I've never been particularly… fond of the Sci Fi Channel. Partly it's due to the name. I've spent enough time reading science fiction, and reading about science fiction, to know the difference between Sci-Fi (a generic term used mainly by those unfamiliar with science fiction, or those relatively new to the genre) and SF (as it's generally referred to within the science fiction community). By calling itself the Sci Fi Channel, they put themselves on that broad, lowest-common-denominator shelf that network TV always seems to aspire to (yes, even cable networks). Maybe they thought too many people would see the SF Channel and think it was a channel about San Francisco. Whatever. What I saw was a deliberate decision to cater to the broadest demographic they could reach… which didn't bode well for the type of programming we could expect from them, right? (Obviously, that's what television networks do… they have to reach as many eyeballs as they can so they can pay for their shows. Maybe that's why so much TV SF blows.)
Turns out, of course, it hasn't been all bad. They are the network that brought us the new Battlestar Galactica. Farscape (and then cancelled it, the bastards). Countless iterations of the Stargate franchise (not bad for TV SF). And a few other enjoyable shows over the years (I'm enjoying Eureka lately, and giving Warehouse 13 a shot as well).
But then there's their Saturday Night original movies (see the whole dismal list here). Every week they trot out yet another schlocky b-movie travesty ("Anonymous Rex"! "Chupacabra: Dark Seas"! "Ghouls" and "Harpies"! (how's that for a two-fer?) Each one a low-budget exercise in proving that Hollywood science fiction will never outgrow its low-rent 1950's origins.
Now comes the new version of the Sci Fi channel… "SyFy" (tagline: Imagine Greater). And I thought "Sci Fi Channel" was bad. Apparently they've now decided that "Sci Fi" is simply too hard core (or maybe that's old school) so they had to find a new and improved, trendier looking name for their schlock-peddling network.
First time I saw the name, I read it as "siffy". A month into their new season, and I don't care how many times I see the logo and hear them call themselves "SyFy"… it's still the Siffy channel to me.
Turns out, of course, it hasn't been all bad. They are the network that brought us the new Battlestar Galactica. Farscape (and then cancelled it, the bastards). Countless iterations of the Stargate franchise (not bad for TV SF). And a few other enjoyable shows over the years (I'm enjoying Eureka lately, and giving Warehouse 13 a shot as well).
But then there's their Saturday Night original movies (see the whole dismal list here). Every week they trot out yet another schlocky b-movie travesty ("Anonymous Rex"! "Chupacabra: Dark Seas"! "Ghouls" and "Harpies"! (how's that for a two-fer?) Each one a low-budget exercise in proving that Hollywood science fiction will never outgrow its low-rent 1950's origins.
Now comes the new version of the Sci Fi channel… "SyFy" (tagline: Imagine Greater). And I thought "Sci Fi Channel" was bad. Apparently they've now decided that "Sci Fi" is simply too hard core (or maybe that's old school) so they had to find a new and improved, trendier looking name for their schlock-peddling network.
First time I saw the name, I read it as "siffy". A month into their new season, and I don't care how many times I see the logo and hear them call themselves "SyFy"… it's still the Siffy channel to me.
Comments