now I understand
25 May 2012 12:25 pmBecause I'm still sick and trying to avoid housework (did get the dishes going, the stove and some counters cleaned) I was reading more about the SyFail name change.
I found this interview with the network president in which he states:
Well, that just explains so much, doesn't it. They don't even know what their genre is composed of. I can agree to a point with fantasy and supernatural. There is some overlap. But last time I checked horror is it's own genre and there is now a cable network dedicated to it (although they also air Buffy episodes but, hey, there's always room for more Buffy). And wrestling has nothing to do with any of it except that their supposed core base (I'm imagining they think their core are teen/young adult men who live in their parents' basements) likes it so it brings in money.
He goes on to say:
Um, maybe because sci-fi is space, aliens and the future. The genre has become so watered down (see his above statement) that it means nothing any more. At least when you say sci-fi/fantasy it is understood that you will see spaceships and aliens alongside vampires and Hobbits. Oh, and wouldn't the fans love it if they ACTUALLY did air reruns of Star Trek. They don't even air Enterprise any more. SG-1 is on at like midnight (here anyway) some nights, if they have nothing else to show. It's considered filler.
The thing that really angered me while reading the interview was the first question asked, "Why did you change your name in the first place? What's wrong with sci-fi?" got this answer:
And how many of those shows are still on the air? SGU is gone, Caprica made it like 1 1/2 seasons or something, Eureka is in it's last season, Sanctuary just got canceled. The only one out of those listed that is still on the air is Warehouse 13. Their other still running shows are decidedly not science fiction. In fact you'd be hard pressed to find much real science fiction on the channel.
Heck looking at their schedule for today I see they are having a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon (in which they don't even air all of them). After that they are premiering a new show, Insane or Inspired which sounds like Tru TV's World's Dumbest (of which I am a fan). Oh, yeah, don't forget that Smackdown is on tonight, thank you Vince McMahon for so many years of quality TV. (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Then late tonight (early morning if you're on the East coast) they have SyFy original movies... Pumpkinhead. I just have no words.
But look, OMG, at 5am EST there is an episode of SGU airing. Ding, ding, ding! I found science fiction on the SyFy channel. I win a prize. Too bad just about every freaking person in this country is sleeping at that time. After that they just air a few hours of infomercials. On the schedule for tomorrow? SyFy Original Movie marathon. All the dinocrocs and sharktopuses you can sink your teeth into.
To find any more science fiction (or quality viewing of any kind) you have to skip ahead to 1pm EST on Sunday when they are airing Star Trek: Insurrection (ok, maybe I exaggerated on the quality aspect). The main highlight of Sunday is the airing of Serenity after Star Trek. The other days next week are more of the same... movies that have nothing to do with sci-fi, crappy reality TV and those gawd-awful Original Movies. To watch a sci-fi TV show you have to wait until 2am EST on May 30 (Wednesday) to see on on SyFail.
This network is a joke.
He also says: "We realize, though, that reality isn't for everyone, and that's why we're committed to maintaining a mix of programming that includes a fantastic lineup of original dramatic series."
Mix of programming? Really. I don't think his definition of "mix" and mine are the same. Taking away all sci-fi reruns to be replaced by hours of reality reruns and horror movies does not equal a "mix" to me. The sci-fi shows they do still air only come on one night a week. All their other crap shows and movies take up the rest of the week.
One of the last questions he's asked is: You say you want your brand to be more female-friendly, but I'm a woman and I like the old name. Don't I count?
His answer (emphasis mine):
And what about the female views, like the author and myself, who do like traditional sci-fi? I guess we're supposed to go live in our parents' basements like the other losers. We don't really count. They want "real" women, not sci-fi geeks that actually enjoy the genre.
What I'd really like to know, though, is why this guy is in charge? He obviously doesn't really understand the genre or what the fans want. I can't imagine actual sci-fi fans running the network and putting so much crap on. Oh, but I forgot, Hollywood isn't about the fans; it's about making money. The fans WILL like it or else. And no complaining, we should all just be happy they allow us to be entertained by them.
I found this interview with the network president in which he states:
As the SCI FI Channel, we've always defined the sci-fi genre very broadly. Some of you may disagree, but we believe that sci-fi includes fantasy, supernatural, paranormal, superhero, horror and quite a lot of speculative action and adventure. Since we launched 16 years ago, we've always carried this broad range of sci-fi/fantasy programming on our air. So the mix of shows isn't new and won't change in the future.
Well, that just explains so much, doesn't it. They don't even know what their genre is composed of. I can agree to a point with fantasy and supernatural. There is some overlap. But last time I checked horror is it's own genre and there is now a cable network dedicated to it (although they also air Buffy episodes but, hey, there's always room for more Buffy). And wrestling has nothing to do with any of it except that their supposed core base (I'm imagining they think their core are teen/young adult men who live in their parents' basements) likes it so it brings in money.
He goes on to say:
The challenge for our brand is that many non-SCI FI Channel viewers think "sci-fi" is only about space, aliens and the future. (Those are the actual words many people use in focus groups.) They still only expect to see reruns of Star Trek on something called the SCI FI Channel.
Um, maybe because sci-fi is space, aliens and the future. The genre has become so watered down (see his above statement) that it means nothing any more. At least when you say sci-fi/fantasy it is understood that you will see spaceships and aliens alongside vampires and Hobbits. Oh, and wouldn't the fans love it if they ACTUALLY did air reruns of Star Trek. They don't even air Enterprise any more. SG-1 is on at like midnight (here anyway) some nights, if they have nothing else to show. It's considered filler.
The thing that really angered me while reading the interview was the first question asked, "Why did you change your name in the first place? What's wrong with sci-fi?" got this answer:
We love sci-fi, which is why we've said we have no intention of abandoning our roots or our core audience. We intend to continue to develop and produce great sci-fi shows like the two upcoming series we recently greenlit, Stargate Universe in the fall and Caprica, the prequel to Battlestar Galactica, coming early next year. Plus we're bringing back Eureka in July, Sanctuary in the fall and launching a brand-new sci-fi show, Warehouse 13, in July. We're still the biggest producer of sci-fi shows in all of TV, and we intend to stay number one.
And how many of those shows are still on the air? SGU is gone, Caprica made it like 1 1/2 seasons or something, Eureka is in it's last season, Sanctuary just got canceled. The only one out of those listed that is still on the air is Warehouse 13. Their other still running shows are decidedly not science fiction. In fact you'd be hard pressed to find much real science fiction on the channel.
Heck looking at their schedule for today I see they are having a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon (in which they don't even air all of them). After that they are premiering a new show, Insane or Inspired which sounds like Tru TV's World's Dumbest (of which I am a fan). Oh, yeah, don't forget that Smackdown is on tonight, thank you Vince McMahon for so many years of quality TV. (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Then late tonight (early morning if you're on the East coast) they have SyFy original movies... Pumpkinhead. I just have no words.
But look, OMG, at 5am EST there is an episode of SGU airing. Ding, ding, ding! I found science fiction on the SyFy channel. I win a prize. Too bad just about every freaking person in this country is sleeping at that time. After that they just air a few hours of infomercials. On the schedule for tomorrow? SyFy Original Movie marathon. All the dinocrocs and sharktopuses you can sink your teeth into.
To find any more science fiction (or quality viewing of any kind) you have to skip ahead to 1pm EST on Sunday when they are airing Star Trek: Insurrection (ok, maybe I exaggerated on the quality aspect). The main highlight of Sunday is the airing of Serenity after Star Trek. The other days next week are more of the same... movies that have nothing to do with sci-fi, crappy reality TV and those gawd-awful Original Movies. To watch a sci-fi TV show you have to wait until 2am EST on May 30 (Wednesday) to see on on SyFail.
This network is a joke.
He also says: "We realize, though, that reality isn't for everyone, and that's why we're committed to maintaining a mix of programming that includes a fantastic lineup of original dramatic series."
Mix of programming? Really. I don't think his definition of "mix" and mine are the same. Taking away all sci-fi reruns to be replaced by hours of reality reruns and horror movies does not equal a "mix" to me. The sci-fi shows they do still air only come on one night a week. All their other crap shows and movies take up the rest of the week.
One of the last questions he's asked is: You say you want your brand to be more female-friendly, but I'm a woman and I like the old name. Don't I count?
His answer (emphasis mine):
You absolutely count, and we appreciate that you're watching our shows. And we're not saying that no women watch the network. In fact, almost half of our audience is women, thanks to shows such as Ghost Hunters that attract more women than men. But overall, our channel and the sci-fi genre in general tend to skew more male than female, and we want to ensure we remain gender-balanced and continue to bring in new female viewers, who often say they don't like traditional sci-fi.
And what about the female views, like the author and myself, who do like traditional sci-fi? I guess we're supposed to go live in our parents' basements like the other losers. We don't really count. They want "real" women, not sci-fi geeks that actually enjoy the genre.
What I'd really like to know, though, is why this guy is in charge? He obviously doesn't really understand the genre or what the fans want. I can't imagine actual sci-fi fans running the network and putting so much crap on. Oh, but I forgot, Hollywood isn't about the fans; it's about making money. The fans WILL like it or else. And no complaining, we should all just be happy they allow us to be entertained by them.