When it comes to science fiction and network television, it has always been a hit or miss situation (usually leaning more on the miss side.)
For every LOST and Fringe which makes it past 2 seasons, you have Firefly, Earth 2, Tru Calling, Dark Angel, Invasion and countless others that get canceled far before their time.
Because of this, many higher concept sci-fi shows, like the Star Treks, Battlestar Galactica, the Stargates and Babylon 5 are able to thrive on the netlets or cable where the ratings systems are more favorable to this genre.
Why does this happen so frequently? Here’s my four main factors as to why. And mind you, these are just my opinions…mixed in with some fact and experience
1.) Audience:
Ever wonder why the CSIs and the Law & Orders do so well? I used to wonder that too. But think about it. These shows are procedural, meaning that their seasons comprise mainly of standalone episodes week to week. That means the general public can watch an episode without the need to know each and every plot thread that’s been going on week after week.
A big hurdle for many sci-fi shows on the networks is finding a mainstream audience that will keep coming back week after week. This is not just because of a massive mythos or the overall plot threads that run week over week. Sci-Fi shows, particularly high concept ones, still have a primarily negative stigma amongst the mainstream audience. They are seen as inaccessible whether its due to the genre or being able to relate to a character with five eyes or that this show is only for the geeks/fanboys.
And yes, these diehard superfans will tune in each week and sing the show’s praises to anyone who’ll listen, but that is a generally small percentage of the viewing public and not the main target of a network. They want those casual fans, that broad swath of the public who will watch not just the original viewings but the reruns and stay put for the next show on the network’s primetime schedule.
But the key to getting and keeping those casual fans is our next item.
2.) Story-telling:
This actually ties into audience a bit. One of the biggest balancing acts of a mythos heavy sci-fi show is that the overall story arc does not collapse upon its own weight like a Jenga game when one thinks about it for ten seconds. Because if that happens once too often, even a show’s most die-hard fans will turn on it. The best example of this is Heroes. What started off as an exciting and labyrinthine mythos became convoluted, messy and completely illogical.
For instance, one of the many problems were the retcons the show kept making to the show’s huge back history. It made one begin to ask “Do you guys even watch your own show?”
Same thing happened to X-Files in its latter seasons.
Making sure a show’s story arcs remain logical enough is key in keeping the casual fans interested. Because once it gets too much of a chore to keep up with everything, you lose them.
Fringe, so far has been really good at keeping their mythos in tact and continue to build upon it without any glaring holes…yet. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Coupled with having a streamlined, airtight back story, these same story arcs usually take several episodes to resolve. Many viewers simply don’t have the patience for this anymore. Is here a solution? In my opinion, as long as a multi-episode story doesn’t take too long or becomes too boring then the networks should give the show producers a little leeway.
3.) Budget: Like any show on TV, sci-fi shows have set budgets per episode. That at times leads to shortcuts in cool special effects or set pieces if said budget is exceeded, giving the show a very cheap feel to it for viewers expecting and demanding more from a high concept show. But most importantly, the budget can be the kiss of death for even network shows that are doing decently in ratings.
If a show is overly expensive and not blowing up in ratings (i.e. not making enough money in ad dollars), then either the show’s budget will get slashed (hobbling special effects and the use of characters in furthering a storyline) or it will get cancelled. More often than not networks cut their losses and do the latter.
4.) The Network: Sometimes, in pursuit of a cool, buzz-worthy sci-fi show that a network can monetize the crap out of, they are their own worst enemy. And sci-fi shows on network TV get screwed either way. When the show is not living up to the network’s milquetoast view of what sci-fi should be, the show’s concept and sci-fi elements get watered down to nil, pissing off potential fanboys.
But, if the show is a runaway hit, suddenly there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and most don’t know the first thing about cooking! Both are sad to watch, especially when the show’s success leads to a slow painful death due to network in-fighting and power grabs.
So this begs the question, can science fiction shows exist on network television? In my opinion, despite certain rare instances like a LOST, I’d have to say no. There are too many restraints and restrictions that hamper the long term success. I think for now unless certain business policies change, cable (basic or premium) is the safest place for sci-fi to not just survive but actually thrive.
What do you think?
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