Scifi Channel
From LoveToKnow Sci-Fi
In 1992 every science fiction fan's dream came true with the launch of the SciFi Channel. A joint effort by Paramount Pictures, USA Networks, and Universal Pictures, the channel hoped to capitalize on the resurging interest in science fiction and fantasy with both original programming and replaying old favorites that fans hadn't seen in years. Unlike many commercial ventures striving to make money off of pop culture, the SciFi Channel made sure that it was the real deal, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and author Isaac Asimov on its board of directors.
The strategy paid off; after well over a decade of programming and many shifts in corporate ownership, the SciFi Channel is now producing some of the highest quality television out there, according to some critics.
SciFi Channel Content
When it first started, the SciFi Channel relied heavily on old series, such as the classic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows, the original Flash Gordon film serial, and others. Paramount and Universal had access to classic cult favorites like the original Star Trek plus movies like Dracula and Frankenstein.
Aside from these classic sci fi films and series, the network began to air "second run" programming – that is, acquiring the rights to series after they'd been cancelled by the original networks. Some of these classics included
- Battlestar Galactica (the original series)
- Lost in Space
- The Incredible Hulk
- Doctor Who
- Batman
- Star Wars: droids and Star Wars: ewoks
Playing second run series has garnered the channel an ever expanding fan base as people who watched only tangentially-scifi series such as the X-Files came to the channel when the other networks cancelled the shows – or just when they were on hiatus.
Original Series
However, as the network succeeded in attracting more viewers (and more advertising dollars) the opportunity came to air first-run content and also create original movies and mini-series. While some of these series were cancelled quickly, others such as the critically-acclaimed Battlestar Galactica have not only lasted for years but have launched spin-off series and movies. Battlestar Galactica has spawned an independent DVD feature called Razor and while the series is set to conclude in 2009, it is followed by a "prequel" series called Caprica. Another original, Stargate SG-1 has become the longest-running sci fi series in the history of television. Eureka and Sanctuary both became popular hits recently, the latter coming from a web-only series to the cable network.
The reality show has also found a spooky home on the SciFi Channel, with shows such as Ghost Hunter (which also spawned Ghost Hunter International) following a paranormal investigative team. A kind of horrific candid camera is the theme of Scare Tactics with host Tracy Morgan pulling elaborate scary hoaxes over on people. With a nod to the Stephen King science fiction classic The Running Man, the series Cha$e has "runners" trying to avoid "hunters" through real cities and parks in a quest to win real cash.
Original Movies
The original films created by the SciFi Channel have not been quite as well received by the critics. They make a virtue of the nature of B-movie qualities, with cheesy special effects, less-than-stellar actors, trite plot lines, and a of titles that is amazing in its range of science fiction stereotypes. In spite of the quality, films like Bats: Human Harvest and Alien Apocalypse have still attracted their own fanbase.
Original Mini-Series
Longer-format mini-series have proven to be more successful in terms of quality on the channel. From the resurrection of the 80's version of Battlestar Galactica to the 2008 re-visioning of the Oz myth in Tin Man, many first rate actors such as Edward James Olmos, Zooey Deschanel, and Alan Cumming have appeared in them.
SciFi.com: the Web Presence
In 1995 the Sci Fi Channel launched "the Dominion" (later changed to SciFi.com) which was a web site devoted to not only the programming on the SciFi channel but also to science fiction in general. Aside from airing episode synopses (and sometimes entire episodes) the channel also features news of the science fiction world on the "Sci Fi Wire" and has won many awards (including the Hugo and Nebula) for fiction published online.
The SciFi Channel continues to be a great contribution to the canon of speculative fiction in general. More than that, though, it has proven that there is an audience for a wide variety of scifi programming throughout the ages.
Learn More
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