While this seems like a no-brainer, here's something to consider:

A friend of mine works in promotions at SciFi. He says more advertisers made a rush for wrestling than just about anything else they've had on the air.
Advertisers = revenue = more development money.
It also means they can afford to keep some shows running even with little or no audience growth (which is what killed Farscape).

Also, I personally find wrestling a less offensive addition to the SciFi roster that Crossing Over with John Edward or the damned wednesday night psychic/ghost line up.

Posted by Jeff on Monday June 05, 2006 at 6:46 AM at 6:46 AM

Interesting point, Jeff. I wonder how quick those advertising dollars will dry up if the viewers head elsewhere. Then again, it may be a case of "if you build it, they will come" and new viewers will appear from the woodwork.

Posted by John on Monday June 05, 2006 at 7:32 AM at 7:32 AM

Advertisers throw lots of money at professional (or semi-professional) sports on many channels. It doesn't mean people watch it. Have you seen the trend lines for football and other sports on TV? Going down, folks...

Posted by Fred Kiesche on Monday June 05, 2006 at 7:57 AM at 7:57 AM

It's not that they expect current sci-fi watchers to watch wrestling, its that they expect wrestling fans to tune in to sci-fi. And they're probably right.

Posted by Kevin on Monday June 05, 2006 at 10:41 AM at 10:41 AM

well i am 50 years old and dont really fit into a marketing plan anymore. i guess that the magic of wrestling fakery qualifies as fantacy.

but really, there are many science fiction programs still not used from the late '60s, '70s, '80 and '90s that can be used. that is unless they cost to much.

nbc is the current mastermind behind scifi channel, and have been third in viewers for many years. does that tell you something? when i began watching scifi channel many years ago, the programming was much more entertaining and even though many of the programs were second run programming, it was still entertaining.

i just hope the programming goes back to the original style that got me hooked. and get rid of nbcs 'passions' that was on for those several weeks, get rid of the wrestling that is on tuesday evening. who are these people making these decisions, hell get rid of them!
dave

Posted by david on Tuesday June 13, 2006 at 11:09 PM at 11:09 PM

Let me get this straight. The SciFi Channel (run by the programming 'geniuses' at NBC), has decided that viewers of that channel should be treated to the ECW? My wife and I were stunned beyond words when we tuned in tonight and saw these 'steroidic' clowns tossing each other from pillar to post. Our first reaction was that we must have accidently hit the wrong remote button.

What in the heck is NBC thinking? Do they really believe that hard-core wrestling fans are going to tune in to watch the ECW on the SciFi Channel, when they can get large doses of the same from a half-dozen other channels?

Over the last couple of years, we have put up with a lot of programming tripe from this channel. And, as David has already commented, who in the hell are these people that have made some of the most bone-headed, and awful programming decisions--ever!

If their objective is to kill the SciFi Channel, they could not have used a more potent weapon.

Wrestling on the SciFi Channel. Who would have thunk it? Go figure.

Griff

Posted by E. C. Griffin on Wednesday June 14, 2006 at 12:10 AM at 12:10 AM

Even before the addition of wrestling, finding science fiction on the SciFi Channel required some searching. Seems to me that roughly half the movies are better described as horror, with very little if any science connection. The horror genre is of almost no interest to me and the prominence of it on SFC has bothered me for years. But, putting wrestling on a science fiction channel is as appropriate as running heavy metal music videos on C-SPAN! Where the hell is the connection? I find it very offensive.

Posted by Victor on Thursday June 15, 2006 at 12:52 AM at 12:52 AM

please tell me how can I get SCIFI, on the internet?
like other streaming channels !
thanks !

Posted by FARZAD on Wednesday June 21, 2006 at 10:51 AM at 10:51 AM

Just Watch the show and look at what companies advertise while it is on and e-mail them and dont buy any of their products. that will get a message across.

Posted by Gary Mize on Thursday July 20, 2006 at 4:10 PM at 4:10 PM

Scifi Channel is really for Scifi, horror, fantasy etc.

Posted by Amanda on Friday August 25, 2006 at 6:41 PM at 6:41 PM

It was my understanding that a program like ECW belongs on NBC. With the rest of their crap. I no longer watch any of the shows on the big three. I guess that at the age of 48 I still have enough of a mind left that they can no longer "entertain" me with nothing

Posted by Pete on Thursday June 14, 2007 at 3:58 PM at 3:58 PM