SciFi channel HD??

Stupid Dish and their stupid not giving us information...stupid...stupid heads...someone call them and tell them they are stupid!
:OP
 
It sounds to me like you know what you are talking about... and yet you are trying to rationalize and justify what you like (i.e. normal primate behavior).

Before I watched Heroes, I thought "Heroes=Spiderman". However, in reality, Bionic Woman is exactly what I thought Heroes was going to be, i.e. Network-executive-driven content. Heroes deals with genetic evolution, which seems to be a pretty science-driven area. Where they go with it remains to be seen. "Andromeda" started out very science-based and went quickly into the fantasy-adventure genre, so such a change would be not be unusual.

Conversely, Battlestar Galactica seems to be using the convenience of a time and place far away for a) social commentary and b) soap opera - in other words, no different from Star Wars.

For example, the "half white and half black" episode of Original Star Trek was not really Science Fiction - it just used the convenient different world of the "future" to make a social comment.

Just my opinion... and by the way, none of this is meant to comment about the quality of any of these shows, just the "genre".

PS Anyone out there who has seen all of "24" and all of "Battlestar Galactica" ??



A lot of science fiction builds on science and manages to tell an effective story---sometimes with social commentary. Why is taht not science fiction?
 
A lot of science fiction builds on science and manages to tell an effective story---sometimes with social commentary. Why is taht not science fiction?

Good science fiction always is about how people are in the here and now. The science fiction setting is just a tool to explore the nature of humanity.
 
Good science fiction always is about how people are in the here and now. The science fiction setting is just a tool to explore the nature of humanity.

That's what I'm talking about...

And it's amazing some folks just don't get it. They truly confuse fantasy adventure w/ science fiction--which is understandable, I guess, because so many network and studio execs and producers seem to as well.

In all truth--Battlestar Galactica is, really, very light on the science fiction and more of a war drama set in space. Only the golem/Frankenstein/cyber-storyline is science fiction...the religious/visionquest subplot is more metaphysical drama and the rest (about 80% of the show) is good old social commentary, i.e. punchy combat drama.

If you read any good science fiction, you'll find it to be more like BG. A lot of adult drama and relationships and only a sprinkling of technology and high concept mis-en-scene to ground it in the genre. The core of the good solid sci-fi stuff is always character development, inner turmoil/soulsearching and timeless human conflicts (Philip K. Dick, Aldous Huxley, William Gibson, Frederick Pohl's "Gateway" series, etc.). It's the fantasy/adventure stuff that's made of gadgets and action sequences ad naseum.

That doesn't mean the latter isn't entertaining...it's just not entertaining in the same way. All things have their place.

That's why I'm saying I hope that with this HD upgrade, SciFi execs upgrade the content, too. The rest of the filler should be pushed back over to the SpikeTVs of the cable world.
 
Ok I will add something that maybe will change the topic a little.

Lots of talk about the idea of NBC Universal changing its HD channel to Sci-Fi HD. Its a nice idea anyways. But it also looks like NBC Universal just bought Oprah's Oxygen network for $925 million dollars. Maybe they will be changing Universal-HD to Oxygen-HD instead.

Could happen.
 
Let me guess...12 years old?


Let me guess...you must like to insult people for no reason? I have read some of your other posts on this thread and to say that you are condescending and belittling is an understatement. Please keep your unsolicited insulting posts to yourself or better yet post them in the appropriate forum. I understand that there is a place for flame wars. Please go flame there.
 
That's why I'm saying I hope that with this HD upgrade, SciFi execs upgrade the content, too. The rest of the filler should be pushed back over to the SpikeTVs of the cable world.

I don't think that is likely. SciFi does as well as most non-network channels at producing original material. How many great shows are there on FX or Bravo or USA? SciFi has a limited viewership, and we can only watch so much TV/week. It is more profitable for them to concentrate that population around a few good shows than have 10 that we have to pick and choose from. The networks can produce made high-quality shows because they can aim them at many different niches. They can attract one audience with Lost, and then grab another with Desperate Housewives and yet another with 20/20.
 
Ok I will add something that maybe will change the topic a little.

Lots of talk about the idea of NBC Universal changing its HD channel to Sci-Fi HD. Its a nice idea anyways. But it also looks like NBC Universal just bought Oprah's Oxygen network for $925 million dollars. Maybe they will be changing Universal-HD to Oxygen-HD instead.

Could happen.

Why?

There's already a SCI-FI HD.
 
I'm so fed up with the popup ads and now the constant "Ghost Hunters tomorrow" in the corner that I will probably try not to watch SciFi even when it IS in HD.
 
I don't think that is likely. SciFi does as well as most non-network channels at producing original material. How many great shows are there on FX or Bravo or USA? SciFi has a limited viewership, and we can only watch so much TV/week. It is more profitable for them to concentrate that population around a few good shows than have 10 that we have to pick and choose from. The networks can produce made high-quality shows because they can aim them at many different niches. They can attract one audience with Lost, and then grab another with Desperate Housewives and yet another with 20/20.

I hear what you're saying, it's just that if a channel purports to be focussed on a specific content segment, it'd be nice if they were true to that.

I wouldn't tune into NFL HD and expect a game show or cooking program, and likewise, I wouldn't expect a sitcom on Food Network HD...even if it was cost effective 'filler' that would supposedly attract addt'l audience targets. There is SO much true SciFi content out there, and there is SO much potential for more and of good quality, there's really no valid excuse for straying off into things like pro wrestling and the like. People who tune in to SciFi do so because of its focus and that's where they should focus program development and they energy/money, imho. Do they think so little of their audience that they think they can shove anything into their timeslots? That lack of respect for MY time and viewership is what's driving me elsewhere...and I know I'm not alone.

They have an opportunity here. They can take advantage of all the underexposed quality SciFi content out there, which is by its nature great eye candy and would be best suited for an HD exhibition...and REALLY win a bigger dedicated audience.

Or they can water down their channel with crap and die a slow death...in HD.
 
Guys, it's just a name...you know, for promotional purpose. Sci-Fi is under no obligation what so ever to stay within the bounds of what you guys have decided to define it as. Now I like the channel, I watch many of the shows, I guess I am a Sci-Fi guy, but to tell everyone what constitutes Science Fiction and what doesn't ....Please.
 

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