SF Signal: 5 Things Science Fiction Fans Love to Hate

5 Things Science Fiction Fans Love to Hate

Science fiction fans the world over are known for their easy-going, acceptance of sci-fi shows and movies.

Kidding! Do you know any other group so vehemently outspoken about the things they hold dear? It occurs to me (as things often do once in a while) that are a small handful of things that far exceed sf fans' already-low tolerance. And never you mind that we have added to the whining chorus on this very blog. We know you love it.

Television Executives - There used to be a time when a network, committed to airing a television show, would air a full season - A full season! - before deciding to axe it for bad ratings. The theory (archaic by today's standards) was that a show needed time to build a fan base. Welcome to the 21st century where a show can be pulled after 3 episodes. Worse still are when the shows canceled have exhibited some sense of quality or style. The TV Suits make the list for pulling the plug on shows like Firefly. What the world really needs is another reality show. Apparently.

The Sci-Fi Channel - Let's give the science fiction fans exactly what they want: a round-the-clock channel of horrible monster movies and wrestling! To be fair, the channel is headed in the right direction with shows like Battlestar Galactica and (so far) Eureka. And, true, 24 hours a day is a lot of time to fill. But seriously...Mansquito?

Hollywood - What's the quickest way to tick off a science fiction fan? Flick him in his glasses? Insult his imaginary girlfriend? Nope. Adapt his favorite novel for the big screen! While you're at it, ignore the original material, the author that made it a much-loved classic, and any semblance of plot that it contained. But keep the name. You wanna really tap into the built-in market segment.

Rick Berman - Star Trek fans, unite! Unite against the man who is singlehandedly credited with bringing down the Trek franchise. (Never mind that people had no other suggestions for reviving the show other than the Space Fleet Academy premise.)

George Lucas - You would think that the man who gave us one of the most-loved films of all time (that would be Episode IV in geek-speak) would be able to get a little slack from fans. However, good taste can only be pushed so far. Even Mother Theresa - God rest her soul - would be the target of derision if she gave us Ewoks, mitichlorians and Jar-Jar Binks. Personally, I think the whole Greedo Shoots First re-take was Lucas giving his cry-baby fans a big raspberry. From his multi-billion-dollar mansion, of course.

First, I believe that Brannon Braga deserves a lot of the credit for destroying Trek. He never met a story he couldn't make worse by creative use of technobabble or strategically place forehead prostheses.

Second, it ain't Episode 4 in geek speak. In GS, it is just Star Wars. No @^#$^&#& Episode IV, no @#^#& A New Hope, just pure as the driven snow Star Wars.

And I'm not whining, I'm just sayin'....

Posted by jp on Thursday July 27, 2006 at 8:54 AM

I much preferred the Sci-Fi Channel before it got the money to make bad horror movies. Some of the new shows are great, as you point out, but much too much of it is dreck. If they really want to fill up 24 hours, there's a ton of old sci-fi out there to show.

Re-runs of everything from Time Tunnel to Ark II to Automan to Swamp Thing could easily fill out a schedule. And there's a ton of Dr Who to show (especialy now that they have the new Dr Who series) and of course loads of old sci-fi movies as well. I don't mind the horror films, especially if they are sci-fi based like Alien or The Thing, when properly done, like around Halloween. However, it seems that the channel is more horror than sci-fi any more.

Heck, even Star Trek is being shown on G4, a gaming channel. Shouldn't that at least be on the Sci-Fi Channel?

I agree with your whole analysis in general but the Sci-Fi Channel in particular ticks me off.

BTW, I recall a petition for Star Trek: Excelsior that sounded much better than 90% of the ideas out there for the franchise, including the stuff actually produced.

Posted by Paul Go on Thursday July 27, 2006 at 11:50 AM

I actually enjoy the SciFi's "bad" horror movies. Some of them - The Man with the Screaming Brain, Bloodsuckers (Vampire Wars), and Project Viper - I actually enjoyed. Though I was sorry to see Full Moon Fright Night get the axe a few years ago, I think their film division let's people like Bruce Campbell get their pet projects out there.

As for movie/TV excecutives: I'm glad they don't greenlight more sf stuff, because they generally ruin it. Let's remember that for every X-Files or Millenium there's a Firefly or Stargate SG-95.

Posted by platyjoe on Thursday July 27, 2006 at 2:49 PM

Never mind that people had no other suggestions for reviving the show other than the Space Fleet Academy premise.

what are you talking about...i suggested to all my friends that they should make a star trek unlimited series which starts right when voyager ends and simply pick and choose charaters from the other franchises and have 2-5 episode stories focusing a few characters...

I am suprised you never heard my well publisized suggestion

Posted by joshua corning on Thursday July 27, 2006 at 7:52 PM

....someone is using mind-scanning rays to red my thoughts.....sci-fi channel has betrayed the actual name of the stupid channel. unfortunately, although the channel is in most respects dead to those who WANT it, it will surely drag itself thru the slime until it finally succumbs to entropy and disinterest...and airs infomercials 24/7 like every other 24/7 cable/sat channel. sad. cripes, even "chiller" on directv sat BEGAN sucky....at least they had the cahones to admit right off the bat they had nothing good to offer......it REALLY and TRULY makes me pine for days when i was 6 years old and begged mum and dad to let me stay up late for chiller theater on the local station to play "the hills have eyes" or "exorcist"....then wait for the jets to fly and the snow to overtake the airwaves before the whole thing shut down for the night. it all was more fun when it was rare and special....like porn, the more abundant, the less satisfying it is....or...not.

Posted by steve on Sunday May 13, 2007 at 2:26 AM