SciFi Becomes SyFy – Still Airs Star Trek Reruns July 7, 2009
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: ENT, Sci-Fi, TNG , trackback
This morning the Sci-Fi Channel, cable home of reruns for Star Trek Enterprise and Star Trek The Next Generation, completed its rebranding and it is now SyFy. To celebrate the change, the channel has opened an "Imagination Park" in New York and is premiering a new series today (Warehouse 13). Details below
What is in a name?
According to the SyFy channel, the name change is to give them a unique brand that they can own, however they say they are not changing their programming and will continue to focus on science-fiction and fantasy. When the name change was announced in March there was quite a lot of feedback, much of it negative. SyFy president David Howe tells Broadcast & Cable that they knew that was coming:
We did brace ourselves for what we expected to be quite a deep backlash. But we were very proactive in getting out there and reassuring [viewers] that we were not dramatically changing directions.
The channel has made a short film (and interactive website) called "House of Imagination" featuring many of the stars from current and upcoming SyFy shows.
Today SyFy opened "Imagination Park" at New York’s Rockefeller Center (which will be open until this Sunday). You can explore the shows, check out a giant View-Master and more. Many of the channels stars were on hand for the opening ceremony this morning. SyFy is also offering free WiFi (called WyFy from SyFy) for a year in different parts of New York City.
Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) at the opening of SyFy Imagination Park
[photo: WireImage]
Also airing tonight SyFy premieres a brand new series, Warehouse 13, which seems to be another genre-ish light-hearted show in the same vein as Eureka (which starts its third season on Friday). Here is the preview for Warehouse 13.
Warehouse 13 airs tonight at 9PM, and during the show they will air a new preview for Stargate Universe, which premieres in the Fall.
Star Trek still on SyFy
The name has changed, but the reruns stay the same. SyFy continues to run a block of four episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Mondays starting at 7PM and one episode of Star Trek Enterprise on Friday’s at 7PM (although not this week or next week). Both shows are featured on the new SyFy.com (TNG & ENT). For a full schedule See SyFy.com.
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I will be SyFyless…
SyFy? that’s a bit of a lame name, to be honest. the font isn’t even all that catchy. it’s very plain.
They stopped being a science fiction channel the moment they broadcast wrestling so no big deal here……waste of air space….
Same product, different packaging. I’ll probably watch it as much as I ever did…
Will it’s still Sci-Fi here in Ireland & the UK. Guess its only a American thing!!! So Silly :)
3. Bill Lutz
True enough… But Wrestling is by far the highest rated program on SyFy and gives NBC Universal a nice ratings boost on a weekly basis. USA network, also a NBC Universal channel wins the prime time cable ratings every week due in part to Wrestilng.
TREK officially breaks 250 million as of yesterday $250,088,417 domestic… I can finally stop checking BOM everyday……yestwrdays take was just over 250.000 and 11 over all…I believe her legs are giving out, but it’s been an awesome run!!!
as for SYFY..or should I say the Stargate- Ghost Hunters channel!!!. with the exception of Twilight Zone and TREK marathons., and BSG…I could truley care less for that channel!…No more crappy B monster movies, or Stargate ad nausium, “something brushed across my leg!” oh god don’t get me started with those ghost shows…please bring some originall sci fi to SYFY…hits such as Hulk, or Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, 6 Million Dollar Man, original Superman, Bionic Woman, original BSG, some classics, not just the same ole same ole everyday….I’m serious about Stargate…every freekin day???!!!!!….come on please….I finally just stopped watching it….and now another X Files ripoff to try to lure in geek fans ! I hope Warehouse is good, but SYFY track records show just another B rated monsterfest!!!
For the love of god..please no more Stargate!!!!!!!!!
At least Space Channel (In Canada) still delivers a daily dose of Star Trek TOS, TNG, DS9 and VOY! And is still called SPACE :P
stupid
Maybe I’ll finally get Enterprise in HD.
Dullards.
lame
Really, I don’t understand the need to change it with the two “y” letters instead of a “ci” and “i” instead as it was before. I understand the phonic connection as to how it is pronounced. Were people running around saying “Sky Fee”, I mean, c’mon, really? Really?
=A=
I think the best comment on this change came from TV critic Tom Shales of The Washington Post newspaper; According to Shales the new channel name is “SyFy, which rhymes with ‘Sigh, Why’.”
Another company trying to “expand their audience” by appealing to the lowest common denominator. How did those committee meetings go?…
“You see, if we misspell Sci Fi and make it SyFy, today’s 18-34 year old demographic will think our programming is hip and cool…we’ll really fool them!… how much do we make a year for such brilliant ideas?!”
I completely understand why they had to change it from a copyright and ownership point of view, but it’s still a dumb name.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Stop this nonsence
So is there some great Viewmaster comeback in the works with this SyFy prop and the previous VM movie project story? I need to hit Ebay and get all I can before they’re hot again.
Personally, I don’t particularly care what they call themselves.
As long as they produce product of the same quality as Battlestar Galactica, I’ll be happy.
I’ll still watch the shows I like on the Syphilis Channel, if the maintain the quality, but the name change is just stupid.
Probably will be known as example #2 in Bad Marketing Decisions, right after Pizza Hut changing their name to ‘The Hut’.
I will still watch Styr Tryk: Thy Nyxt Gynyrytyon on that channel. But I will be mildly irritated the whole time.
Goofy. And to think I signed a petition many moons ago for the creation of the “sci-fi” channel. Haven’t watched it in years and it appears I’m not missing anything.
Anthony:
There was an article a few months back that TNG was going into syndication this fall. Is that this? Or will it be made available on local channels around the US?
Imagine what a great channel this could be if those in-charge weren’t so ashamed of what it is: a network dedicated to broadcasting science-fiction programming.
No more stupid, fluff shows and no more original movies. Sci-fi… er, SyFy… needs to do something with their weekend programming in the worst way.
Yes, but will they still be showing the same 20 episodes they always do???
Also, I quite enjoy having to set the alarm for 2am to catch classic X Files eps but if I want to watch Giant Preying Mantis Chubacabra Larvae Invasion I can see it pretty much whenever I flip through channels.*
*(hey, not EVERYONE prefers to watch tv on their computer!!!)
I just don’t get it. I don’t understand, why does the Sci Fi channel thinks this so important. SY FY is actually grammatically incorrect. But whatever, seems like they are going to still run my favorite shows. If your a Star Trek fan,and I know all of you are, Eureka is a great science fiction channel show. “Sorry I mean a great SY FY show.
They should have named it the Imagination Channel, Network or Station.
The United States really needs Canada’s SPACE channel. There is more than one music channel, why can’t we have more than one Science Fiction channel? Plus they air all of the Trek shows, I’m jealous!
SyFy … reminds me of Syphilis…
Haven’t watched the channel since BSG ended. The Ghost Hunters shows bore the crap out of me. Sorry.
For now, SciFi is a channel I just ignore. Until “Caprica” starts up, that is.
Attn: Scifi Executives – Just do a search for “Tropicana sales plummet 20%” to see how this will play out. Also “not dramatically changing directions.” is equally bad as we viewers who were there circa 1994 all know.
Very creative. It’s Sci Fi spelled with a “y” get it? The marketing department worked some overtime to pull that one off.
#29 YES. Thank you.
SyFy = New Coke= it won’t last.
25. Steve – July 7, 2009
“Imagine what a great channel this could be if those in-charge weren’t so ashamed of what it is: a network dedicated to broadcasting science-fiction programming”
True dat.
I caught them talking about this on the Today show this morning and the music they went out to was the theme from Star Trek TOS. Interesting.
Remember when Sci Fi Channel was running episodes of Law & Order? I suppose that must have been cheap for them to run, considering all the L&O on USA Network. We could be in store for Law & Order: Space Command or some such…
IMHO, SyFy was a silly name when it was a website & is still a silly name now it’s a TV channel. 50 years from now our grandchildren will look back & go “Wow, SyFy was a silly name wasn’t it!”. :)
Now that they’ve acknowledged Sy, how about Morty & Sol?
Oy!
It’s a money and ownership thing. They can’t own Sci Fi. It’s a common parlance. Sy Fy they can own. And in today’s post Lucas/Disney world it’s all about ownership.
JMN
1) What is the point of the change?
2) Why would they have had to have been “proactive” about acquiring alternate/similar websites/domain names, etc if the idea had merit?
3)Upper management never admits when it’s wrong. When this gets a bad reception (and it will) I’m sure they’ll blame the viewers for lack of imagination.
4)Just put on good shows.
5)Logos should be /are iconic- the new one means Nothing.
“CW”, anyone?
#7. Capt Krunch
What you describe: Now that’s a channel I would watch all the time. Not what it is now.
They really should think about a line up change. Dump that Ghost Hunters Wednesday. One show, OK but what is it? 6 Hours worth? While there are some people who like the show, they are the ones who say: why 5 hours of Star Trek?
I wish they would run Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twight Zone, Night Stalker, Night Gallery, Dark Shadows, etc. I like Eureka, that show has got some funny scenes plus I like the Joe the female deputy, she;s got what it takes, in more ways than one.
The name/logo change???? Why bother, I never think about it. But it is their name and they can do what they want. Some hotshot exec probably got a raise for thinking of it when nothing else worked in their meetings.
I will add Sci Fi to the list of channels that were killed by their corporate sponsor. Well, they lost Dr. Who and BSG is over so I’m leaving anyways.
Remember when Arts and Entertainment actually had quality programs?
It just seems these morons keep buying stations, completely changing their programming to make them cheaper and taking away any charm or fan base they already had. At least in England they are kind enough to name BBC1,2,3 etc so you know that it’s just another station of the same crap lower in the food chain.
Are they trying to soften the image of the genre with the soft, curly y’s? Good luck with that one.
#22
ROFLMAO!
FAIL
Stupid but I can see why they’re distancing themselves from science fiction. Think about it: None of their lame movies is even science fiction-based. They have three genres of ‘original’ (read: straight to video) movies: monsters, disasters and sword-n-sorcery. Just how many stupid movies about meteors crashing into earth can one channel show? One more lame move from an increasingly more and more lame channel. Ugh.
As with all channels, I watch the shows I like, I don’t watch the shows I don’t like.
There are lots of shows I love on the big networks. Doesn’t mean I stop watching them because they put shows on like “The Worlds Fattest Dancing Idol Loser Survivor Race”.
At the end of the day, I figure we have maybe 10 years of normal programming left, if we’re lucky. Then it’s back to reading books, because all that’ll be left is Fox News and ‘Ow, My Balls!’ ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/ )
Yes, there are dozens of sci-fi movies and tv shows that SHOULD be shown on this channel, but, apparently, they don’t quite have the budget that would afford such things. Personally, I hardly ever watch the station because — with the exception of a few things — there’s nothing here that interests me. Count me out on the wrestling. And I’m tired of shlock/horror movies. They have produced a few decent shows, I will admit, but — as someone else said — Stargate day after day, hour after hour….
#40: Almost true; it’s probably about _broadened_ ownership. But they already did own “SciFi,” even though it’s in common parlance. Trademarks are contextual; you own them in a specific arena of operation. Hence Apple Records versus Apple Computers when the latter started getting into music, but the commonplace word “apple” was in fact owned by each, within context.
#47: In fairness, they probably SHOULD distance themselves from it, but if they mean to, picking a name that’s (apparently) intended to be phonetically identical wouldn’t be the way to go about it.
SyFylus … lolz
I wish I could go to syfy imagination park and get my pix taken with the big viewmaster and his autograph too since he is probably the star of alex and robertos new movie! after all his looks are perfect! heheheh
They lost me years ago. Some lame logo change isnt going to bring me back. Its all about the programming.
^^^^^^ Is NOT Pleased!
Wish they would run Star Trek: Remastered. Not sure about the name change. It would seem more logical to keep the old one due to it already having alot of brand recognition.
-or-
Changing it to “Sy-Fi” in keeping with the going trend of WiFi, MyFi, or other Fi anacronyms common to internet and wireless. Seems to fit better to me personally.
I guess ….. Hooked on Phonics?
Hey….it’s gives me Gundam 00 so I’m not going to complain too much.
39
Ha. Funny.
This would have to be one of the dumbest things i’ve ever heard! If the programming is still the same what is the point in changing the name? The reason of course is so that people don’t necessarily realise they’re watching a Science Fiction channel. It’s nothing more than a push for higher ratings, so that those non sci fi fans who would normally screen the SyFy (SciFi) channel because of the name might tune in!!
Thank God it is still called ScFi here in Australia! :)
I doubt that the name change would allow another network to form using the name Sci-Fi and actually run Science Fiction on it.
SyFy.
*Sigh* Fie upon them all.
What were they thinking?
37
I am the equivalent of a Law & Order Trekkie, in addition to being a Trek Trekkie.
I can say without hesitation that Sci-Fi never ever ran Law & Order, any flavor. A&E held the exclusive rights to pre 2000 episodes for a long time while TNT had the newer episodes. A&E’s contract lapsed because Universal wanted too much, so TNT bought the sole rights to Law and Order Mothership repeats.
The spinoffs are scattered here and there and in local market syndication, but never on Sci-Fi, even though the character of Robert Goren is way way out there.
[...] is now SyFy. To celebrate the change, the channel has opened an "Imagination Park" in New Read more Share and [...]
I feel fortunate as a Canadian that I have an awesome neighbor like the USA. There’s a lot of great things going for the States, but this isn’t one of them. Definitely, an epic fail.
SciFi…. SyFy
Zathras…. Zathras
Wrestling seems to fit on SyFy as far as I’m concerned. You have the steroids for the Sci .. and the matches are pure fiction …. what’s the beef?
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Will all marketing specialists from SyFy Channel please report to the first spaceship for transport to the new world? Also each grammarian who helped create the “Imagine Greater” slogan. Your staterooms have been prepared, one level down from the telephone sanitizers.
We thank you.
#66 Ah, you suggest the elegant “To Serve Man” :) Now, if they’d ever remade that into a B-movie of the week… that would have been superbo.
Well, Isn’t SyFy owned by NBC Universal…The very same company that owns HuLu? Look at the spelling similarities…These “suits” that came up with this silliness must be laughing all the way to the bank with these Stupid ideas…
[...] SciFi Becomes SyFy – Still Airs Star Trek Reruns | TrekMovie.com [...]
64. Great post
64.
Exactly what I was thinking. You pronounce it the same so who cares how it’s written. Let the studios do their funky spelling changes for the sake of look. In the end, it’s still the same old SciFi channel which I never watch anyways because i’m in Canada and watch Space LOL
Well now that its not called the Sci/Fi channel anymore, now someone can start over and come up with a real Sci/Fi net work.
Shouldn’t that be Warehouse 23?
What’s the big deal, people? Good or bad, I don’t see SyFy changing in terms of programming. They will have Caprica and a new Stargate series coming soon, instead of BSG and Atlantis. They’ll still have Eureka, which I find a nice change of pace. And they’ll still have horrendously bad Saturday night “original” movies, and a mix of excellent to mediocre mini-series events. Sci-Fi or SyFy… who cares?
I hope they migrate all programming to full HD where available. It has been absolutely maddening to watch Stargate & Enterprise in postage stamp pillar boxing of a 4:3 SD letterboxed broadcast. And Stargate was even their own show!
So much for a station that started out with such great promise. I didn’t have cable and when I finally bought a dish, they went nutso on me. I remember when they used to have things like Bionic Woman, The 6 Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, Star Trek (Special Edition with lots of cool insider stuff), Buck Rogers, original Battlestar Galactica, and so on.
Now, I think this network is being run by monkees! What a loss. Appropriate that they killed the old name, since the station has long since been dead.
@ 75. RD
> I hope they migrate all programming to full HD where available.
I have been getting Sci-Fi/SyFy in HD, so it is already being offered, as long as you pay your cable company for HD programming (and HD box) and your local company allocates a channel for SyFy in HD. All the usual standard def channels are available. Then, there are separate channels for a selection of those channels, broadcast in HD. Not all channels have an HD equivalent, but SyFy is one that is available in HD, at least in my area. It uses the East Coast feed, so everything is three hours earlier by West Coast time.
Greatest headline ever, Anthony.
I’ve been a SciFi watcher for a long time, but I have intentionally avoided the new Syphy channel due to the brain-dead name. That includes intentionally skipping the “Warehouse 13″ premiere.
Let’s hope this is a “New Coke” type of thing where they switch back after the Syphy top execs realize they made a huge mistake. Later those same Syphy execs will claim the controversy (and reversal) was planned all along to gain extra publicity.
I don’t think I have seen one, not one original movie that was not crap.
I might actually bother to watch the stupid SciFi Channel (SyFy or whatever) if they actually, you know, AIRED SCIENCE-FICTION SHOWS. And the lame Stargate TV shows don’t count.
# 61 -
Yes, they did run some Law & Order episodes a few year ago. I remember tuning in to Sci Fi Channel and the “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding” moment I had after seeing L&O on. My brother even called me to tell me about it.
I enjoyed the premiere of “Warehouse 13.” It’s basically a TV show about the secret warehouse from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and the team with the mission to find new things to put inside. I can’t really say it is “science fiction”… more like “supernatural fiction.” But the Indiana Jones movies were in that same “genre,” somewhere between fantasy and real scifi. So is the “Santuary” TV show, and most comic book super-hero adaptations. So no problem; I’ll tune in as long as the stories are good and production values remain high.
And again, I don’t see what’s the big deal about the network name change. I don’t see that the network’s programming is changing. Its focus on real science fiction was half-hearted at best; that has not changed. The only thing that changed is the spelling of the name. A change that makes no difference is no change at all. I’ll keep watching the shows that I enjoy and ignore the rest.
I have a better name for SCI FI… STU-PID.
Someone asked me what “syfy” was supposed to mean. I said it was a slang term meaning “below substandard”.
This channel is great! …Of course I’m writing this from the perspective of 1994.
#67 – Daoud
Actually, I wasn’t suggesting “To Serve Man” so much as “Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. But then, either one could be a “recipe” for success. (grin)
It really doesn’t matter what this mediocre channel calls itself, because the name notwithstanding, most of its programming is utter garbage. I suffered thru the first half of Warehouse 13 last night and am seriously thinking of suing the network to get that hour of my life back; one of the most insipid, weaksauce shows I’ve seen in ages with a lead cast that is positively annoying and typical grade-Z special effects. It made TNT’s The Librarian movies look like a Stanley Kubrick production by comparison.
For a channel that’s ostensibly about science fiction and related genres, its disappointing that they never show any classic TV shows or movies anymore but instead focus on recently cancelled shows, uninspired original productions, pro wrestling and el-cheapo reality shows in some pathetic effort to court that all important 18-24 year old demographic.
Other than Galactica, there hasn’t been anything remotely imaginative or daring on that network in years. If I could remove it from my satellite package, I happily would. What a complete waste of bandwidth.
Sci-Fi / Syfy how about ScyFry or even SighFly or even The Scyncy Fyctyon Chynnyl or how about SickFly or even SickFry or even SighWhy or SighFry OR EVEN BETTER, WhyDidWeChangeTheNameInTheFirstPlace channel.
Well, folks here it is in a nutshell.
1. Merchandising….
Yup, that’s why they did it, it’s all about copyrighting, they CAN’T copyright Sci-Fi ( Forrest J. invented the word you know )
Think about it, now they can sell T-shirts, Mouse pads, Coffee mugs, WHATEVER HAVE YOU with the name Syfy on it and make a lot of MONEY
and not have to fork any of it over to anyone as the OWN the name itself.
Notice how the name change happened AFTER Forry had been gone ?
I’m sure he would of voiced his displeasure about it.
Now when the make a made for Syfy movie it’ll be like this….
SYFY productions presents a SYFY original movie….
Note the word channel in no where to be found now with the name change ? Again, can’t copyright channel, kinda a no-brainer there.
This is how NBC / Universal executives ( hell executives in general ) think, how much MONEY can we make ? ( and save and put into our own pockets, natch )
It’s all about “Branding” how can we “Brand” this network to make the most MONEY off of it as we can ?
Heck someday McD’s will starts calling itself just that McD’s instead of McDonald’s, Gatorade is now called just G nowadays, anyone notice that ?
With all these name changes soon we’ll all be talking like this…..
“Hey I’m going to D’s to pick up a BM with F and a CC….”
[ Translation : I'm going to McDonald's to pick up a Big Mac with Fries and a Coke-a-cola ]
In other words we’ll sound like we’re speaking some kind of ‘net speak out in the real world….
- W -
* Imagine the horror of everyone talking like AOLers out in the real world *
One word. Syfilis. Is it short for that?
At least the Dutch (European? I have no idea how they’re organized, it may be the same as the US even) SciFi Channel also shows TOS, TNG and Firefly at the moment, so that’s nice.
I’m sorry, but the genius who came up with “Sy Fy” should be slapped with dead fish for the rest of his/her life. I still cannot fathom the intention behind this name change. And for what purpose? What was so terribly wrong with “Sci-Fi” (other than there wasn’t much real sci-fi to begin with)?
IMO, the problem is there are so many “suits” running these operations who have a “Hey, wouldn’t this be cool –,” adolescent mentality, which means very little to anyone other than adolescents. Since there are so few adolescents buying most of the products of the sponsors of operations like Sy Fy, you’d think those suits would try to cater to those who are buying… The Sci-Fi Channel was a good idea, but they obviously couldn’t fulfill it. At this point, I’d call it Sy Fynal.
Perhaps they should have started broadcasting ST: Enterprise in HD instead of this silly logo! Seriously folks, you’re watching Trek in SD or boxed and the commercials are in HD 16×9.
This whole thing reminds me of the silly Direct TV ad where the competing ad execs are sitting around a table saying that they broadcast in the fictional 1,000,0080P resolution and that Direct TV can’t!!!!
One of the best marathons is still the original Twilight Zone in B&W because it had substance, not style!
other than trek, and maybe that awful ghosthunter show, no reason to watch…
what part of sweaty, muscle-y men humping each other’s legs constituted ’sci-fi’ anyway?
wrestling is so awful, but now i suppose it will be more aligned to the fey ’syfy’ brand… bleh.
i think its time for a new, all science fiction channel… that plays all the old classics like space:1999, ufo, the starlost, along with modern sci-fi.
movies, too, vintage sci-fi and contemporary.
and no homo-erotic men grinding each other… not that there is anything wrong with that…
Who cares about the name?
Just do what I did years ago…
1. get a TiVo
2. grab just the shows you want
3. watch them when you want
4. fast forward through the wrestling and ghost hunter commercials.
I’ve enjoyed lots of shows this way – Farscape, Dead Like Me, The Lost Room, Lexx, new Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, old Outer Limits, new Outer Limits, etc.
Dumb
what are you talkin about? its not dump !
sci fi channel was a lame name… would action series channel be a cool name?
i personally like the new syfy corporate design and hope for new qualtity syfy shows !
good work.
syfy? Dumb.
@ 94, I agree, totally!
The resistance to change around here never ceases to amaze me. Two components of science fiction is suspension of disbelief and openness to new ideas, both of which are rarely practiced on this board.
To all the other Brits out there….this must be the dumbest name change since Royal Mail to Consignia…or Opal Fruits to Starburst…or Jif to Cif….or Marathon to Snickers (God, look at the connotations: Marathon = strength; Snickers = a sly, uncomplimentary, laugh (yeah, I know spelling)!)…or whatever they changed Coco Pops to. LOL
Now I’m showing my age…remember Opal Fruits and Marathon (both for less than 15p)…and 10p on the bus!
@ #93
Yes, bring back “Space:1999,” “Star Trek: Remastered,” and perhaps “Space Academy,” the old cheezy Saturday morning series! Yes those are great nostalgic shows from the past!
I don’t get it about wrestling. Don’t those need to be on another channel? What’s wrestling got to do with “Science Fiction?”
“Psi-Fi,” hell even that sounds more “science-fiction-ey.”
@ #98
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE…
YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED!
Strike “assimilated” and insert “SPOON-FED” if coming from generic media outlets – financial gain is always conducive to programming, whether popular or not. And we wonder why there is nothing on to watch. There’s always another channel to click to and competition is fierce.
With the modern-day and future internet devices being a driving-force behind media consumers decision-making processes of what to watch or consume, why click a hundred channels or more to see IF a program is on, when you can download it -or- find it on some less-than reputable download locations?
It would seem logical for major broadcasting networks to adopt the model, made popular by “rogue media-pirates,” to start putting up torrents, or file-sharing (P2P) networks that have made so much media available for the masses and filled much of the demand for media which wasn’t and still isn’t being made available off and on-line.
MEDIA DO HAVE EFFECTS! (Thank you Prof. Nokon!)
99. I’m willing to bet that I’m one of few folks here that know what you’re banging on about.
But yeah… Sy Fy. I suspect there’s a rather well paid-off focus group out there… Trouble is a line-up of programming which only loosely fits the Sci Fi genre.
The Channel Formerly Known As SciFi has been losing its luster for years. Time to remove it from my favorite channels and commit whatever may be worth watching to DVR like so many others.
Guess I’ll be spending more time watching SeeEnEn…
- In my country..(Romania) shows like D.S.-9 , VOYAGER , where never delivered till the end…
I don’t care about any TV channels or their corporate identities.
But, it would be nice to know that their marketeers made it through grammar-school English, unlike those who created “Imagine Greater.” If this slogan was tested, it was the ‘moron’ demographic that approved it as a majority. Obviously SyFy’s new business plan is bullish on morons.
This – particularly stupid – name change is symptomatic of all that’s wrong with TV these days. The people in charge seem to this with gimmicks and glitzy promos they can pass off the same repeats (or re runs if you prefer) ad nauseum, instead of quality new programming and some decent shows from the vaults.
It’s the same here in Ireland and the UK. I swear some shows must have been show 1000’s of times, while others may get a look in once if we’re lucky.
Yeah, let’s change the name to something that sounds the same but when spelled out means absolutely nothing.
Pepsi spent $35 million to change the logo of Tropicana orange juice from the familiar straw-in-an-orange to a “kewl” more edgy look. It was tested and approved. Consumers then complained to such an extent that Pepsi reversed the logo-change.
In 1996, Pepsi spent $6m to change the can to blue in Europe. After a massive campaign, including the cosmonauts on the “Mir” space station, the campaign was abandoned.
One wonders how some ‘marketeers’ get as high up as they do. If you rely on research, you’re not a marketeer.
Let’s see how “SyFy” does.
SyFy is that not gutter speak for I’m shy of Finances, so lets take someones money to spend. In reality they waste a their shrinking bank account just to click with the unemployed in the big cities of America. When they could have not wasted the money they need to live on new real shows. Over the years they have had good ideas. But I guess they are suffering helping make Sci-Fi some thing that entertains and is good money for the authors, but in turn has increased the writing costs.
Or was this goofy change idea the ideas of want to be nerds with blinding $$$ in their eyes and read comic books not newspapers or a real book. Nothing against comic books but in most eyes it makes the readers seem to still be grade school educated only.
BREAKING NEWS:
SyFy changes several key shows to ‘better integrate their marketing strategy”
In a special marathon they call “SyFyDy” airing this friday, Sy Fy will change it’s current shows and a few others’ names permanently for airing on SyFy.
Eureka is now Yryka
Warehouse 13 is now Wyrhys 13y
and after a marathon of these shows, SyFy plans of airing every single award-repellant movie it has ever made.
One of the movies SyFy has grown famous for is the infamous “Mynsqyto” or “Mansquito” which will air continuously on a marathon coming up in the next month.
Other shows such as They Came to Boogie from Outer Space and Night of the Mosquito will air continuously.
SyFy has also announced the cancelling of att Styr Tryk and Styrgyt: Ynyvyrse shows as they seem to have been ‘too populous’ and their quality is ‘unacceptable to our current standards.’
The Vice President of SyFy, Mr. I. M. Monotinee said “The standard we have set is constantly challenged by shows made with budgets of more that $100 per episode or $1000 per movie. We cannot afford to have such an unusual quality of product, and we know the viewers will be pleased with the SyFy Yrygynyl Myvyes [Sci Fi Original Movies] we have produced in mass quantity over the last ten years, and will continue to do so.”
Mr. Monotinee also said that they will follow ‘time-proven’ examples of ‘altering the bar’ as they have done so many times by removing so-called “Fan Favorites” such as Stargate SG1 which ran for 10 seasons, being the longest running science fiction show on television, Mystery Science Theater 3000, the Anime block-programming of Saturday mornings which garnered a reasonable viewership, Stargate Atlantis, and all Science Fiction cinematic movies that garnered over 100 million.
“These sorts of programs will continue to challenge us to create more elaborate programs and look outside the small-town acting agency that we’ve grown accustomed to doing business with. We simply can not allow that to happen.” said Mr. Monotinee as he drove away in his Rolls Royce, garnished with “I love NBC” across the back, etched in to the paint.
We later found out the car was stolen from Paramount Executive Leslie Moonves.
As SyFy continues to alter it’s programming, prepared for what Mr. Monotinee described as “Quality Entertainment for the Whole Family” which will include Pro Wrestling Marathons twice a month, the complete removal of all sci fi classics such as the Twilight Zone, and replacement programs such as “ShamWOW in Space” and a variety of paid programming that Mr. Monotinee calls “an absolute exhilaration” to watch.
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OK it was a joke. But that’s where it’s going.
Marv
#94, well-stated.
Doesn’t matter to me the name of the station, I only watch Ghost Hunters on it.
But then again, as a trek fan, I shouldn’t be interested in such nonsense…or wrestling for that matter, at least according to these comment boards.
God forbid anyone here have a variety of interests.
#73 asks: “Shouldn’t that be Warehouse 23?”
That’s what a handful of people keep asking me in chat and email :)
But, nah.
SciFi to SyFy? W H Y ? !!!!!
How about SNAFU instead? Since they’re both as ridiculous as it looks.
Reminded me when Kentucky Fried Chicken changed their name to KFC despite the fact the menu didn’t change at that time( I mean, how hip can you make fried chicken? Seriously!). How did that do? Who is SyFy trying to impress? It seems they’re just continuing the trend that other channels are by going ‘off-brand’ (MTV,VH1: ‘reality’ shows, Cartoon Network showing non-animation movies, etc.). First with ECW wrestling and then… whatever.
Good Luck SyFy; we hardly knew ye.
I know this is going to be totally non PC and I would never use this term again towards my fellow humans, but I will make an exception for the mental giants running SciFi/SyFy:
You are complete retards.
I suppose now they’ll want me to change my nick to SyFyMetalGirl?!?
Nah! Ain’t gonna happen!!!
#94 true, all valid points.
We don’t have tivo in UK but we have various other DVR devices that do the same.
As long as there are various channels showing different shows, record what you like and ignore the rest.
Besides, I’m sure that more than half the people who have commented on this topic have sci-fi (syfy / psi-fi….) DVD’s (or similar) to fill those long periods between tv re-runs?
In short, who really cares what they are called?
Man, I wish I had Space channel. Poo.
But at least Syfy hasn’t gotten rid of ALL the ‘Trek… But I SO wish they were still showing ENT at 4 PM (central time) every day! I loved seeing that after school! I mean, I’m not in school right now, but I will be, and that was like my chill time! Siigh…
Good to see that they’re keeping their niche and not throwing it away like MTV VH1 and TV Land are doing. I’m glad Star Trek is staying on, I was afraid they were going to get rid of it.
Now I just have to get used to the spelling of SyFy and I’ll be still watching this channel
i resist change!
I agree with fans on showing classic scifi moviets &TV shows! Old & new with lots of star trek too!… Why wrestling. Syfi crossed wires with ESPN scifi..notSporta sports hss enough channels!..too many.
Well, it looks like they stopped airing the Star Trek reruns in favor of…Ghost Whisperer. That’s the pop music of science fiction. It would be like swapping a Rolling Stones CD for a Britany Spears. Not happy.
I’m with Jarrod. I enjoy ST:TNG reruns. I’m just really surprised that they were replaced by Ghost Whisperer … seriously.
I guess this is part of their “lets get the lowest common denominator interested” bit that they’ve been pushing for.