FOX against Sci Fi

[SadGeezer]

This is another rumour I’m afraid, but it seems that FOX have declined to renue the contract for the production of the 5th season of Fururama!!

They have recently cancelled X-File, The Tick (live action) and Family Guy (not much sci fi I know, but still popular with many sci fi fans).

I wonder if this is a strategic change in direction? In the UK, Sky is heavilly influenced (in fact owned by) FOX as are other mainstrean TV stations.

With the recent glut of crappy sci fi series on other TV channels, are we seeing a backlash?

[ 19-02-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]

[bonnee]

Sad, the backlash is not against quality scifi, but unwatched scifi. Sadly, few/er people chose to watch shows that are often more expensive to produce and/or only appeal to a niche market. even sadder is that this often coincides with quality shows. don’t blame the television networks – blame the television audience, or rather, lack of. each of the shows you cited have rated appallingly recently: previous audiences have deserted these shows. futurama, for example, debuted as a top 10 show – it is now in the bottom rung of the top 100 watched shows. the tick flopped. x files has witnessed the erasure of its audience over the last three years, culminating in a decline from (say) no. 15 to the current no. 70. for the record though: futurama will still be on air for at least two more seasons (including the current season). apparently the network initialy ordered more than it would have now liked, and its ‘cancellation’ is more of a ‘no thanks’ to another season beyond one still sitting in the (toilet) can.

[dgrequeen]

I have to agree with bonnee, although it’s a sorry state of affairs. Speculative (scifi) fiction has always been my favorite, not only for the ideas I probably never would have thought of on my own, but because it looks at the human condition under circumstances we wouldn’t see in other genres. It’s too bad more people don’t appreciate it.

[DalekTek790]

I think ending the run of The X-Files is a good idea. And I wouldn’t worry about Family Guy, it gets cancelled all the time. But The Tick was just starting to get good! And unless I’m mistaken, Futurama is pretty popular. I don’t think cancelling comedies of that caliber is a good move for Fox.

[bonnee]

I share your laments dgrequeen – one of the strangest things about sci-fi is the tendency for mainstream audiences (whatver that might be these days in the era of niche demographics) is the refusal to take quality sci fi seriously. Its almost as if the better the show, the worst the reputation and/or chances for survival. there are parallel’s in other genre’s of course: the fact that (say) NYPD is still on air and Homicide:Life on the Street died a death says a great deal about television audiences everywhere. (Interestingly, when NYPD debuted on television it was unfavorably compared to Homicide by a critic thus: NYPD is just like Homicide: Life On the Street, but for television). Make of that whatever you will.

[ 21-02-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[Anonymous]

FoxKids and Saban (Digimon, X-Men, POwer RAngers etc) are now owned by Disney – FoxKids in the US is closing and the shows are moving to ABC Family.

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