Why so Many Science Fiction Fans Are Turning Off the Sci-Fi Channel

Sometimes as I am flipping through the channels, I come across the Sci-Fi Channel. Once, I used to make the Sci-Fi Channel the first station that I would go to once I turned on the TV. Now, it is one of the last. The Sci-Fi Channel does not hold very much of its original lure to many
 science fiction and horror fans.

When the Sci-Fi Channel first graced my TV, I was amazed with the lineup that it provided. During the day, a fan could watch episodes of many of the older, cancelled and obscure science fiction shows.

I would tune in during the day to watch episodes of, "Auto Man," "The Misfits of Science," "Kolchak," and "Dark Shadows." I could spend hours watching these shows, and never become board.

In the evening, science fiction and horror fans would tune in to the Sci-Fi Channel to see great science fiction and horror films that you could not see on other channels. There would be movies that many of us had watched when we were young, but had not yet made the transition to DVD.

Every few weeks, the Sci-Fi Channel would feature a different type of movie for the week. Many were eager for the Universal Studios Classics week, or the Hammer House Classics Week. Some would wait for the Vampire Movie week, or the Werewolf Movie week.

Many fans were enthused when it was announced that the Sci-Fi Channel had bought the rights to thousands of movies, and hundreds of different cancelled shows. There were rumors that the Sci-Fi Channel would splint into two separate channels. One channel would be for science fiction, while the other was for horror.

Over the last five years, the Sci-Fi Channel has completely changed right in front of the eyes of those fans that made the station popular. The Sci-Fi Channel spends much of its time showing movies that it produces itself. Many older Sci-Fi fans are becoming fed up with seeing the second rate movies that the Sci-Fi Channel produces.

 
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The Sci Fi Channel has become the junk food of subscriber TV, providing lots of cheap and cheesy movies for the indiscriminate viewer. As other responders have noted, wrestling, or whatever that brainless nonsense is, has no place on the Sci Fi Channel. What were they thinking? I find it incredible that with the wealth of good material left to be resurrected from bygone TV shows, they are neglected in favor of glitzy inhouse productions with all of the substance of a Hallmark Channel tearjerker. Is it not frustrating to be a science fiction fan knowing of the depth of written material crafted by fine authors which is left to languish, forgotten, by modern producers? With the advance of CGI, many stories and novels not filmable years ago could now be brought to fruition, if only someone cared. Evidently, they don't.

Posted on 09/07/2007 at 9:09:00 PM

I think that wrestling should absolutely be taken off the sci-fi channel! I've always hated it and it has no place on sci-fi! And bring on more of the old shows!

Posted on 08/27/2007 at 10:08:00 PM

I got fed up with them when they started running infomercials late at night, just when I was ready to sit down with some popcorn and watch some sci-fi. Damn them. I stopped watching way back then.

Posted on 05/14/2007 at 10:05:00 AM

From time to time, Sci-Fi will show Dark Shadows in the afternoon. You can buy the DVDs for the show, but they are expensive. L.

Posted on 05/10/2007 at 8:05:00 AM

This is an excellent article, and so true. There's so much good science fiction literature out there, I'm surprised that the stuff on the Sci Fi channel these days is so "light". I love the picture from "Dark Shadows". My little sister and I used to race home from school to see it on TV. I haven't seen in years. I wonder if Google Vids has any episodes up? I'm going to look right now! Really excellent article!

Posted on 05/10/2007 at 8:05:00 AM

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