Why are there so many bad Sci Fi shows?

[Starrtom]

It has always puzzeled me why television can not consistantly bring out quality Sc Fi? I mean when it comes to the Comedy, Drama etc type of shows there are a great deal to choose from which are excellent, but when it comes to Sci Fi it just dies. Other then Stargate, Trek, farscape, babylon 5 and a few others there is not much out there, and they are all finsihed (other then Atlantis).

Yet we are in the age of great science and technology, and our knowledge of the universe is growing by the minute. Why is it that writers and producers can't find another Stargate or Trek to bring to the fans? It is both sad and frustrating.

[jds1982]

A lot of it has to do with the fact that the market for sci fi is smaller than that of dramas and comedies, another reason is that it's really hard to find good sci fi, so much of it is crap that it's not funny. That crap usually winds up on Sci Fi Saturdays.

[Starrtom]

A lot of it has to do with the fact that the market for sci fi is smaller than that of dramas and comedies, another reason is that it's really hard to find good sci fi, so much of it is crap that it's not funny. That crap usually winds up on Sci Fi Saturdays.

Well maybe if they did produce quality shows the market might expand, and more people would enjoy Sci Fi.

[Admiral Mappalazarou]

It all depends what you're into. For me, the best scifi shows out there are Stargate, BSG, Lexx and Doctor Who.

[Wordsmit2]

Personally, I think it's because of the myth of the lowest common denominator: Over and over I keep reading variations on "Well, you have to dumb it down because there are some really dumb people out there."

Do you personally know any? Any who watch said shows and movies?

TV sci-fi fans are some of the biggest perpetrators of this. Notice how often you read such sentences here at Gateworld.

I read one in the Doctor Who folder the other day. Someone wanted to know why the new series started counting from season 1 instead of 27. Someone else replied that it would be too confusing to newcomers to start with season 27. Like a newcomer even *knows* it's the 27th season?

[Daedalus-304]

I mean when it comes to the Comedy, Drama etc type of shows there are a great deal to choose from which are excellent,

I wouldn't say that, I think most of those shows on TV are bad. The only comedy that's currently one that I watch is the Simpsons, and I haven't found any decent Drama.

[Wraith_Boy]

Well maybe if they did produce quality shows the market might expand, and more people would enjoy Sci Fi.

2 reasons:

1) People are stupid & would rather watch some degenerates showing themselves up on national tv.

2) People in charge of the networks usually have their heads too far up in the clouds to see or care about what the little people really want.

I have an idea (2 actually) 1 is all completed though, whole first season is already scripted. While 2nd show is still being toyed with just incase I ever get the chance to show it off. This way I'll have 2 chances.

Yet I can't even get it read by anybody, in the UK (ITV) they only accept certain submissions twice per year. However because of the Primeval thing that they made at £1m an ep they weren't interested. What's worse is they gave it a 2nd season, so I'll expect the same next year. BBC already make Dr.Who, Torchwood & Hyperspace. It's UK based, so wouldn't expect it to go down well in the USA until it least was shown in the UK first.

Even making films is hard because you need the money in your hand first before anyone is willing to help you. I applied for funding for one of my movies but the body who decides it turned me down because I didn't have a movie budget of a minimum £500,000.

If all those running the networks or companies that make tv & movies want better programming, they should make it easier for the little guys to be able to submit stuff & get it seen.

If you don't have any contacts in the business it's simply too hard to get your foot in the door. Same as everything in life though...it's who you know!

[Ripple in Space]

Actually "Lost," "Heroes," and "CSI" are all SciFi shows, and considered very good. I haven't seen them, but they are very popular.

SG-1 was a very good show. It was good because it tried to keep a real feeling, and had great lead actors (S1-8).

As for the bad SciFi, well Majel Barrett-Roddenberry looking to cash in sure contributes to the bad SciFi scene .

Its also hard to find quality actors to do SciFi since they see how all of the original Star Trek cast were turned into cliches by Hollywood.

Farscape didn't help the scene either...

[Starrtom]

2 reasons:

1) People are stupid & would rather watch some degenerates showing themselves up on national tv.

2) People in charge of the networks usually have their heads too far up in the clouds to see or care about what the little people really want.

I have an idea (2 actually) 1 is all completed though, whole first season is already scripted. While 2nd show is still being toyed with just incase I ever get the chance to show it off. This way I'll have 2 chances.

Yet I can't even get it read by anybody, in the UK (ITV) they only accept certain submissions twice per year. However because of the Primeval thing that they made at £1m an ep they weren't interested. What's worse is they gave it a 2nd season, so I'll expect the same next year. BBC already make Dr.Who, Torchwood & Hyperspace. It's UK based, so wouldn't expect it to go down well in the USA until it least was shown in the UK first.

Even making films is hard because you need the money in your hand first before anyone is willing to help you. I applied for funding for one of my movies but the body who decides it turned me down because I didn't have a movie budget of a minimum £500,000.

If all those running the networks or companies that make tv & movies want better programming, they should make it easier for the little guys to be able to submit stuff & get it seen.

If you don't have any contacts in the business it's simply too hard to get your foot in the door. Same as everything in life though...it's who you know!

I know it's pretty hard out there to get anything new on the table, unless you know soembody. Unfortunately the whole world is run by bean counters who have no understanding of what it is to find new frontiers and push the boundaries to create soemthing good.

Having said that, the general public has to take some of the blame for allowing cheap reality TV and things of that genera to florish. I guess voyerism is the way to go in this new millenia.

I wish you luck, just keep at it, just for the enjoyment of yourself creating something new.

[AnUbIs2004]

Biggest aspect is expectations. How could Earth Final Conflict make it through it's full five year run, yet some of these other shows not even make it past the first season? Well, nobody had invested in EFC as a top 10 show, thus it was able to continue with lower expectations. Look at the Hercules, Xena, and Andromeda, as well. Syndicating the shows helped out immensely as the cost of showing was minimal since it was spread out. Really, for another Stargate to ever come, it will probably have to be syndicated at least for a few years to build up a following.

Something that SciFi channel just does NOT understand. They are a cable channel after all, and will never see the huge ratings that NBC gets. I doubt as well they are going to even get close to shows like Nip/Tuck or The Shield. But then again, does SciFi even give any shows a chance. I think this goes for all networks now. If a show is not a hit right out of the gate, then it is doomed. Gone are the days networks will nurture a show someone. If X-Files came out today, we would at best see one season, maybe 2-3 before it would be canceled.

[morjana]

It has always puzzeled me why television can not consistantly bring out quality Sc Fi? I mean when it comes to the Comedy, Drama etc type of shows there are a great deal to choose from which are excellent, but when it comes to Sci Fi it just dies. Other then Stargate, Trek, farscape, babylon 5 and a few others there is not much out there, and they are all finsihed (other then Atlantis).

Yet we are in the age of great science and technology, and our knowledge of the universe is growing by the minute. Why is it that writers and producers can't find another Stargate or Trek to bring to the fans? It is both sad and frustrating.

Especially when you consider all the wonderful scifi/fantasy books in print. Certainly they could find a series that's available somewhere to be made into a TV series.

But, consider TV has a long history of going through "trends." We had the Westerns in the 50/60's; the Cop/Detective procedurals in the 60/70's; the anti-hero/anti-establisment series in the 70/80's; the insult comedies/dramedies in the 80/90's; and now, unfortunately, we're in the godforsaken "reality" series in the 90/00's. Oy!

SciFi is still a fairly new sub-genre in fiction. It takes time for people to wrap their minds around the concept of "thinking out of the box."

Actually, I think there's been MORE excellent SciFi series than there has been bad ones. And again, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

But when you look at quality series like "The Outer Limits" (the original); the "Twilight Zone" (the original); Star Trek: TOS, ST: TNG, ST: DS9; Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis; Babylon 5; Alien Nation; Space: Above and Beyond; The Adventures of Brisco County; Kolchak: The Night Stalker (the original); Firefly; Farscape; Quantum Leap; The X-Files...and many more...

And even those great shows fit their time periods that they were created. Some, like "Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek: TOS" transcend time. Some, like "Lost in Space," while popular in the 60's, are too "cheesy" for our refined (cough) and cultured scifi taste buds these days.

But for every great series that dies a quick death - example "Firefly" - there's an extremely bad series - example "Andromeda" - that survives five seasons.

The why's of it are varied and puzzling.

Sort of like life sometimes.

Rejoice in the good scifi shows. Ask your friends, your co-workers, your family, your neighbors to watch them. Write letters to TPTB, the sponsors, the network, let them know you love the show and why.

And don't be afraid to let the same TPTB, the sponsors, the network know about the shows you don't like and why.

You may not accomplish anything major or minor - but at least you seized the opportunity to voice your opinion.

Morjana

(sorry - didn't mean to preach to the choir)

[Oreo]

Fewer people watch a more expensive show so they have to make sci-fi cheaper.

it's also the reason why on EVERY sci-fi show the aliens look human, it's cheaper to do.

[maneth]

By and large sci-fi shows are much more expensive to make than standard dramas, not to mention comedies that are usually filmed before a live studio audience and don't need more than one studio with a few stage setups. A far cry from the CGI required of sci-fi shows these days.

It may also be that sci-fi audiences have grown jaded over the years. We expect to be wowed out of our seats by every episode of every show, and if that doesn't happen we're disappointed. Drama and comedy viewers may be happier with more of the same. Not to mention reality show viewers... Somebody must be watching all that crap, or they wouldn't make so much of it.

[Trek_Girl42]

By and large sci-fi shows are much more expensive to make than standard dramas, not to mention comedies that are usually filmed before a live studio audience and don't need more than one studio with a few stage setups. A far cry from the CGI required of sci-fi shows these days.

It may also be that sci-fi audiences have grown jaded over the years. We expect to be wowed out of our seats by every episode of every show, and if that doesn't happen we're disappointed. Drama and comedy viewers may be happier with more of the same. Not to mention reality show viewers... Somebody must be watching all that crap, or they wouldn't make so much of it.

Excellent point. It's really astonishing to see some of the opinions of sci-fi fans who must have sticks shoved so far up their butts that they can't properly pay attention to anything that's on, and just have to automatically complain about it. Whatever decade of long past was the glory day and nothing of today can ever live up to it. And when something does, after the first season it's complain, whine, complain some more. Two sub-par episodes in a row and the show has "jumped the shark". Sci-fi has some of the smartest fans, but also some of the most stubborn (these groups often crossing), and I think that that could unwittingly kill the genre. I'm not saying accept bad shows, but I am saying actually give stuff a chance, and don't write it off after seeing ten minutes, or even just hearing a brief description (cause ya know, after reading a three sentence synopsis, some of us just have to label it off as a rip-off of this or that *guilty*).

When we rally behind the good shows, it shows the networks what we want, and hopefully they'll take a clue and continue to develop higher budget quality sci-fi- which I think is what is starting to happen, with highly touted shows the like Bionic Woman and The Sarah Connor Chronicles coming to major networks. Fingers crossed that they're good, and will get the audience support.

[Acolyte Of Bli'l'ab]

* TV is a popularity contest, its all about aiming to please as many people as possible and making it all "Accessible", which is why you'd never see a warhammer 40k Inquisitor series, or a sci-fi show purely about aliens ect ; its too weird and obscure for most audiences and would be too expensive and also get small viewing numbers.

* 99.9% of sci-fi on TV is just regurgitated formulas which have been uses ever since, just making them more contemporary..they use what works because taking risks is bad if they lose money. Unfortuantly, sci-fi SHOULD be about doing new things and taking risks. But like I said, their in it to make money...a genre sci-fi shouldnt be about IMHO.

* Most people dont CARE about the actual sci-fi, they just want soap-dramas and character-based stuff in space...there isnt anything wrong with this, and some of my own favourite sci-fi shows DO this (babylon5/bsg). But its all we'll really get in terms of sci-fi on tv. You only have to look at how the awful new Dr who series was modernised to appeal to the lowest common denominator...an artistic success ? no, a commercial success ? very much so. Thats what they want and why they did it.

* Alot of what people call sci-fi isnt anything to do with it at all..most of it is space-fantasy or just plain fantasy in a modern-day setting.

The best way to mend this is to start making your own shows really, as technology becomes more advanced, itll eventually be possible for people to go DIY and make stuff of their own...this way you dont have to appeal to a huge audience and can do what -you- want to see. Its what I've been doing myself for the past 4 years and I highly recomend others to try it.