Sci-Fi: Digging it's own Grave

[Battera]

Ok, Sci-fi has recently been noted as making some really stupid mistakes in terms of shows, costing them both ratings and money.

The first thing they did, a while back, was move Battlestar Galactica from the Friday Lineup. SG-1, SGA, and BSG were performing incredibly because of the line up, and allowed Sci-Fi to compete with other more mainstream Channels but without BSG on the line up, all 3 shows suffered.

THEN, they canceled SG-1, the first 'original' TV Show that ever actually gave them recognition (and even sprouted a spin off!). Many fans were pissed, and the loss of SG-1 gave many no reason to watch SGA anymore so that show lost ratings as well.

And now, Sci-Fi seems desperate to get better ratings, so much as to try creating new original shows like 'Dresden Files', and 'Painkiller Jane'. As I understand it, The Dresden Files actually did pretty well, but they canceled it anyways, and replaced it with Flash Gordon.

At this point, the only thing holding the Stargate Franchise up on TV is SGA which is being dragged down by Trash Gordon, and Painful-to-Watch Jane. My question to all of you is: Just how far, is Sci-Fi Channel's head up its own ass?

[s09119]

Ok, Sci-fi has recently been noted as making some really stupid mistakes in terms of shows, costing them both ratings and money.

The first thing they did, a while back, was move Battlestar Galactica from the Friday Lineup. SG-1, SGA, and BSG were performing incredibly because of the line up, and allowed Sci-Fi to compete with other more mainstream Channels but without BSG on the line up, all 3 shows suffered.

THEN, they canceled SG-1, the first 'original' TV Show that ever actually gave them recognition (and even sprouted a spin off!). Many fans were pissed, and the loss of SG-1 gave many no reason to watch SGA anymore so that show lost ratings as well.

And now, Sci-Fi seems desperate to get better ratings, so much as to try creating new original shows like 'Dresden Files', and 'Painkiller Jane'. As I understand it, The Dresden Files actually did pretty well, but they canceled it anyways, and replaced it with Flash Gordon.

At this point, the only thing holding the Stargate Franchise up on TV is SGA which is being dragged down by Trash Gordon, and Painful-to-Watch Jane. My question to all of you is: Just how far, is Sci-Fi Channel's head up its own ass?

Very. MGM needs to find a way to circumvent that contract and move Atlantis elsewhere ASAP...

[Lord batchi ball]

Very. MGM needs to find a way to circumvent that contract and move Atlantis elsewhere ASAP...

Yes very much so!!!!

[Seperated@Birth?]

Is there a way to find out who the {mod snip} is over at sci-fi that is making the idiotic decisions? If so, there should be a campaign to get his/her kicked outta the club and get someone in there who is actually GOOD at their job!!

[Battera]

I doubt a single person could do as much damage as has been done. It's probably all (or most) of TPTB at Sci-Fi.

They probably think that they've done enough with Stargate and SUCCESSFUL shows, enough that they can fall back on all of their B-Grade movies.

[The Signal]

*mumbles something about broken records*.... Seriously, they cancelled Sg1, it was a freaking year ago! Get over it! These "I'm bitter so I'm going to moan about Sci-fi's lineup" threads are just old, repetative and most of all pointless, they don't accomplish anything.

[ice_devil]

My question to all of you is: Just how far, is Sci-Fi Channel's head up its own ass?

Yes so far up its own ass they can't even see daylight anymore

[Battera]

*mumbles something about broken records*.... Seriously, they cancelled Sg1, it was a freaking year ago! Get over it! These "I'm bitter so I'm going to moan about Sci-fi's lineup" threads are just old, repetative and most of all pointless, they don't accomplish anything.

Wow, I bet you read the one or two lines I gave about SG-1's cancellation and then posted! Sci-FI's making many bad mistakes with their programming, and their dragging the entire Stargate Franchise down with it. I think that that's something everyone here should be concerned with.

[The Signal]

Wow, I bet you read the one or two lines I gave about SG-1's cancellation and then posted!

Wrong, but then, it doesn't matter because the only reason you made this thread was because you are bitter over SG1's cancellation. If SG1 was still on the air with 2.0+ ratings, this would never have been brought up.

Sci-FI's making many bad mistakes with their programming, and their dragging the entire Stargate Franchise down with it. I think that that's something everyone here should be concerned with.

Sci-fi isn't what's pulling SG-Franchise down, personally I think the problem begins and ends with TPTB and their decisions over the last few years.

However, seeing as you feel the need to challenge me, here's my comments on your arguments.

Ok, Sci-fi has recently been noted as making some really stupid mistakes in terms of shows, costing them both ratings and money.

All networks do that, every single year, so this argument holds no weight at all.

The first thing they did, a while back, was move Battlestar Galactica from the Friday Lineup. SG-1, SGA, and BSG were performing incredibly because of the line up, and allowed Sci-Fi to compete with other more mainstream Channels but without BSG on the line up, all 3 shows suffered.

So people who were actually watching the shows didn't carrying on watching just because they didn't like the show that aired before/afterwards? That argument may work with shows airing after the superbowl and other high profile events that are massive ratings drawers, but on the small scale with shows like SG1/SGA/BSG not a chance.

THEN, they canceled SG-1, the first 'original' TV Show that ever actually gave them recognition (and even sprouted a spin off!). Many fans were pissed, and the loss of SG-1 gave many no reason to watch SGA anymore so that show lost ratings as well.

Okay, this is the part that shows how little people know about how things work. Advertising works on kind of a pay-per-viewer basis, in short, shows with low ratings don't earn the network much money. Now, SG1's budget was getting higher every year whilst the ratings dropped. Had they kept SG1 going, they'd eventually have reached a stage where it cost more to make than it earned, bad business for Sci-fi.

And now, Sci-Fi seems desperate to get better ratings, so much as to try creating new original shows like 'Dresden Files', and 'Painkiller Jane'.

New shows air every year, what's the difference?

As I understand it, The Dresden Files actually did pretty well, but they canceled it anyways, and replaced it with Flash Gordon.

Dresden files can't have done well enough (or there may have been other issues behind the scenes, I didn't follow the show so I don't know the background info on it) to be kept up. Flash Gordon meanwhile is a cult classic, and a near guaranteed ratings winner (don't know if it worked or not, though I hear the show is poor), a good choice for Sci-fi (in theory).

At this point, the only thing holding the Stargate Franchise up on TV is SGA which is being dragged down by Trash Gordon, and Painful-to-Watch Jane.

You can't blame the quality of the shows on the networks, blame it on their respective PTB

My question to all of you is: Just how far, is Sci-Fi Channel's head up its own ass?

As far as any network.

[Battera]

Wrong, but then, it doesn't matter because the only reason you made this thread was because you are bitter over SG1's cancellation. If SG1 was still on the air with 2.0+ ratings, this would never have been brought up.

What exactly makes you think that you know what I am thinking? Who are you to say what I was thinking when I made the topic. I understand the costs of SG-1, but It seemed apparent that they only kept the show to say that they took it to its 200th episode. Plus, they didn't let TPTB of SG-1 take it to another Channel.

And if Sci-Fi wants a show made, I'm pretty sure they are in charge of who makes it.

[rarocks24]

Bonnie Hammer is well...

On the other hand, we'll probably get a S.5, if not just so SciFi can brag that they had 5 seasons of Stargate Atlantis and 10 seasons of SG1.

[AvatarIII]

i think the sci-fi channel just needs to start being less low brow.

Never underestimate your audience. They're generally sensitive, intelligent people who respond positively to quality entertainment.
Stargate SG-1 10-06 "200"

[Skydiver]

to me, scifi seems to be doing all tehy can to fail, not succeed.

anything that is 'good' they get control over and dumb down and sex up.

look at the movies that they make for saturday night....they're complete and total crap. And the ratings show it.

scifi is it's own worst enemy.

science fiction, as a genre, is a much belittled adn mocked genre. and scifi could be changing that by making and supporting 'good' scifi. Not the boobs, butts and bombs they'er obsessed with.

Instead? they sell out to the lowest common denominator every time

they are the kiss of death to any show they get thier hands on

[TheXym]

to me, scifi seems to be doing all tehy can to fail, not succeed.

anything that is 'good' they get control over and dumb down and sex up.

look at the movies that they make for saturday night....they're complete and total crap. And the ratings show it.

scifi is it's own worst enemy.

science fiction, as a genre, is a much belittled adn mocked genre. and scifi could be changing that by making and supporting 'good' scifi. Not the boobs, butts and bombs they'er obsessed with.

Instead? they sell out to the lowest common denominator every time

they are the kiss of death to any show they get thier hands on

Skydiver, you're hitting the nail on the head here. My wife for YEARS was one of those who'd mock the science fiction genre, but after watching some of the better episodes of Atlantis and SG-1 and reading some of my novels (robert sawyer, heinlein, etc), she can truly appreciate GOOD science fiction and she's as quick to rip the bad stuff as I am these days. The lowest common denominator is what's going to be the death knell of sci-fi the channel, and I fear that any inroads into the mainstream consciousness that good science fiction has accomplished will be rendered moot by the D- movie of the week and other very poor shows. I tried to give Flash Gordon a chance, but 2 episodes was all I could take. I was able to handle half the first episode of brainkiller jane. I'm hoping S4 of BSG will get back on the right track, as S3 seemed to derail quite a bit, though I'm looking forward to the DVD release for further review.

[Skydiver]

You just look at how scifi is treated in the general market. Around here, it is literally easier to get porn than it is scifi. Magazines are only handled at comic stores or a few specialty shops. Anyone that openly watches scifi (beyond the 'cool and acceptible stuff....LOTR, Star Wars, Trek) is mocked. And even the star wars and trek fans are made fun of.

Scifi movies at oscar time, dude, don't even get your hopes up. the snobs at the mpaa will only give awards out to the politically correct dramatic movies, if you're a comedy or drama, don't even apply. I think Peter Jackson's award was nothing more than the mpaa basically being shamed into giving him something for a fantastic and monumental effort.

scifi could be changing this.

At its root, scifi is nothing more than 'real' drama...it's just wrapped up in a fantastic shell instead of being presented in a more mundane way. And, when you get right down to it, it's no different to set your drama on a space ship than it is the titanic.

but it is to the hypocrites in hollywood.

Scifi could, through shows like Atlantis, SG1, Quantum Leap and others, be showing that, even though a show has a fantastical premise, it can still be a valid drama.

Do you think that the Sopranos would have all the hype had it been set on another planet? Take the exact same show, just change its setting, and all of a sudden, it's total crap because, ewwe, it's scifi

Skiffy is just preserving this predjudice when they make and promote crap. trash gordon, painkiller jane. the stupid movies on saturday night, most o which look like htey were made by film students and taken verbatim out of 'the cliched monster script book'

Skiffy could be breaking that stereotype, but instead they seem to go out of thier way to preserve it.

They are the greatest enemy of the genre they are named after