Firefly to Air on The Science Channel

[Warp Coil]

Didn't see a thread, so I figured I'd post it.

No, not the Syfy channel... the Science Channel. Perhaps they're thinking of rebranding? No clue where this came from, but as someone who works for Discovery Communications, I was pleasantly surprised to see the program masters for the series deliver in their HD goodness. I don't think Science has ever aired anything but non-fiction. This is their first experience with sci-fi, scripted programming, even if it is just an acquisition.

http://press.discovery.com/us/sci/programs/firefly/

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

...this show just refuses to die. It's like eighteen hours of immortality, wtf.

 

[Reverend]

I think it's clear SyFy has long since ceased to be anything akin to the old Science Fiction Channel. Weirdly enough I only recently discovered the Horror Channel on Virgin and was struck by just how much of the programming reminds me of what used to be on Sci-Fi and Bravo back in the late 90's...while over on SyFy they're showing wrestling and b-movies they made themselves.

As for the actual topic, it's great to see Firefly still on the air!

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The last place I saw it was on Ovation which is a channel devoted to the arts.

I think it's clear SyFy has long since ceased to be anything akin to the old Science Fiction Channel. Weirdly enough I only recently discovered the Horror Channel on Virgin and was struck by just how much of the programming reminds me of what used to be on Sci-Fi and Bravo back in the late 90's...while over on SyFy they're showing wrestling and b-movies they made themselves.

As for the actual topic, it's great to see Firefly still on the air!

I'm sure there are people who liked when The Science Channel was about science.

 

[Reverend]

^Uncontested.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Color me not surprised in the least. Not that Firefly is going on The Science Channel--now, that is a suprise to me--but I'm not surprised that The Science Channel is going after scripted shows, particularly science-fiction ones. Trying to reach a broader audience than your original one is the name of the game now for cable networks, IMO.

Besides, there's only so many times you can air How It's Made during a week...

 

[The Wormhole]

I guess it makes sense, with the actual science fiction channel now showing wrestling, it's only logical that this Science Channel now dips its beak into sci-fi.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Looking forward to the following announcement:

January 28th, 2014
SCIENCE CHANNEL CONTINUES THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN CRICHTON

Back at least in part by popular demand and thanks to a growing trend of interest in scripted shows on The Science Channel, the network has decided to trek new tales in TV's late, great cult hit Farscape starting this Fall.

 

[tharpdevenport]

At least they aren't adding hours of wrestling.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Trying to reach a broader audience than your original one is the name of the game now for cable networks, IMO.

Yep. Niche programming puts a ceiling on the audience that many cable channels bump up against after a few years of growth.

 

[bigdaddy]

Looking forward to the following announcement:

January 28th, 2014
SCIENCE CHANNEL CONTINUES THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN CRICHTON

Back at least in part by popular demand and thanks to a growing trend of interest in scripted shows on The Science Channel, the network has decided to trek new tales in TV's late, great cult hit Farscape starting this Fall.

Been drinking much tonight?

 

[KB24]

I'm not sure what to make of this at all. I liked the Science Channel when it first came on and showed the old fashioned documentary series that Discovery ditched in favor of one reality show after another. Then some of the limited reality series and concepts on Science Channel got new and fancy, and I started liking it less and less. How many How Its Made How do they do it How stuff works shows can they really have? Then the Mythbusters reruns began and that goofy Head Rush clip show waste.

While I'm seriously sad at the disgust that is 'SyFy' doesn't it completely defeat the purpose of the Science Channel for it to show science fiction? If they came out with one night of a combo viewing- show an sf show and then discuss the realism or possibility of it- that I could see. They have had shows debating the plausibility of sf staples.

Now, however, this just seems like a cop up and sell out ratings attempt. You mean to tell me they have nothing else in the Discovery archive that they could possibly show? I swear, TCM is the only channel that has stuck to its original vision of television programming. There's no such thing as niche any more, just macro blandness. Planet Green is now showing the shows that used to be on Science Channel, and Travel is showing Food. Do they figure if they are all the same they can at least split viewership?

Eh, I'm watching The Hub every night and loving every minute of it!

 

[tharpdevenport]

They could ad other shows, too, that are really science related, like "Bill Bye the Science Guy", and re-runs of "Stephen Hawking's Universe" (if rights are optioned out to other stations).

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Looking forward to the following announcement:

January 28th, 2014
SCIENCE CHANNEL CONTINUES THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN CRICHTON

Back at least in part by popular demand and thanks to a growing trend of interest in scripted shows on The Science Channel, the network has decided to trek new tales in TV's late, great cult hit Farscape starting this Fall.

Been drinking much tonight?

Only coffee. Oh, but it gets me so excited.

 

[KB24]

They used to show Bill Nye and Stephen Hawking, but have since taken them off the air. Nye also used to be on Planet Green- a fitting place, but instead they have done nothing but show Egyptian archaeological shows recently, trying to capitalize I suppose.

 

[Gepard]

It amuses me that when the topic of conversation is SyFy dropping sci-fi programming for wrestling, folks here curse the suits and pull their hair out, but when an ostensibly educational network suddenly runs wisecracking space pirates, we're all nodding our heads along with a sensible business decision.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Outer space show on a science channel = makes sense

Wrestling on the Sci-Fi channel = a pancake on a hamster's head*.




* = No shit -- we've already read about why it's on there. Go someplace else to piss & moan.

 

[bigdaddy]

It amuses me that when the topic of conversation is SyFy dropping sci-fi programming for wrestling, folks here curse the suits and pull their hair out, but when an ostensibly educational network suddenly runs wisecracking space pirates, we're all nodding our heads along with a sensible business decision.

Exactly. What stops them from going...

How about we have a wrestling show that we will pretend is in outer space?

No one here would care if Firefly was on Food Network, the people just don't like wrestling and will attack it whenever.

 

[JiNX-01]

I guess it makes sense, with the actual science fiction channel now showing wrestling...

To which I say ...

 

[Christopher]

I don't see the problem with wrestling on Syfy. I mean, it's very much a fantasy scenario.

Besides, it pays the bills. It's very profitable, so it's how Syfy affords to make the actual SF/fantasy programming on their network. So I'm not complaining. After all, it's not like I have the TV tuned to that channel 24/7. Why should I care what a channel chooses to broadcast when I'm not watching it?