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Posts tagged as “Behind the Scenes”

That's just plain dumb

The title refers to what Isaac Asimov would have said about the Sci Fi/Syfy name change, at least according to Mitch Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel soon to be named the same as a venereal disease.

Rubenstein says:

What would Isaac have said if the name was instead SyFy Channel. He would have said (we believe): That’s just plain dumb.


The Syfy executives here seen posing for the fans

The outrage continues following the announcement last week of a massive rebranding of the cable SF network.

So who exactly is for this name change?
Beats me.

Continuing on Syfy infos, the network is setting up three minis, all of them adaptations, and two of them backdoor pilots.

The first one is Riverworld, based on the fantasy book series by Philip José Farmer, about a world occupied by everyone who has every lived on Earth.
It should be noted that the characters (and/or historical figures) will be played by actors in their 20s.

The second one, however, is based a comic-book character created by Lee Falke.
I am of course talking about The Phantom.
For those who know what the hell is going on with the character, the story should focus on the 23rd Phantom.


Not an actual poster for the Syfy mini

What is even more interesting is who is behind the script: Carnivàle‘s own Daniel Knauf.
I can’t wait to see it.

But we’re gonna have to wait.

Both four-hour minis (or rather TV-movies) use basically the same format as previously used for Battlestar Galactica. So, if succcessful enough, prepare to see two new shows in a couple of years or so.
The two minis are scheduled to premiere sometime next year.
Me thinks Caprica will be part of this little scheduling game.

Syfy has also ordered Alice, a new take on the Alice in Wonderland classic. This retooling should be in the same vein as Tin Man was for The Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is currently planned for a winter broadcast.

Despite the shitty brand management, at least we can look forward to a few things.

Even Luck

Is it just me or is nothing major happening in el biz?
I mean, besides all the layoffs.

Since I don’t have much to talk about, I’ve decided I’ll blog about a never-ending supply of epicness and failures all-in-one: me!

Wow, I just saw my stats drop by 80% just then.

Anyway, I had these few weeks what some might call bad luck, others good luck.
I call it even.

On the one hand, I had very bad things happening to me, like loosing all my computer data (still no news on when, or even if, I’ll get it back, and for how much).

But on the other, some great stuff is going on.
Next week for instance I’ve arranged an interview (by phone) with Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (mainly for Lostpedia).

I’m also getting my V.I.P. Pass later this month for both the Lost and Battlestar Galactica events over at Paris’ Jules Vernes Festival, with respectively, again Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse for Lost, and James Callis, Mary McDonell, and Jamie Bamber, for the BSG panel.

It’s also a strong possibility that I’m going to Cannes for the Film Festival and the Short Film Corner in May (although the price for an appartment over there during that time is a jaw-dropper, so it’s not yet locked).

Obviously I’ll try to report on all of those events in due time.

In the meantime, I’ll let you go back to your life (I can’t believe you read that post entirely!).

Syfy is a serious condition, please consult your doctor immediately.

By now, you most likely have heard about the Sci Fi channel name rebranding.

I like how there’s a massive backlash going on around regarding the change, and for good reasons.

Says Tim Brooks:

We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi. […] But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.

Seriously?

Let me get this straight.
You want to change everything from your logo to your slogan, and from the brand to your core audience (you know, the one that made you what you are now). And do all that for absolutely no reason at all (given the channel’s top-10 network status)?

Distancing yourself from the SF pseudo-“geeks” just by changing the name and the logo is not going to get you very far, and it’s downright disrespectful.

Tim Brooks adds:

The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular.

I think you lost me there somewhere.

You can’t both loose your core audience (by literally insulting them) and at the exact same time try to make them stay to watch the very thing you lost them on.

That’s like saying you make quality science-fiction products and then you put Battlestar Galactica next to something called Spring Break Shark Attack.
Oh, wait.

Jason Ramboz said it best:

You continue to perpetuate the very stereotypes from which you wish to distance yourselves. Instead of acknowledging what the literary and academic worlds have known for at least two decades, that SF is more than just “space, aliens[,] and the future,” you’d rather continue to sucker audiences in with lowest-common-denominator drivel and derivatives of ideas that intelligent audiences were calling inane ten years ago.

Exactly.

Many will tune out after the Battlestar Galactica finale.
I personally will continue to watch some of the “Syfy” original series (most likely not on the actual network though).
The channel has some great new shows coming up.
Namely Warehouse 13.

As for the other series, it’s funny how Sci Fi (or is it Syfy now?) tries to detatch and distance itself from what has come before the change.
And by that I mean they’re making spin-offs.

You want to rebrand yourself by trying to cash in on the same stuff you revile?
Way to go!

Sci Fi Channel’s attempt at rebranding is utterly ridiculous, especially when there is going to be massive rating drops starting next week.
Add that to spin-offs no one will watch because the audience is being dissed, and you get a total disaster.

Implosion in 3, 2, 1…