Could someone explain the Sci-Fi channel to me?

[Esquin]

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THEM!

Do the sci-fi channel execs seriously not understand simple concepts like common sense.

They often make calls about ratings and stuff. And yet its almost like they go out of their way to make their ratings worse. Delaying the Battlestar Galactica return till 2008, canceling Sg-1, airing wrestling shows, and now the rumours that they're splitting the next BSG season into 2 10 episode chunks!

They screw about their best rating shows and then wonder why they don't get good ratings or consistent ones for that matter. It boggles the mind!!! Can we just storm the place and launch some kind of take over already!

[Skydiver]

it's like they're afraid of success. they seem determined to shoot htemselves in the foot and keep scifi, as a genre, something to be mocked and belittled

handled differently, they COULD be a force to be reckoned with...but it's like thier own worst enemy is making the decisions about what to do and how to handle things

[FoolishPleasure]

Yeah, the latest info that Skiffy will only show 10 BSG episodes in 2008, and the final 10 in 2009 is enough to tip me over the edge. I'm already ticked off that ABC is doing that to LOST, and if this stupid programming becomes the norm, it just won't be worth investing myself in any shows at all.

[samlovinshep]

Hey theres nothing wrong with them airing wrestling shows i think its good

[KatG]

I remember when I first heard that there would be a SciFi channel. I was so excited. Finally, a channel that would respect science fiction and give it the attention it deserved. I couldn't wait until my cable company started carrying it.

Now, I wonder why I was so excited. They take a good idea, and totally mess it up. Rather than let the producers/writers have their head and do what they're good at, SciFi tries to micro-manage everything and in the process end up making what could be a great show into a mediocre one.

It's sad that something that had/has so much potential is basically wasting it.

[SGA fan]

it's like they're afraid of success. they seem determined to shoot htemselves in the foot and keep scifi, as a genre, something to be mocked and belittled

handled differently, they COULD be a force to be reckoned with...but it's like thier own worst enemy is making the decisions about what to do and how to handle things

The bad thing about scifi channel is that there have hit shows but don't know what to do with them. there not used to having big ratings and large amounts of people watching the channel. I agree they're afraid of success

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Like when they split up SG-1, Atlantis and BSG. They must have been doing too well together. Then to make things worse they cancel SG-1!

[kharn the betrayer]

Yeah, the latest info that Skiffy will only show 10 BSG episodes in 2008, and the final 10 in 2009 is enough to tip me over the edge. I'm already ticked off that ABC is doing that to LOST, and if this stupid programming becomes the norm, it just won't be worth investing myself in any shows at all.

wait WHAT!

when where HOW I mean Iv been waiting nice and patiently for BSG S4 and now I wont even see the entire season in the same year

-_- you might as well be telling people to forget the show ever existed

GJ Sci Fi its your programing schemes that make me glad I only watch 2 tv shows now (Avatar and BSG and with both shows nearing the end...unless Avatar gets picked up for one more season)*sighs*

[GateLadyM]

Here is a thread at the SciFi forum discussing what may, or may not happen to BSG:

http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2286555

[SGA fan]

Here is a thread at the SciFi forum discussing what may, or may not happen to BSG:

http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2286555

"shakes head" it's sad news for BSG

[ToasterOnFire]

I wonder if SF/Fantasy programming in general is just not as profitable compared to other genres of shows. It all comes down to cost/profit in the end.

[FoolishPleasure]

I wonder if SF/Fantasy programming in general is just not as profitable compared to other genres of shows. It all comes down to cost/profit in the end.

With shows like "Heroes", BSG, and "LOST" such big hits, and with fan tantrums bringing SG1 and Dead Like Me back on DVDs, one would think SciFi/fantasy would be a good market. . . .if it is done well. However, when good shows are canned, only to be replaced with drivel like Trash Gordon and Painful-to-Watch Jane, the audience is definitely going to shrink.

The market is there, but the audience isn't as dumb as SciFi thinks it is.

[Sci-Fi]

Only reason why the SFC would consider splitting BSG S4 is that the major union contracts are up after this year and they (SFC) want some original programming to air, just in case. Otherwise they have to air repeats, buy foreign shows, etc etc to fill the time slots. It is understandable the actors and producers would be upset if the SFC split the season. They would have to go public so their colleagues don't think they crossed the picket line (if there is a strike).

As far as the SFC, the original concept got derailed when Paramount was taken over by Viacom. The SFC was supposed to become the home of Star Trek, which Spike TV is now, and to buy existing and develop other sci fi properties to fill out the time slots. But the partnership was dissolved and you had the starts and false starts that characterized the channel for a decade or more.

The SFC doesn't have the budget to pay for original programming to fill the prime time slots for 7 days. It's like the USA Network, which is known as the "Monk" channel....the SFC has SciFi Fridays and I suppose the Saturday Night "B" movies. Only Eureka was successful on another night (Tuesday) and it's paired with ECW. If you want to include the reality show "Ghosthunters", then the SFC has a presense on Weds.

I don't have a problem with ECW...nobody really tuned into the SFC on Tuesday nights anyways. Now there's something there...Eureka for your SciFi fix and ECW to draw in the 13-25 crowd and "hopefully" they will find programs on the SFC that they like and increase the Nielsen numbers. It's a smart move for a niche channel.

AniMonday's is another good move. All they need to do is to expand it for the rest of the week and the SFC will siphon "Adult Swim" viewers that want to watch (good) Japanese Anime, not trash like "Tom&Eric", "Saul of the Molemen", etc etc. What late night programming does the SFC have now that can get the 1.5 ratings in the 18-24 age group and being the #1 Ad-Supported Cable Network for that time period the Adult Swim channel likes to boast about? If the SFC can get a license for some of the popular animes now airing in Japan, they can just subtitle the episodes instead of hiring english voice actors to dub the episodes and anime fans would be happy. They are used to watching subtitled animes, so it is well within the anime viewers expectations.

The SFC has made a lot of mistakes and they never seem to learn their lesson. BSG was considered "one and done" after the mini series and it took somebody to take a chance with their job to get it green lighted. We know what happened after that and a lot of people took credit/jumped on the bandwagon. Look how long the SFC took to greenlight a 2nd season of "Eureka". Eureka fans were getting worried they wouldn't get a 2nd season despite the show getting decent-to-good Nielsen ratings. The second season of Eureka is beating ECW, which was the SFC's ratings leader.

The writing was on the wall for SG-1. During Comic Con, the SFC, MGM, and the SG-1 Producers were telling convention go'ers to watch the show and to get their friends to watch. If that wasn't foretelling about any/no future seasons after S10, I don't know what is. We just don't know what Nielsen numbers the show had to hit or average. Fans were grumbling about the show in S9 and S10, just read the old threads in those sections BEFORE the cancellation announcement.

Painkiller Jane failed because it needed to follow the comic books not the "neuro of the week". It's a miracle "Flash Gordon" got made at all. George Lucas couldn't get the FG property and forced him to create Star Wars. Look at the similarities:
http://www.spookybug.com/origins/flash.html

[Pitry]

As I've just posted in the BSG forum....; it doesn't make sense ciFi-wise, unless they've changed their minds about original programming all year long. If they do it, they're stuck with nothing come April. - unless there aer some new programmes I'm unaware of....

[FoolishPleasure]

Only reason why the SFC would consider splitting BSG S4 is that the major union contracts are up after this year and they (SFC) want some original programming to air, just in case. Otherwise they have to air repeats, buy foreign shows, etc etc to fill the time slots. It is understandable the actors and producers would be upset if the SFC split the season.

I'm not worried about actors and producers. As a FAN, I'm not going to be jerked around with all this Skiffy game-playing! 20 episodes for season 4. That's it. End it and move on. If Skiffy doesn't have programming, that is their problem. Maybe Bonnie and Mark need to move on and let someone else take the reins.

SFC has SciFi Fridays . . .

You mean they HAD SciFi Fridays. They had a good thing going with SG1/SGA/BSG, but they killled it for Trash Gordon and Painful Jane. Their ratings and audience have done the olde crash and burn.

Look how long the SFC took to greenlight a 2nd season of "Eureka". Eureka fans were getting worried they wouldn't get a 2nd season despite the show getting decent-to-good Nielsen ratings. The second season of Eureka is beating ECW, which was the SFC's ratings leader.

The idjits at Skiffy only gave Eureka 13 episodes. Barely enough to get interest going before it goes off the air. Skiffy hasn't said anything about another season for it either, but if they do, it better be more than 13 eppys! If Trash G. and PainJane can get 22, their top-rated show should get the same!

Painkiller Jane failed because it needed to follow the comic books not the "neuro of the week". It's a miracle "Flash Gordon" got made at all. George Lucas couldn't get the FG property and forced him to create Star Wars. Look at the similarities:

PKJ is just BAD. It has nothing to do with following a comic book or not. The production values, the writing, and the acting were worse than amateur level. Flush Gordon is even worse, all the way around. Just look at the ratings. Flush was 1.5 in week #1, but fell completely out of Skiffy's top 10 in week #2. It fell off 50%.

This is NO way to run a network.