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I was asked to take part in a focus Group sponsored by Sci FI channel and am unable to make it. I suggested to the geezer who invited me (Dan Edwards) that it might be worthwhile if I started a topic on the subject to find if any of you out there had any opinions.
The focus group is mainly concerned with the UK but I think Dan would be interested in all your views. He has promised to consider them for the focus group (next week).
He is keen to hear from you on how you see TV generally.
- Do you think that there is too much ‘gratuitous’ in modern shows (not just sci fi). Is LEXX for instance tame or over the top?
- What sort of TV shows would you like to see?
- Name the shows you consider bad
- What are your fav. shows (and why) ?
I think Dan will be visiting this forum in the next day or so to add to these questions, but in the meantime, feel free to comment.
-Actually, there is not enough gratuitous material in modern shows. The creator of a show should not be afraid to challenge the views of the mass. The creator will be true to his vision and he will benefit in time and the mass just might learn something. Lexx is neither too tame or over the top, it’s just right.
-1. High octane action adventures with good characterization, serious storyline, and an epic feel (example: Farscape).
2. Unusal and creative works with an underlying philosphy or deeper meaning behind the show (example: Lexx, Gundam Wing, Evangilion).
3. Darker more serious stories with a lot of drama and intrigue along with action (examples: The Sopranos, The Shield, Angel, Cowboy Bebop, First Wave).
4. Light hearted action comedies with a simple good versus evil plot but strong well rounded characters (examples: The Invisible Man, Yu-Yu Hakusho, The Chronicle)
-Shows I consider bad are: Star Trek Voyager, Hercules and Xena, Black Scorpion, The Secret Adventures of Jules Vernes, Good versus Evil, and StrangeWorld.
-Shows I like:
The Invisible Man-I don’t know why you guys ended this show. It was exciting, it was funny, and the characters were very enjoyable.
First Wave-The End is coming,The End is coming and only the twice blessed man can stop it. This show had a lot of intrigue and mystery that kept it exciting.
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer-Though I wasn’t all that cracked up about the Sixth Season, this show has blown me away time and time again.
Angel-Just like Buffy but not as cheesy. The dark serious storyline keeps me coming back.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine- I love all the Star Trek except Voyager but this is by far the best series. The characters were rich, the battles were intense, and the story was powerful. The war between the Dominion and The Federation made this series.
Enterprise- It is so cool seeing these guys explore the galaxy for the very first time. Year One storylines are very good if done right.
Farscape- This is one of the greatest space epics I have every scene. The chemistry between the actors and the characters is beautiful, the stories are exciting, the creatures are imaginative, and the greatest thing about Farscape is that it is not afraid to go to places where other sci-fi dare to tread. Has Captain Janeway ever gotten so drunk that she woke up on public display wearing nothing stockings? No. But John Crighton has.
Lexx-This show is weird but it’s deeper than a lot of people give it credit for. And just like Farscape this show really pushes the envelope wear other shows would be to timid.
Justice League/Batman Beyond- I love comic books and these shows do them justice.
Yu-Yu Hakusho- Just like Buffy, the Vampire Slayer except its animated and Japanesse. And its a lot weirder.
Cowboy Bebop- This is by far the best animated series ever. The story is very dark, very violent and very dramatic with a touch of humor in the form of Spike’s sarcasm and Fay’s whining. By the end of series the show becomes very moving and it pulls on your heart strings by the climax.
Evangilion- This series is very disturbing and the questions it raises about our beliefs and our existence are ones that cannot be ignored. This show has very power and complicated storyline that really makes you think.
The Gundam Series-This show is a critism of war and has a lot of big giant robots fighting each other.
Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z- This show is so crazy and so stupid that I can’t help but love it. This show reminds me of Lexx but with more action and less point.
The Adult Swim(Cartoon Network/Sunday Nights)-Funny as Hell
Well, I’ve rambled on for several pages but its been fun.
Bye now! Excellent comments! Thanks.
I’m also keen to hear from Aleck and Dalek in this thread though I know they have expressed their ideas before in other topics.
It’s rare we get a chance to make our views hear by pople in a position to do something about them. Apparently, the focus group is being taken very seriously – I’ve been told that your comments WILL be heard by people responsible for TV programming.
This is an excellent opportunity to have your say.
[ 22-08-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]
I’ve been trying to think of something to say. Where to begin?
First of all, I don’t watch very much television anymore because not much of it interests me. If I do watch something, rest assured that it is usually the SciFi Channel. The History Channel, The Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, and Comedy Central are my usual channel-surfing stops. However, the shows that I make a point of watching on a regular basis are science-fiction shows. And I think it’s important to note that other big sci-fi fans also channels-surf to the same channels I listed above.
Living in the USA, I find it very interesting that many foreign sci-fi fans that I encounter on bboards frequently comment about the extreme amount of violence on american television shows. And yet at the same time, american shows have a fear of sexual content. I’m not talking about soft-core porn like what’s seen everywhere on american television. I mean nudity and real sexual dialogue that doesn’t convey a sense of guilt about sexuality. Even though there is “sexiness” all over the place on american tv, it’s cheap, rife with puritanical fear, and is hypocritcal in the fact that they can’t show nudity. Whereas in Europe, the opposite is true. Violence is highly disdained over there and they seem horrified with the massive amounts of it that comes out of the USA television productions. Gun fights and car chases do not action make. Think of some other way to convey suspense other than vicious acts of violence.
What sort of shows would I like to see? More shows like LEXX. It’s goofy, sexy, sometimes intelligent and dramatic. It’s too bad that the censors had to blur out the nudity. In Europe, they left the nudity intact but edited out parts with graphic violence. LEXX had variety. Metaphysical undertones. I really, really, really wish that the makers of Lexx would continue their show with a fifth or sixth season.
Quantum Leap and Sliders were two really cool shows. Each week, the situation could be completely different. It allowed for a tremendous latitude for writers. This is why starship-based sci-fi shows have so many possibilites from week to week. Farscape is a fun show because of this.
Enough with the cops and robbers shows. Lawyer dramas are so tiresome, too. Don’t even try to make another hospital drama. Ignore popular trends and listen to the young, creative people and their crazy, off-the-wall ideas. Some of those ideas will work wonders.
One last thing. Air more episodes of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000! That show is great! Buy the rights to some of those old Comedy Central episodes! C’mon! That show was brilliant! It’s a piece of television history!
If I think of some more stuff, I’ll post it later…
[ 23-08-2002: Message edited by: Flamegrape ]
Flamegrape has already made any relevant comments I could make about “gratuitousness”. I would like to see more shows like Lexx that aren’t afraid to go in that direction.
What I’d like to see more of on tv are shows that have a good balance of comedy, action and drama (Cowboy Bebop is a perfect example). Shows that aren’t afraid to “go over the top”. And more long running series that have a definite direction. SciFi is always something I like to see more of.
What shows I consider bad:
Anything that panders to the lowest common denominator ie the lobotomized. Any tv show that assumes the viewer doesn’t have a brain (like Survivor or even Black Scorpion) makes me want to send letter bombs to network executives. Did I say that? ::looks innocent::I don’t like much of the new Trek series either. I think my main problem with the shows are they are too timid and concerned about being “cannonical” to do anything truly original. Every once in a while they make superficial changes, but in the end a new alien race with a brand new forehead disease doesn’t diguise the fact that after the initial mystery of their race is solved, they’ll just be interchangable with any other race. Their attempts to create character interest seem to be taken right out of the soap operas with a coat of latex thrown on. They’ve even done an amnesia episode!
Also, I didn’t mind Hercules, because Sam Raimi sometimes shows quite a bit of wit. Xena on the other hand…
I always thought of it like He-Man and She-Ra–a blatant and pathetic attempt to hit different interest groups. This reeks of network executives coming up with the ideas rather than actual creative people.Shows I like:
Lexx: Original, witty and sexy.
Andromeda: This show injects some actual suspense and excitement back into space opera. The characterization is some of the most interesting I’ve seen in a long time.
Farscape: Similar to Lexx, and sometimes even weirder!
The Tick (live action): It’s a shame this show didn’t take off. It showed a lot of promise. I liked the portrayal of superheros as a bunch of malajusted adults with five year old mentalities, trying to compensate by wearing tights.
Dr. Who: My old favorite. I would like to see it continue UN-Americanized.
Cowboy Bebop and Aeon Flux are probably my favorite animated series.
There’s more but I don’t have the time to cover them all.[ 23-08-2002: Message edited by: Road Hunter ]
Too much gratuitous? Depends on your level of tolerance. I think there is at times a level of unnecessarily graphic violence in entertainment. To me it’s a sign of a director who lacks imagination and is dependent on sensationalism. However I don’t think it’s one of scifi’s major problems. Compared to what else we see here in the U.S., I wouldn’t call Lexx violent.
Same goes for sex–nothing wrong with it unless it’s used just to cover up a total lack of imagination on the part of the creators.Instead of listing individual shows which is
just a matter of personal taste in the end, I want to make some general comments about scifi programming (and it applies to non sci fi as well).What I want to see are programs that are original, interesting, and made by people who care about what they are doing. I’d love to see more shows like Lexx, in the sense that it took chances, didn’t rely on formula and was a passion for its creators.
What I don’t want to see are a series of remakes and sickly sequels whose only reason for existence is “name recognition”.(Scifi channel US has announced a “Tremors” series and a “Quantum Leap” remake, “Firestarter” revisited, etc. etc.– totally uninspiring.)
There are so many great books and interesting ideas that can be explored why redo stuff that was hardly earthshaking the first time around?What I’d also like to see here in the US is some attempt by the Scifi channel to build community and “legitimize” (for lack of a better word) the scifi genre. Their website makes a stab at it, their channel doesn’t.
Why not give 30 minutes a week over to
a Scifi magazine? (Maybe you have this in the UK, but we don’t here) Show clips from upcoming films and TV shows, interview scifi authors, cover the major awards and conventions, even space related news (and I don’t mean alien abduction stories). It won’t be your highest rated show but it won’t cost a fortune to produce either. I think it would really pay dividends in the long run to treat the genre with a degree of respect instead of just as a vehicle to sell more advertising (another US Scifi complaint, sorry).elmey
>>Do you think that there is too >>much ‘gratuitous’ in modern shows (not >>just sci fi). Is LEXX for instance tame or >>over the top?
LEXX came close to the top, but it never went over it. We could use a show or two that did indeed go over the top.
>>What sort of TV shows would you like to >>see?
I want to see non-trek. Shows that arnt totally test marketed towards kids. Lets have a few adult shows for cripes sake! We grew up on both good and bad sci-fi aimed at all audiences, so lets have one geared towards the 18-40 crowd.
>>Name the shows you consider bad
Farscape: Too many muppets, bad jokes and not enough FX, recycled cast/crew, im waiting for some cute little kid to be cast next.
Earth Final Conflict: Theres a reason why Gene didnt push hard to get this show made when he was alive, it sucked then, it sucks now.
Space (Above & Beyond): Space Marines fighting aliens that you never saw. Too much human development.
Basically sci-fi shows should ditch the “human” development, or keep it at a minimum. Give us aliens, space fights, mutant turmoil, decent FX, ect. The last thing I want to see is someone breaking up with their boyfriend 50 zillion light years away, or that turmoil of “being human” crap.
Id rather see shows with no humans at all. whos to say were still a species in the future?
>>What are your fav. shows (and why)?
Lexx: Full on bizarre, no show can touch it.
ST(DS9): Great storyline, epic battles towards the end of its reign, original enemies.
Southpark: crass, gross, way over the top bathroom humor, often highly offensive.
elmey’s post just reminded me of something. There was a great Canadian show called Prisoners of Gravity, hosted by Rick Green (of the Frantics). Each show was 30 mins and featured interviews with scifi and fantasy writers as well as comic writers/artists. The show stopped airing new episodes a while ago, but it would be great to see something like that resurrected.
quote:
Originally posted by Road Hunter:
elmey’s post just reminded me of something. There was a great Canadian show called Prisoners of Gravity, hosted by Rick Green (of the Frantics). Each show was 30 mins and featured interviews with scifi and fantasy writers as well as comic writers/artists. The show stopped airing new episodes a while ago, but it would be great to see something like that resurrected.
very cool, i was a big fan of p.o.g. too. Not only could you see interviews with people like neil gaiman, harlan ellison, spider robinson, samuel delaney, douglas adams, orson scott card (i could go on for a while with the impressive guests) who you’d never see anywhere else, but there’s also commander rick’s (what i thought was) impressive and funny writing.
p.s.
Rick Green’s got a new show on history telvision (might be only the canadian version) called history bites which has sketches of what would happen if television was around throughout history. He writes it all and it’s all really funny.Well, at the risk of ranting…
In the US, there has been a lot of consternation (at least when election time rolls around) regarding explicitness in TV, movies, music and video games. Most of this has been directed at violent material, since there’s already a Puritanical bent in US society against sexuality. Seems that people keep insisting that whatever other people see on television, they’re going to run out and imitate. While it’s true that there’s not a lot of entertainment out there that shows the results of violence — the emotional turmoil it causes, the devestating effect it can have on people’s lives, etc. — I think it’s an oversimplification to say that the depiction of explicit violence or explicit sex necessarily propels others to act in similar fashions. There are weak-minded people out there that would take their inspiration to commit heinous acts from *any* source, whether it’s a TV program, a rap album, the Bible, or their neighbor’s dog commanding them to kill. We in the West are, and always have been, pretty crazy folks, and just need any excuse that’s handy to go off the rails and wipe out a McDonalds full of customers, for example. Plus, as Frank Zappa so correctly pointed out during the whole PMRC hearings debacle, There are more love songs than any other kind of song out there. So why don’t we all love each other, if media affects us as pronouncedly as various “moral guardians” would like us to believe?
So, with that in mind, the only thing that should be considered inasmuch as the relative explicitness of any program would be whether or not someone would find it personally distasteful. And that’s not a good enough reason to tone down entertainment. What one person finds distasteful or offensive is perfectly acceptable to another, so it’s pointless to try and second-guess the tastes of anyone. If people don’t like something, or find it too over-the-top for their tastes, they shouldn’t watch it, they shouldn’t read it, and they shouldn’t listen to it. If a significant enough number of people are not watching a program, then it will go under. Simple as that. If programs that are more explicit succeed in the marketplace, this type of programming should be encouraged, but strict attention should be paid to what makes these programs *work*. Is it the explicitness of the content or is it what surrounds the graphic sex and/or violence? The programming on HBO is, for the most part, extremely realistic in its presentation of sexual and violent acts, and doesn’t shy away from showing the full deal. Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Oz and Six Feet Under — just to take the Sunday night line-up — deal with sex and violence in honest, open, and real ways. And they’ve succeeded, in part, by not playing down to their audience. They trust that the audience is intelligent enough to understand the content and its context. Their storylines are morally ambiguous and not “preachy” (as opposed to other entertainments that may offer you some nudity or violence, then make sure that you feel as guilty as possible for looking at it), and let the viewer decide for him or herself how to feel about things.
Now, I’m not saying that everything should be as realistic or meaningful as possible. There’s more than enough room at the table for mindless yocks as well. There’s room for all approaches, whether the aim is high or low, in any genre of television programming, and the *last* thing on anyone’s mind should be whether or not it’s going to offend folks out in the sticks. The question should, instead, be “does it work in context, or are we just showing people screwing for the sheer sake of showing people screwing?” If this is considered, there will always be programming for those who find graphic displays of sex or violence offensive, and programming for those who don’t.
–Aleck
[ 27-08-2002: Message edited by: Aleck ]
It’s called sex comedy, Lexxstone. Something we almost never see on television. And seldom effectively accomplished in movies. That’s why The Rocky Horror Picture Show was such genius. And I loved the last season of Lexx and I want more of it.
Make more shows that don’t fall short of people’s hangups. Go all the way. Alien probe carrots that go up the ass of the host was hilarious. It doesn’t suprise me at all that sex comedy was a turn-off to most geeky sci-fi types. (I won’t explain why because it would be insulting. You guys can figure it out on your own or in another thread.) As I mentioned on another bboard, Lexx would probably do well on MTV. I mean, look at Undressed! In fact, “Bunny” (Pat Z.) is on that show!
If you want to get into a techno-babble nerd-fest about it, I could go into discussion about why the anus would be the most logical orifice of entry for a mind-control alien probe. It’s the simplest and most direct route to the base of the central nervous system. But such a discussion is just plain stupid, right? How could a probe going up the @ss be believable? Well, how realistic is mind-controlling alien probes anyway? Should the subject of mind-possession be always treated in a dignified manner? I’ll tell you this right now. If I ever write a sci-fi story about mind-controlling aliens, they are going straight up the ass, no doubt about it!
Fart jokes, ha ha ha. Can’t get enough of them. Think of the permutations of fart jokes when applied to sci-fi. Rigel’s helium farts is just one example. There are so many possibilities when it comes to ass jokes. From there, it can be a stepping stone to penis, breasts, and vagina jokes. And after that, our puritanical hangups may finally disolve and everyone can feel okay about their own bodies and there will be less misery in the world.
The ancient greeks wrote comedies where characters had gigantic sexual organs. It was hilarious thousands of years ago and it’s hilarious today.
[ 26-08-2002: Message edited by: Flamegrape ]
quote:
Originally posted by Lexxstone:
Sorry but I grew tired of jokes about farts and big tits around the end of middle school.I think most people want a little more. This has been demonstrated by the lack of high ratings by such shows as LEXX and Black Scorpion.
Well, I’m sorry you lost a good portion of your sense of humor in middle-school. But you see, that’s not my problem. You’re making it my problem by attempting to censor this kind of comedy. Make everybody feel guilty about thinking it’s funny, right? Thanks a lot.
And if you think Lexx is so stupid and is the same thing as Black Scorpion, pick a new username, Lexxstone.
quote:
Originally posted by Lexxstone:
I think most people want a little more. This has been demonstrated by the lack of high ratings by such shows as LEXX and Black Scorpion.
Yet you name yourself after the show
Hold on, hold on. I didn’t mean to start anything. I think I made a cheap shot at Lexxstone. I apologize. Sincerely. It’s just that it bugs me that some Lexx fans couldn’t handle the bawdy humor of the fourth season and it got in the way of it’s enjoyment. Besides, this is a subject for another thread in the Lexx forums.
Getting back to the subject of the thread. Yes, I think there should be much more sex comedy on television. The more, the merrier. And especially in science-fiction television.
message edited – please see the topic ‘The state of TV Angst" in the Angst forum
In fact this message wasn’t transfered to the Angst forum it was just plain insulting.
Bonnee! I’m surprised at you?!
[ 27-08-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]
There’s been some very interesting and well-thought out comments on this thread.
Why try to destroy it?elmey
Yes, I noticed he left out of the quote, “Besides, this is a subject for another thread in the Lexx forums.”
Oh well.
It would be good if we redirected our ire towards either the SciFi Angst forum or politely discuss specific shows in their respective forums.
message edited – please see the topic ‘The state of TV Angst" in the Angst forum
[ 27-08-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]
message edited – please see the topic ‘The state of TV Angst" in the Angst forum
[ 27-08-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]
Sorry guys, I’m just gonna have to edit some of these messages, they deflect us too much off topic.
I’ll see if I can transfer some of the heated bits to the Angst forum if I have time.
Well, I didn’t end up reading all the thoughtful responses but still wanted to put my own two cents in anyways so forgive me if I reiterate a previous post.
I don’t want to watch “Sci-Fi American Pie”.
Please.
Lexx is included in this..although it has it’s merits, I am not impressed.
Everything good is in balance, yin/yang, bad/good, male/female, Deep Space 9/Enemy mine. I don’t want something that has a predominant thread with weak interlacing topics, and for @#$$ sakes, kill off characters. EVERY cliff hanger, I want to see someone go.I don’t want to see humans put down for being human. I don’t want to see humans epitomized for being human. Why should we have aliens who always seem to have cooler genetics than we do? Why have aliens who never have the correct solution to a problem?
Give me a series like the movie, “The Princess Bride” ….“Fencing. Fighting. True love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A few giants. Lots of bad men. Lots of good men. Five or six beautiful women. Beasties Monstrous amd gentle. Some swell escapes and captures. Death, lies, truth, miracles, and a little sex.”
I realize I am supposed to list shows I hate and love, but after the first season or premise they all seem to fall apart…except for that damn “Friends”.
Respectfully (especially to those many I admire whom enjoy Lexx),
Holly
Probably get flamed for saying this but as Sci-Fi irritatingly pushed this show in everyone’s faces I am glad to see the back of it and it’s stupid looking muppets.
Never was a fan, but it was the way Sci-fi just pushed everything else aside and it’s constant advertising for it just really got up my nose.
So sorry, but good riddance.
Squishy 
Even if you don’t like the show, the fact that it’s been cancelled is a very bad sign…
Look at the annoucement from SciFi Channel (this comes from their web site):The SCI FI Channel confirmed that it will not pick up its original series Farscape for a fifth season.
“There are no bigger fans of Farscape than we here at SCI FI Channel,” the network said in a statement. “It was one of SCI FI’s first original series and quickly became a critical and fan favorite. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to reach a broader audience, Farscape has been unable to grow beyond its core fan base. That, coupled with the extreme and growing cost of production, has led to the difficult decision to end the series at the conclusion of season four.”
I won’t even comment on their “best” efforts, and the rest of the BS in that paragraph. But this show was consistently in SciFi’s top 10 and now that’s suddenly not good enough to keep a show on the air. Do you really think we’ll see something better in its place? Do you think we’ll see something original? risky? more scifi?
Think any studio is going to take a chance on making shows like that?
I don’t think so.elmey
TV GUIDE weighs in:
September 09, 2002
Moya no more? I couldn’t be more disappointed to hear that Sci Fi has opted not to support a fifth season of its signature series, Farscape. Since its unexpected and unheralded arrival in March 1999, this lavishly produced (for basic cable) space adventure quickly established itself as the most irreverent, unpredictable, sexy, intelligent and exciting sci fi show on TV. By comparison, Enterprise is a lumbering dinosaur. Ben Browder and Claudia Black have incredible chemistry, and are surrounded by some of the most vivid and compelling fantasy creatures ever created. Farscape is a joy to watch, and I’ve always been puzzled about why its rabidly loyal audience hasn’t swelled in numbers each season. The show requires attention to be paid — maybe it’s too much TV for some people — but the rewards are great. (Meanwhile, an inert movie like the latest blah Star Wars epic rakes in the bucks for no discernible reason I can think of, except for genre fans’ lemming-like devotion.) For Sci Fi to cite economic reasons for denying fans a final year of Farscape would seem to be at odds with the network’s mission as an entertainment brand. This decision is likely to be compared years from now to NBC’s short-sighted cancellation of the original Star Trek after a mere three seasons.
Squishy, it’s cool by me that you never liked Farscape. Don’t think me or anyone else will flame you for it. I’m a much bigger fan of Lexx. But I also really enjoy Farscape. For me, it was to be my treatment for Lexx-withdrawl.
But elmey brought up a point. This is a very bad sign. This cannot be emphasized enough. This is really bad.
I’m not asking you to like the show at all, Squishy, my friend. In fact, keep on hating those damn muppets; that’s cool. But step back for a second and think about what’s going on here. They promoted Farscape to sickening extremes. They managed to generated a huge and devoted, fanatical following. And I would tend to agree with most people that Lexx would have fared better if it received a tenth of the advertising that Farscape received. Then, out of the blue, KABOOM! the SciFi Channel drops a huge bombshell on these fans. This literally came out of nowhere. Like the guy from TV GUIDE said, this will be compared to the “short-sited” cancellation of the original Star Trek. The SciFi Channel mercilessly shot every single last Farscape fan through the heart. At least we Lexx fans knew what was coming.
Nevermind that Farscape had fake-looking puppets and main characters that argued at each other all the time. The point is that the SciFi Channel truely does not give one flying sh!t about any science-fiction fan.
I wonder if Dan Edwards, the guy from the SciFi Channel who asked Tony to start this thread, will actually read this thread. Or I wonder if he ever did. Well, I have something to say to him now. I am not going to watch the SciFi Channel at all anymore. I will time-set my VCR to record MST3K every Saturday at 9 a.m. and that’s it. When Farscape returns in January, I will turn on the SciFi Channel at 10 p.m., channel-surf during commercials, and then turn it off at 10:59 p.m. And then after season four completes, I’m going to block the SciFi Channel off using “parental control” features on my television. I have had it with this channel that is a hideous affront to science-fiction fandom.
[ 10-09-2002: Message edited by: Flamegrape ]
I don’t believe anyone should panic, there will be plenty more Sci-Fi too come, things have never changed in that respect, the only thing that is bad here is that Sci-Fi may not invest in it’s own Sci-fi show, but you can bet on other studios coming up with something.
Truth is, is that aside from Trek there has never been much Sci-Fi, mostly because the genre usually only get’s core fans dedicated to sci-fi.
I recall when ST:TNG was about, there was hardly if any competition to it, so for me the situation hasn’t changed.
I believe Sci-fi managed Farscape badly, it almost came across as arrogant, kinda like saying ‘Hey everyone come and watch the best thing ever to hit your TV screens’, that was one of the contributing factors for me too dislike it, despite Sci-fi’s boasting through it’s advertising the programme itself was never as good as that amount of advertising warranted.
Like said in elmey’s post, the programme nver got beyond it’s core audience and I think that says it all.
I guess to me Farscape was the total opposite of Lexx, Lexx just seemed to say ‘I don’t give a f**k whether you like me or not, I’m gonna do it my way even if you cancel me’, Farscape seemed more desperate to survive, the muppets appeared to be in there for the younger generation and it also seemed to take it’s image too seriously.
I really am not surprised at it’s cancellation for too many reasons to go into, but Sci-fi invested in a flawed project and paid the price.
If you look back on the previous 10-15 years there has only been two programmes that have reached superstardom in the Sci-Fi world…The X-Files and ST:TNG, everything else has either been substandard or mediocre in terms of it’s fanbase.
There is also the case where Sci-fi alienated a lot of viewers who were fed up with Farscape taking over the airspace of their particular favourite programmes, and this wasn’t limited to just Lexx.
But I hope Sci-Fi learn from this and don’t repeat the same mistakes, and perhaps they will produce something that will appeal to all…as hard as that might be to do.
Squishy
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