They forgot cancelling The Invisible Man, The Chronicle, Good vs. Evil... :(

deepgirl187 | September 01, 19:34 CET

I think most of the time they just don't know how to tell a good quality show from one that isn't, and when they finally do get a good one, they have no idea how to handle it.

archon | September 01, 19:39 CET

They also turned down Angel Season 6 too. In the old SciFi magazine, the head of programming gave a good reason as to why they didn't pick it up. However the network must be doing something right as they're still on the go.

Simon | September 01, 19:42 CET

Pretty much all networks make mistakes. We just focus on these because they tend to create more cult followings than say, NCIS, which everyone seems to watch. We get more emotionally attached to these niche shows that come from networks like SyFy.

Valentyn | September 01, 19:45 CET

I most agree with #5, re: Caprica. I tried to watch Caprica that way anyway, as if it had nothing whatsoever to do with BSG except similar themes. I still thought it mainly failed to cohere into something. But I do wonder how much more engaging it might have been had they been able to free themselves completely from needing to fit into an existing mythology. Unfortunately, I assume it never would have sold to series to begin with without the BSG affiliation.

b!X | September 01, 19:59 CET

Cancelling a show with low ratings or an older show with middling ratings is not a mistake. That is good business. Not giving a show the proper support (marketing/scheduling/intelligent notes) in order to make it successful enough in ratings to be profitable is a mistake.

IrrationaliTV | September 01, 20:06 CET

In fairness on the Firefly non-pickup, I believe that this was before the network formerly known as SciFi was owned by NBCU. I don't think they had the money to pick it up and keep whatever else they were doing at the time. Too bad though.

Znachki | September 01, 21:07 CET

If I remember correctly they also had an issue with it being set in space.

daylight | September 01, 21:33 CET

Farscape was also cancelled the same year they didn't pick up Firefly. Man that was a sucky year.

AnotherFireflyfan | September 01, 21:33 CET

why would SyFy have a problem with shows set in space? is it just a budget thing? and i cant express how much the new name irks me

Canis_Latrans | September 01, 22:14 CET

*why would SyFy have a problem with shows set in space? is it just a budget thing? and i cant express how much the new name irks me *

Actually at the time Sci-fi had a number of shows set in space and IIRC they say/used to say that they liked to have at least one at all times. Maybe it was the expense, especially before DVDs have proven Firefly's totally unprecendented continuing popularity or because they thought they already had a couple of similar shows. I had heard expense was a big issue, a few years ago. Nowadays it seems like Syfy is obsessed with paranormal reality and wrestling, but I do think they want a space show, even if the current one have all been cancelled early, which is mostly to do with low ratings wherever they were on the schedule.

After picking up SG1, Sci-fi did become a target of "why the hell won't they pick up show X, those ratings would be awesome for them!" I can see why they don't most of the time, who wants to be known as the dumping ground network, even if it would be awesome to us. Not to mention many of those shows were expensive and they had their own development slate. Although a lot of those shows might be better than whichever reality show is on tonight.

IIRC Farscape was unexpectedly cancelled mainly due to the parent company having to re-finance and not the fault of the actual network at the time. At least we got PK Wars, which was a much much better wrap up than most cancelled genre shows get. Atlantis was primiarily ended by MGM rather than Syfy. They wanted to go with SGU and either couldn't afford to run two shows at the same time or just didn't want to, depending on which article you read. Eureka is a WTF? For me because it looks to be doing great and the announcing a renewal and then taking it back is a PR nightmare, but the numbers must make it less profitable than you would think.

I 100% agree about the name change though, even if I understand why they did it, blech, awful.

[ edited by Heavs on 2011-09-02 00:26 ]

Heavs | September 01, 22:54 CET

Thanks, Heavs! Always nice to get some facts inserted into the general outrage. :)

IrrationaliTV | September 01, 22:57 CET

Am I the only one who hears their name as "siffee?"

[ edited by racheltng on 2011-09-02 05:34 ]

racheltng | September 02, 05:33 CET

Like the article writer said, a Firefly pickup was probably economically impossible.

When I see "Syfy", I don't think Sci-Fi. I imagine this as another home care shopping channel that is trying to have an unusual name.

OneTeV | September 02, 14:27 CET

@racheltng - nope, some of the actors who had shows on there pronounce it as Siffee

Kayley | September 03, 01:41 CET