My Opinion/Feeling on S4 Ratings. Will there be S5?

[Deevil]

Okay, firstly *producers* have zero control over the requirement for advertising. Advertising revenue goes to the network. If the network doesn't get paid anything they can't afford to keep a show on the air. The ONLY way a show can remain on the air without the need of advertising is like premium cable. Since you won't pay for Skiffy now to watch the show I'm going to assume you won't pay for premium cable either.

Second: shows dont need to be a ratings hit to remain on the air. The just need to hold their own and do well enough to justify their existence.

Thirdly: the reason why US networks are so important is because they pay so much in licensing to air the show. International markets are cream, but since they pay comparatively so little they cannot justify producing a show on its own. And don't expect international markets to pay more. Getting shows from the US for hose markets ='s cheap TV compared to homegrown TV..

D: Sanctuary is one of the few shows that, theoretically, could air solely to
International markets and skip the US as they nEED to have as many markets on board to afford to make the show. But as I said this is theoretically as Skiffy will be paying a fortune compared to other markets in licensing and therefore it'll be hard for hem to raise he $'s to makeup for Skiffy letting them
To.

[RealmOfX]

Sanctuary's renewal depends on ratings/advertising, right?

Generally yes, however talk from a couple of sources say that the current situation is because the production company is chasing funding. This info gels with Syfy making no announcement, it implies that they are willing to go ahead with another season but are waiting for the independent production to raise sufficient funding to proceed.

[Rocky89]

Sanctuary's renewal depends on ratings/advertising, right?

Generally yes, however talk from a couple of sources say that the current situation is because the production company is chasing funding. This info gels with Syfy making no announcement, it implies that they are willing to go ahead with another season but are waiting for the independent production to raise sufficient funding to proceed.

A little while back, we were talking on twitter about this, and someone brought up that Syfy's either being nice enough by waiting for them to find the money/invester, or I forget the rest. But again, I read a report from Chevron saying that Amanda said a S5 is in Syfy's hands. So, IS Syfy waiting from them to find the money, or are they really waiting for Syfy?

Things to think about.

[Rocky89]

@Loster21 Ok #Sanctuary fans, Syfy's upfront is April 24. We should know by then, if not before. Hopefully we'll also get a #BloodAndChrome date

Interesting.

[Briangate78]

I've been so out of the loop of everything Syfy lately, what is the latest?

[blueray]

But it was a failed second chance, thus making it a shining beacon of how fan campaigns don't translate to bums on seats watching the show. If I remember correctly the first episode that it returned rated worse than any episode in the first season.

Chuck fans didn't wait till a show was canceled and worked to get the sponsorship, but without that sponsor being willing to bet on the production it wouldn't have gotten anywhere and the ratings haven't gotten any better. Chuck, to this date, is the only truly successful fan campaign because of that. Mind you, most shows don't have the luxury of such real timeliness in order to save them.

true, of course chuck's subway campaign was related to the show too, since big mike always was eating them.

there were other successful ones, like didn't roswell fans send Tabasco sauce to the studio. then again there's the everwood where i think they put a ferris wheel up in front of the studio.

[Dean Grr]

Hi everyone,

Do you know what goes on in the mind of a Syfy exec?

The serious part of me asking the question is thinking that Comcast bought 51% of NBCUniversal and now they want a profitable network, whether it's scifi or not: Wrestling being a kind of fantasy, just not my kind of fantasy. It's funny because I'd like a show I follow to have a beginning, middle and planned end:I'm not that interested in the industry practice that starts programs and cuts them abruptly.

With all the networks planning reality shows, why does Syfy think it has to move away from its genre? I just looked at Syfy's latest reality show "Total Blackout" where contestants compete, yes, in the dark. I think Syfy should adopt the name "TB" for their network, because it's somehow appropriate given their decisions . To its credit, the reality show "Dream Machines" looks pretty cool, but it looks like it's from the Discovery channel, not Scifi.

I don't know if this is acceptable to the moderators, but I will try starting a new thread asking suggestions for new names for the Syfy network and new reality programs (or programming) they could try to become the Total World Domination Network, or TWDN (as in two names down, one to go) for short.

In complete, utter seriousness, Dean

[Mandysg1]

Reality shows are cheap to make, that's the bottom line. They are the 'evil' of every network, but for syfy they do bring in the $$$ (as does Wrestling). So we have to put up with them b/c they do help pay for the scripted shows.

[Snowman37]

I fail to understand why people complain about reality TV. Change the channel or turn off the TV set. What's the big deal?

[Dean Grr]

I fail to understand why people complain about reality TV. Change the channel or turn off the TV set. What's the big deal?

It really isn't a big deal. I mean, poverty, environmental destruction, consumerism, drought, these are big d....

But, fun to complain, you bet! There are reality/game shows I like on other networks (Discovery, History, etc), but I was hoping that the scifi channel would feature scripted sci-fi programs, rather than Wrestling, Cooking shows, etc. As I've been told elsewhere, wrestling is expertly produced and popular with a lot of people: I have no qualms with that. But Spike TV, for example, used to be TNN, a country music network, before changing its focus to men's interests in Spike. I hope Syfy doesn't become Realityfy doesnt' become TNN,

I hope that a model can be found to support the more scripted programming of the Scifi channel. Some shows like Ghosthunters, make sense on the Syfy network, others ... I'd rather see networks cross advertise, so that more scripted programming networks exist, and more reality based networks exist, but that's just my thing - Dean

[Snowman37]

I guess I just don't care what the networks do. My TV viewing is based on individual programs, not networks. I really don't care what network my favorite shows air on. As long as the network's not cancel happy (FOX), I'm cool.

[Skydiver]

Yeah. I watch what I want to watch, and the only thing I care about the channel is whether or not I get it.

[NumberSix]

I fail to understand why people complain about reality TV. Change the channel or turn off the TV set. What's the big deal?

just my .02 - my problem with reality tv is when it seems more and more reality shows are replacing other shows mainly because they are cheaper to produce. It makes me wonder if soon the majority of shows will be reality shows and we'll have little else to choose from. Also, imo (and some may not agree naturally) many reality shows are just plain dumb and a waste of time. Also, if a network is going to call itself SciFi or SyFy, I sort of expect them to air shows that are science fiction or fantasy, though a few "reality" shows like Ghosthunters as Dean says could be considered that genre. If they want to move away from that type of programming, that's their choice but maybe they should change their name. I wish we could have a network that would air only science fiction and fantasy, both old and new. Yeah sure, we can change the channel or turn off the tv, but then what? Read a book, pull out a dvd, or find something else to do. Do enough of that and why bother paying for these channels if you rarely find anything worth watching?

[Deevil]

The reality is, no network could survive if all they aired was scripted Scifi and fantasy. It's a niche genre with a niche audience and costs a bit to produce. The reality TV that people complain about supplement scripted television, most especially on cable TV.

Like it or not reality TV rates well because the public like to watch it. If people didn't, cheap or not networks wouldn't bother with them.

If you don't like them, change the channel. Control Where you find your own entertainment, no one else will.

[Snowman37]

just my .02 - my problem with reality tv is when it seems more and more reality shows are replacing other shows mainly because they are cheaper to produce. It makes me wonder if soon the majority of shows will be reality shows and we'll have little else to choose from.

Fair enough. However, I'd argue that if there's nothing new to watch, you could watch older shows, a movie, read a book, or simply find something adventurous to do.

Yeah sure, we can change the channel or turn off the tv, but then what? Read a book, pull out a dvd, or find something else to do. Do enough of that and why bother paying for these channels if you rarely find anything worth watching?

Cancel cable and get Netflix?