Sci-Fi Storm

On the next Z Nation, Macy and Abby reunite with the other survivors and travel to an all-female commune. Although it may first appear to be a hidden paradise, someone won’t make it out alive. Watch “Sisters of Mercy” Friday night at 10/9c!
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Recently as part of last month’s Syfy Press Tour, I had the chance to talk with some of the executives with Syfy, notably Dave Howe, President, and Bill McGoldrick, Executive Vice President for Original Programming, who had just joined the channel about a year earlier. They talked about where the channel is heading, trying to get back on track with genre programming.

First, I have to say, these guys take a lot of heat. Of course, someone has to be the lightning rod, and they are at the focal point. But they have to make a lot of hard business decisions and canceling a show is never good for those that watch it, but many complaints are from people who really don’t have any idea of how television works or how the programs they watch really get paid for. No network is going to keep a show that isn’t making money for them, just because what viewers it has are loyal. Loyalty doesn’t pay the bills. If it is borderline they may take a chance – but they need to get advertisers to pay. So many times I see, “They canceled X just so they could show wrestling and reality shows…I’m never watching Syfy again!” First off, such a statement is stupid. It means they are willing to not watch a great program just because they perceive that they were personally slighted. Aside from that, Syfy’s never canceled a show just to show wrestling or anything else. A show gets canceled because the advertisers won’t pay enough for it to be produced. In rare cases as show might be “profitable”, but if the margin is slim and can be improved by something else, it gets replaced.

It isn’t about pure ratings numbers either. Why would a scripted show that gets 2 million viewers per episode get canceled, to be replaced by a unscripted show that gets less than a million? Because that unscripted show is a LOT cheaper to produce, and therefore doesn’t need as many eyes watching it to have better profitability. Every network has done this, and it is a slippery slope (not helped that many were pushed down that slope by writers strikes a few times), but eventually there is a bounceback to original scripted programming as audiences tire of the heavy derivative reality stuff. Networks have learned more moderation is necessary in the mix of programming.
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HBO has given a series commitment to Westworld, a remake of the 1973 classic movie from Michael Chricton about a world at the dawn of artificial intelligence and it’s use in a theme park when things go horribly wrong.

The new Westworld comes from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros TV, along with Jonathan Nolan (Person Of Interest), Lisa Joy (Burn Notice), and producer Jerry Weintraub. Joy wrote the pilot.

The series boasts a star-studded cast, including Sir Anthony Hopkins in his first TV role, along with Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Miranda Otto and Jeffrey Wright.

The creator of a big part of my childhood passed away.

Glen A. Larson, best known as the creator of many science fiction shows as well as a variety of other popular shows in the 70s and 80s, passed away at the age of 77.

Larson was responsible for not only Battlestar Galactica, perhaps what he was best known for despite it only lasting one season, but he created such long running shows as Quincy, M.E., Magnum P.I., The Six Million Dollar Man, The Fall Guy, B.J. and the Bear, and Knight Rider.

Somewhat controversial, he was often accused of borrowing ideas from popular movies at the time for his TV shows, although that appears to be how Hollywood operates these days.

Many of his programs have been remade years later (Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica), or have been floating around in development (The Six Billion Dollar Man, The Fall Guy).

Larson had hopes of doing his own remake of Battlestar Galactica, but Universal instead opted for the version that was produced for Syfy. He still had plans in the works for it, however.

He will be missed.

On Friday’s Haven, Dr. Cross could expose Haven’s secrets to the outside world, but does she have her own agenda? Tune in for “Mortality”, tomorrow night at 7/6c on Syfy!
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Syfy has set their schedule for the Thanksgiving weekend, chock full of black gooey goodness…

Syfy will kick off the movie fun on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27 beginning at 9:30AM (ET/PT) with 2001: A Space Odyssey, followed by Star Trek Nemesis, Space Cowboys, Stargate and Poseidon.

To get fans ready for the return of Helix, Syfy will telecast the entire first season of the hit drama on Friday, November 28 from 6AM-6PM. The Black Goo Friday marathon features cast interviews as well as a never-before-seen sneak peek of Season 2, which premieres Friday, January 16 at 10PM.

Haven (7PM), SmackDown (8PM) and Z Nation (10PM) will comprise the Friday primetime schedule.

The Saturday, November 29 movie marathon will begin at 10AM, highlighted by classic science fiction flicks ranging from Fifth Element and Terminator 2 to Blade: Trinity.

The holiday programming extravaganza will conclude on Sunday, November 30, beginning at 10:30AM, with movies such as 30 Days of Night and The Happening.

In Friday’s Z Nation, the survivors must clash with an army of glowing, radioactive zombies to prevent a nuclear disaster. Tune in for “Going Nuclear” Friday night at 10/9c on Syfy!
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With Syfy’s renewed focus on the genre from which it was born, the upcoming event series Ascension leads the way on full thrust.

The concept is interesting – part science fiction, part period drama, part murder mystery. At the height of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, in order to unsure that the Human race will survive, in 1963 the U.S. launches the U.S.S. Ascension, a secret mission to launch humanity to the stars. Carrying 600 men, women and children, the Ascension is 50 years in to their multi-generational mission and approaching the point of no return, when the first ever murder takes place on board. With no way to get advice back from Earth and no one trained in murder investigations, a web of intrigue and secrets might get unraveled and reveal the true secrets about the Ascension.

One of the intriguing parts of the show is going to be at the society level. If you took 600 people from 1963 – before women’s liberation, the Civil Rights movement, technological advancements, modern terrorism, and all the other things shaping our society, and placed them in a town with no outside influence but with the technology and a library of written knowledge and entertainment available at the time. Place a fixed restriction on resources, which would necessitate a strict limitation on population – forced birth control (something that was even more controversial back then), birth rights, etc.

What would happen over time?
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A few casting additions were made today. First up, Syfy and Universal Cable Productions have cast Stella Maeve (Chicago PD), Hale Appleman (Teeth) and Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) in key roles for the upcoming pilot The Magicians, an adaptation of Lev Grossman’s beloved #1 New York Times best-selling book series, which begins production in New Orleans this December. Acclaimed independent film producer Mike Cahill (I Origins, Another Earth) is signed on to direct.

Stella Maeve will play the beautiful and confident Julia, a wealthy and brilliant Ivy-Leaguer who seems destined for success. But Julia’s future plans are forever altered after she is denied admittance to the mysterious Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy. Unaccustomed to failure, Julia finds life meaningless now that the possibilities of a previously unseen magical world have been denied to her. But she may get another chance to pursue a career in magic when she’s recruited by a secret society. Maeve can currently be seen in a recurring role on the NBC series Chicago PD. She most recently starred in the independent features Dark Summer opposite Keir Gilchrist, All Together Now, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and Independent Spirit Award-winner Starlet. Previously, Maeve co-starred with Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in The Runaways. Maeve is repped by Paradigm Agency and Principato-Young Entertainment.

Hale Appleman will portray Eliot, a student at the Brakebills who is an odd combination of a preppy with intrinsic coolness. Effortlessly hip, with his air of self-possession, Eliot is accustomed to commanding any clique, and he’s a natural leader of his fellow magical students. He will prove a sometimes frustrating ally in Quentin’s fortunes — and may soon factor into a series of perilous adventures. Appleman played Tobey Cobb in the 2007 film Teeth. He made his film debut in Chad Lowe’s feature Beautiful Ohio, and portrayed cartoonist Judd Winick in Pedro, Nick Oceano’s 2008 film dramatizing the life of AIDS educator Pedro Zamora. He also recurred on NBC’s Smash. His theater credits include Alex Timbers’ The Last Goodbye, which was at the Old Globe in San Diego, and Streamers on Broadway. He is represented by Innovative Artists and D2 Management.

Arjun Gupta will portray Penny, a young man with an edgy look and attitude. He’s deliberately intimidating to Quentin, his new roommate and fellow magic student at Brakebills. A reluctant telepath, he is bedeviled by voices that hint at pathways to other worlds. Gupta played Sam in the first three seasons of Nurse Jackie opposite Edie Falco, and currently recurs on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder. Gupta is repped by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment.

Also announced is that Bridget Regan, who we loved in Legend of the Seeker and has also appeared in Beauty and the Beast, White Collar and most recently in Jane the Virgin, is joining Marvel’s Agent Carter in a recurring role as Dottie, a small town Iowan girl who will have a big impact on Agent Carter.

When Audrey and other residents are overcome by a mysterious illness, the truth about the Troubles could be exposed to the outside world. Check out the preview below, and tune in for “Morbidity” Friday at 7/6c on Syfy!

As a side note, Syfy announced that WWE Smackdown, which has owned Friday nights for a long time, will move to Thursdays starting January 15th. This will free up the 8-10pm slot on Friday, which could allow Haven to move up to a better slot – it was moved to Friday due to the competition from NFL Thursday night games, but because Smackdown wasn’t going to budge from its slot (it is after all regularly beating all other cable programming), and Z Nation was hitting it big at 10pm, it only left 7pm for Haven. So let’s hope it moves up to 9pm with the switch and Syfy gives it a boost with a catch-up marathon or something.
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