Jess ScheulerWhen I Was Your Age, We Called it Science Fiction
July 7th 2009 20:52
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The Re-branding of the Syfy channel
In case you haven’t heard, today is the inaugural day for the re-branding of the Sci Fi Channel to “Syfy”. Some have called this move the equivalent to renaming it “Frak” and others have outright called it stupid. But I refuse to pass judgment. Maybe it’s because I’ve always loved the channel (whatever it’s name) and its commitment to broadcasting some of my most beloved shows. Whether or not this re-branding will be successful or not can only be known in time. Channel execs hope to expand the network and broaden it's appeal by shedding the "geeky" image. Last time I checked, I love "geeky" t.v. But I’m rooting for it. Maybe if this re-branding had happened a few years ago, a show like Battlestar Galactica may have been taken more seriously at Emmy time.
In honor of the re-branding, we take a pause to remember all the great shows that the channel has aired in the past.
Ghost Hunters- some people don’t care for this show, they think it’s rigged, not real, whatever non-believers. But I loved the cast of average guys who kept their plumber day-jobs while they hunted for the supernatural at night. The EVP’s were terrifying at times, but what I really loved was the commitment of two best friends to discovering something inherently unknowable. Whether they have proved or disproved the existence of ghosts was not as important as the fact that the show highlighted historical institutions, restaurants, bars, hotels, all of which hopefully received a bump up in visitors.
Stargate- So many various Stargate spin-offs (SG1, Atlantis, etc), so little time. I myself only saw the original movie, but I know that the television series had a legion of fans and it included wonderful actors from other great but canceled shows. This one is for you Stargate fans.
Re-airing of the Great Canceled T.V Shows- Roswell, X-Files, Jericho, Doctor Who, Moonlight, Firefly etc. Thank goodness this channel airs them. Before there was Hulu, this was the only place to indulge in the nostalgia of your favorite, but canceled t.v shows.
The Dune Miniseries- Love it or hate it, Dune’s adaptation into television mini-series or movie has always been problematic. No director has ever gotten it right. But the mini-series had some great acting and I would argue was more faithful to the book then the movie version. Plus, we saw a young pre-Atonement James McAvoy as Leto Atreides II.
Farscape- John Crichton was shot through a worm hole into deep space, like a modern day Arthur Dent. He was a everyman who was trapped in a spaceship with alien life forms whose only wish was to go home to Earth. But when he gets the chance he discovers home is with his friends and lover, Aeryn Sun. It was funny, had wonderful writing and had interesting, lovable characters. Ben Browder; perfection, you will always be John Crichton to me.
Mystery Science Theater 3000- I didn’t discover this show until high school and never saw the original. But I had gotten bored with weekend cartoons, and most of the time they were over by the time I got my lazy butt up, which was around 10 am. Flipping through the channels I discovered a show about a human guy held captive in a space ship with wisecracking robots for company. This guy is tortured by having to watch horrible movies, but he and the robots sarcastic comments combined with the sheer ridiculousness of the movies themselves make the show giggle inducing. Watching Mystery Science Theater in my pajamas with my eggs and bacon on a Sunday morning was much better than any Tom & Jerry cartoon.
Battlestar Galactica- Without a doubt, the crowning glory of the Sci Fi channel. There simply almost aren’t words to describe how good this show was. Battlestar was exactly what the channel stood for, making science fiction relevant for today, dealing with issues like abortion, racism, and religious intolerance. The cast and acting was impeccable. The writing, at times, mind-blowing. But it could be moving and emotional too, and could hit you right where you live. Few shows have the power to do that anymore. Let’s hope that the new SyFy will take chances on more shows like these, and make their appearance in our existence less of a rarity.
Did I miss any of your favorite shows? Leave a comment!
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