The SyFy Conundrum
First, there was the name change. Then came the reassurance that science fiction would remain important to the network, despite wanting to appeal to larger audiences. And now, a lie revealed.
When a formerly science fiction network announces a season’s lineup and it includes reality shows, vampire/werewolf-pandering, horror-oriented programs, and much more, it would seem that the network is no longer interested in science fiction. For a network that owes its very existence to scifi, through shows like Stargate: SG-1 and Battlestar Galactica, this seems to be an odd choice.
Image via Wikipedia
Ignoring the SyFy Originals movie series, since they’re almost exclusively horrible, it seems that the public relations effort during the name change, where dedicated science fiction fans were assured the name change would not effect one of their most beloved producers of content, was nothing but a lie – and this lie is causing much consternation. Besides a few rare gems, such as Stargate: Universe, SyFy hasn’t recently produced anything noteworthy or interesting, and continuing down this path will only lead to their downfall, both in ratings and fan support.
Reality television, vampires, and countless other subject areas are merely fads of the moment, while science fiction has proven itself to be an area of consistent growth, support, and inspiration – why would a network reorient itself to follow fleeting obsessions over dedicated, long-term audiences? As what was once the only bastion of science fiction in all of television, SyFy has become a network that prefers momentary teenage fantasies and short attention spans over quality, integrity, and overall production value – this is the science fiction equivalent of television news degradation.
If those in charge of this network don’t soon see the error of their ways, science fiction could be in danger of disappearing from television altogether: ABC’s V doesn’t attract large audiences, FOX cancels scifi shows on random whims, ABC’s sort-of-scifi LOST is coming to a close, and NBC hates the genre just as much as FOX. Where will fans go to get their doses of gritty, edgy, exciting genre fiction? Back to books, and away from television.
Your move, SyFy.
Kyle can be found on his blog, on Facebook, via email, or on Twitter.
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
[...] piece adheres to the Code of Ethics subscribe to Self posts: rss – email New column at Technotainment Revelations on True/Slant: First, there was the name change. Then came the reassurance that science fiction would remain [...]
Here’s hoping they get like the Dominoe’s Pizza commercial, “we heard you America”! Hope they see all of this.
You look like the kind of absolute nerd who can help me with this – any good new anime out lately?
Also, if you could speed up development of Slingers, I’d appreciate it: http://vimeo.com/7963572
jackreynolds,
I am an “absolute nerd”, but I don’t watch anime – sorry.
And I’m not sure what you expected me to do about “Slingers”? I’m not even sure what that is, to be honest.
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »You’re right, that lineup is a lame attempt at programming, at best, and is insulting to anyone who watches that channel expecting to see science fiction.* Ghost shows are worse than reality TV, since they’re not even real, except perhaps in the sense that opening Al Capone’s vault was “real.”
But don’t fool yourself into thinking that SciFi was always a grand dame of a network that’s only now let herself go and we all must avert our eyes. SciFi/SyFy has basically always been a deep-cable afterthought, showing TV detritus–their own or other networks’ canceled version of same–with the exception of a couple of good (read: lucky?) years of watchable shows. Just because Sci-FI had one hit didn’t make suddenly make it the all-time mecca of science fiction programming. At best it’s the equivalent of a gas station in the middle of the desert whose sign reads:
Watered Gasoline For Sale
Next Fuel 100 Miles
Take It Or Leave It
* I honestly don’t know who these people are.
I’d call Battlestar and Stargate just exceptions to the rule. As with “Caprica” which is also surprisingly authentic Sci Fi with nary a spaceship in sight.
In response to another comment. See in context »Given a choice between a couple of good shows with lots of “Ghost” and “Vampire/werewolf” garbage, and just shutting down the network altogether, I’d go with the latter. Using the word “science” anywhere near the horror/fantasy stuff they put on is a huge disservice to anyone with an interest in the continuation of science as a force in bettering humanity.
Blame it on Universal who screwed up sister channels like Bravo by taking out whatever good programming there was and replacing it with tacky reality series.
Even at their best, however, SciFi 1.0 still produced the schlocky horror movies and this abiding belief in mining the Stargate franchise to death.
True, but at least they produced an almost equal amount of good content with the bad – that’s not something that can be said about now or their immediate future.
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »Agreed. Sci-Fi Fridays used to be a smorgasbord of quirky series (most of which were allowed to wither and die with little promotion), and other features like Monday Anime and Doctor Who helped broaden its appeal.
How will they justify it if all their new series tank thie year? Replace them with still more dreck?
In response to another comment. See in context »Almost to the person, 74 commenters at Sci-Fi’s (sorry SyFy’s), official website for news and such, posted their comments to the news about the development slate of Reality Shows:
http://scifiwire.com/2010/03/syfy-deverealityoping.php
Including my comment, I have to say:
I hope it either succeeds, meaning, SyFy starts attracting a complete different type of audience and real Sci-Fi viewers can go somewhere else to get their needs met,
OR
It fails completely and Sci-Fi wises up.
I don’t have much hope either way.
Oh, what wouldn’t I give for a REAL Sci-Fi channel.
I’m with you!
Want to start raising money to buy it from NBC?
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »Yes, oh please yes! What wouldn’t I give for new ownership, maybe even that ownership being us!
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] The SyFy Conundrum (trueslant.com) [...]
Isn’t the reason why SyFy sucks so bad is that it’s owned by USA Networks, and they’re constantly doing everything they can to get the network to self destruct? They use it as a dumping ground for shows they don’t want (which kinda backfired on them for Battlestar Galactica and Stargate), they post a quota of “Original Movies” that need to be met each quarter but have minimal budgets and terrible writers assigned to pen the scripts (and if the quota isn’t met they get less money for programming and marketing that next quarter), and they insist on showing syndicated shows that they already own rather (and have nothing to do with Science Fiction) than pony up a little scratch to actually get rights to re-air good sci-fi TV or movies (Craptacular Wrestling Shows, anyone?).
Anyway, yes SyFy should shoulder some of the blame for being USA’s whipping boy, but all in all they’re dying a slow death because their parent company hates them.
I believe it’s NBC Universal, but you have the right idea
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »Hey guys I’m not sure what’s going on with the network stuff, but I’m here to tell you sci-fi is NASA way of true disclosure of what they experienced, encountered, and learned from in outer space. Vampires are real and live on “moon Lo” Jupiters moon. “Daybreakers” was a portrayal of moon “Lo” said to be Earth – this is how the protocol works.
With every sci-fi show movie or weekly series, an actual fact of outer space is provided with a lie to twist it. With Spielbergs latest Raiders Of The Lost Ark, flying saucers were shown to be flown by an ancient monster race that came here billions of years ago, they had crystal skeletons.
The 50% lie twist twisted back to fact is that humans from another planet have crystal skeletons and they are the creaters of flying saucers.
Everything labeled sci-fi is something truthful from outer space. I am assciated with persons of NASA secret technologies mainly a huge flying saucer fleet, as well as zero-point energy that does not allow profitting to occur because once it’s started it doesn’t need more fossil created replenishments thus no profit cycle is present.
View my two videos about sci-fi being used to mask facts and see *WilliamShatner* discussion board on Facebook.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mWgsahyVdE
The energy sources that NASA has and supresses due to profit, is the same reason why they use “sci-fi” to give facts about outer space instead of blatantly admitting what is shown is actual truth. Stargates are real and active on every planet in our solar system and many moons. See my videos for much more information sources, and this URL of a chapter closing the book “Hitlers Flying Saucers”, but by all means make sure you visit *WilliamShatner* discussion board.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ufo_aleman/rfz/chapter6.htm
Excerpt:
“It is said that in Germany during the war there was a quest to make Germany independent of outside energy sources. An organization was formed to investigate things we would now call “alternative energy”. This included, among other things, the making of synthetic fuel and lubricants out of coal using a special process which was perfected by the Germans during the war. But it may have, and probably did, included other, more exotic, research encompassing into such topics as nuclear energy and possibly even “free energy” or “new energy”.” END – all supressed and in possession of NASA.
Thanks for reading.
I am surprised that if they are committed to science fiction they are not following the current Hollywood trend and raiding Universal’s vault or anyone’s vault for ideas.
Let’s play programmer.
Destination Moon
Rocket Ship XM
flight to Mars
The Incredible Shrinking Man
The Invisible Boy
this Island Earth
It Came from Outer Space
Man From Planet X
Tons of stuff to remake.
Remakes can be good, but I’d rather see even better original content.
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »Kyle,
So would I…we’re both going to have a tough time next summer at the box office.
In response to another comment. See in context »I’ve been hoping for a Space 1999 remake myself- or Buck Rogers!
In response to another comment. See in context »Plan 9 would be brilliant.
In response to another comment. See in context »What’re you talking about? Stargate Universe was terrible. It’s Stargate: The Reality Show. Or Stargate: 45 minutes of people being scared and then the ship saving the day again.
Science fiction has high production costs. For nepotistic cookie counters trying to create formula based production line style content, with an absence of talent, failure is inevitable. It has nothing to do with modern audiences and everything to do with incompetent management copying each other. Not to worry the growth of CGI and digital animation and the use of virtual robotic actors means content creators will take precedence of inbred publishers.
Well- the Twilight Zone might be the best SciFi show in the history of TV- not to mention some of the most iconic moments on TV- which simply cannot be recaptured or remade. Even the original Outer Limits as a series beats anything on TV today, hands down. Remakes of both were godawful.
In response to another comment. See in context »Real Sci Fi doesn’t need much in special effects. Save that for the space westerns.
All I have to say is who called this one? I said this was going to happen the second the name change occurred. I deserve credit for this article
Ha ha, good try, next time write what you say!
In response to another comment. See in context »Well, he’s right – he did call it.
But my brother’s not as interested in writing as I am, so that’s one of the reasons he didn’t say anything about it originally.
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »You did call it, but I don’t know about deserving credit for this article… maybe you should get credit as seeing the future? Or failing to stop the death of SyFy?
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »and this whole thread is far more legitimate sci fi than what syfy has become
In response to another comment. See in context »