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Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?

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StavitaPig[17]
07/08/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Perfect solution:

FYREFLY

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Grey_Area
07/08/09

@StavitaPig[17]: Y not?
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Mav
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Well. The Henson Company has been going on about an announcement they're going to make at ComiCon during the Farscape panel. And Rocke is there.

I am not thinking it will be more Farscape on the channel but come on. Webisodes? Something? Set int he same universe? Anything? Bueller?
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bluehinter
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
If they want to do something that's "Firefly-like, but not Firefly" I wouldn't object to a remake of Earth 2, provided Tim Curry wasn't allowed within 500 ft. of the set.

If they keep the core premise of "An overpopulated Earth launches a colonization mission to another planet, but the ship is sabotaged and only a few survive. The planet turns out to be inhabited by various indigenous lifeforms, and had previously been a dumping ground for hardened criminals and other undesirables." and then scrap 90% of everything else, then you've got a pretty open-ended show that can be shot entirely in Vancouver, with lots of opportunity for drawn out Lost-eque "OMG, What's in the hatch!!!" style drama.
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Erich Krueger
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Another vote for Firefly. Start w/ a TV movie, if most of the cast is busy. It's Whedon, he'll FIND a way to bring Wash back. (I miss Wash!)

Barring that; Blake's 7!
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bluehinter
07/07/09

@Erich Krueger: I'd watch it, even with a crappy American cast, on the sole condition that they dust off Paul Darrow, and have him come back as a (more) bitter half-crazy Avon, who's been locked away 'Man In the Iron Mask' style in a top secret Federation prison for the last 30 years.

I'd be tempted to ask for Jacqueline Pierce back too, but apparently she's moved to South Africa to raise monkeys. And no, I'm not making that up.
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braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
They should just call me. I can get this sucker taken care of.
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Dr Emilio Lizardo
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
He glossed right over what's wrong with the entertainment industry in general. You can't put hard SF on SyFy? Why the hell not? Where do you put it? Lifetime? FOX? I thought the whole idea behind 900 cable channels was that you could have niche programming and sustain it without blockbuster ratings.

What's confused and disguted at the same time? Confusted?
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
07/07/09

@Dr Emilio Lizardo: I'm confusted as well.

That was some of the finest non-think doublespeak ever from him.
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KinoEscalate
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
They need to kiss George Lucas's ass very badly so they can air his live action Star Wars series which is ramping up pre-production.
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DeltaGuy
07/07/09

@KinoEscalate: Wasn't there a rumour at some point that this is going to HBO? Pay cable is really the only venue I can see that would realistically pick up 100 episodes of an unproven TV show.
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jmortj5
07/07/09

@DeltaGuy: Granted, Star Wars, the TV show, is unproven, but do you honestly think that all the SW geeks/nerds (myself included) would really NOT watch it. It would be very lucritive (sp) for ANY network to pick it up.
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DeltaGuy
07/07/09

@jmortj5: It may be lucrative, depending on how intense the bidding war is for the series, and if the networks are able to avoid overpaying for its rights. Considering the current financial situation of broadcast television, I really doubt that any of the networks (NBC, CBC, ABC, FOX, or The CW) are really going to be able to guarantee all 100 episodes will be aired, or be willing to pay such a premium for an unproven product. I personally believe that TimeWarner will purchase the rights, and air the series in first-run on HBO, and then in a second, basic cable on TNT.
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wandering_nomad
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Take Virtuality, Fox obviously doesn't want to do anything more with it.
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DeltaGuy
07/07/09

@wandering_nomad: They don't need to take it, NBC-Uni already owns it. They just need to release the pilot on DVD, reair it again on SyFy as a "premiere", and instant Space Opera!

If they do not go with Virtuality, however, I do believe that they should focus on launching a new series. As enjoyable as Firefly and Farscape both were, each series carries too much baggage to be relaunched. With a good creative team, SyFy can create something just as good. Fans and viewers simply need to give them this opportunity, and move on past these cancelled gems.
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Theoban
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Deadwood...IN SPACE!

Kings...IN SPACE!

Ian McShane delivers monologues...IN SPACE!

Give me a job already, Skiffie
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
07/07/09

@Theoban: It's like Craig Ferguson's skits of "Michael Caine in Space", but it's an hour of Ian McShane intoning stuff. Okay, maybe half-hour.

I'd watch it.
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bitsytimelord
07/07/09

In reply to Syfy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG And Farscape
Someone ought to approach Peter David about creating a Space Opera. I like what he did on Babylon 5 and his Trek stuff is consistent. Plus he's incredibly prolific so there would be no shortage on scripts and ideas. Listen to my giant brain, SyFy. It knows all.
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matraggs
07/07/09

@bitsytimelord: Blech. I'd rather see a Larry David space opera than a Peter David one.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
07/07/09

@matraggs: Curb Your Space Enthusiasm!

Seinfeld In Space -- "what is the DEAL with the food in the plastic bags?"
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twophrasebark
03/24/09

In reply to What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?
The thing that I think disturbs us most was, people, as we expected, saying 'Well this is just another opportunity to put more ECW on the air.' Or, 'This is another opportunity to do even more reality.' That isn't true and recent announcements [prove otherwise]. We've picked up Caprica, it'll launch in the new year. We've picked up Stargate Universe, the next exciting chapter of the longest running space opera in TV history. This isn't about retrenching, this is about absolutely embracing the totality of not just our core audience but actually, a new audience in the future."

Quite frankly, your comments have the same ring as speeches we've all heard as employees when a company embarks on an unpopular and universally disapproved change. A corporate manager comes and makes a speech. The executive says "We're not really doing what it seems like we're obviously doing." We all know that it's a bunch of baloney and we also he's just doing his job.

Putting on more ECW or reality programming? That's exactly what you're going to do. You're disturbed? Of course, you're disturbed - it's your job to peddle this stuff and people have called you out on it before you even introduced the logo. Nobody likes to be called out.

Let's face it. If you had any other plan, you wouldn't saying "...this is about absolutely embracing the totality of not just our core audience but actually, a new audience in the future."

What did you just say? Absolutely nothing.

But you can't come out and say "We are making this channel less about science fiction."
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Plague
03/24/09

In reply to What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?
The fact that this conference call even took place to explain this change means it has already failed by any measuring stick and it is all damage control now.
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TheKeyMaster
03/24/09

In reply to What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?
Everyone needs to relax and stop bashing the name for the sake of bashing the name and leaving a 'funny' comment.

We haven't even seen anything about how the channel will look, sound or feel. I think everyone should wait to pass judgement on Syfy until we actually see it in action.

You guys aren't going to watch Caprica and SGU?
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braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.
03/24/09

@TheKeyMaster: No, but I'm totally into Ghost Hunters International.
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bonniegrrl
03/24/09

@TheKeyMaster: "Everyone needs to relax and stop bashing the name for the sake of bashing the name and leaving a 'funny' comment."

Welcome to io9.
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braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.
03/24/09

In reply to What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?
You know what? I don't even know why I'm fucking complaining. I haven't watched the damn channel in ten years.
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hanspecans
03/24/09

In reply to What Would Isaac Asimov Say About Syfy's Name Change?
This new name is completely rydyculous.

Remember when comedy central used to be called "Ha!".

Ok i just dated my self with that post.
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Plague
03/24/09

@hanspecans:

Yep. That's when I first started watching MST3K.
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Purple Dave
03/24/09

@hanspecans:
Yeah, but that was all about merging Ha! and The Comedy Channel, and they didn't come up with a goofy spelling of their old name. This is the latter, done for some nebulous point.

But hey, maybe some good will come out of this, and people will start referring to cheap crap as "syfy", while reserving "scifi" for the good stuff. That way, when you go into the DVD store, you can eliminate fully half of what's there based on which section it got filed in.
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