a retro SCIFI channel?

[RobertScorpio]

I liked the SCIFI channel best when it showed old scifi shows; Six Million Dollar Man, The Hulk, Dr.Whos, but now its nothing but cheap made for scifi stuff (Caprica not included, I like this show). But would you watch a scifi-retro show that only showed scifi TV/Movies from, oh, 1980 going backward from there? Meaning no Stargates, or modern Trek shows, but old scifi? Hell, I guess you could include the 80s, but thats as modern as I would go...

Rob

 

[Mr. Sin]

Could work. Doesn't Cartoon Network have something similar, where they air the old Hanna-Barbera stuff?


The only problem with classic Doctor Who is that it's serialized, so they'll either play a whole serial which would last many hours or cut it up. Also, even the flashier new Doctor Who struggled on the network (But it seemed to find it's American home on BBC America)

 

[Ward Fowler]

I liked the SCIFI channel best when it showed old scifi shows; Six Million Dollar Man, The Hulk, Dr.Whos, but now its nothing but cheap made for scifi stuff (Caprica not included, I like this show). But would you watch a scifi-retro show that only showed scifi TV/Movies from, oh, 1980 going backward from there? Meaning no Stargates, or modern Trek shows, but old scifi? Hell, I guess you could include the 80s, but thats as modern as I would go...

Rob

I'm with you 100%. The last time I liked the Sci-Fi channel was in the early to mid-ninties when they were playing the old shows that you mentioned. Once they started making their own cheap programming I completely lost interest. I'd definitely watch the channel you described.

 

[SG-17]

I'd rather have a Classic Nickelodeon channel first, but I'm for this idea.

 

[Starbreaker]

Could work. Doesn't Cartoon Network have something similar, where they air the old Hanna-Barbera stuff?

Yes. I think it's still called Boomerang.

 

[Neroon]

I'd definitely watch such programming. "Land of the Giants", "Fantastic Voyage", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Time Tunnel", all of those old sci-fi movies that nobody shows anymore.....

I wonder, as others have alluded, if SyFy could spin off a channel like this, in the same manner as Cartoon Network has with Boomerang, or Nickelodeon with TV-Land.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I'd rather have a Classic Nickelodeon channel first, but I'm for this idea.

They have a channel that shows the old cartoons (Ren & Stimpy, Rocko). Plus a few of the old stuff is on DVD now, Pete & Pete has the first two seasons released.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

but old scifi? Hell, I guess you could include the 80s, but thats as modern as I would go...

Yes for now with cable being such niche channels why not?
1950s-1980s science fiction on TV.
That includes The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, 1950s scifi TV (if any still exists).
This would obviously be a standard definition channel as the cost to retelecine to HD is not worth the R.O.I. for ad sales and carriage costs.

Possibly even TV movies such as the original "V" miniseries.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I'd definitely watch such programming. "Land of the Giants", "Fantastic Voyage", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Time Tunnel", all of those old sci-fi movies that nobody shows anymore.....

.

THIS!

 

[RJDiogenes]

My Brother and I were just talking about this over the weekend. It would be great to have a Retro Sci Fi Channel airing that old stuff. Not that I don't like Sciffy's original programming-- I actually enjoy most, if not all, of it-- but I'd love to have the classics around, too. Of course, I wouldn't have time to actually watch it, but I support the idea in principle.

I also wish I had the Chiller Channel.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I just want a "Sci-Fi" Channel (not Syfy) that shows good science fiction programming (new or old), and doesn't make crappy made-for-TV films, or show wrestling.

 

[Data Holmes]

Yes.

 

[Vendikarr]

This will never happen.

If we ever get a retro Sci-Fi channel, it will be on the web. I could get into a Hulu-esque website just showing all those oldies.

 

[General Kang]

I am 100% on board - it'd be cheaper for the network you'd think. Nothing like Buck Rogers reruns baby!

 

[Tom]

Scifi Tv Land!

 

[Agent Richard07]

TCM includes old scifi movies in its lineup, commercial free, so I'm happy with that. I don't think channel that shows nothing but old scifi movies would work. I suspect it would eventually have to change and diversify like everything else just to stay afloat.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

It'd be nice if Syfy had a one or two hour block for such shows. I used to like when there'd be something retro on early morning or when they had retro toons on Saturday morning. Sadly I suppose it's easier to just throw whatever into those slots and probably gets better ratings to boot.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Nope. If I want to watch Lost in Space, I'll netflix the suckers.

Skiffy has massive problems right now just making and keeping decent sci fi on the air; they should worry about that rather than reruns of old crap.

 

[Marc]

Do we really need a seperate channel - about Syfy and Space just slotted in some of the older programs? How many times can you run TNG, DS9, SG-1 etc etc and lets face the collection of movies ain't crash hot either.

 

[Vendikarr]

Do we really need a seperate channel - about Syfy and Space just slotted in some of the older programs? How many times can you run TNG, DS9, SG-1 etc etc and lets face the collection of movies ain't crash hot either.

That calls for them to acquire the rights to shows they don't currently have the rights for. I don't see them paying without knowing if they can make a profit on them.

The older shows are black and white, or faded colors with monaural sound. The films weren't taken care of very well. Audiences these days want crisp colors and stereo sound, at a minimum. In these days of HDTV, are the old really going to be interesting to modern audiences.

These shows can air on the internet, where expectations are lower, because audiences expect lower quality due to bandwidth considerations.