Why, SyFy, why?

August 26, 2011

It seems as though the SyFy channel is really keen on making their fans miserable as of late. It must be part of their, “Imagine Greater” slogan. What a great marketing idea! If you really want to improve your network and sell new shows to the public, cancel all of the current shows that people actually like and then fill those time slots with shows about people who hunt ghosts, professional wrestlers (very scifi), and those that find “hollywood treasures.” Brilliant.

It first started with the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica’s prequel show, Caprica (which mind you, I was not too disappointed by the fact). Sure, the show had horrible ratings and was a pathetic attempt to cash in on the critical acclaim of its predecessor, but its removal from the Syfy channel was just a glimpse of the devastation to come.  This was followed by the extermination of not only Stargate Universe, but subsequently the entire fourteen year-old Stargate franchise (seventeen seasons in total). Thanks for the stab in the back, Syfy. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, we learned that fan favorite, Eureka, a show that produces the second highest ratings for the network would not return for a sixth season, despite previous guarantees from the powers that be. I can’t say that I have watched much of this show, in fact, I have only seen the pilot; however, axing your second top rated show seems like a poor move, no?

Now, in most recent news, Battlestar Galactica’s second prequel, Blood and Chrome, intended to have been a made-for-TV movie with the hopes of becoming a television series, is now up in the air. According to an interview with AOL TV, Mark Stern, vice president of original programming at SyFy, is stating that the series may in fact just become a web series, and never make it to TV at all.

Surprised? I think not.

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14 comments on “Why, SyFy, why?

  1. Palindrome Aug 26, 2011

    Syfy: Imagine Greater programming, because we refuse to provide it.

  2. Michael Aug 26, 2011

    I lost faith in Sci-Fi when they cancelled “Farscape” before its promised fifth season. Although I did come back for the new BSG. But now, I get my weekly fix of new sf television from BBC America. 🙂

    • Well, I don’t get the SyFy channel, but if I ever do, I’m not sure I’ll even bother with them. BBC! Go Dr. Who!

      • Palindrome Aug 27, 2011

        I second that. I love Doctor Who, I think we should force Ben and Matt to watch it.

        • Agree!

          • Palindrome Aug 28, 2011

            We should start a campaign. All the Sci-Fi Christian lasteners who are also fans of Doctor Who should write in and explain to Matt and Ben why they need to watch it.

  3. Jonathan Aug 27, 2011

    Thanks for this complaint. For years I have been convinced that Syfy is actually run by monkeys in suits. (Now I know they came from a San Francisco lab!) Eureka is smart AND funny. Stargate was a rollicking good time. BSG was bleak and tragic and compelling. I wish NBC would shut down this channel and let someone start a real SciFi channel.

    • Jonathan, I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, I am not sure there is much of a demand for good scifi these days, or at least enough for someone or someones with significant funds to start up a decent network.

  4. The golden days of the-once-great Sci-Fi Channel were the 90’s.

    • Michael Sep 12, 2013

      True that!

      • Remember how cool it was when it first launched? I wasn’t around to see it, but it’s up on the internet. The first few minutes of their broadcasting. It was so great.

        Then they reverted to B-grade schlock. And renamed themselves, SyFy. And then I tune in and see wrestling matches? SyFy, you are stupid. Go Trek yourself. You need it.

        • Michael Sep 13, 2013

          I’d been dreaming of such a channel since I first had cable TV back in middle school. I wrote my own programming schedule! I loved the “Sci-Fi World” morning-afternoon block in the late 90s and, of course, “Farscape,” and especially “Exposures,” the short sf film anthology they would run. Those were the days. At least they still do Twilight Zone marathons!

          • I did the same thing. I had logos for my TV channel and program guides. What I liked best about Sci-Fi was their reruns of old 60’s shows.

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