Sci-Fi News and Reviews

Bad News for Fall Sci-Fi?

With the fall television season rapidly approaching, I am starting to get excited. I am putting together my spreadsheet of the entire television schedule, then I will painstakingly plot out which shows will be recorded on each of my TiVos, just like everyone else (heh...yeah, I'm obsessed).

But, in my research, I am finding a lot of negative news on the Sci-Fi genre shows. To wit:

Sarah Connor Chronicles - "Story revamped after Virginia Tech shootings"

Journeyman - "the pilot...is being revamped and reshot to clarify the story and prepare it for a regular series run"

Jericho - "Shortened order calls for storyline switch"

Supernatural - "...skeptical reaction among fans toward plans to bring on two female characters in the upcoming third season"

Bionic Woman - "The supposedly feminist sub-text is ladled on with a trowel...the effects are rubbish...at the moment, it's a great big lump of generic sci-fi travelling under an old show's name"

Moonlight - E! Online's Jennifer Godwin is reporting that David Greenwalt's stay with the upcoming CBS series as an executive producer will be brief, leaving the show after what the network described as "creative reasons."

Individually, none of these seem to be a death knell for any show. Obviously, I consider pilot reworking a somewhat bad thing - you don't see "Pushing Daisies" or "Reaper" with any bad press like you do for "Sarah Connor" or "Journeyman". However, when all of the reports are put together, it paints a dim picture of the shows that we are going to see this season. Heck, I am not deluded enough to think that all of the Sci-Fi shows will make it to a second season. But, from what I am seeing, there may be a few more early casualties this year.

For the record, I think "Supernatural" will be fine. I trust Eric Kripke to continue the high quality of the show. Similarly, despite the poor review, I think "Bionic Woman" will survive, although my expectations have been lowered. David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica") will work this out.

However, I think "Moonlight" is in particular trouble. David Greenwalt is a genius; he creates things I like to watch! So, if he has "creative differences" with the "Moonlight" powers that be, it is not likely a good thing. Couple that with the inauspicious Friday night scheduling and you have the season's first cancelled show.

Posted by Fred on July 30, 2007 5:14 PM
Permalink |

Ausiello from Tvguide.com reported that David Greenwalt left "Moonlight" because of health issues: exhaustion, not creative differences. Creative differences is always the first assumption when someone exits a show, but that isn't always the case! I heard that "Dark Angel" and "Millenium's" Chip Johannessen has stepped into the Executive role. (Reported by moonlightfans.com)

-- Posted by: KayDee at August 2, 2007 4:32 AM

Ausiello does good work. KayDee - you've got it right.

I just picked up a story from the Hollywood Reporter on this and it also confirms that Chip Johannessen will be the new showrunner. So the "Moonlight" news isn't all bad! The article notes that Greenwalt left for "personal and health reasons", which could be some spin and some truth.

The Friday night debut still has me worried, though...

-- Posted by: Fred at August 2, 2007 11:22 AM

The Friday night debut doesn't have me as worried as if the show were premiering on Fox! With bookends of the surprisingly successful (to me, anyway) "Ghost Whisperer" and much-watched "Numb3rs," the death-knoll isn't as ominous as it could be ... I hope!

-- Posted by: KayDee at August 2, 2007 1:32 PM

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