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Jul

7

Sci-Fi changes

By Ron Wynn | Filed Under Television 

They’ve introduced some of the finest dramas on cable/satellite television throughout their history, including the epic remake of Battlestar Galactica that far surpassed the original version.

But the Sci-Fi Channel  apparently didn’t have a catchy enough trademark or logo to expand its audience among the select demo advertisers prefer, so Tuesday night the rebranded Syfy launches the first new show under this regime,  Warehouse 13.

“We’re looking for an audience a little more female, a little younger, but also something with mass appeal that would be a good companion to Eureka,” Syfy programming executive Mark Stern told USA Today.

Apparently high-quality, thoughtful and well-acted drama doesn’t hook enough of the young, female audience who presumably will find a show like Warehouse 13 as much fun as Gossip Girl or the remake of Melrose Place on the CW.

The good thing about this move is that it brings to the forefront one of television’s best character actors, the venerable Saul Rubinek. At 61, he’s not exactly the youthful stud networks like to have at the center of their programs.

But as the caretaker for a mysterious government repository housing a host of unusual, scary and strange things, Rubinek seems the perfect fit. Another seasoned performer, CCH Pounder, joins him. These two will help balance a show whose two other leads, Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly, lack similar profiles or reputations.

Certainly demographic research didn’t begin in the 21st century, and there have been breakdowns based on a host of categories almost since the beginning of television.

But the huge difference between today and even the ‘90s, let alone the ‘50s or ‘60s, is the sheer devotion to these numbers and the decision to  base content and programming decisions more on demographic background than creative input and strategy.

So much contemporary television, particularly on the networks, looks like cut and paste material filled with recognizable archetypes that someone in marketing or research assumes will lure youthful audiences.

Acting ability, experiences, even fitness for the roles, are secondary to looks and age. That certainly cuts a lot of great performers out of the mix, and is also responsible for why so much network television looks a lot more like country clubs and gyms than communities of living people.

Hopefully, this switch from the Sci-Fi Channel to Syfy won’t also mean a shift away from edgy, provocative programming. Though TNT and USA Network also have their catchphrases and marketing slogans, it hasn’t stopped them from introducing some of the best shows available on television this decade.

Perhaps the folks at Syfy will look beyond the trade name, and continue emphasizing quality productions rather than just trying to be hip and contemporary.

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