Should DS' Former Home Now Be Called The Giant Insects Channel?

[David]

Sci Fi Channel REALLY SUCKS these days.

The former home to DS used to run a number of classic TV shows and wonderful films.
They were smart enough to hang onto Twilight Zone, and at least they added Tales From the Dark Side, but now fully half their schedule is devoted to the worst giant insects/lizard movies imaginable.
Movies so bad they're not even campy!

Plus, they have a wrestling show that's completely unrelated to sci~fi or horror!!!

Sci Fi has lost it's way, & I suspect that the new Chiller Channel, which is NBC owned like Sci-Fi, will soon suffer the same fate.

I think DS would do much better on SoapNet or on Showtime's horror channel Showtime Beyond, than on any of these shitty NBC owned channels!

Showtime Beyond does air a number of British & Japanese horror/sci-fi series, in addition to movies, & is commercial free.
Encore Mysteries might also work.
Encore Westerns shows a lot of cowboy TV from the 50s & 60s.
Encore Mysteries, also commercial free, could work.....

David

[Brandon Collins]

Yea, I can't tell you how long it's been since I've watched the SciFi channel. Occasionally I'll hang there if they have a decent movie on, that's not one of their crappy B-movie wannabes. I can't believe how bad those movies really are. I mean, I can usually stand to sit through a horrible movie, but I just HAVE to turn the channel when a movie of their's comes on. Maybe if they got something like Tales from the Crypt, then I'd watch them again.

Oh, and I watch Firefly if it's on that channel.

[David]

If Soapnet were smart, they'd show DS back to back with the other vampire soap, Port Charles, which they already air.
If they were smarter, they'd throw the witchcraft themed Passions, about to end it's NBC run, into the mix.

David

[Willie]

I don't think it would be terribly smart for Soapnet to pick up Passions, which was not only cancelled by NBC, but by the Sci-Fi Channel as well.  There's this little problem with nobody wanting to watch it   

[David]

 
In 1969, NBC cancelled Star Trek because no one was watching.

In the 70s & 80s, DS reruns were cancelled on many stations because no one was watching.

In 1991, the Dark Shadows revival was cancelled because no one was watching.

It is now known that a lot of people were watching,.
AC Neilsen undercounts quite a bit.

Passions' fan base has cried out so loudly that now several other networks are looking into continuing the show.

David

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In 1991, the Dark Shadows revival was cancelled because no one was watching.

I understand the point you're making with your post, and it's a valid one - but I don't know if anyone can say that the '91 DS was canceled because no one was watching. The show averaged 15 million viewers - numbers almost any show would kill for nowadays (especially on a Friday!) - it's 18-49 demographics were extremely solid - and it was often NBC's highest rated show on Friday nights.    The main problem was Warren Littlefield, who'd succeeded Brandon Tartikoff as head of NBC programming, wasn't exactly as big a supporter of the show as Tartikoff had been. Later Littlefield came to regret his decision to cancel the show and actually approached DC about continuing it as a series of 2-hour made-for-TV movies (similar to what NBC was doing with Perry Mason), but DC rejected that idea.

[dom]

Later Littlefield came to regret his decision to cancel the show and actually approached DC about continuing it as a series of 2-hour made-for-TV movies (similar to what NBC was doing with Perry Mason), but DC rejected that idea.

I didn't know that, MB - Knocked me right out of my moderating trance.

[Willie]

So, because there are a few shows that, decades after their cancellation, experienced a resurgence in popularity and became cult hits, that somehow means that it would be profitable to continue production of every show that gets cancelled, immediately after its cancellation?  Sorry, I don't follow 

Just kidding David, it's just a TV show, I'm not going to argue about it.

[David]

I know it's just a TV show, Willie.
Truthfully, I could live with or without DS or Passions.

But my whole life, I've been put down for loving these shows & I get mad about it sometimes.
And I'm talking about from people I consider friends!

David

[Willie]

People will sometimes think I'm a bit odd because I can recite pretty much every epsiode of Star Trek and can talk at length about starship drive systems and how it would be impossible for transporters to work.  I've even read The Physics of Star Trek    I just kind of laugh and say, yup, I'm a bit of a geek 

[David]

I make jokes about my "geekhood" too.

But when friends constantly make snide remarks about the things I like it gets annoying.

I actually ended a long term friendship~~a childhood friend~because the guy just wouldn't stop making nasty remarks about DS, and snide put downs of me for liking it.

I always respected his likes & dislikes & expected the same in return.

David

[Raineypark]

People will sometimes think I'm a bit odd because I can recite pretty much every epsiode of Star Trek

There was a moment in time when I could do the same thing with "Miami Vice".....but I'm still in awe of all the people here who can do it with Dark Shadows.....there's just so MUCH of it.......

[Brandon Collins]

It still amazes me how some people on this board can answer just about any question about DS from the top of their head, or so I assume. There are over 1000 episodes, 5 years worth of show, and I can't remember anything but basic plotlines and some certain plot points that occur.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I can't remember anything but basic plotlines and some certain plot points that occur.

But we don't hold that against you. Honest. 

Some people might say that because you're about half the age of a lot of us around here, that should be to your advantage - but in this case maybe it's actually a disadvantage because you haven't had the chance to see the DS episodes as often as some of us who are twice your age have.    But I'm sure you'll catch up one day.

[David]

There are entire scenes from 1795 & 1995 that I have memorized, even though I've never read them on paper!

And the 1795 narraton: "a seance has been held...."  has been etched in my memory for decades!

Willie, I do apologize for having gotten a little testy with you!

David