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Date Posted: 07:59:12 09/02/04 Thu
Author: Islandgirl
Subject: Sci-Fi on TV

I got this off the AP Entertainment Wire and thought I would post it here, as it mentions XF quite a bit.

*********

After golden era, science-fiction lovers bemoan decline of their favorite genre on TV|
|By RODNEY HO |
|Cox News Service|
ATLANTA — The ‘‘Star Trek’’ franchise is gasping on galactic fumes. ‘‘The X-Files’’ is not out there anymore. ‘‘Buffy’’ has slayed her last vampire.
These are not heavenly times for sci-fi on television, especially on the six broadcast networks where UPN’s ‘‘Enterprise’’ is arguably the only true science fiction show left standing.
‘‘The end of the ‘The X-Files’ (in 2002) signaled the end of a golden era for sci-fi,’’ said Marc Berman, TV analyst for www.mediaweek.com, who deems this coming season the weakest for the genre in more than a decade.
Fans, who once reveled in ‘‘Futurama’’ and ‘‘Babylon 5,’’ blame the drought on escalating expectations created by movies such as ‘‘Lord of the Rings’’ and ‘‘The Matrix,’’ high production costs compared with cheaper reality shows and the impatience of network executives for quick results.
‘‘People want this big epic,’’ said Jerry Seward, a Saginaw, Mich., resident who will attend his sixth DragonCon science fiction/fantasy convention downtown this weekend. ‘‘They want the special effects that TV can’t possibly afford. They want a great story and great characters like ‘Lord of the Rings.’ TV has a lot to live up to.’’
Any real sci-fi is mostly left now to the Sci-Fi Channel, which runs shows such as ‘‘Stargate SG-1’’ and its spinoff ‘‘Stargate: Atlantis,’’ which is averaging 3.1 million viewers a week this summer, a huge number for cable.
In the meantime, broadcast TV provides a handful of shows that purists would scarcely consider sci-fi, since they lack space travel and futuristic aliens. Fox’s ‘‘Tru Calling’’ — about a woman who is able to go back in time to save people’s lives — is a blend of fantasy, crime and family drama. CBS’ ‘‘Joan of Arcadia’’ involves a teen who talks to God in the guise of real people. ‘‘Smallville,’’ about Superman‘s teen years, attends the ‘‘Dawson’s Creek’’ school of WB youth angst.
One of the most successful of the bunch is ‘‘Charmed,’’ a WB show about a trio of young, sexy witch sisters, which weaves romance and lightweight comedy with a sprinkling of special effects. ‘‘It’s Buffy lite,’’ said Aaron Dunne, a DragonCon organizer who chairs panels about sci-fi on TV.
Surprisingly, the show has charmed its way into a seventh season, an eon for a TV series. ‘‘It never took on the pop culture buzz of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ or ‘Buffy’ but in the end, it has endured,’’ said Brad Turell, a WB spokesman. ‘‘You’re talking empowered females, who are very independent yet vulnerable.’’
Turell said his network never airs sci-fi for its own sake: ‘‘The sci-fi elements create parallel worlds to help describe a point in life the characters were in.’’
Historically, broadcast TV executives have been wary of science fiction, fearful it was too geeky, not mainstream enough. Only a handful of sci-fi shows ever broke it big such as ‘‘The Twilight Zone,’’ ‘‘The Outer Limits,’’ and ‘‘Lost in Space’’ in the 1960s. The original ‘‘Star Trek’’ limped along for just three seasons from 1966 to 1969 before becoming a breakout syndication hit.
The 1970s and most of the ’80s were a black hole for sci-fi, with silly sitcoms such as ‘‘Mork & Mindy’’ and ‘‘Alf’’ and brief runs by the likes of ‘‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’’ and ‘‘Battlestar Galactica.’’
Fortunately for the genre, the first four Star Trek films were hits, leading to the 1987 spinoff ‘‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’’ which took off in syndication and gave sci-fi a lift. But the real blastoff came in 1993 when Fox debuted ‘‘The X-Files,’’ the tale of FBI agents Mulder and Scully. The show quickly entered pop culture lore, jumping into the top 20 and spawning more than a dozen sci-fi/fantasy shows. It relied less on pricey special effects, more on taut writing, a distrust of government and the chemistry between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
‘‘X-Files worked because it was great storytelling,‘‘ said Free Polazzo, 59, of Douglasville, Ga., and lifelong sci-fi fan who owns a software reseller company. ‘‘It wasn’t graphical.’’
But today, with ‘‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’’ and ‘‘The X-Files’’ gone, sci-fi fans are gazing forlornly at the once fabled Star Trek franchise, with the fourth spinoff ‘‘Enterprise’’ on life support.
‘‘Nowadays, it’s almost an embarrassment to be a Star Trek fan,’’ said John Snider, 41, of Roswell, Ga., and editor of www.scifidimensions.com. ‘‘ ‘Enterprise’ is ignoring the canon. They upset people who enjoyed the old Star Trek.’’
Though UPN renewed ‘‘Enterprise,’’ it moved the show from Wednesday to Friday.
‘‘Friday is traditionally a place where shows die, but I don’t think it’s a death knell for us,’’ said Manny Coto, a new ‘‘Enterprise’’ co-executive producer. ‘‘It’s better than when we were up against ‘Smallville.’ ’’
Coto said this season, which starts Oct. 8, will feature plotlines more consistent with past Trek series and stunt casting, such as a possible return of William Shatner from the original series.
If there’s one safe haven for sci-fi fans, it’s the SciFi Channel, which has seen strong ratings growth this past year with a mix of older sci-fi films and shows such as ‘‘Roswell’’ and ‘‘Quantum Leap,’’ along with original miniseries and programs.
‘‘I try to be where people are not, and the fact the major networks are not in my genre couldn’t make me happier,’’ said Mark Stern, a SciFi Channel senior vice president.
He did admit it’s a tough balance keeping the core fans happy while trying to draw a broader audience. Among his upcoming offerings: a reality show following real-life ghost hunters and a revamped version of ‘‘Battlestar Galactica.’’

SCI-FI TV HIGHLIGHTS THE PAST DECADE
HEAVYWEIGHT
‘‘The X-Files’’ (Fox, 1993-2002): This paranoiac’s delight is among broadcast TV’s most successful sci-fi shows. Two FBI agents (one a skeptic, one a believer) investigate the paranormal while hidden forces thwart their progress.

CULT CLASSIC
‘‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’’ (WB, UPN, 1997-2003): Buffy built a cult following with this sometimes dramatic, sometimes campy series. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character slays countless vampires while struggling to be a normal teenager.

CARTOON
‘‘Futurama’’ (Fox, 1999-2003): Matt Groening’s neglected cousin of ‘‘The Simpsons.’’ Set around A.D. 3000, this clever satire pushed all the right geek buttons but never became a mainstay for Fox, frequently pre-empted by sports on Sundays. One episode reunited the cast of the original ‘‘Star Trek.’’

SURVIVOR
‘‘Stargate SG-1’’ (Showtime, Sci-FI Channel, 1997-present, 9 p.m. Fridays): This spinoff of the 1994 movie migrated from Showtime to the Sci-Fi Channel in 2002. Richard Dean Anderson (formerly MacGyver) leads a team of military and science personnel who travel the universe through a portal — or stargate — developed by an ancient civilization. It’s Sci-Fi Channel’s biggest hit and has spawned its own spinoff, ‘‘Stargate: Atlantis.’’

LAST LEGS
‘‘Enterprise’’ (UPN, 8 p.m. Fridays; fourth season starts Oct. 8): Star Trek, in four different reincarnations, has been on syndicated or broadcast TV for 18 consecutive years. The first three drew large, loyal audiences but the latest version has never been a big hit. UPN renewed it, barely, and shunted it to Friday night. This season will feature more stuntcasting, including Brent Spiner, who played Data in ‘‘Star Trek: The Next Generation.’’

SLIGHTLY SCI-FI
‘‘Smallville’’ (WB, 2001-present, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; fourth season starts Sept. 22): Set in Smallville, Kan., this series merges ‘‘Beverly Hills 90210’’-style relationships with classic comic strip powerhouse Superman. It’s been a solid, if not soaring, hit for the WB. This year, Lois Lane will appear for the first time — as a college freshman.
‘‘Charmed’’ (WB, 1998-present, 8 p.m. Sundays; seventh season starts Sept. 12): This ‘‘girl power’’ series, despite the resurrection of Shannen Doherty (since departed) and rise of Alyssa Milano, never got the critical respect or buzz of other WB shows. But the three witches have consistently pulled in strong numbers, especially among young women. Guest starring this year: Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson’s husband.
‘‘Tru Calling’’ (Fox, 2003-present, 9 p.m. Thursdays; second season starts Nov. 4): A recent college graduate working in a morgue finds out from the corpses how they died — then is given a chance to go back in time to prevent the murders. It faces off against ‘‘CSI’’ and ‘‘The Apprentice.’’
‘‘Lost’’ (ABC, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; debuts Sept. 22) Gilligan’s Island meets Jurassic Park. Survivors of a plane crash end up on an isolated island without a single luxury and must contend with supernatural man-eating creatures. Critics liked the pilot episode for its humor and adventure. Producers avoid the word ‘‘sci-fi.’’
‘‘Joan of Arcadia’’ (CBS, 2003-present, 8 p.m. Fridays; second season starts Sept. 24) This isn’t sci-fi in the strict sense but features a girl who talks to God manifested in ordinary people. It was one of the biggest freshman hits last year for CBS and earned three Emmy nominations.

Rodney Ho writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: rho(at)ajc.com
Story Filed By Cox Newspapers
For Use By Clients of the New York Times News Service

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