Science fiction and geek levels

[Jolly S]

Hello fellow fandom

Was thinking, is science fiction still considered geeky these days, or does it have a wider acceptance by society at large?

What's our geek level now???

 

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Jolly

SF is only considered less geeky when there's an SF box office success on the screens. :-)

Geoff

[Vinxlady]

I have to agree with that. Though I think there are a lot more science fiction series being made and broadcast on major channels at primetime (looking forward to the Flashforward season finale tonight in particular, but also things like Heroes). There also seem to be a lot of remakes of older scifi (V, Battlestar Galactica, Day of the Triffids, the Day the Earth Stood Still). So I guess that following on from Geoff's comment it must be less geeky because there are more successful scifi shows and movies being made.

I might just be trying to convince myself there though :-)

Vinx

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Vinx

A really successful SF show makes billions. Look at Trek and XFiles. Its also lightning in a bottle so many channels try their luck on the off-chance.

The re-makes are largely becasue the channels/studios own the copyright and hope the name is enough to draw new people for an update. Shame that they aren't very successful a lot of the time. They should be encouraging new shows.

Geoff

[Aether]

Flashforward - how can something so great be axed after just one season?  Oh wait...because it's not rubbish reality tv!

[Alizarin]

I think there are so many remakes these days because it's cheaper and less risky, studios don't want to sink money into something that might not make them enough millions...which is really sad.

The day someone tries to remake Blade Runner is the day I fly to (probably America) and start punching studio execs in the face!!

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Alizarin

The success rate of re-makes isn't particularly good anyway.

If anything, the successful shows are the ones least expected. Buffy and X-Files were never thought to take off.

Geoff

[Alizarin]

Hello Alizarin

The success rate of re-makes isn't particularly good anyway.

If anything, the successful shows are the ones least expected. Buffy and X-Files were never thought to take off.

Geoff

Well, that's true. I think I'm just annoyed that things like Farscape and Odyssey 5 were left unfinished   

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Alizarin

I thought Farscape finished with The Peacekeeper Wars.

The American production companies and/or channels are getting into the habit of wanting instant successes and not letting their shows develop.

Mind you, they have a history of such failures. I mean, that Star Trekky thing back in the 60s only lasted three seasons.

Geoff

[Alizarin]

Well, Farscape was cancelled by Sci-Fi without an ending, it was only finished because Brian Henson managed to get the rights and secure financial backing to finish it off.

The American production companies and/or channels are getting into the habit of wanting instant successes and not letting their shows develop.

That's what I mean!

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Alizarin

Re: Farscape. But at least Henson got it done.

The American ideal outside of mid-serson replacements is to have seasons of at least 26 episodes at a time hence the investment is so much bigger. If they were sensible and allocated to 13 episodes first and see if there was interest it would be more effective and ensure more effort was put into 13 rather than scattershot and see which appeals to the viewer the most.

Geoff

[Alizarin]

Maybe it's just because they're American...EVERYTHING has got to be BIGGER!!

 

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Bigger ideas often means bigger mistakes.

Geoff