Why isn't there more sci-fi on American TV?

[auntiehill]

I think it's pretty evident that there's quite a lot of sci fi, fantasy and horror on television, more than most people can regularly watch.

For example, Hubby and I watch : Walking Dead, Orphan Black, Person of Interest, Sleepy Hollow, Game of Thrones, Defiance, Falling Skies, Helix, Supernatural, Agents of SHIELD. That's quite a lot. Plus, there's also shows that were just cancelled, like Warehouse 13, Revolution and Intelligence. I think it's so very popular now that it's not as big a deal that it's "science fiction" or fantasy. When I was a kid, I watched every genre show I could, just because it was on; those types of programs were so rare, I'd watch it even if I didn't like it all that much. I just needed my sci fi fix.

There are lots of genre shows on now, more than ever. I think that's why the whole "nerd culture" is finally becoming more mainstream. Just look at the business of conventions. I went to one this Memorial Day and a friend commented to me that she was shocked how big it was and how CROWDED it was. When she last went to a convention, many years ago, it was generally just middle-aged nerds (mostly men with just a few women) and a generally small group. Now it's HUGE; it's families, teens, college kids, old farts like me and my friend. It's a multimillion dollar business. So, yeah, I'd say sci fi in general is more popular than ever.

 

[Greg Cox]

FYI: Syfy is already casting its new space opera series:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/03/brian-van-holt-ascension/

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Maybe "sci-fi" could use a little boost but I've long been good with the "genre" umbrella which offers a lot of choices. However, a quality space opera would be really nice to have in the mix.

 

[DarthTom]

FYI: Syfy is already casting its new space opera series:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/03/brian-van-holt-ascension/

Oh God, a '1960's Star Ship.' Here comes Univac - if they are going to be historically accurate.

 

[Awesome Possum]

FYI: Syfy is already casting its new space opera series:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/03/brian-van-holt-ascension/

Oh God, a '1960's Star Ship.' Here comes Univac - if they are going to be historically accurate.

Using an old computer like that would be glorious. Just have a massive room and say that it's roughly 1 GB. I'd love it, but I like Dark Star used old computers and had a throwaway line about massive budget cuts.

 

[Relayer1]

SciFi is too expensive + Low ratings = Cancellation at the end of Season

Sadly true. I'm so sick of all the crappy Earth based shows. With the exception of Defiance and Agents of Shield I've binned them ALL, I just can't watch them any more. I might still dump Defiance too - Agents is safe as it's part of the MCU, even if it's not exactly great.

I want a show set in space, with ships and aliens and ray guns, but they're just too expensive. I can't see Ascension taking off - it just seems a poor premise for a show (hope I'm wrong) and I've not heard anything of Incursion for a while.

 

[DarthTom]

Using an old computer like that would be glorious. Just have a massive room and say that it's roughly 1 GB. I'd love it, but I like Dark Star used old computers and had a throwaway line about massive budget cuts.

I suppose we should wait and see, but I'm skeptical that a story about a 1960's space ship on its way to colonize some distant planet where the travelers wake up decades later to investigate a murder will resonate with modern audiences - especially if they keep the technology authentic to the real 1960's.

As an aside, I always hated how on Enterprise they upgraded the technical look from TOS by adding things like flat screens to the set design. It runied - at least for me - some of the suspension of disbelief you have with the entire franchsie.

 

[EmoBorg]

Creativity comes when you have restrictions.

Sci Fi may not be too popular now days but i am sure it will enjoy a resurgence. It might not even be in a form of a traditional sci fi show that normally feature CGI space effects and aliens.


The Outer Limits was a great example of a Sci Fi show that featured little space based story line and it run for 7 seasons. You had a different story for each episode and that kept things fresh.

 

[DarthTom]

Creativity comes when you have restrictions

Sci Fi may not be too popular now days but i am sure it will enjoy a resurgence. It might not even be in a form of a traditional sci fi show that normally feature CGI space effects and aliens.


The Outer Limits was a great example of a Sci Fi show that featured little space action.

And to dovetail the topic of another thread, the new Star Wars and the legions of fans that likely will come from what is more and more looking like a good film in the making will bring back sci-fi in spades.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Using an old computer like that would be glorious. Just have a massive room and say that it's roughly 1 GB. I'd love it, but I like Dark Star used old computers and had a throwaway line about massive budget cuts.

I suppose we should wait and see, but I'm skeptical that a story about a 1960's space ship on its way to colonize some distant planet where the travelers wake up decades later to investigate a murder will resonate with modern audiences - especially if they keep the technology authentic to the real 1960's.

As an aside, I always hated how on Enterprise they upgraded the technical look from TOS by adding things like flat screens to the set design. It runied - at least for me - some of the suspension of disbelief you have with the entire franchsie.

People can accept it because it's supposed to be 1960s level technology. I believe that even the costuming will reflect this, going for a Mad Men type look. Enterprise is different because it's set in the future and you can't really show TOS stuff and act like its high tech. Especially since we have nicer stuff now. Trek manages to skirt it by making it a joke (like the line about classic 23rd century designs) like that episode where DS9 crossed over with TOS. Enterprise tried to combine it with a level of tech that would looked like a combination of current and TOS, which worked decently. But they appeared to be extremely held back by having to keep it behind TOS.

The new Trek movies probably took the best option and let it influence the design, but show it as being far more advanced than what we have. So the Communicators are used as cell phones but with a range that covers a chunk of that galaxy. It really does the same thing that TOS did, it showed the current audience what our future could be. TOS is based on what it could be from the 60s and the new is what it could be for us.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

I can't see Ascension taking off - it just seems a poor premise for a show (hope I'm wrong).

It's a six-hour miniseries, not an ongoing show. Syfy has Killjoys and The Expanse in the works for 2015 as ongoing space shows.

 

[Christopher]

The makers of TOS didn't want their technology to look like it was from the 1960s, they wanted it to look like it was from the future. But there was only so much they could do with the resources they had at the time. That's why Roddenberry modernized the designs for ST:TMP -- because he could afford to do better. If he could've gone back and redone TOS with more advanced sets and equipment and visual effects, then he absolutely would have, because then he could've gotten it closer to how he wanted it to look all along. He would've had no problem with ENT's updating of the technology, because he was not trying to create something retro and nostalgic.

 

[Awesome Possum]

The makers of TOS didn't want their technology to look like it was from the 1960s, they wanted it to look like it was from the future. But there was only so much they could do with the resources they had at the time. That's why Roddenberry modernized the designs for ST:TMP -- because he could afford to do better. If he could've gone back and redone TOS with more advanced sets and equipment and visual effects, then he absolutely would have, because then he could've gotten it closer to how he wanted it to look all along. He would've had no problem with ENT's updating of the technology, because he was not trying to create something retro and nostalgic.

It's still rooted in a 1960s style to some extent. But even future stuff now is basically styles that exist today, just taken to an extreme. That's why most of the gadgets look like Apple designed them. They'll look out of date in 15 years when we surpass them and have something that we can't even imagine now.

 

[Christopher]

Yes, and that's why future Star Trek productions will need to keep updating their portrayals of the future, rather than being misguidedly attached to older interpretations thereof. Roddenberry himself sometimes said that the shows he produced were just approximate, dramatized representations of the "real" Trek universe, and encouraged us to use our imaginations to envision that Platonic reality behind his rough attempts to depict it.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I'm shocked they haven't put in some futuristic version of the internet on the newer versions of Trek. Have it be connected throughout the entire Federation using the same technology that allows video communication. Maybe even have some sort of computer-brain interface since we're starting to have those now.

 

[Yminale]

I'm still not sure why we even have this thread as Christopher showed that Americans have plenty of sci-fi on TV. That being said why sci-fi shows fail is due to everything from high cost, changing demographics (more women watch TV than men), increased piracy, DVR use and just plain dumb luck. It's also very difficult to bring in new ideas into production.

But I'm happy. We have Doctor Who, Arrow and Agents of SHIELD and I really don't have time for more.

 

[Yminale]

I'm shocked they haven't put in some futuristic version of the internet on the newer versions of Trek. Have it be connected throughout the entire Federation using the same technology that allows video communication. Maybe even have some sort of computer-brain interface since we're starting to have those now.

1. it's already assumed that computers are networked together through subspace.

2. It wouldn't be reliable since even with subspace communications, there is still a delay (unless the story doesn't require it).

3. Storage is cheap and plentiful and bandwidth is large. I think the ST manual mentions ships databases being updated every time they are at a starbase.

 

[Greg Cox]

Using an old computer like that would be glorious. Just have a massive room and say that it's roughly 1 GB. I'd love it, but I like Dark Star used old computers and had a throwaway line about massive budget cuts.

I suppose we should wait and see, but I'm skeptical that a story about a 1960's space ship on its way to colonize some distant planet where the travelers wake up decades later to investigate a murder will resonate with modern audiences - especially if they keep the technology authentic to the real 1960's.

I don't know. Shows like MAD MEN or THE AMERICANS suggest that audiences don't mind period trappings in the right context. Hell, I'd lay odds that, at some point, somebody used that argument: "Think MAD MEN . . . in space!"

 

[DarthTom]

It's still rooted in a 1960s style to some extent. But even future stuff now is basically styles that exist today, just taken to an extreme. That's why most of the gadgets look like Apple designed them. They'll look out of date in 15 years when we surpass them and have something that we can't even imagine now.

I know this is way of topic but in terms of the look and feel of the, 'future,' no one got it more, 'right,' than Stanley Kubrick in 2001 A Space Odyssey - made in the 1960's as well - the technology they use to some degree looks even futuristic today.

On topic: Lest everyone forget, the 2 most popular shows on TV today are Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and neither has any elements of sci-fi. The public doesn't seem interested for now in sci-fi TV programming.

That said, if the networks are smart they are planning a release of several space based dramas immediately after the release of Star Wars in late 2015.

 

[mos6507]

Yes, and that's why future Star Trek productions will need to keep updating their portrayals of the future

Or you can just get off the endless treadmill of re-syncing the aesthetics to current fashion and call it a day on the basis that it's make-believe.

If you freeze stuff to a moment in time (like the LCARS of TNG or the buttons of TOS) then it just becomes its own thing, like Steampunk.