If saving Galactica meant waiting for Stargate, Would we have been willing?

[Hairy_Little_Muffin]

Did the SciFi channel’s impatience responsible a dying Battlestar Galactica?

Should they have been more patient and waited until the fall to begin airing it’s Friday Night lineup?

Would you have been willing to wait 3 months [for SG-1 and Atlantis] if it meant the potential saving of our beloved Galactica?

I am so pissed right now and want so badly to be able to blame the SciFi channel for what’s going on. (And by what's going on I mean the poor ratings, the move to Sunday night, and the constant talk of cancelation). Am I in the wrong, are they really to blame. Or am I just blinded by my pissed-offted-ness?

Here is my theory, how I justify my hostility towards SciFI. I’d like some opinions and input if you don't mind.

I'm a strong believer that the reason Galactica's ratings began to initially slip was because of SciFi's decision to break apart and re hash it’s Friday night lineup.

If the lineup of (1) Doctor Who (2) SG-1 (3) Atlantis and (4) Galactica worked so well in the past, why not leave it alone. In the end I'm kind of reminded of what I so often hear, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So is SciFi to blame because they couldn’t wait till October to air all it’s programming together.

Should SciFi have held SG-1 and Atlantis until October and aired everything together in a proven working fashion as they had before? Could we have mustered up the patience to wait an extra 3 months for new episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, especially if it meant avoiding a potential cancellation.

Or were they just impatient, and couldn’t wait any longer and felt the need to get something on the air, even if it meant forever breaking up a “proven to be perfect” Friday night lineup. Did their impatience kill our favorite show?

I’m a big Stargate fan. I make it a point to catch every new episode. But I could have been patient and waited an extra 3 months until October. If saving one of my favorite shows from poor ratings and potential cancellation meant waiting a mere 3 months for SG-1 and Atlantis I would have had no problems with waiting.

[titans]

Hairy Little Muffin...I cannot get over what an awsome nickname that is!

Anyway I blame SciFi Channel for all of Galactica's ratings problems! Although I don't know if your proposed wait woulda' helped. The problem is that they do such a piss poor job of marketing the show that they could put it on at halftime of the superbowl (go Bears by the way) and still nobody would watch. Every magazine / newspaper / website I read says that BSG is the best thing on TV and you don't have to be a fan of Science Fiction to like this show, but 99% of people out there who aren't into SciFi will never hear that.

Oh, and Apollo sucks!

[Trek_Girl42]

Galactica. Is. Not. Dead.

[Admiral Mappalazarou]

Neither. Is. Stargate.

[ShadowMaat]

You wanna know what killed Galactica's ratings? I can sum it up in three words: One year later...

Sorry, but while it's nice to blame a network a lot of people already hate, I'm inclined to blame sources closer to the show: TPTB. I still watch- mostly- but the show doesn't grab me the way it used to and some storylines are so intensely aggravating (quadrangle) that they may drive me away from the show entirely. That's writing, not a time slot.

And since I'm not watching Stargate any more, I don't really care what else is on around it or even when it's on. *shrug* Not like I have anything better to do on Sunday nights.

Anyway, my own disaffection aside, I tend to lean more towards Trek Girl's viewpoint: the show ain't dead yet.

[Hairy_Little_Muffin]

Galactica. Is. Not. Dead.

I know, but it's dying. Isn't it?

[Trek_Girl42]

I know, but it's dying. Isn't it?

One mistake plotline does not=dead show. Especially considering that this plotline will not be carrying on for that much longer, RDM is a lot smarter then that. I have complete faith that it will be tied up by the end of this season, and that we will move on. At last.

Just as lower ratings do not equal a "dead" show.

The show's "dead" when it's cancelled/every episode/plotline is miserable. End of story.

Galactica is still alive and kicking.

[Hatcheter]

The show's not dead, but it's been walking on shaky legs ever since SciFi decided to break up the Stargate/BSG SciFi Friday. You know the saying: "if it ain't broke, fix it until it is". SG-1 got canned and BSG is straining for renewal. Good job, Skiffy!

Of course, this shouldn't be shocking. The sort of people who make these decisions in television are accountants and sales execs, not the producers, directors, and other creative types.

ETA: and as I just saw an article stating, pitting BSG against the frakin' NFL is recipie for failure.

[ShadowMaat]

Has a show ever honestly been canceled just because the show on before it was changed?? I'm sorry, but that sounds beyond bizarre... and more than a little arrogant. It implies that people are ONLY watching BSG because of Stargate and not because, oh, I don't know, they liked the show on its OWN merits??

BSG has moved in directions that have upset some fans. Shouldn't that count for something too? And rather than blaming the lack of Stargate, maybe it's the move to Sundays that plays a larger factor. Unless you're saying that Stargate should have moved to Sundays, too, in order to keep up with protect it?

Of course X-Files was moved from Fridays to Sundays (which outraged many fans) and it lasted for YEARS afterward, so maybe if the stories are good enough it doesn't matter when a show is on (or what show is on before it) because fans will follow it.

But to imply that the BIGGEST reason for BSG's success is because of Stargate fans, what, deigning to watch after their show was over? Please.

[huntress]

I absolutly blame the Sci-Fi Channel for the poor ratings. How could they move Galactica to a Sunday timeslot. Do they really want to kill off their most sucessful show. They must be suicidal.

[TheXym]

But to imply that the BIGGEST reason for BSG's success is because of Stargate fans, what, deigning to watch after their show was over? Please.

+1 I definitely agree with that thought. BSG was an outstanding show, and it isn't dead yet. Saying it was only other fans sticking around is, imho a bit arrogant. However, the argument could be made that for some fans, having the SG-1, Atlantis, BSG trifecta of new episodes running back-to-back was a compelling reason to stay home on a Friday night (US schedule) and watch them. I know from my own experience, it happened a few times in my house, as the kids loved to watch the Stargate shows with me (they're still a bit young for Galactica, but when they're older, that's what the DVDs are for). I know just watching one show wouldn't be that compelling a reason to not go do something else, but to have the 2 hour block where the kids really liked the same show was some nice shared time with them, then watching Galactica for me was the icing on the cake. Heck, for the short time I was able to, I rearranged my work schedule to allow it to happen. Just my $0.02.

[TheXym]

I absolutly blame the Sci-Fi Channel for the poor ratings. How could they move Galactica to a Sunday timeslot. Do they really want to kill off their most sucessful show. They must be suicidal.

The Sunday timeslot actually works much better for me when school is in session due to my second job on Friday nights (can't reschedule a day shift if I'm teaching).

[Oreo]

Galactica. Is. Not. Dead.

I was gonig to agree, but I'll just say.

Neither. Is. Firefly.

Opps!

[Trek_Girl42]

I was gonig to agree, but I'll just say.

Neither. Is. Firefly.

Opps!

I have to agree- Firefly isn't dead at all, Firefly is like.....ascention. It's moved to a higher plane of existance, that is reserved only for the most self-actualized/pure/life affirmed/loved/all-that-good-stuff television shows.

And if you look close enough, there are glowing tentacles.

[Hatcheter]

Has a show ever honestly been canceled just because the show on before it was changed?? I'm sorry, but that sounds beyond bizarre... and more than a little arrogant.

Maybe not, but changing timeslots has killed many a good series. And that is what happened to Galactica. The move from summer to fall put it up against far more competition than it had had before, and it didn't have the original lead-ins needed to make a decent primetime line up.

It implies that people are ONLY watching BSG because of Stargate and not because, oh, I don't know, they liked the show on its OWN merits??

<snip>

But to imply that the BIGGEST reason for BSG's success is because of Stargate fans, what, deigning to watch after their show was over? Please.

Now I didn't say that. I don't think anybody here has said that. What has been said was that there was a nice, neat little line up of three entertaining shows which ran well together, but haven't fared so well once they were seperated. There are many factors involved, but when you boil it down, the SG1/SGA/BSG trifecta was probably the best thing SciFi has ever had, and they decided to take it apart.