I always get antsy when companies start to go beyond their niche. I mean, does Dunkin' Donuts really have to start selling pizza and sandwiches too?
The Sci-Fi Channel is expanding beyond the worlds of Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and sci-fi in general. We've already seen wrestling on the network, and the execs at the network say that more stuff like that is coming. Sci-Fi Channel GM Dave Howe says that the definition of the network is "What if?" As in "What if The Sci-Fi Channel made a bunch of really shitty made for television movies?" This "What If" slogan also includes movies like Field of Dreams. Execs are even thinking about changing the name of the channel.
Needless to say, many science fiction fans aren't happy with this, including members of The Science Fiction Writers of America. TV fans are already upset for TV Land airing more and more reality shows and movies, and now this. What's next? TCM airing cooking shows and auto racing?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-19-2008 @ 11:36AM
Matthew said...
This has been happening more and more. I've seen Cartoonn Network showing plenty of non-cartoons in the past few months. I am less then pleased that Sci-Fi is changing. Where will I go now to see my god awful movies featuring killer crocodiles?
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5-19-2008 @ 11:45AM
Jeff N. said...
It nice to know when you switch the channel to the Sci-Fi Channel you are going to watch Sci-Fi. Now they want to change that and have just about anything on. How stupid. It just becomes another channel then. Nothing special.
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5-19-2008 @ 12:10PM
Jason said...
I've always thought Sci-Fi is missing out on some potential ratings and money by not buying the MST3K rights and just MiSTIng those crappy original movies they do straight out of the box.
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5-19-2008 @ 3:26PM
I miss my stars! said...
Now you're talking!
5-19-2008 @ 12:23PM
Oreo said...
Tech TV was taken over by G4, it's no longer a tech or gaming channel.
Cartoon Network shows Save by the Bell.
Nick at Nite Channel is showing shows that are still on the air!
This isn't shocking. BSG ends soon, and Doctor Who is only getting TV movies next year and The Sarah Jane Adventures only has like 5 episodes. As long as I can get my Doctor Who fix I'm happy.
Plus Field of Dreams is a fantasy movie dealing with baseball ghosts, so it does kind of fit.
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5-19-2008 @ 12:30PM
EbonyDad said...
If that is the case, I am waiting for Sci-Fi to show "Ghost Dad" and "The Adventures of Pluto Nash."
5-19-2008 @ 2:34PM
Hank said...
I beg to differ, 'Saved by the Bell' is a live-action cartoon.
5-19-2008 @ 12:39PM
thetubasings said...
This would SUCK. Not only for the fact there are few channels willing to do a SCI FI series like BattleStar or Eureka but because it is a shame that a network with the clear ownership of a genre would have execs stupid enough to stop trying to make good tv and would instead drift off into a mediocre world of 'Why be good at anything when I can be average at everything'
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5-19-2008 @ 12:41PM
Oreo said...
The problem is Sci-fi is a NBC station, so mediocre or average would be an upgrade.
5-19-2008 @ 12:56PM
0megapart!cle said...
Your NBC hate is pretty ridiculous. I will say again, NBC has far more quality shows that it has nurtured over the years than CBS. Ratings does not denote quality.
5-19-2008 @ 1:01PM
Oreo said...
CBS does have some terrible shows, I don't watch a single CBS show. However NBC has jack shit of it and if you can't see that I feel sorry for you. NBC has Heroes, which is a mess of a show without any direction. They have Law and Order, which is fine, but not great. Maybe the new Knight Rider will be the show to save the network!
5-19-2008 @ 2:15PM
Dan said...
NBC also has "The Office", "30 Rock", and "My Name is Earl"...
5-19-2008 @ 12:48PM
Ed said...
And isn't the History Channel moving into new areas? Think you had a post on it a few months back. Poor decision by the execs, and another reason why I stick to torrents and therefore enjoy 'Ad-Free-TV-on-Demand'.
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5-19-2008 @ 12:53PM
mj said...
Oh, great. I love the Sci Fi channel. Ok, the made for tv movies are crap, but have you SEEN any of the ones on Lifetime? Don't they realize how many of us are out there? NBC is doing a lot of weird things lately, including their deal with Direct TV. I have a bad feeling about this. If the BBCA is smart, THEY will start showing Dr. Who and Sarah Jane.
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5-19-2008 @ 1:02PM
Oreo said...
Don't say that! I don't get BBC America and I love Doctor Who!
5-19-2008 @ 12:59PM
0megapart!cle said...
This entire article is ridiculous. They don't even mention the highest profile non-scifi show on the network, wrestling, which I agree has no place on the network. But there is no actual proof in the article that the network is moving away from Scifi/fantasy (with the possible exception of Field of Dreams, but this still loosely fits).
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5-19-2008 @ 1:17PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
What's next, MTV and VH1 not showing music videos? Oh yeah, that ship sailed 15 years ago.
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5-19-2008 @ 1:50PM
Lenny said...
If they take out most of the scifi, will it just be known as "The Channel"? How, um...interesting.
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5-19-2008 @ 2:15PM
Dan said...
It's all so stupid. A niche is a niche for a reason, it's something you do better than the others and it's your speciality. When you go outside of that, it's disaster. Like how TLC went from "The Learning Channel" to some horrific makeover channel, or how MTV went from airing MUSIC to having a string of vapid shows about brain-dead spoiled brats. Sci-Fi should have 24/7 Science Fiction programming or it loses its credibility.
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5-19-2008 @ 2:43PM
Midnight13 said...
There was an article about this on TV Squad either last year or earlier this year entitled "Network Drifting", meaning when a network starts to veer off from the original concept of the network to get "crossover" appeal. I liked what Sci-fi used to be, a mixture of classic sci-fi like "The Twlight Zone" and new like "Sliders" at least at one point. Wrestling does not belong on the Sci-fi Channel. Maybe if they continued making scripted series. Yet, I fear that what this means is more "reality" based series. Crap like "Who Wants to Be A Superhero?" Why is it that so often "crossover" means cheaper shows?"
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