How bad is Andromeda?

[JD]

I kind of have to wonder why Tribune made so may sci-fi and fantasy series, the people in charge really seemed to have hated them. Or at least sci-fi, I think some of their fantasy stuff wasn't quite as bad.

 

[Caretaker]

I'd love to see an Andromeda reboot. Get back to the show that was meant to be and have that story played out.

 

[Saul]

Kevin Sorbo never really bothered me as an actor on the Hercules episodes I've seen.

Same, I didn't think he was amazing or anything but I remember enjoying Hercules and thought his casting kinda made sense. Seemed like a good choice at the time.

I'd love to see an Andromeda reboot. Get back to the show that was meant to be and have that story played out.

I remember it was pitched as a Star Trek series at one time. I would have said they should consider that again, but Discovery season 3-5 basically covered the core concepts. Jump to the future, set in future where the Federation/Starfleet is mostly in pieces, the ship's A.I. is self aware etc.

 

[Christopher]

I kind of have to wonder why Tribune made so may sci-fi and fantasy series, the people in charge really seemed to have hated them. Or at least sci-fi, I think some of their fantasy stuff wasn't quite as bad.

According to what the producers said on the fan boards, the issue was that Tribune's execs were driven by profit above all. They didn't want intelligent, thought-provoking shows with complex ideas, they wanted lowest-common-denominator action shows that were simple enough to be marketed internationally across barriers of language and culture, and thereby make them more money in global syndication. Also, they prioritized short-term money-saving over long-term gains, so rather than investing the money it would've taken to create a well-made SF future, they cut corners everywhere they could. And they fired experienced showrunners and replaced them with cheaper ones -- or maybe it's just that it was cheaper to fire producers after a year or two and hire new ones than to shell out the annual raises that veteran staffers would be entitled to (this is probably also why they had so many cast changes).

So it's not that they hated SF/fantasy, it's that they defined it differently, as a vehicle for action rather than ideas, aimed low to make a quick buck rather than aimed high to create something that would endure.