issue of the six month hiatus during SG-1's 10th season and Atlantis season 3, which had no logical reason either. Especially since in that case, other countries aired the second half of those seasons well before Sci-Fi did.

But, whatever. I'm just a working class-stiff who never attended university. Surely a television network has people with much more education than me making these kind of desicions.

 

[Kirby]

However, I do not see the logic of these stupid extended hiatuses Sci-Fi or Syfy seems to insist in having for mid-season breaks in recent years. SGU will have a 5 month mid season hiatus, which seems unnecessary. I understand taking a break in December for Christmas, but the show should return at some point this month. There's no reason for five months.

Syfy's theory is to rotate it with Caprica or Eureka, or whatever so people will maybe get hooked on another show and keep tuning in all year long. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if they start rotating these shows every week.
It's an amazingly stupid way of doing things, but then again they broadcast wrestling and those awful Saturday night movies. So it's pretty much business as usual for the braintrust at the SyFy network (even their name is idiotic)

 

[Harvey]

I'll probably keep watching it, if I remember, but the first ten episodes haven't wowed me in any way. Some of them have been downright horrible. Characterization is all over the map. And the less said about their half-assed attempt to tell a story about survival (Razors! ipod docking stations! Make-up!) the better.

 

[TemporalFlux]

It doesn't bother me. I don't really feel like anything happened in the first 10 episodes, so I have no anticipation of what will happen next. I don't mean that as a total slam on the show; I'll likely still watch when it comes back. The show just hasn't left me wanting.

 

[cylkoth]

However, I do not see the logic of these stupid extended hiatuses Sci-Fi or Syfy seems to insist in having for mid-season breaks in recent years.

The original logic for the breaks was to tap dance around the broadcast nets airing of first run episodes of their programming. I remember the days of La Femme Nikita on USA...The season premieres were launched in January, airing 4 episodes, then 4 repeats of those same eps in February-later substituted for viewer's choice repeats from the previous season, then 4-6 eps returning in March running through mid April, more repeats for May, side stepping May sweeps for the broadcasters, then finishing the season in summer... Sci Fi adopted the same formula, and as original programming grew on both nets, it often seemed like they began spacing out the shows to avoid them all running against each other, at least, preventing them from all starting up at the same time.

Now the breaks are used to fill program blocks, rather than having all 4 running weekly at the same time. You stretch out your programs over the year, and avoid every going into repeats simultaneously. Add into the mix,reduced episode orders..remember, Stargate used to get 22-24 eps a season, now we're at 20 eps a season for the big shows.

 

[Kelthaz]

It's doing the opposite for me actually. I had grown pretty bored with the show, so a long break will be good for me.

 

[Akiraprise]

I could care less, but I don't think this long break is going to be good for the show. People will likely forget all about it. I'll watch it when it comes back on.

 

[Starbreaker]

I think SGU and FlashForward will see ratings drops when they come back. Why shows don't start airing again now is beyond me.

 

[The Wormhole]

Add into the mix,reduced episode orders..remember, Stargate used to get 22-24 eps a season, now we're at 20 eps a season for the big shows.

Not really a factor in things at all. The reduction to 20 episodes started with season 8 of SG-1 and season 1 of Atlantis.

However, both seasons 8 and 9 of SG-1 and 1 and 2 of Atlantis had the standard (at the time) mid season break of three months. Then season 10 of SG-1 and season 3 of Atlantis had the six month mid-season hiatus which made no sense whatsoever. After that Atlantis only had a one month midseason hiatus in its fourth season, and had no midseason breaks at all in its fifth.

At least BSG made a bit more sense. Season 2 had the three month hiatus, and season 3 only had one month. Season 4 did have a seven month hiatus, but that was because of the writer's strike.

 

[Broccoli]

^ I liked how they did it back a few years ago. Having the July start for the first half, then having the January/February start for the back half.

 

[ngc7293]

As long as they review the first half of the season (not with flash backs "...last time on stargate: Universe...") I think there shouldn't be a problem. I never liked the hiatus thing, what ever the reason or what ever the length. Why can't Siffy have its new shows on a different day than Fridays? We can do without STNG reruns on Mondays, so put a new show then. There, problem solved.

 

[Star Wolf]

However, I do not see the logic of these stupid extended hiatuses Sci-Fi or Syfy seems to insist in having for mid-season breaks in recent years. SGU will have a 5 month mid season hiatus, which seems unnecessary. I understand taking a break in December for Christmas, but the show should return at some point this month. There's no reason for five months.

Syfy's theory is to rotate it with Caprica or Eureka, or whatever so people will maybe get hooked on another show and keep tuning in all year long. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if they start rotating these shows every week.
It's an amazingly stupid way of doing things, but then again they broadcast wrestling and those awful Saturday night movies. So it's pretty much business as usual for the braintrust at the SyFy network (even their name is idiotic)

Reminds me of the Action Pack that Hercules and Xena survived

 

[bigdaddy]

I sadly already stopped watching. This is Stargate, I'm all for new, but Stargate is about the Stargate and exploring new places and planets! It's not about bitching about who is sleeping with whom.

 

[Jax]

I sadly already stopped watching.

See you around when Episode 11 airs then ...

SYFY has enough original shows to change from there old crapy style and really to maximise ratings they need a better format. Why not start in July air in one go barring the odd break? It would probably boost ratings to start in the summer and have momentum going into the fall. Caprica then airs Jan-May so not much of a hole to fill.

Basically I would have this for friday nights...

January-May
Doctor Who/Caprica...(does SYFY still have Doctor Who ?)

July-November/December
Stargate Universe/Sanctuary

 

[bigdaddy]

^ I heard SyFy might not have Doctor Who anymore which means I will have to find other ways to see it because Charter sucks and dropped BBC America for no reason.

However Syfy needs more than three shows! None of them are really that great and I can't see them last for 5-6-7 years. Maybe that's what Syfy wants, to have no sci-fi shows and just become another TNT, TNN, Spike, G4... because that's exactly what this world needs!

 

[Harvey]

There's that Alien Nation remake in development. That could fill the place of Doctor Who.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I have always hated Syfy's mid-season breaks.

 

[cylkoth]

^ I heard SyFy might not have Doctor Who anymore which means I will have to find other ways to see it because Charter sucks and dropped BBC America for no reason.

However Syfy needs more than three shows! None of them are really that great and I can't see them last for 5-6-7 years. Maybe that's what Syfy wants, to have no sci-fi shows and just become another TNT, TNN, Spike, G4... because that's exactly what this world needs!

They've got 5 current scripted shows..SGU, Sanctuary, Eureka, Warehouse 13, and Caprica. With a reboot of Alienation, plus a Steven King show in the works. Whether they'll try keeping 7 originals hours going within a single year, is questionable. Probably will bring an existing show to an end, then order the next one into production.

 

[sidious618]

I wish they'd air them all in a row. You could pretty much get three shows airing on Friday night a year. SGU/Caprica/Some new shit.