am I the only one to notice?

[masterblaster]

that nearly all the shows made by the Sci-Fi channel in-house are flops. Everyone else can make a show that is successfull, by the home channel makes flops. Any idea why?

[ShadowMaat]

Oh look, another "SCIFI sucks! SCIFI producers crap!" thread.

No, needless to say, you aren't the only one to notice. Just about every single Stargate fan still pissed off about the cancellation- as well as all the still-pissed-off Farscape fans- as well as a bunch of BSG fans preparing for the inevitable, has expressed their ire about SCIFI and the stuff it produces on numerous occasions. Whether it's their "stupid" TV shows or their "crappy" movies, people have definitely noticed, although I still find it interesting that so many people don't seem overly bothered about SCIFI or its content until their show gets axed, and then all of a sudden the screaming and raging starts and "They're killing the only good show they have!" and (pre-emptively) "The show they're bringing in to replace it sucks!" and "Why does SCIFI always produce such crap??" The latter of which in particular sometimes ignores the fact that Skiffy had been producing their precious show as well.

Garbage is in the eye of the beholder. No, I don't like most of what is on Skiffy right now, but then again, I never did. There are exceptions, though, and sometimes those exceptions are spectacular (or at least watchably good) so I'm not quite as ready to condemn the entire network as some of the folk around here arming themselves with torches and pitchforks. Eventually I'm sure they'll produce another hit and I'll be happy to watch it... but I'll do so in the knowledge that it's on a fairly crappy network with a dodgy track record in terms of loyalty to its audience.

And while I don't like a lot of what's on, obviously others do because shows I don't like- *gasp!*- get renewed, and the channel has yet to fold up and file for bankruptcy.

[maneth]

They got it right with BSG, even if I keep hoping that they won't split season 4 into two seasons of 10 eps each. That doesn't detract from the intrinsic quality of the show, however.

[AvatarIII]

i think sci-fi just waste too much money on shows that are bound to only last 1 season, whilst cancelling shows that have a dedicated fan base, which even if they have less veiwers than they had a couple of seasons ago would still make more money than new crappy shows.

[ShadowMaat]

i think sci-fi just waste too much money on shows that are bound to only last 1 season, whilst cancelling shows that have a dedicated fan base, which even if they have less veiwers than they had a couple of seasons ago would still make more money than new crappy shows.

See what I mean?

And the sad thing is that it doesn't matter how long a show lasts, people will still be pissy and full of condemnation and lament about how it ended "too soon." A show could be on for fifty years and I guarantee that when its cancellation was announced, there'd be hoardes of hysterical fans screaming themselves into a bloody froth about how the show had "years of good stories left in it." *stifles yawn* Yeah, whatever.

SHOWS END. People really need to come to terms with that. Yes, sometimes things get cancelled too soon- after a couple of eps or after a season or two- but sometimes shows go on for too long, too, so that they're either no longer good by the time they end or (as is sometimes the case) things that were crap to start with are really festering with desperation before the plug is pulled.

SCIFI is hardly unique in ending "good" shows and renewing "bad" ones, but I've seen them kill some bad ones, too (Painkiller Jane, anyone?), and why is it no one ever remembers the times the "good" shows did get renewed? Skiffy had FIVE YEARS to cancel SG-1 and didn't, but is anyone grateful for that? It sure doesn't seem that way. No, it's all, "Those damn dirty *******s killed our show!" What a miserable bunch of ingrates.

Besides, as I said, one fan's crap is another fan's treasure. Just because you (generally speaking) think a show sucks doesn't mean it does. The fact that "bad" shows get renewed shows that someone must be watching and that, while you may not be a part of it, there is a market out there for whatever it is.

I have a lot more sympathy for fans whose shows only last one season than for those who get TEN YEARS of episodes and still pitch a hissy fit over its cancellation. Ten frickin' years. Do you know how many fans of one-season wonders would kill to have your problem? Who would be thrilled if they could get even a few more years out of their favorite show? But of course, then we'd be right back where we started and even a few years of reprieve wouldn't be "good enough" and they'd be pissing and moaning about it still being "too soon." Welcome to humanity.

SCIFI may have given us a lot of crap- as they usually do- but they've given us a few gems over the years, too. Wheat a shame folks would rather be squalling and petulant about what they can't have than be happy with what they've already have... and may have in the future. But then, that wouldn't be very human, would it?

[AvatarIII]

See what I mean?

And the sad thing is that it doesn't matter how long a show lasts, people will still be pissy and full of condemnation and lament about how it ended "too soon." A show could be on for fifty years and I guarantee that when its cancellation was announced, there'd be hoardes of hysterical fans screaming themselves into a bloody froth about how the show had "years of good stories left in it." *stifles yawn* Yeah, whatever.

SHOWS END. People really need to come to terms with that. Yes, sometimes things get cancelled too soon- after a couple of eps or after a season or two- but sometimes shows go on for too long, too, so that they're either no longer good by the time they end or (as is sometimes the case) things that were crap to start with are really festering with desperation before the plug is pulled.

SCIFI is hardly unique in ending "good" shows and renewing "bad" ones, but I've seen them kill some bad ones, too (Painkiller Jane, anyone?), and why is it no one ever remembers the times the "good" shows did get renewed? Skiffy had FIVE YEARS to cancel SG-1 and didn't, but is anyone grateful for that? It sure doesn't seem that way. No, it's all, "Those damn dirty *******s killed our show!" What a miserable bunch of ingrates.

Besides, as I said, one fan's crap is another fan's treasure. Just because you (generally speaking) think a show sucks doesn't mean it does. The fact that "bad" shows get renewed shows that someone must be watching and that, while you may not be a part of it, there is a market out there for whatever it is.

I have a lot more sympathy for fans whose shows only last one season than for those who get TEN YEARS of episodes and still pitch a hissy fit over its cancellation. Ten frickin' years. Do you know how many fans of one-season wonders would kill to have your problem? Who would be thrilled if they could get even a few more years out of their favorite show? But of course, then we'd be right back where we started and even a few years of reprieve wouldn't be "good enough" and they'd be pissing and moaning about it still being "too soon." Welcome to humanity.

SCIFI may have given us a lot of crap- as they usually do- but they've given us a few gems over the years, too. Wheat a shame folks would rather be squalling and petulant about what they can't have than be happy with what they've already have... and may have in the future. But then, that wouldn't be very human, would it?

you know you are right. i've never blamed sci-fi for cancelling sg-1, 10 years is long enough for any show. and you are right about "bad" shows getting renewed is simply because there is a fan base. i have no problem with that either. but i am of the opinion that it would be much better for shows to have short first seasons, like BSG or 4400, to a) not waste too much money on a rubbish show, and b) give people a chance to give feedback on it before cancelling it when it probably would have been successful if given the chance (firefly anyone?)

[the fifth man]

Over the years, Sci-Fi has made some really good moves, and some really bad ones. That's why it is so hard to really get a good feel for the channel. Some of their shows have wowed me over the years, and others have left me feeling as though I've lost hours of my life I can never get back.

[Ripple in Space]

SHOWS END. People really need to come to terms with that. Yes, sometimes things get cancelled too soon- after a couple of eps or after a season or two- but sometimes shows go on for too long, too, so that they're either no longer good by the time they end or (as is sometimes the case) things that were crap to start with are really festering with desperation before the plug is pulled.

I think CBS, FX and USA seem to be doing it right.

[jds1982]

Yes a lot of what's on Sci Fi sucks, but the same can be said for any station, such as USA (Dr. Steve-O?). Their Sci Fi original movies are a joke, but obviously they pay the bills because they keep making them. Honestly I think Sci Fi's forte may be the miniseries, as they've done some very cool, very good ones over the years. Yes it's a shame when good shows are cancelled too early (Dresden Files), while utter crap is green-lighted (PKJ), but that's tv for ya, and what I may think blows, someone else may love. I'm not a huge fan of Eureka, many people here on GW are, I think BSG is dreadfully dull if they're not having space battles, other people think it's the greatest show in the history of tv. So support the tv you love, and don't watch what you hate, if you're show gets cancelled move on, it's just a show.

[Franklyn Blaze]

^ Well I liked the miniseries Taken and The Lost Room, apart from that I can't recall much that stood out from the usual stuff thats on air. I don't watch scifi apart from SG anymore, even BSG isn't even worth downloading. I'll prolly netflix it when the series ends.

[g.o.d]

They need money for their "amazing" movies such as "Sands of Oblivion"

[AvatarIII]

i was thinking, what would be a good idea for them to do, is do miniseries based on hit sci-fi books, because then once the miniseries is over there is no more book and therefore noone can complain about it being cancelled, and also, there is often already a fan base for the book, so it's less of a risk.

[ShadowMaat]

I dunno about that. Yes, they have done some good miniseries, but I don't know how comfortable I'd be with them trying to adapt books I love. Plus look at that "Masters of Sci-fi" limited run series on... NBC? ABC? I don't think any of them were really "classic" stories, but the results weren't very good, either (IMO). And that was on a network that doesn't (as far as I know) have a dodgy track record with this sort of thing. Still, it's a possibility, and if they got the right people to do it... *shrug*

I agree that the limited run/miniseries are their best hopes- as long as they don't get tricked into producing a full series after that. Something with a predefined beginning and end makes it harder for things to veer off track and as you said, if fans go into it knowing that it's only running for three or four weeks, they can't really complain when it ends. Although I know that after Lost Room quite a few people seemed to think it should be turned into a full series, so the issue isn't entirely eliminated.

[AvatarIII]

I dunno about that. Yes, they have done some good miniseries, but I don't know how comfortable I'd be with them trying to adapt books I love. Plus look at that "Masters of Sci-fi" limited run series on... NBC? ABC? I don't think any of them were really "classic" stories, but the results weren't very good, either (IMO). And that was on a network that doesn't (as far as I know) have a dodgy track record with this sort of thing. Still, it's a possibility, and if they got the right people to do it... *shrug*

I agree that the limited run/miniseries are their best hopes- as long as they don't get tricked into producing a full series after that. Something with a predefined beginning and end makes it harder for things to veer off track and as you said, if fans go into it knowing that it's only running for three or four weeks, they can't really complain when it ends. Although I know that after Lost Room quite a few people seemed to think it should be turned into a full series, so the issue isn't entirely eliminated.

it was really the dune miniseries that made me think of doing that, because i quite enjoyed it. obviously it wasn't a perfect transition to TV, but it was good enough, and closer to the original book than Lynches Dune. i think it's unfair to compare that idea to masters of sci-fi because they were only one of short stories, mainly coming from not particularly well known stories.

[ShadowMaat]

If they couldn't even get the short stories right, do you think they'd have been able to do justice to full novels? Even with more time?

I was also thinking of it in more of a production values standpoint, but I guess that's more of a POV thing, too.

Can't say about Dune. Didn't read the books and didn't watch the mini. Or the original movie, for that matter.