Programming

SyFy is a television station.  It used to be called SciFi, and the programming was substantially old SciFi, like the name said.  It was great, I tell you.

Then they started filling up programming slots with Professional Wrestling and just plain awful original movies.  And brother I mean awful. Rip-offs so blatant that it embarrassed me just to read the title.  Names like Night of the Living Karaoke and Attack of the 50-Foot Yentl.

Next thing you know they started original programming.  Some good, and some not.  In the good column you get Eureka, in the bad you get all of those Ghost Hunter things.

Fine.

I’m still at a loss as to the reasons behind changing SciFi to SyFy as the brand name of the TV station—I imagine so the name of the station could be copyrighted, but that’s really just a guess.

So, now that we’re into July of 2011, SyFy is beginning new seasons of three of their originals that I really like—Eureka, Warehouse 13, and Haven.  From what I’ve read, here’s some of what to expect:

-In Eureka, a previously dead character will be resurrected to add some grief to Sheriff Carter’s life.  Nothing like a good re-animation to keep the story moving, you know….

-In Warehouse 13, we’ll have the Pete character, but not the Myka character, and that’s going to alter the show greatly.  I’ll give it a try, though.  Pretty cool computer hardware on the show, and that alone is worth taking a peek at…..

-Haven will continue as before.  It’s based on a Stephen King book called The Colorado Kid, but you’d never know that if you’ve read the book and then watched the series.  But I don’t mind—I like them both…..

I understand that Jason Priestly of 90210 fame has been cast in some role on one of these programs. I guess that reports of his demise were regarding his career, not necessarily his actual life.

I’m looking forward to the new season on SyFy for these three shows, plus one new one that they’re trying called Alphas, which looks to be something like the X Men, but with the mental powers of Kreskin.  I’ll give it a try.

But here’s my issue:  the new seasons of these programs are 11 episodes each.  HEY!!  WHAT?!?  That’ll barely take us into September.  What crap. 

I remember, time was, when a TV “season” was 25 or 26 episodes—‘course, I also remember, time was, when you actually had to hit somebody to be charged with assault, so maybe I’ve just outlived my useful time-line. 

Turns out that SyFy is one of the myriad of channels owned by NBC Universal, which is, in turn, a part of General Electric.  So, the same corporate entity that’s responsible for the micro seasons is also responsible for those odd little light bulbs that we seem to be saddled with now.  I’m unsure if that tidbit of knowledge makes me feel better or worse…..

Me?  I’ll watch this stuff until the extended time periods between the seasons, such as they are, cause me to lose interest.  I have a history with this same issue—I was a viewer drop-out of The Shield a few years ago.  It was an entertaining romp, but the seasons were too short, and the time between them was too long, and I lost interest.

And that was that.