How Sci-Fi Channel Frakked Up

"The Scariest Night on Television!" Oooooooooo, brings up some spine tingly images, doesn't it?

I mean, it's a good tag line and all, but it doesn't bring up images of cheesy B-rated acting and dialogue, does it? Or cheap-ass CGI that looks like it was rendered by a 486DX with a whopping 16MB of RAM.

What I'm alluding to is Sci-Fi channel's continued airing and financing of really, really bad Saturday night B-rated horror-sci-fi flicks, and the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis.

Now first off, I'm not a big time, Tivo saving, TV addicted watcher. Never have been. I got hooked on 24 starting with season 5, Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis since the first seasons, Eureka, and I fall asleep to Adult Swim.

When SG-1 was not renewed, it sucked, but was understandable. The show had gone on for 10 years! The money pile from reruns and syndication was running a little thin; so Sci-Fi didn't renew and MGM said DVD movies. It worked. Both Ark of Truth and Continuum were great flicks for SG-1 and it seemed like a great way for the franchise to continue and Atlantis to carry the TV torch while we wait for Stargate Universe.

But canceling SGA is just a bit on the mind boggling side. Sci-Fi recently let the news out that this was their most watched summer ever lead by Eureka, Ghost Hunters, and Scare Tactics. They mentioned that their Saturday crap CGI-fests averaged 2 million viewers. No mention of SGA even though numbers averaged above 2 million viewers per episode this season, and ECW, well let's not start on why that's even on the Sci-Fi channel.

This is probably a case of dancing numbers around to make things look positive (seriously, those awful Saturday night flicks were getting 2 million viewers in the summer?!?!?). And I know that SGA was getting expensive due to the US dollar/Canadian dollar conversion rate was getting expensive. So money somehow, someway was getting to be a sticking point with SGA.

But the ratings were up (1.5 to 1.7; about 2 to 2.4 million viewers) per episode, and they did climb a bit more with DVRs. The legal download sector was making some money from SGA (number 1 on Amazon's Unbox) too.

And then when MGM/Sci-Fi announced Stargate Universe the next day, and they said they were going to target the younger demographic (thoughts of Stargate: 90210 flashed through my mind). And then the answer hit me; I'm getting older!

I've been watching SG-1 and SGA for 11 years; SG-1 started when I as 20. I'm hitting the end of that 18-34 money making demographic that the TV execs and advertisers love. They want to bring in new young blood to watch the show.

So there you have it kids. All us faithful watchers of SG-1 and SGA were getting too old for the execs and advertisers and they want the young blod to watch the show and spend the money on the stuff the advertisers hawk.

I'll still watch Stargate Universe and the Stargate movies when they come out, but I'll be less enthused about it.

Let's Blog! (Sounds Like a Wierd....Never Mind)

Okay, so I know right off the proverbial bat that I'm entering in quite a crowded field here. Blogging.....the dog next door is even doing; detailing his last biscuit treat, butt scratch, and that interesting smell he couldn't quite let go of.

So what makes me special that I decided to do this 5 years after blogging hit the mainstream media like John Pinette at Red Lobster shrimp fest? Simple, I may have a few interesting things to say (Or may not, and I may just say something about it).

But I also just wanted to do it. As the old saying and adage always declares; "Whatever happens, happens, just have fun while doing it.".

And that's exactly what I'm going to do.