Reform Syfy Now Uberthread - Syfy Boycott/Ultimatum thread

[Ekras]

The thing is, much as I dislike Syfy, I think most of your ideas are pretty much unworkable. No channel will implement this stuff, and frankly some the ideas, like demanding a set number of episodes and quota on what sort of genre of shows there can be is also creatively stifling.

Syfy is in my opinion, a badly run business, it's lost most of its core audience, and replaced with a very fickle one that may look elsewhere for reality and wrestling shows. Despite, as the sole channel focusing on scifi and fantasy, there being a captive audience, Syfy have totally failed to capitalise on this.

But you're ideas would make it worse, focusing it to shunt money into shows that may haemorrhage money. Smart networks like HBO may keep shows around that, while aren't commercial success, are critical darlings, such as the Wire and Treme. But even these shows normally manage to make some money and are very cheap to film. Now arguably Syfy often causes shows to start losing ratings but moving around the times they air, not promoting them enough etc. But not even the very best networks are not going to be able to pick winners every time. Occasionally a show may not be able to find an audience. Forcing a network to continue to invest in a show that has completely failed will just hurt the network and other shows that require additional investment.

Look in the end a boycott of a channel, especially with your demands, is silly. It's a self defeating prophecy. They would never in a million years agree to your demands, and if they put on an intelligent scifi show, well you're not going to be able to help it to succeed, you promised to boycott the channel remember? Don't watch the channel if they don't put out any content that interests you, that's what I'm doing at the moment, but if they did put out a show I was interested in, I'd watch it to support it, even if I thought that Syfy were likely to shaft it due to their own incompetence.

These are just suggestions- I'm aware that some of the ideas are likely impossible- but it's somewhere to start a dialogue. Look at politics- most bills that are written are impractical at best- the idea being that through negotiations, a more reasonable bill will emerge. If our position is reasonable to start, than when it comes time to negotiate their position (which is equally unreasonable and actually being implemented) will be much closer to what we end up with.

[Laxian of Earth]

well,

i am not an american, but trying to force the network to start thinking like a science fiction network again (what it was at the start - not network xyz that has a small budget unlike the really big ones but tries to play in their sandbox and using their toys anyway, instead of - like they should be - trying to find a niche in witch to position itself and make good money while still putting out quality TV for people who remember who showed them good TV, which gains loyalty and makes sure that the network stays were is (even if reality TV is suddenly not trendy anymore....real story TV will always sell, reality TV is sure to take a fall sometime in the future IMHO because you can only feed people **** for so long (it's like with cheap food with poison in it - you may eat it for a time, before it affects you, but later you will probably never be able to stomache it again!)) is a good goal (methods might need discussion/work but still!)

still i like the idea of say opening a donation page (and a "science fiction and fantasy foundation") in order to finance future shows much better (have said something along those lines in other threads, too)

greetings LAX
ps: yes, your rating system is at least 20 years out of date! (should build in a transmitter into each TV that sends out the same information....or something (needs to be made sure that this information is not abused of course))

[Tanith0709]

Look at politics- most bills that are written are impractical at best- the idea being that through negotiations, a more reasonable bill will emerge.

Bad example, what you're doing is more like a hostage situation: give into our demands or we will kill you're family. They will never negotiate under the circumstances you want to put them in.

For any sort of negotiation to work, what you propose would need to be beneficial in some way to Syfy as a business. At the moment in the unlikely event they gave into your list of demands I don't think it would take very for them to become bankrupt.

I also still think think that the most likely outcome of a boycott would be to damage the ratings of other genre related shows on their network & lead to them being cancelled as well (which is the opposite of what you want). I can only see sci-fi fans taking part in a boycott and they are no longer Syfy's largest audience.

As a sci-fi fan I would do what I can to try and make you stop as the only realistic outcome I can see will make things worse for the genre.

[Laxian of Earth]

hm...

don't be so hard on him (or better: if you have got another "solution" (even if it is just patchwork) then tell us and do not take offense to people actually trying something (mindlessly accepting what this channel is doing (throwing out the loyal core audience that were like regulars in a bar (watch the simpsons episode moe does that!) and replacing it with the same idiots that watch the other networks and their reality bull**** and their talk-shows and stuff (wrestling etc. (including stuff like boxing) is for nutters (you do not need to have much of a brain to watch that))) is just WRONG!)

so i declare it open season for a solution to this problem (not only on sci-fi (still not using the foul new name - would have to rinse my mouth with soap afterwards) but everywhere!) of there not being much good - space ship (and other) - science fiction out there!

greetings LAX

[Tanith0709]

As sad as it sounds the reality crap is what the majority want to watch. Syfy are just catering to the larger audience as that is where the profit is. They frankly now need that line of programming in order to survive as a business.

The best I can see is try and work out the best advertising and scheduling solutions for their science fiction programming. Either that or change the viewing habits of the vast majority of the American population.

note: US sci-fi shows aren't performing well across all networks (Fringe being one of the few lucky ones).

[Thunderstorm]

hm...

don't be so hard on him (or better: if you have got another "solution" (even if it is just patchwork) then tell us and do not take offense to people actually trying something (mindlessly accepting what this channel is doing (throwing out the loyal core audience that were like regulars in a bar (watch the simpsons episode moe does that!) and replacing it with the same idiots that watch the other networks and their reality bull**** and their talk-shows and stuff (wrestling etc. (including stuff like boxing) is for nutters (you do not need to have much of a brain to watch that))) is just WRONG!)

I've given "solutions" or the reasons why there are no solutions, in this and other threads, but some people don't want to listen because it takes time/effort/money instead of an easy answer of signing a meaningless petition, or a meaningless tweet or facebook post - if it took you 2 seconds to do it, that's how much consideration SyFy or MGM are going to give it (or less).

I don't know how much you know about how US TV companies work but we don't pay directly to them so they aren't beholden to us no matter how much we love a show. (yes you pay the cable company for those channels, but that's a general payment for transmitting the service for all the channels and only a very small part goes to SyFy).

We don't pay anything to SyFy should why should they listen to us as opposed to those paying the bills (advertisers, investors, shareholders),

So your choices/solutions are

1) spend some of your money and become a shareholder/investor

2) If you are lucky enough to be a Nielsen viewer then stop watching, the rest of us they could care less about.

3) buy advertising time on shows you like to support them

4) write to the advertisers stating (and showing with a receipt) that you bought products on the shows you like and support.

5) find and/or produce shows at a budget the same as the show currently on SyFy (good luck with that )

Most of these are virtually impossible for the average viewer, so sadly whether you want to accept it or not - we do have to just take what the mass Nielsen viewers choose. We don't have a choice.

[Laxian of Earth]

As sad as it sounds the reality crap is what the majority want to watch. Syfy are just catering to the larger audience as that is where the profit is. They frankly now need that line of programming in order to survive as a business.

The best I can see is try and work out the best advertising and scheduling solutions for their science fiction programming. Either that or change the viewing habits of the vast majority of the American population.

note: US sci-fi shows aren't performing well across all networks (Fringe being one of the few lucky ones).

if that is really the majority of the people watching TV (which i really doubt - but hell my experience is only concerning germany and i almost only now people who are well educated (most of the people i know are alowed to study at university or will be in a short while) and among those "intelectuals" (i tend to be carefull with that word, as you might really be well educated but still you might not be an intellectual, you might even hate books etc.) most would never watch a full hour of say big brother, but they would watch an hour of really well put together TV....)

as for "they need those shows to survive" - NO!

they didn't need them when sci-fi was starting up, so why now (the intelligent people watching TV haven't died out, have they?)?

greetings LAX
ps: yes, a single person might not be able to gather so much money to make his or her own TV-Show, but a larg group of viewers can, so i still think my "foundation" would be a good idea (even more for you americans - hell don't all your major people have some sort of charity/foundation of their own?...so why not do a science fiction fundraiser?)

[Onealwasoverrated]

Your leverage? Money. Make them see a decline in their profits. Your demands? Something realistic that's reasonable to expect depending on the degree of leverage you can obtain. That is how you take on a corporation and win. If you want them to listen never mind the flash of a website or 1 million hate emails a day, let them observe as their audience shrinks. Make that audience shrink by spreading your cause. Demand a better product.

[Tanith0709]

they didn't need them when sci-fi was starting up, so why now (the intelligent people watching TV haven't died out, have they?)

Times change. The television industry and what's popular changes all the time, we seem to be in the reality television era at the moment.

Using your example, yes most educated people I know personally don't watch reality television either but to be frank there are a lot more less educated people watching television than educated (Those who watch reality television, I'm not calling you stupid lol). Just look at the numbers Dancing with the Stars and American Idol pull in.

It's the same here in the UK with shows like Britain's Got Talent & The X-Factor. They're just insanely popular and because of that popularity it's where the most profit is (which is why the Syfy network and others are cashing in on it).

[Laxian of Earth]

....still, i can't understand why a channel like sci-fi, that was not doing badly with its shows (hell SG-1 did pull good ratings when it was cancelled, as did SGA and SGU IMHO) would jump on the reality band-waggon (i personally would rather go bankrupt if it meant avoiding that!) even more, as they had a good niche filled with their shows and now they have to "fight" with bigger fish (which they did not have to before, they could fill the slots were they were competing with bigger stations with re-runs of some of their shows and put new stuff out the rest of the week!)....

sorry, i just can't comprehend that (does sitting in the "big" chair make you a greedy, stupid moron that has sold his or her brain for money?)

greets LAX
ps: power really seems to make one stupid (and greedy for more

[Tanith0709]

They want to make the biggest profit. When you get right down to it television networks are a business and they will do the things that make them the most money.

It also seems to be the norm with networks that the shows with the highest ratings (which makes them the most money) are also the most popular shows on their network, so to them its a win, win situation.

[Thunderstorm]

....still, i can't understand why a channel like sci-fi, that was not doing badly with its shows (hell SG-1 did pull good ratings when it was cancelled, as did SGA and SGU IMHO)

Well there's your problem, if you think SGU was good ratings. Have you looked at the ratings for other shows on Syfy? Have you looked at the ratings for other shows in that time period? There is now way that qualifys as good ratings (for Syfy), especially not if it is an expensive show.

would jump on the reality band-waggon (i personally would rather go bankrupt if it meant avoiding that!)

Well then give all your money to Syfy or MGM or whoever to produce what you want, if you don't mind being bankrupt. How is that any different to a store continuing to sell a product not enough people buy? Sure they are being nice to the people that still like the product but if they end up closing the store because they lost to much money then that screws everyone who used the store. Now you might not like anything else on SyFy but that doesn't mean lots of other people don't.

sorry, i just can't comprehend that (does sitting in the "big" chair make you a greedy, stupid moron that has sold his or her brain for money?)

greets LAX
ps: power really seems to make one stupid (and greedy for more

Different philosophies. You preference is quality (or what you consider quality) over profit. There business model is profit whether it's quality or not. And quality is subjective. Enough people didn't consider SGU quality to keep it on the shelves. It's as simple as that.