Wrestling coming to the Sci-Fi channel?

[trancejeremy]

Well, I think it's mainly cause Vince probably doesn't want to pony all the money up himself. After the disastrous football league he tried out a couple of years ago, most investors are probably hesitant to back anything of that magnitude again so quickly.

That's another thing I don't understand. How did the XFL exactly lose money? I know it's supposed to have, but I can't figure out how.

The TV ratings weren't great, but they were still much better than the NHL. They didn't spend much on salaries. In most arena's they sold out (albeit I think tickets were $10). It wasn't very good football, but it wasn't that bad and compared to things like Arena football and World League it, it seemed to be more successful. I mean, have you ever watched a World League game? There's no one there.

 

[Ranger REG]

Do we really need to discuss XFL on the SCI-FI channel thread?

 

[Aesthetic Monk]

That's another thing I don't understand. How did the XFL exactly lose money?

Because everything made by or related to Hollywood loses money, at least for accounting purposes.

I'd decry the wrestling, but, really, SciFi has very little I watch apart from BSG and Doctor Who. I'm sure there have been *some* good things on that I haven't seen, but there hasn't been for me a Dune/Children of Dune-like appointment-TV kind of thing, and nights where they repeat blocks of shows I don't watch don't lure me in, either. Seems like a few years ago they had a better idea of what they wanted to do with SciFi than they do now. Or it may just be me.

 

[Ranger REG]

Seems like a few years ago they had a better idea of what they wanted to do with SciFi than they do now. Or it may just be me.

It was probably a good idea in the beginning as a niche programming network, until they started losing money and TV ratings, simply because there were other cable channels in the competition.

It's the reason why UPN and TheWB will no longer exist this Fall. They usually place dead last in the on-air network competition.

 

[Aesthetic Monk]

It was probably a good idea in the beginning as a niche programming network, until they started losing money and TV ratings, simply because there were other cable channels in the competition.

I guess I was thinking less of, say, 1992, when the network launched to the time described in this old CNN.com piece from 2001. It all comes back to money and ratings, of course, but it seems like SciFi was doing a few interesting things then. Now I just watch the two shows that I schedule to see and leave the Mansquitos be.

It's the reason why UPN and TheWB will no longer exist this Fall. They usually place dead last in the on-air network competition.

I always thought it was a little quixotic for either to try to launch an over-the-air network at this day and age. UPN seemed to think that Star Trek might carry it, but, if so, they were clearly wrong. (My market never had a UPN channel, which probably tells you something there.) The WB was a bit better at the game, I suppose, and aren't they both "coming back" in a merged form?

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Do we really need to discuss XFL on the SCI-FI channel thread?

Well it does have an X in the name which seems to be all the Sci-Fi Channel requires for it programing.

Now I just watch the two shows that I schedule to see and leave the Mansquitos be.

While Mansquito was a horendous movie it seems to have become famous in its own way, as as the most refered to made for Sci-Fi channel bad movie.

 

[Taelorn76]

(Anyone remember the one with all those weirdos like the voodoo priestess, the nudist, the vampire etc?)

Yeah I actually found that show very amusing.

 

[Darthjaye]

Do we really need to discuss XFL on the SCI-FI channel thread?

Not to nitpick too much, but the topic is after all 'wrestling' on Sci-Fi. How far off is it to mention other failed endevours from the same company?

 

[Villano]

Sci-fi missed the boat a few years ago when they had an opportunity to get a lock on all of the rebroadcasts of all of the Star Trek shows and didn't bid high enough. That would have fully entrenched them in the Sci-Fi area. Now they're having to scrape to fill air time.

I don't know about that. G4 picked up Next Gen and the original series and their ratings dropped into the toilet.

 

[Darthjaye]

I don't know about that. G4 picked up Next Gen and the original series and their ratings dropped into the toilet.

Yeah, but as a fan who used to watch it until they made that move I can honestly say I don't think t was TRek as much as it was them gong away from what made them worthwhile for us viewers. Spike TV already had two of the trek series so it was not worth watching G4 TV just for this. They really need to repair their fan base by putting all their shows back on that they shifted off for this non sense. G4 is proof of why Sci-Fi should be careful what they do in the next few months when it comes to programming.