Where have all the good shows gone?


There are some members of the media asking, whether or not the end of one of the most popular syndicated action series, Xena: Warrior Princess, signals the end of syndicated action programs. The answer is an unequivocal YES! According to the majority of reports from the entertainment industry, more changes may soon be on the horizon for the syndicated action television market. Changes in which shows like Relic Hunter, LEXX: The Dark Zone Series and Stargate SG-1 may very well disappear in to the realm of Television History.

One of the main reasons behind the coming change is not low ratings or loss of fan support, but is, to put it simply, financial ‘cost effectiveness’. Through hours of research it has been discovered that it is more cost effective for the SCI-FI Channel and FOX (to name a few) and companies like Tribune Entertainment to produce, distribute and market their own shows, rather than those series created by other (smaller) companies.

Another reason for the decline in syndicated action shows is that many lose viewers because of constant pre-emptions due to Sporting events or movies. Or they’re relegated to horrible weekend timeslots where they are unable to shine or live up to their full abilities.

One such program was Babylon 5, whose timeslot was often changed at the whim of the networks which aired it, the series rallied but it was a constant up hill battle. Babylon 5’s epic battle included Season 5 not airing in Canada until Space: The Imagination station started to air it almost a full year after it had aired in the United States on TNT.

If the syndicated action market does die off Sci-Fi fans may be affected the most and in a big way. A big portion of Sci-Fi TV shows are now shown on networks all over the globe are syndicated and part of the action hour syndication market. This change is due, in a very large part, to the recent expansions of the WB and UPN networks.

Already Sci-Fi fans have seen previews of the coming change in the cancellation of shows like Jack-of-all-Trades, which starred fan favourite, Bruce Campbell and the sequel to J. Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5 entitled Crusade.

Trivia Question:

What Babylon 5 co-star starred opposite Patrick Swayze in “Next of Kin”?

Last Week's Answer: Who played Doctor Smith in the original Lost in Space? Doctor Smith was portrayed by Jonathan Harris.

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The copyright of the article Where have all the good shows gone? in Sci-Fi TV is owned by Tanya M. Blakeley. Permission to republish Where have all the good shows gone? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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