Screen Rant » sci fi channel

Sci-Fi Morphs Into SyFy – Are You Ready?

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:26:02 +0000

As I reported back on March 16th, The Sci-Fi Channel is changing it’s name to Syfy. This name change is part of a brand image change by the 16-year-old network and it’s due to happen on July 7th, 2009.

“Syfy, imagine greater.” Take notice of the proper spelling. There is no upper case F in the name.

This change is part of a plan to create their own marketable brand while still staying connected to the roots that have served them so well for more than 15 years. It’s also a specifically coined term that they can copyright for themselves, unlike the term Sci-Fi which is generic across so many mediums. Syfy will now make web searches and other references attributable to their own content.

Under this new brand umbrella, they’re looking to expand their horizons with things like new television series’. Some of these new shows will be tied into online multiplayer games to attract their newest hope for a demographic, the youth market. Dave Howe pretty much confirmed this when he became president of the Sci-Fi Channel back in January of 2008.

On top of the online presence, there will also be original Syfy content with projects like Riverworld, Phantom, Alice and a remake of the 1988 film, Alien Nation, just to name a few.

The change is going to be heralded by an event at Rockefeller Plaza and Syfy’s first official series under their new moniker will be Warehouse 13 which is premiering on July 7th with its 2-hour pilot. According the Syfy, the show is a pop-culture-crazed amalgam of Bones, X-Files and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr..

Howe says that Warehouse 13 is the epitome of their new brand. I’m not sure how that works out yet, but my educated guess is that this show will have an online presence. Since the premise of this show is locating artifacts, I’ll go out on a limb and guess that they’ll have some sort of online game where you search for things.

Perspectives On The Change

Aside from what some fans are sneering about in regards to the name change, Howe said that their research showed that aside from their already installed core audience, most folk believe that the network telecasts shows about Star Trek, space aliens and the future.

Syfy understands that this modification to their identity will take some time to grow on us. As if we have a choice. July 7th is the magic date when everything changes for Syfy… or at least they hope it does.

If Howe is on track with this mod to the network name / logo, it should work for them and move them up in the rankings of networks. He was the man behind the marketing of Tin Man, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. Before he came to Syfy he also had a very successful 15 year run at the BBC where he led marketing teams for BBC’s 17 UK, BBC America, BBC World, BBC One and BBC Two. He also led the teams responsible for launching BBC News 24, BBC America, BBC Canada, BBC Choice, BBC Knowledge, BBC Three, BBC Four, UK Horizons, UK Drama, UK Style, UK Play, and UK Food.

He’s got a good track record and you have to admit, if his efforts work then we may actually get more of what we like and possibly, more originality in the process.

I’m not waving the flag for other “projects” like WWE that are at the network now, but if they can stay afloat and keep bringing us shows like Battlestar Galactica and its spin-offs, more awesome original content like Tin Man and get their hands on the rights to more syndicated repeats of Moonlight and the like, then to some degree we win. We just have to weather the other noise aimed at other demographics.

With that in mind, for my own selfish reasons, I hope this works.

Do you feel the same for this name change as I do?

As always, your comments and opinions are welcome here on Screen Rant.

Sources: News Day, NY Daily News

Sci-Fi Channel Panels At San Diego Comic-Con ‘09

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:16:05 +0000

We originally reported on the television panels at San Diego Comic-Con ‘09, we knew about the Sci-Fi panels that were going to be present, we did not have specific times.

Now we do.

As would be expected, We’ll be seeing cast and crew from Stargate Universe, Caprica, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, Eureka, Sanctuary and Warehouse 13.

Friday, July 24th:

Stargate Universe in Ballroom 20 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Those attending the panel will be Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith and Ming-Na. Co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper will also be present.

Caprica / Battlestar Galactica: The Plan in Ballroom 20, from 11:45 a..m. to 12:45 p.m..

Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson will be there, along with Esai Morales (Joseph Adama) and Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama) as they chat about these two new additions to the Battlestar Galactica mythos.

Eureka in room 6BCF from 3:15 to 4:15 pm.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston and Jaime Paglia (executive producer/co-creator) will be there to interact with the panel session.

Special Screenings from 8:30 to 10:30 pm:

In room 6DE, the newest episodes of Warehouse 13 and Eureka will be aired and there will also be some clips from Ghost Hunters.

Saturday, July 25th

Sanctuary can be found in the Bayside Hilton Indigo Room from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne along with executive producers Martin Wood and Damian Kindler will be there for this session.

Warehouse 13 in Room 6A from 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen) and Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan) will be there, as well as Jack Kenny (executive producer/show runner) and David Simkins (executive producer).

These panels should keep you focused on their products, though I am still super curious about why I’m not seeing any Ghost Hunters panels scheduled for SDCC09? I’ve dropped a line with SyFy in hopes of getting an answer. I’ll let you know what they say.

Bonus Note:

The 5th in a series of DVD series releases for Green Lantern, titled Green Lantern: First Flight will have its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con in Ballroom 20 at 8 p.m. on July 23rd.

That’s 5 days before it’s released to DVD!

This information will be added to my original article on the myriad of TV panels at Comic-Con.

Now you know!

Sources: Sci Fi Wire, Sci Fi Wire

Sci Fi Channel Announces Their Summer Line Up

Bruce Simmons — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:33:23 +0000

For the TV based sci-fi fans out there, the Sci Fi Channel announced the dates for their new and returning shows for their summer programming schedule.

On the list is that wacky science town of Eureka, with it’s third season starting up July 29th. The new season is going to be introducing some new characters to the show.

Their surprisingly successful series, Ghost Hunters International comes back with only seven new episodes, but new is new and they’re slated to begin on July 9th.

I know in the past I’ve knocked the show around a bit, but I get the draw of the show and can appreciate it.. to a higher degree than I used to.

One of my personal favorites, Scare Tactics makes it’s return to the network with it’s third season on July 9th. I loved that show, where people set up their “friends” to scare the cr*p out of them with staged stunts. Sometimes a little overboard, but the premise really appeals to me!

For those of you wondering about the the surviving Stargate franchise show, Stargate Atlantis kicks off their 5th season on July 11th.

The fifth season is slated for a 20-episode run, introducing a new alien race and the show’s 100th episode will be included in this run. On tap for guest or return appearances are Paul McGillion as Dr. Carson Beckett, Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) and it’s noted that Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) will also make a guest appearance as Robert Picardo (Richard Woosley) assumes command of the base.

Ug, I’ve never been a big fan of Woosley, but I’ve enjoyed Robert Picardo’s work on different shows, like the holographic doctor on Star Trek Voyager, who was in search of his personality development.

And as far as guest appearances go, I’d love to see Teal’c make a return trip to Atlantis. It was very entertaining to see like minded aliens spar in an obvious even physical match in the episode Midway. In the end they came to understand each other. I’d like to see a spin-off with those two. That would be fun.

Source: SciFi Wire