Rise and fall of the Sci-fi programming lineup.
Science-Fiction.
The great Robert A. Heinlein wrote “A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method.” He immediately adds that if you “strike out the word ‘future’ it can apply to all and not just almost all SF.”
No where in Heinlein’s description of Science-Fiction does that include the ridiculous antics of your parent company, NBC-Universal; unless we are to assume that your silly head of programming has been assimilated by some sort of mutant, brain eating entity.
We are now subjected to the absolute lunatic compulsions, and, I might add, a complete lack of integrity, from your staff.
Wrestling? Is this an episode of the Twilight Zone? Probably not, you buried that to 1:00am on some odd day of the week ensuring that your stock viewership will indeed miss it.
Perhaps our plebeian palate is not attuned to your fine sense of taste. Perhaps we, and yes, I am speaking for your viewership as a whole, is so beaten down by your recent programming choices, that we are unable to recognize what sci-fi is.
Not very likely.
The loyal viewers have managed to stick with the channel even through the most ridiculous decisions were made. We have braved insulting infomercial after infomercial, watched you kill Dark Shadows, even watched you turn the last Dungeon’s and Dragon’s movie into a three hour blitz of advertisements (the actual movie is 105 minutes long).
Wrestling, however, is unforgivable.
Spike plays wrestling, but at least they play Star Trek. Check your schedules, I am willing to bet the are close to have the same amount of “sci-fi” content your channel has. Think about that for a moment.
Wait? Did you hear that? Asimov is weeping from beyond. He would have never participated on the board if he knew this is what it would become.
His weeping is echoed by your viewership.
What a cheap, and hopefully, devastating move this turns out to be. Perhaps when the accountants, soulless as they may be, crawl up from their conglomerate crypt, they will take mercy on your foolishly ignorant staff.
Zombies would be considerably more kind to you than the evil with whom you are in league with finds out the ratings of prime-time “Wrestling”.
Don’t even get me started on Law and Order. What a joke. Hopefully the person that made that decision has been put to pasture, or at least took the honorable path, and killed himself in front of his webcam. What’s next? Regurgitating Dateline for Fridays? Is Chris Matthews going to complain his way into the Sunday lineup?
RIP Sci-Fi channel 1992-2006.
