Submitted by Jeff Edwards on Fri, 2007-01-19 22:14.
JW Edwards sez: Scifi TV is possible, but highly unlikely. Why? It has to pass the Heinlein feasibility check, and although it's politically feasible, and it's becoming increasingly technically feasible (with CGI and all the other attached high-tech furbelows), the fact is that it's not economically feasible. There isn't enough broad-based support in the programming sectors of our beloved demographic (15 to 34 year old males) to warrant more of the effort by networks. What is changing is that scifi has moved out of the shadows during the last 30 years and into the mainstream, broadening its appeal. Shows like "Heros", "Dr. Who", "Smallville" and others are now being written by some of the most talented new writers in the industry, and that's because they were lured away from the film industry by the increasing societal swing towards acceptable scifi and the related fantasy fields. (More money didn't hurt, either.) As shows like these extend their runs and get into syndication, they prove the viability of the market segment, and ram the wedge of this segment of programming ever deeper into the available hours. We just need to keep supporting it and keep the buzz going. Be patient! Don't ever give up - just think how far we've come since Lost in Space and the original phenomenon that was Jim Kirk, and NCC 1701!
Okay, boys - now for the truth.
JW Edwards sez: Scifi TV is possible, but highly unlikely. Why? It has to pass the Heinlein feasibility check, and although it's politically feasible, and it's becoming increasingly technically feasible (with CGI and all the other attached high-tech furbelows), the fact is that it's not economically feasible. There isn't enough broad-based support in the programming sectors of our beloved demographic (15 to 34 year old males) to warrant more of the effort by networks. What is changing is that scifi has moved out of the shadows during the last 30 years and into the mainstream, broadening its appeal. Shows like "Heros", "Dr. Who", "Smallville" and others are now being written by some of the most talented new writers in the industry, and that's because they were lured away from the film industry by the increasing societal swing towards acceptable scifi and the related fantasy fields. (More money didn't hurt, either.) As shows like these extend their runs and get into syndication, they prove the viability of the market segment, and ram the wedge of this segment of programming ever deeper into the available hours. We just need to keep supporting it and keep the buzz going. Be patient! Don't ever give up - just think how far we've come since Lost in Space and the original phenomenon that was Jim Kirk, and NCC 1701!