SyFy network admits they fucked up

I had forgotten what channel they were, can't remember the last time I watched a series or any of their 'original' programming. Literally years ago.

I wasn't aware that this was an NBC venture. Good on them! Those fuckers can't even tie their shoes much less run a network not into the ground.

I hate Syfy so much I've been checking out their shows on Netflix rather than tune in. The last show I watched on Syfy was the pilot of Defiance. Before that it was the series finale of StarGate Universe. I haven't been a regular viewer since SG-1/Atlantis/Battlestar. Why? Because their programming turned to shit after they decided to embrace the luddites rather than go all in with the geeks.

And based on that article, they STILL don't get it. Science Fiction as a genre has been pushed to the curb by horror and fantasy shows for the last 10 years, and that's OK. I like a bunch of the horror and fantasy series on TV these days. The problem is that horror and fantasy aren't science fiction. They all fall under "speculative fiction", but you can't advertise your network as "SCI-FI" and then include programming with vampires and werewolves. Twilight is done! True Blood is dead. It's time to put the vampires and the werewolves back on the shelf and start thinking about actual science fiction again.

Of course, now that their overall ratings has declined to the point that they're putting out a press release, it's unlikely that they could budget a decent sci-fi series. Maybe one or two, but having a prime time original science fiction series with good writing and production values? HAH! What they'll end up doing is trying to build up a single night with a couple new high profile series, which will have 40-50% of it's budget spent on ads. And it'll probably work, for a little while. Then in a year or so, the executive responsible for their single-night success will be promoted and some new guy will come in and undo all the good done. We'll be back to reality series and wrestling shortly there after.

Syfy is owned by NBC/Universal, who is owned by Comcast. If you look at any network that Comcast has acquired in the last 15 years, the story is the same. Comcast takes over, and all the good people that worked for those networks resign or are fired. Then Comcast brings their own people in, and we get wrestling and reality shows. Remember TechTV? Yeah, me too.

They need a new Stargate show similar to SG:1 or SG:A. No more of that 1 minute of action and 59 minutes of drama shit every dam episode.

This is only matters if Syfy is willing to put the money where their mouth is. The thing they never realized when they shifted away from sci-fi was that it was never a problem with the genre, but that it was one of quality. They forget that that was one of the whole reasons they did the switch. They never saw a problem with how they were producing shows, so they blamed the genre and figured they could take the same approach by appealing to a broader audience, but crap shows are crap shows no matter what genre they are. Their desire to deliver quality science fiction shows has been at odds with their desire to make shows as cheaply as possible, which is just the formula for mediocre shows.

If they want a hit like The Walking Dead, then they should follow closer to how AMC does things and focus on making a couple of really good shows rather than a dozen second-rate shows interspersed with crappy movies featuring d-list actors. Otherwise, they're going to find themselves in the exact same place they were five years ago, except this time they won't be able to throw their hands up and blame viewers for not wanting sci-fi/fantasy shows. Maybe then we'll start to see some progress.

Networks usually need solid tentpole shows to help assist other shows. AMC had Mad Men (and now TWD), HBO had the Sopranos and now GoT.

But at the end of the day, you need a solid quality show. Game of Thrones had "nerdy" fantasy elements, but the quality of the acting + story draws in people who normally aren't fans of that genre. The last show Syfy had which could "cross the aisles" was BSG, and even then BSG suffered from (undeserved) "Space show" stigma or people who only remembered the piece of shit 70s version.

They definitely need a signature show to get them up. One that represents Sci-Fi. I mean, aside from post-apocalypse shows, is there really any sci-fi shows out there? Like, star trek/buck rogers/out in motherfuckin space sci-fi (Dr. Who doesn't count - I'm talkin US)?

Some space sci-fi on the level of Mad Men/GoT/Breaking Bad/Arrow that they can anchor off of. That would get people back.

Cybsled_sl said:

The last show Syfy had which could "cross the aisles" was BSG, and even then BSG suffered from (undeserved) "Space show" stigma or people who only remembered the piece of shit 70s version.

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i loved the original battlestar galactica.

The two franchises they should restart is Stargate and Star Trek. We haven't had a damn Trek series in way too long. Make it three series . Why the fuck not if we can get three CSIs and Law and Orders. Make a Starfleet academy series for the young demo, a Klingon expedition for the hard core, and another traditional series for the masses.

Anyways these could be the established IPs that can draw in viewers while pushing other original programming to catch on.

Comcast will be the among the first to roll out random shit show , just click the channel and the CGI producer will wing it.

grumblethorn_sl said:

Nah we gonna get captain worf!

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Make it so Number One!

Edit: Wait my wife says this is already happening?!

King of the Nerds would have been perfect for Syfy. They really missed out on that one.