Sky One admits that loss of Buffy was damaging, brings in ' UK version'.
The British substitute is called 'Hex' and "is certainly the most ambitious drama that Sky One has ever commissioned" according to Sky's managing director. More on 'Hex' here and here.
Given Sky One's domestic output track record I'll not hold my breath on this one. But a British version of Buffy does sound intriguing.
August 24 2004
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Galvatron | August 24, 11:37 CET
Mara | August 24, 11:46 CET
Is it just me or would Sky One not be more sensible in offering to partly fund an actual Buffy spinoff with this money as was suggested for getting an Angel season 6 to happen?
Surely that would be a better gamble than trying to emulate the success of a Whedon show with the kind of money they have to play with alone.
The Arcane | August 24, 12:17 CET
1) It's a testament to Joss that Sky are doing this. Imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that.
2) It's an indictator to 20th Century Fox, that the foreign market is still craving Buffyverse products and will bring in their own identikit shows if necessary.*
3) It shows that Buffyverse shows will bring in the ratings if they are on a satellite/cable channel.
*Though it must be pointed out that Sky One and 20 Century Fox are part of News Corporation
Simon | August 24, 12:21 CET
Caroline | August 24, 12:21 CET
So why has nearly everything else they have attempted looked so damn cheap and shoddy? :)
The Arcane | August 24, 12:30 CET
Ghost Spike | August 24, 12:38 CET
Firstly if Sky One are only just realising the damage the loss of Buffy has done them then i think they will really be suffering once a season without any kind of slayerverse show is upon them. This Hex had better be good, that's all i'm going to say about that.
And secondly, this drop in ratings from The Simpsons they are so surprised about. Just how many times do they think they can repeat the same episodes before the apathy to them begins to effect even the new episodes? How many times in recent years have Sky One advertised filling the evening schedule with repeat after repeat of The Simpsons as being "a special treat for Sky One viewers"? It's not a treat, it's tired and lazy programming!
I love The Simpsons but some evenings, especially over the summer, there can be four episodes on in a row and it's on twice at the very least EVERY night! How much Simpsons do they think anyone wants?
All in all this is a prime example of how Sky One have been losing the plot because of the decline in decent US drama (the core of what many people watch the channel for) and filling the schedule with any old dross they still have the rights to show.
Sorry if that is a lttle of topic but it relates to the general decline of the channel in my mind.
The Arcane | August 24, 12:46 CET
Simon | August 24, 12:52 CET
JudithS | August 24, 12:54 CET
And Andy if you're reading this, I emailed you to thank you but I got a message back saying your email account is over quota.
Simon | August 24, 13:43 CET
Let's just say that my hopes for a new show to watch have declined about 50% with just that brief article. If all they are going to do is rehash Buffy in a British setting then i have to agree with Ghost Spike.
Why didn't anyone at Sky think about doing Ripper as a joint project with Fox and perhaps a US network. Spreading the cost like that would surely make it a more attractive proposition.
They could even include a new slayer character for Giles to train personally thereby bringing in the eyecandy factor for the male viewers.
This current idea has second rate imitation flop written all over it. I give it about as long as Strange lasted.
The Arcane | August 24, 14:20 CET
BBC have put it on their waiting list, Sky One would go for it!!
SeanValen | August 24, 14:59 CET
Would like to echo all the pro-Ripper comments though. Come on BBC, don't focus all your attention on Dr. Who, Ripper would surely be an excellent partner.
Paul_Rocks | August 24, 17:22 CET
I don't think we'll hear anyhing more of Ripper until after Doctor Who I'd imagine they might want to see how that's received and then maybe consider Ripper as a companion to a second season of Doctor Who.
[ edited by Ghost Spike on 2004-08-24 16:07 ]
Ghost Spike | August 24, 17:59 CET
Chris in Virginia | August 24, 18:00 CET
"Why don't ask Joss Wheadon to do RIPPER for them!!!
BBC have put it on their waiting list, Sky One would go for it!! " - SeanValen
Oh, if only it were that simple.
Whedon may have 'other fish to fry' - he still has to deal with post-production of Serenity, and there is some buzz about him directing the new 'Superman' movie. Even if the Superman thing ends up not happening, I suspect that Whedon may end up getting more into movies, especially if 'Serenity' is a box office success.
That having been said, perhaps Mutant Enemy will find writers and a showrunner (lead writer) they feel confortable with to go forward with 'Ripper'. My guess that it will end up being developed for cable TV, not broadcast. Up until very recently, only broadcast channels (in the US) developed TV shows. Now that is beginning to change, and broadcast TV is on the ropes.
In the USA, the really interesting shows lately seem to be on basic cable (USA channel - Nip/Tuck, The Shield, SciFi Channel - Stargate) and premium cable (HBO & Showtime - Sopranos, Deadwood, Dead Like Me). Broadcast channels are losing viewership to cable and internet. Broadcast has to get all of it's money from advertising and selling to non-US markets, but is has to contend with strong government restrictions on (sexual/obscene) content. Basic cable get money from both advertising and subscription costs from the cable companies and has less government restriction on content since it is _not_ broadcast. Premium cable gets most of it's money subscriptions plus selling it's products to non-US markets and by selling DVDs of it's shows, and has no imposed government resrictions on content. Broadcast can't compete with cable because it's not an even playing field - the only way to make money is to cut costs. This means unscripted 'reality' shows. They are just cheaper to make. If you want to make a quality TV series, it's going to have to be on cable/subscription TV.
Both Fox and WB have rights to the 'Buffyverse' since they helped develop and show the original BtVS and Angel shows. Fox has started developing shows just for it's FX channel in the US (Nip/Tuck and The Shield). Since Fox and SkyOne are both part of the News Corporation, it would not be beyond the realm of possibility to create 'Ripper' to run on both FX and SkyOne.
Y'know, SeanValen, you are right - they should just ask. Let's hope they do....
Just my two cents (two pence?).
[ edited by Caroline on 2004-08-24 17:28 ]
ranchofiasco | August 24, 18:10 CET
I think Joss has said quite a few times that he wants Ripper to be a British produced show, which is a shame, as we'd probably get it much quicker if they took this route.
Ghost Spike | August 24, 19:03 CET
I think you've gotten slightly confused there ranchofiasco. Bryan Singer is set to direct the new Superman movie, leaving X-Men 3 available and that's what Joss is being strongly touted for by the internet community
Paul_Rocks | August 24, 19:04 CET
Willowy | August 24, 19:23 CET
bogu_salias | August 24, 19:31 CET
"Hex is the UK version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and one girl`s exploration of her own supernatural and sexual awakening.
It tells the story of Magnum Hall, a progressive British boarding school where 17-year-old student Cassie comes of age."
Simon | August 24, 20:38 CET
But I could have sworn I read some gossip somewhere about Whedon being talked about as a replacement for a director that had dropped out of a big movie currently in pre-production. What was I think of? Help!
[ edited by Simon on 2004-08-24 18:50 ]
ranchofiasco | August 24, 20:44 CET
And in regards to what you were thinking of, I can't think of any other big name directors that have dropped out of movies recently.
Simon | August 24, 20:53 CET
I'll get me coat.
And as for a Sky One produced show rivailing/copying Buffy, that smacks of a committe running the show and trying to appeal to everyone by making a formula identikit show. That's how Charmed happened. Buffy was created and run by the vision of one man who was prepared to confuse/piss off/alienate a big chunk of audience to produce a show with original and challenging writing.
I hate to judge a show on the three lines we've read so far but I predict cardboard characters, predictable storylines and black and white plots.
zz9 | August 24, 21:41 CET
I've now got bad flashbacks of watching Crime Traveller. *shudders*
Simon | August 24, 21:44 CET
Bryan Singer was the director who has dropped out of X-Men 3 (or been fired depending on who you ask) because he has chosen to direct the new Superman movie. Joss has now been linked as his replacement on X-Men 3 although that is pure speculation right now.
The Arcane | August 24, 21:44 CET
For truly awfulness there was a show about ten years ago based on an 'elite' squadron of RAF Tornado pilots (as opposed to all those run of the mill Tornado squadrons) that was absolute crap. Considering all the potential (the RAF gave them access and facilities like never before, including plenty of ariel shots) they blew it big time with the worst writing imaginable. Each character had 'Stereotype' written all over him, including the bad tempered crazy one who the air force would never had let get anywhere near a jet in a million years and a woman Tornado pilot who the rest of the pilots had never heard of before! Where did she train? The RAF only have a couple of hundred pilots, it's a pretty exclusive club, yet this woman has somehow been comissioned, trained for several years, served somewhere and then been seconded to this 'elite' squadron without any other pilot ever having met, heard about, read about, served with, trained with or attended a mess dinner with her.
The point being, and yes, there is a point, is that it was created as an answer to several successful shows around at the time, like Londons Burning and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, so they tried to copy the formula of a disperate group of people working and living together and came up with a load of crap.
TV executives, I know it's hard work but TRY to have an original thought! Just once!
zz9 | August 25, 00:19 CET
garda39 | August 25, 01:50 CET
Simon | August 25, 01:52 CET
What makes you think that somebody at Sky One is kicking themselves for letting Alias go last year?
The Arcane | August 25, 02:04 CET
I wondered if anyone in SKY remembered that lesson
Incidently I wonder how they will treat Deadwood if it doesn't get the audience they are hoping for
[ edited by garda39 on 2004-08-25 00:29 ]
garda39 | August 25, 02:22 CET
Clearly not, seeing as how they repeated it.
Not that i think Alias will go on to equal Buffy's kind of success but it was still a great show that they dumped way too quickly and considering their current state it was a big mistake.
Alias could well have been a highlight of their weeknight schedule next year had they been a little more forward thinking.
The Arcane | August 25, 04:25 CET
I'll get me coat.
I actually didn't mind strange, and not just cause of Sam Janus :)
I've now got bad flashbacks of watching Crime Traveller. *shudders*
Ack, ditto Simon, can't remember what the hell convinced me to watch every epiosde but for some reason I did :/
I can't recall this being reported before but when I was looking at SKYTEXT yesterday I saw that Sky have bought Wonderfalls though they haven't scheduled it for transmission yet
Woohoo, most excellent news. I'd almost given up hope on someone buying the rights and showing this great show over here.
Paul_Rocks | August 25, 16:24 CET
http://business.scotsman.com/media.cfm?id=994812004
..Hex, which BSkyB chief
executive James Murdoch has described as a "sapphic" British take on hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
[ edited by garda39 on 2004-08-25 20:43 ]
garda39 | August 25, 22:43 CET
(Anyone of a nervous disposition, young children, people who've just eaten, look away now)
Vampire High....
zz9 | August 25, 23:37 CET
"[...]an American librarian."
Uhm, well that would be like a german clown, or italian minister of finance, or ...
I'm so sorry, but I just couldn't let that slip.
PowerToThePeople | August 25, 23:41 CET