Farscape rumors poping up again

[Aaron L]

I'm pretty sure uit was just canceled. Out from under everyone as I understand it. I remember the cast having a farewell party at Vincent Ventresca's apartment the night the final episode aired and talking to the main fan forum members over the phone. It was a very fan friendly show and the cast was unbelievably cool. The reason they added the I-Man animation at the end of the intro during the second season is because thats what it was called by the fans on the internet.

 

[jdavis]

Well, the channel exists to make a profit, after all. If you want altruistic and artistic programming, go to premium cable, or to PBS. You won't get it on commercial channels.

Yes but accountants give you shows where a guy stands on a stage and pretends to talk to dead people. You got to have a balance or nobody will be watching in the end. Just because Tremors the series cost less than Farscape didn't make it a good replacement. Lots of channels are able to offer quality programming and still make money that's not the point I was making, it really helps if you actually like Science Fiction if you are going to run a channel called The Sci Fi network. Lets face it There is so much more that goes into making a sucessful tv show than "how cheap we can get it".

My only point was that it seems that the decison to drop Farscape and push Stargate had a lot of finacial reasons involved in it. Scare Tactics didn't get all that good of ratings but it got renewed because it it cheap to make, you have to get a good ratings to cost ratio, Farscape had decent ratings but just cost a lot to make. It's not that they cancelled Farscape, it's how they went about doing it that bugged me, that's why I'm happy about the miniseries, I really want some closure for this series instead of it ending with the two main cast members turned into little cubes on a boat.

 

[RangerWickett]

I like this thread, and keep checking up on it. I just love that you have "to Pope" as a verb in the thread title.

 

[John Crichton]

heh heh he heh

He said, "pope."

he heh heh

 

[Umbran]

Yes but accountants give you shows where a guy stands on a stage and pretends to talk to dead people.

As you mention later, ratings to cost ratio is key. A good accountant can see that. A bad accountant cannot.

... you need to actually like Science Fiction if you are going to run a channel called The Sci Fi network.

I disagree. Liking the genre is not required. It is sufficient that you know what the fans of the genre like. Those who run the channel need to be knowledgeable, but need not be fans themselves. Being a fan makes it more likely that one will have that knowledge, but it isn't strictly necessary.

 

[jdavis]

As you mention later, ratings to cost ratio is key. A good accountant can see that. A bad accountant cannot.

It doesn't take a very good accountant to see these things. It's why reality shows rule the airwaves right now, it doesn't take much accounting skill to see that these types of shows are so cheap they can make money regardless, but are they good?

I disagree. Liking the genre is not required. It is sufficient that you know what the fans of the genre like. Those who run the channel need to be knowledgeable, but need not be fans themselves. Being a fan makes it more likely that one will have that knowledge, but it isn't strictly necessary.

Ok so I'll go back and change the word 'need' to 'it really helps if'. Never meant to imply there was a law against working at a job you didn't like or anything, I just meant.... well it really doesn't matter, sorry to take the thread off topic.

 

[nharwell]

I disagree. Liking the genre is not required. It is sufficient that you know what the fans of the genre like. Those who run the channel need to be knowledgeable, but need not be fans themselves. Being a fan makes it more likely that one will have that knowledge, but it isn't strictly necessary.

I submit that, with the exception of some of their films, they DON'T know "what the fans of the genre like." That's why Sci-Fi Channel's ratings remain mediocre and the management is unhappy with their demographics.

 

[Umbran]

I submit that, with the exception of some of their films, they DON'T know "what the fans of the genre like." That's why Sci-Fi Channel's ratings remain mediocre and the management is unhappy with their demographics.

Actually, for a channel of it's type, SciFi's ratings aren't bad at all. Not stellar, but very few (if any) cable channels like it have stellar ratings.

Sci Fi knows what the fans like about as well as any other TV channel knows what the viewers like. If they didn't, they wouldn't have mediocre ratings, they'd have abysmal ratings. Creation of shows is an art, not a science, so every channel will get shows that run for 1 to 6 episodes and then get cancelled.

The problem here is a simple one. Some genre fans like to think that the channel should be full of intelligent stuff. But, lo and behold, there's lots of people who'd prefer stupid stuff, so that Crossing Over and it's ilk actually last a while.

 

[jdavis]

Actually, for a channel of it's type, SciFi's ratings aren't bad at all. Not stellar, but very few (if any) cable channels like it have stellar ratings.

Sci Fi knows what the fans like about as well as any other TV channel knows what the viewers like. If they didn't, they wouldn't have mediocre ratings, they'd have abysmal ratings. Creation of shows is an art, not a science, so every channel will get shows that run for 1 to 6 episodes and then get cancelled.

The problem here is a simple one. Some genre fans like to think that the channel should be full of intelligent stuff. But, lo and behold, there's lots of people who'd prefer stupid stuff, so that Crossing Over and it's ilk actually last a while.

Actually I don't mind stupid shows (I got a Aquateen as a avatar) it's just I would like to see more entertaining shows, they don't have to be deep or meaningful or powerful or special effects laden but interesting does help, Tremors the series was downright unwatchable, Scare Tactics is not my cup of tea and.... well what else do they have? I'll give Galactica a shot next week with fingers crossed and new Stargates are starting up again soon, but other than that what do they have to offer?

Now if you want a example of a network who has really been on a role lately it's Cartoon Network, ratings are through the roof for adult swim and haven't leveled off yet, Dragonball GT did huge numbers for them in the last two weeks and well I could go on and on. If you watch the adult swim cards between shows or if you see any specials on them (VH 1 had one a while back) you can tell those guys really enjoy their jobsand are working hard to get shows they like on the air. Their enthusiasm for the product really shows through. Others, well Comedy Central has been doing pretty good lately, Discovery channel has been doing real good....... For Sci FI Stargate is doing good numbers but after that what else do they have?

Anyway back on the topic has anybody haerd anymore on where the Farscape miniseries will be shown? I haven't heard anything else about it in a week or so, has Sci Fi said anything at all about it?

 

[John Crichton]

Anyway back on the topic has anybody haerd anymore on where the Farscape miniseries will be shown? I haven't heard anything else about it in a week or so, has Sci Fi said anything at all about it?

There is a Con this weekend where an announcement may be made.