Is there hope?!

firesprite

Master Member
It looks like SyFy is developing some actual scifi content...
Syfy announces 28 projects: Stephen King, Charlaine Harris and more | Blastr

Mind you, there's still a LOT of reality drek in that press release, but there are also some interesting sci-fi and fantasy scripted shows/movies/miniseries they claim to be working on.

Here are the highlights:
Defiance - 2013 - Defiance is in collaboration with Trion Worlds, with the Syfy series and Trion's multi-platform shooter MMO poised to debut simultaneously. The series stars Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Fionnula Flanagan, Mia Kirshner and Oscar-nominee Graham Greene. Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a completely transformed planet Earth, inhabited by the survivors of a universal war. Forced to co-habitate, the disparate group struggles to build a new society among the devastation. The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe where their respective narratives will inform one another and evolve together into one overall story. Defiance is directed by Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest) and written/executive produced by Rockne O'Bannon (Farscape), Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica, Hellcats) and Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica). Kevin Murphy serves as showrunner. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

Rewind - Rewind revolves around a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who must use untested technology to travel back in time to alter events and change the future—and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. Shane McRae stars as Sean Knox, ex-Special Forces who ranks as a field operative in a special division of the Department of Homeland Security. The pilot also stars Jennifer Ferrin, Academy Award nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Robbie Jones and Keon Mohajeri, and is currently in production in Toronto. Jack Bender (Lost, Alphas) is directing the pilot, written by Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), who will also executive produce with Tom Spezialy, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. A production of BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions.

The Adjustment Bureau - In this drama, based on the hit movie starring Matt Damon, guardian angel-type agents work to keep the world according to The Plan. They create everything from plane crashes to coffee spills in order to steer people to realize their true destiny. But there is one thing the operatives and their Chairman can't control—free will. Writers: Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (Melrose Place, Smallville). Executive producers: George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau, The Bourne Ultimatum), MRC, Slavkin and Swimmer. A production of Universal Cable Productions.

High Moon - Based on the novel, The Lotus Caves, by John Christopher, this imaginative, out-of-this-world series explores a world where the countries of Earth have established colonies to mine the Moon's resources. When a new life form is discovered, chaos erupts as various factions race to uncover its powerful secrets. Executive producer: Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies). Co-executive producer: Jim Danger Gray (Pushing Daisies). Writers: Bryan Fuller and Jim Danger Gray. Executive producer: Granat Entertainment. A production of Universal Cable Productions.

Untitled Booster Gold Project - Based on the best-selling DC Entertainment Comic, this is the story of a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest superhero of all time. But instead of chasing criminals, his main priority is chasing fame and money. Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile. Writer: Andrew Kreisberg (Arrow, Warehouse 13). Executive producers: Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern, Arrow) and Andrew Kreisberg. Producers: Greg Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. The Booster Gold comic book series is published by DC Entertainment, which will also act as an executive producer.

Grave Sight - From the best-selling author of True Blood, this Charlaine Harris book series follows Harper Connelly—a young woman with a unique gift. After being struck by lightning as a teenager, Harper can sense the location and last memories of dead people. She teams up with her protective stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, to help find a missing teenage girl—only to uncover a network of lies and murders throughout a small town in the Ozarks. Writer: Kam Miller (Law and Order: SVU). A production of Universal Cable Productions.

Seeing Things - Based on the comic Grey Legion from Platinum Studios, after a cop meets his violent demise, he returns as a ghost to close his last case. But the only person who can help him is a socially awkward man who is realizing for the first time that his hallucinations may not be all in his head. Writers: David Slack (Person of Interest, Lie To Me) and Gabrielle Stanton (Haven, The Vampire Diaries). Executive producers: David Slack, Robert Cort and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. A production of Fox Television Studios.

Defender - In the aftermath of an intergalactic war between humans and transhumans, the starship Defender, populated by a combustible mix of former enemies, is sent on a seemingly simple goodwill mission, which turns into a fight for their lives and for the safety of the Universe at large. Executive producer/writer: Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Alphas). A production of Universal Cable Productions.

The Family - For generations, an alien family has hid amongst humans in plain sight using their advanced intellect to carve out a life for themselves as their family grew. But when the family patriarch that kept peace amongst the factions dies, a war begins to brew with some members believing the time has come to reveal themselves, and their superior power, to the inferior human race. Writer: Dan Harris (Superman Returns, X2). Executive producers: Neal Moritz (21 Jump Street, Total Recall), Mark Verheiden (Falling Skies, Battlestar Galactica). A production of Sony Pictures TV.

Eyes Of The Dragon - Based on Stephen King's best-selling novel. A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must battle for the throne. Pitted against an evil wizard and a would-be rival, Prince Peter makes a daring escape and rallies the forces of good to fight for what is rightfully his. Writers: Michael Taylor (Defiance, Battlestar Galactica) and Jeff Vintar (I, Robot). Executive producers: Michael Taylor and Bill Haber. A production of Universal Cable Productions and Ostar Productions.

Darkfall - When, without warning, modern forms of power and technology become a thing of the past, Los Angeles, and the world at large, becomes a place where magic rules and life as we know it is turned upside down. Writers: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (Kung Fu Panda, Sleeper Cell). A production of The Jim Henson Company and Universal Cable Productions.

One Mile Straight Down - When a powerful earthquake hits California and opens up a chasm bigger than the Grand Canyon, it reveals an enormous hidden ocean lying deep beneath the earth's crust. Billionaire adventurer James Exeter works with the government to take an advanced nuclear submarine down to explore it and discovers more than he ever could have imagined. Writers: Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Naren Shankar (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Deran Sarafian (CSI: NY). Executive producers: Skip Woods, Naren Shankar and Deran Sarafian. A production of Universal Cable Productions.
 
I'll give them points for trying. But I'll wait to see how many of those actually survive long enough to be broadcast (unlike Galactica: Blood and Chrome.)
 
It looks like SyFy is developing some actual scifi content...
Rewind - Rewind revolves around a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who must use untested technology to travel back in time to alter events and change the future—and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. Shane McRae stars as Sean Knox, ex-Special Forces who ranks as a field operative in a special division of the Department of Homeland Security. The pilot also stars Jennifer Ferrin, Academy Award nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Robbie Jones and Keon Mohajeri, and is currently in production in Toronto. Jack Bender (Lost, Alphas) is directing the pilot, written by Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), who will also executive produce with Tom Spezialy, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. A production of BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions.
Sounds similar to Seven Days. Seven Days (TV Series 1998–2001) - IMDb
 
Darkfall sounds like a non cyberpunk version of Shadowrun or any of other dozen modern fantasy books out there. Sadly even if they start out good none of these shows will survive as they'll be too expensive.
 
As I mentioned on my blog post regarding the situation, scifi programming is expensive and the SyFy channel is a business. If we can't prove to them that they have an audience for this programming (and that advertisers should be willing to pay for time in them which will keep them on the air), they won't keep them running. What we need to do is tune in, tweet, blog about the shows, and make sure that we draw SyFy's attention to it. Use their twitter handle when you tweet, hashtag the tweets so they'll trend, tag blog posts so they'll pop up on SyFy's radar when they do market research.

If there's no money, there's no show. We have to show them that there's money to be made by airing these shows.
 
As I mentioned on my blog post regarding the situation, scifi programming is expensive and the SyFy channel is a business. If we can't prove to them that they have an audience for this programming (and that advertisers should be willing to pay for time in them which will keep them on the air), they won't keep them running. What we need to do is tune in, tweet, blog about the shows, and make sure that we draw SyFy's attention to it. Use their twitter handle when you tweet, hashtag the tweets so they'll trend, tag blog posts so they'll pop up on SyFy's radar when they do market research.

If there's no money, there's no show. We have to show them that there's money to be made by airing these shows.

Maybe we could start by throwing the Nielsen ratings out the window. They are the death of speciality/theme channels like Sci Fi because they completely ignore faithful viewers and favour the zapping passer-by as being the only one worthy of placating. So even if we do write and faithfully follow each show we don't really show up in the ratings anyway ...
 
Maybe we could start by throwing the Nielsen ratings out the window. They are the death of speciality/theme channels like Sci Fi because they completely ignore faithful viewers and favour the zapping passer-by as being the only one worthy of placating. So even if we do write and faithfully follow each show we don't really show up in the ratings anyway ...

Which is why I specify tweeting. I know for a fact that they monitor the @SyFy account and they do interact with people.

I agree that the Nielsen system needs to go.
 
Acually, On Demand/Xfinity and viewing on the show's website itself is another tack that gives direct feedback. Niche shows CAN survive, but the real issue is whether SyFy WANTS them to.

I agree that you have to support the shows you love, but they also have to make shows worth loving. I'm not gonna watch a crappy show on the network just to influence the network to make less crappy shows, and this is part of the problem with the 90s-model "niche network" in the current era: the niches themselves have expanded.

It used to be that, outside of syndicated channels like UPN/WB/Fox, you didn't find ANY sci-fi programming, or at least hardly any. Sci-Fi Channel filled that void nicely in the early 90s, and held on for a good long while.

But once the major networks -- the guys with the deep pockets -- started figuring out that hey, there's a market for this stuff, they started putting out much better product on their own networks. I mean, why watch, say, The Dresden Files when you can watch Grimm? What's to keep you on SyFy?

It's not enough to JUST make sci-fi programming. It's gotta be good and capable of competing with what else is out there. If they can do that, I'll gladly watch. But if they can't, then, well, too bad. I'll get my kicks elsewhere.
 
Another question to ask, is it worth investing your time in these new shows when you they won't go for more than 4 - 5 seasons before being abruptly canceled after being assured they were good for at least one more season or, as in the case of SGU:U, get dragged along with no solid word of your fate one way or the other until it's too late to change anything before being canceled? Think of it, aside from Ghost Hunters, and maybe the WWE, what show on SyFy has lasted longer than 5 seasons and with the exception of BSG, ended on either a cliffhanger or wrapped up in a single episode?
 
I'm surprised they are even trying to make new shows. Cable services are hemorrhaging subscribers advertisers are loosing ground. All due to on demand services(like Netflix), no commercials, no schedule, I can watch what I want, when I want, and as much as I want. No interruptions, no cable/satellite bill on top of my internet bill. Only a subscription fee that is a fraction of my cable/satellite bill.

I don't think SyFy has any hope as a network, like all the rest of the networks. They would be better off making shows for the streaming services. Our entertainment is changing drastically, networks like syfy are a thing of the past.
How long is it going to be before they realize it?
 
Another question to ask, is it worth investing your time in these new shows when you they won't go for more than 4 - 5 seasons before being abruptly canceled after being assured they were good for at least one more season or, as in the case of SGU:U, get dragged along with no solid word of your fate one way or the other until it's too late to change anything before being canceled? Think of it, aside from Ghost Hunters, and maybe the WWE, what show on SyFy has lasted longer than 5 seasons and with the exception of BSG, ended on either a cliffhanger or wrapped up in a single episode?

An excellent point. If we're talking about SG-1 -- a "monster of the week" style show -- then I don't mind abrupt cancellations so much, as long as there's no cliffhanger. But too many of the series they've launched in recent years have been longer-form narratives, and I'm sorry, but you do NOT buy my viewer loyalty by s**tcanning show after show that leaves me hanging. Sad part is, you don't really buy my loyalty WITHOUT a long-form narrative, so...
 
And that's why (among others) I don't get too excited about SyFy's shows anymore. Sure, the concept may seem interesting at first, but I don't think they know how to shepherd a show.
 
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