Feelings (or Not) about Syfy and Reality Shows

[Dean Grr]

I created a thread in the General Scifi section a little while back, and thought using words like "Syfy" and "Reality Show" was controversial. Well it wasn't. It's probably all the praise I gave to Syfy, and the lack of satire, I'm just not sure. Most of the scifi or fantasy programs I like were produced by Syfy: key word being "were". With the cancellation of SGU, and possibly Sanctuary, I started to look closer at this mysterious entity called "Syfy".

The real dirt: I'd like to see a premium Scifi channel appear to carry niche stuff like BSG, Stargate Universe and Sanctuary, and let Syfy morph into Wrestling, Video Gaming, Warehouse 13 and Reality shows.

The question, sort of: Maybe the universe is bigger than I think. Maybe for Syfy it really is still expanding. Maybe HBO or TNT will become the new Scifi channel. Maybe the Earth is invaded tomorrow. If all I get is Syfy, I hope so.

What do you think?

Link to my old Syfy thread (yes, I'm desperately trying to get more views, and this shameless attempt was the only way, ):
http://forum.gateworld.net/threads/8...or-the-network

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

What do you have against Warehouse 13? It doesn't deserve to be stuck on the wrestling channel

[billyd797]

i agree with PH !

[SF_and_Coffee]

I'll even agree, despite not really being a viewer of Warehouse 13. It's far more fantasy than it is sci-fi, but that still doesn't place it on the level of wrestling or the so-called "reality" shows. (Which I don't think bear much resemblance to anything that could actually be called reality, but I digress.)

[DigiFluid]

Maybe for Syfy it really is still expanding. Maybe HBO or TNT will become the new Scifi channel. Maybe the Earth is invaded tomorrow. If all I get is Syfy, I hope so.

*slap*

Don't you dare sully the good names of HBO, TNT, or science fiction so.

[Dean Grr]

Interesting, it's looks like Syfy isn't much on people's minds. Looking at answers in the Sanctuary threads, it's the shows that matter and not the network that delivers them. I used Warehouse 13 as an example, when I could have said "light-hearted action/comedy" as opposed to "gritty action/drama".

Your list of shows for the Syfy network would be different than mine, and I apologize. Many people love wrestling, also, so I'm basically saying Syfy wants to appeal to as many people as possible, and Warehouse 13 is a show they want as opposed to say, SGU. Whether one is better than the other, or belongs on Syfy, is a debate, as you guys have shown, . Probably one that will never be solved, too ...

[Dean Grr]

*slap*

Don't you dare sully the good names of HBO, TNT, or science fiction so.

Rubs cheek (the other one), and exclaims "Digifluid!". Sorry DigiFluid, my sarcasm has gotten the better of me. Are you saying I shouldn't use Syfy in the same paragraph as HBO, TNT (of which I know them for Game of Thrones and Falling Skies only) and scifi? Or that HBO, TNT and science fiction shouldn't be in the same paragraph as Syfy?

Seriousness begins ...

I don't know that much about HBO and TNT other than they are premium channels. And I thought Syfy was the original Scifi with BSG, SG-1, SGA et al.

... Seriousness ends

As for science fiction, do you mean Wrestling? That's where a -whole- lotta slappin's goin' on ... - Dean

[jelgate]

TNT is not a preminium channel. I think its kind of arrogant just because its not the kind of science fiction you want to claim the shows on SyFy aren't science fiction

[Dean Grr]

TNT is not a preminium channel. I think its kind of arrogant just because its not the kind of science fiction you want to claim the shows on SyFy aren't science fiction

I might be forgetting how to converse, or making forum blunders, or just learning there are other opinions on Syfy, which is okay. If I'm guilty it's of trying to use humor, when I don't know the posters I'm talking to (i.e. I've not been a long term resident here). If Syfy wants to have Wrestling and shows I don't like personally, I'm free to voice that to them. But, if the posters here like the Syfy roster, who I am to criticize? I suppose that's what I saw this forum as being: a platform for testing ideas. I certainly deserve what I get for throwing out assertions, but that's part of the fun .

I'm not here to try to define what's scifi or what good scifi is, but I am voicing (satirizing) my view on the Syfy network. Arrogance? Well, maybe so, but please read my post #6. - Dean

ps I just noticed that you have me outgunned jelgate, 30,500 to 50, but my 50 hoplites are veterans of fighting Cronus in Wrath, so be warned

[DigiFluid]

Not to worry, most of jel's posts are nonsense anyway. I kiiiiid, jelly, I kiiiid


As to your most recent post, I think you'll find most of the folks around here are pretty jaded about the Sci Fi Channel. Once upon a time we had a lovely and torrid love affair going with them--Battlestar Galactica, Dune, Eureka, Farscape, SG-1, SGA, Sanctuary....

But in recent years, attitudes amongst us vocal folk have cooled considerably for a myriad of reasons.

• The cancellation of Farscape after announcing they'd renewed it
• The cancellation of SG-1 after it had come out they'd already re-signed the crew for another year, in addition to it coming out that the crew were given the news during their 200th episode party
• Meddling with the production of BSG
• The cancellation of Atlantis when it was going as strongly as ever
• The horrible, horrible handling of the transition from SGA to SGU
• The sloppy-to-non-existent handling of promotion of newer shows
• The apparent incompetence of their scheduling department
• The inexplicable choice to go from Sci Fi to "Syfy" ('see fee'? Really? What's next, 'funtysy'?)
• The increasing reliance on wrestling, endless iterations of Ghost Hunters, and other 'reality' type programs (which appear to be generally looked down on in disgust by members of the science fiction community)

These things don't go unnoticed; and for many of us, they aren't soon forgotten. In the last 3-5 years, those of us who were previously singing the network's praises have really turned on it in a hard way. Speaking for myself, I am just waiting for a couple of shows to finish their run so I can be done with the channel forever.

But it should not go unmentioned that, despite the size of this community as it appears to us, we're still just a vocal minority. The ratings system--broken though it is--is still the metric by which the network judges its own successes and failures. And their current business model and practices in recent years have not significantly disrupted their profit margins, no matter how important we feel our voices are. So they continue on their path, and will undoubtedly continue to do so unless something dramatically changes.

[SF_and_Coffee]

The appearance of wrestling on any channel allegedly devoted to science fiction and similar conceptual programming is a very good argument that it has abandoned said devotion, since there is absolutely no way that you can argue wrestling to be in any way science fictional.

Ditto for things like Ghost Hunters, etc.

[Nolamom]

Excellent points Digi. Yes, SciFi used to be a beacon to science fiction fans. Now it is a lackluster husk of its former self - a pretender to the name, hence the shift to SyFy?

[jelgate]

I might be forgetting how to converse, or making forum blunders, or just learning there are other opinions on Syfy, which is okay. If I'm guilty it's of trying to use humor, when I don't know the posters I'm talking to (i.e. I've not been a long term resident here). If Syfy wants to have Wrestling and shows I don't like personally, I'm free to voice that to them. But, if the posters here like the Syfy roster, who I am to criticize? I suppose that's what I saw this forum as being: a platform for testing ideas. I certainly deserve what I get for throwing out assertions, but that's part of the fun .

I'm not here to try to define what's scifi or what good scifi is, but I am voicing (satirizing) my view on the Syfy network. Arrogance? Well, maybe so, but please read my post #6. - Dean

ps I just noticed that you have me outgunned jelgate, 30,500 to 50, but my 50 hoplites are veterans of fighting Cronus in Wrath, so be warned

That was not geared at you specfically. Sorry if you felt that way. I'm not one to sing at the praise at SyFy because I agree its terrible. Its a more general observation of how we (generalized fans) dislike what the network is showing so we decide it is not science fiction. To borrow an analogy its simliar to how people who disliked SGU called it a soap opera when it clearly isn't.


And yes DigiFluid I know you are jealous of my superiority

[Gatefan1976]

Excellent points Digi. Yes, SciFi used to be a beacon to science fiction fans. Now it is a lackluster husk of its former self - a pretender to the name, hence the shift to SyFy?

IIRC, the shift to Syfy was made to appeal to a broader audience, and much as I love me my scifi, it seems to be unprofitable to rely on one "Speciality" these days. As for the Wrestling...........
Look, I like it, been to live shows and it's a little bit of S&G's and it's fun (subjectively of course ), but what it DOES do for Syfy is encourage people who may not normally buy the tier that includes syfy to do it, which gives syfy more money via subcriptions to support show that I really do like.

So, I'm torn in a way, the *fan* in me says "get the wrestling off Syfy", the *business/reality* side says "meh, it's 2-3 hours, and it makes cash to support other stuff"

[SF_and_Coffee]

That was not geared at you specfically. Sorry if you felt that way. I'm not one to sing at the praise at SyFy because I agree its terrible. Its a more general observation of how we (generalized fans) dislike what the network is showing so we decide it is not science fiction.

You're not seriously arguing that wrestling is science fiction, are you?