There was a time not too long ago, where the SciFi channel had SG1, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica back to back to back on Friday nights, and it was ratings gold for that station. As of today, all three of those shows are set to conclude, with the cancellation of Atlantis.
I'm truly concerned for the future of the channel, and the original programming, especially given the way they've butchered Eureka. It doesn't look good.. If the current schedule is anything to go by, what we have to look forward to is an ongoing set of reruns of admittedly good shows (Star Trek NG, Stargate), lame-ass UK imports, ad-nauseam repeats of Ghost Hunters, crappy monster movies and wrestling.
This does not bode well, and moreover has the air of the SciFi channel execs basically telling their audience to go take a flying jump.
Let me make a clear point here. If the SciFi channel is going to abandon it's original programming, then there's no point to the channel's continued existence. None whatsoever. And it's a shortsighted policy in any case, from a business point of view, given how much the Stargate shows must surely make on syndication and in DVD sales. From NBC's (the parent company) point of view, the SciFi channel, when it's working properly should be an incubator or nursery of new, quirky and edgy shows, that push boundaries, while finding an audience. That Galactica doesn't have a 10pm slot sometime during the week or even the weekend, when shows like Heroes have proven that a significant audience exists for such programming, is an act of almost criminal negligence.
The real issue, imho, is that the executives at SciFi don't seem to understand or even like their audience, or how to market their product beyond basic cable and direct to video. They continually insult the intelligence of their audience. I say enough.
Mark Stern has a lot to answer for.
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