What the heck happened, SciFi/Syfy?

blacpete · 3 days

I understand. As a "core" fan myself I'd like to see a hard sci-fi show (or two!) succeed. Unfortunately, the recent hard sci-fi shows we and other networks have tried have, for the most part, not worked. Fringe has probably been the most successful, and it barely hangs on in the ratings week after week.

It's not for lack of trying though, and we'll try again. Check out Defiance, which is a TV show being developed simultaneously with a companion MMO. It's shooting now and is looking very good. They'll be more info about it online soon. I hope you like it :)

blacpete · 3 days

That quote is from long before the change to Syfy actually. Diller sold the channel and all his other media assets back in 2005. The name change happened in 2009.

blacpete · 3 days

You probably wouldn't like it as much as you think.

blacpete · 3 days

Say my name and I appear.

blacpete · 3 days

If by "shill" you mean "person" and if by "tell us why their station is still awesome" you mean "show up and talk to us" then yes, that's me.

blacpete · 3 days

I agree. Having him show up here now and then to answer questions is deplorable.

Anarchaeologist · 1 month

As a kid I loved those books :)

flashgordon319 · 1 month

There always seem to be one or two unusual things in the Hugo categories, but that also tends to be part of their charm. I've never seen a season of TV considered "long form" before but in terms of Game of Thrones I can see how it can apply.

Your POV has been hotly debated over the years joshsaldana and many feel that way. OTOH, those tend to be the categories with the most votes, so voters clearly like them.

One great thing about the Hugos is that if you're a member of the Worldcon, you can actually have a say in trying to change them if you like. I've participated before...it's fun, although be prepared for a lot of lengthy debate!

slinky317 · 2 months

Sorry you're not a fan.

slinky317 · 2 months

"The reason for this is that they are more profitable because they are more popular..."

This is the crux...reruns of older sci-fi shows are no longer profitable whereas they used to be in the past. They are not less profitable than something else, they are simply not profitable at all (there are a few exceptions like ST:TNG and so forth that perform well and that we air). They are less popular on TV than ever before because there are so many other places to watch them, i.e. the times have changed.

slinky317 · 2 months

Most of that is actually not what I'm saying, in fact.

slinky317 · 2 months

FaceOff is about creating great science fiction, fantasy and horror creature designs, so it's not an example of network decay. It's a show about science fictional things that science fiction fans love.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone is terribly interested in watching music videos on linear TV anymore. So to say that's network decay on MTV is to not recognize that their viewers simply don't want to watch music videos any more. Why program what no one is watching? (That's a rhetorical question.)

slinky317 · 2 months

In past years yes but the new normal for our shows and much of Cable TV is 12-13 eps per season (Haven, Being Human, Alphas, etc.). So for us it's what is currently a full season.

slinky317 · 2 months

Unfortunately TV seems to be in one the cycles where sci-fi shows aren't sustaining but supernatural shows are. Our last two big sci-fi shows, Caprica and SGU, had too viewers to be able to keep them on the air. Similarly a lot of other folks had the same issue...V, FlashForward, Terra Nova, etc.

We're actively working on new sci-fi shows and Defiance will launch sometime next year...it's a big sci-fi drama with plenty of aliens, etc. Stay tuned for more info on that one. We're also looking for a space drama. Blood & Chrome wasn't feasible but we're looking for one that is.

slinky317 · 2 months

I believe it. So there's one person out there.

slinky317 · 2 months

Eureka is indeed a full season of 14 episodes including a series finale episode.

slinky317 · 2 months

Yeah, him.

slinky317 · 2 months

I've basically answered every question every asked on Twitter at one time or another. I just tend not to answer the same ones over and over unless it's about upcoming show times/dates. You are free to ask me anything you like at any time, however.

slinky317 · 2 months

I don't do PR, I do "talking to viewers." We have an excellent PR department that does PR.

slinky317 · 2 months

Yes, this is me. And I don't mind if you refuse to accept the validity of arguments. Disagreement on the Internet is not a particularly unknown phenomenon.

slinky317 · 2 months

I don't mind answering questions. It's more that no one's had any lately. I'm always lurking around Reddit though ;)

slinky317 · 2 months

The short answer is, you see more reality shows on Syfy and on TV in general to fill the gap where there used to be reruns of older TV shows. The audience for reruns on TV has dropped dramatically because they've become readily available on DVD, Hulu, Netflix, etc. So while the programming is cheap to acquire, not enough watch them to make them sustainable. Whereas many people enjoy shows like FaceOff.

We still air a full complement of original dramas, and this year we'll have new seasons of Alphas, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Haven, Being Human, Lost Girl and Merlin. (No decision has been made on Sanctuary yet.) So reality isn't replacing original dramas.

On a side note, we've always had unscripted programming on the network. Shows like In Search Of, Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the old CNET tech series, used to air all over the schedule. No one minded because "reality" was not a polarizing thing back then, it was just TV.

As to wrestling, it's larger than life men fighting in costumes and gives us a sports entertainment show, which is a attractive on TV for a lot of reasons (live viewing being the biggest one). It's probably the most polarizing thing we air, but with only two hours a week it's easily avoided if you're not a fan.

We have

slinky317 · 2 months

The doofus claimed no such thing.

kurcadin · 4 months

Made me immediately think: "This R2 unit has a bad motivator..."

CraigAtSyfy · 5 months

Nice!

CraigAtSyfy

TROPHY CASE

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