In what looks to be a cost-cutting decision, NBC has decided to air Day One – a sci-fi drama from Heroes scribe Jesse Alexander – as a four-part miniseries, Variety reports. NBC had originally planned to air the high-concept show as a 13-episode series after the Winter Olympics, but will now see how the miniseries performs before opting to order more episodes. The move comes less than a week after ABC decided to air the first four episodes of V, its much-anticipated reboot of the NBC miniseries, in November and then hold off airing future installments until March. Production of the reboot, which stars Elizabeth Mitchell and Scott Wolf, has been shut down for several weeks and staff changes were made to the writers room. It will still debut Nov. 3, however.
News of the unique rollouts for Day One and V comes amid rampant speculation that the broadcast networks are starting to reconsider the viability of sci-fi dramas (in fact, one rumor making the rounds is that V characters aren’t even allowed to use the word alien to describe the visitors that arrive via spaceships, though ABC denies this). Worries about the genre are certainly warranted: Fox dramas Fringe and Dollhouse are showing double-digit drops in viewers this season and both are steeped in sci-fi lore. A network like ABC, which appeals to a broad audience with character-driven dramas like Desperate Housewives, can’t exactly afford to air a niche performer. Even the FlashForward producers are hesitant to call their drama a sci-fi; they recently hinted to EW that the global catastrophe which caused everyone to black out may have been caused by a natural occurrence. As for programming sci-fis, an ABC insider told EW, “It’s all about trying to find the right balance.”
Not everyone is convinced the Big Four nets should run scared from the sci-fi biz. “There’s not going to be a (sci-fi) show that pulls in 20 million viewers,” cautions Shari Anne Brill, a senior VP in charge of programming and audience analysis at media-buying firm Carat. “But I absolutely think there is a place for them. If there’s good mythology and good storytelling, it can be done.”
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Isn’t Flash Forward considered sci-fi? That’s what my Comcast description of it said.
Yes. A show about the whole world blacking out and seeing their future is definitely sci-fi. And the show did very well in its premiere.
Flash Forward is sci-fi, but so far only in basic premise. The core of the show is instead focused primarily on mystery and the character-driven components, like LOST did in its first season. They can slowly reveal more sci-fi elements once they’ve hooked viewers and the audience can “get used” to it.
And a lot of the actors are being told to stress in their interviews about the show that the cause of the blackout will turn out to be of human and not supernatural/alien origin.
I’m all for Sci-fi miniseries, if it gets them on the screen and not cancelled after few episodes or first season… i’m thinkin «INVASION».
Using Fringe as an example of the decline of sci-fi isn’t really fair. FOX moved it into the most competitive time slot on television, so of course it’s suffered a decline.
thats actually not truw. Thursdays are the most competitive slot especially at eight. FlashFoward, Survivor, comedy thursdays on NBC, Greys anatomy, and Vampire Diaries.
Exactly…and FOX moved Fridge to Thursdays…
The networks are digging their own graves here – they develop a history of having no faith or patience in their own shows, which makes viewers leery of tuning in to any new show for fear it will be yanked off the air. This of course leads to low ratings and the show being yanked off the air. And, I think the lower ratings for Fringe are mostly to due to Fox’s idiotic decision to move it to the absolute worst time slot of the week.
I totally agree-I don’t want to get involved in a new show that will be taken out after 2 or 3 shows. Been there, done that. I love sci fi! we do need more
I can see why they turned it into a miniseries.
Just look at the funny blank stares the cast members are giving!
EXACTLY — just like an episode of Kyle XY. Furrowed brow, blank stare, mildly childlike demeanor. Here’s my Kyle XY Smiley… {:-|
Bring Back Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicle and I would watch their networks
I have to agree that if you want a Scifi show or any show to work you need to put it in a good slot for that show.
Flash Forward is a sci-fi show and it did fine. FOX can’t complain about Fringe’s ratings since they moved into that terrible timeslot on Thursday. Of course the ratings are down. Duh.
FlashForward had a rather impressive premiere. Heroes, despite being rather crap, still manages to pull in decent ratings (and pulled in good ratings for the first three seasons). Lost manages pretty damn well. Fringe also pulls in good numbers. Even Dollhouse gets decent ratings. Not every show that networks put on the air is going to be a big hit, but sci-fi really doesn’t seem to be a doomed genre, not any more so than any other genre.
And maybe Day One will be crap, but I was honestly quite excited about it, and despite being a professed sci-fi fan, I am very wary of shows within the genre. I hope that the miniseries turns out to be good and, if so, that NBC will maybe take a risk and make it into a proper series.
I don’t know about Day One but i was looking forward to V, oh shut up about Sarah Connor Chronicles, I hated that show. It was so boring. Flashforward is a hit as far as I know, the problem is the networks want to create TV for idiots.
You know, I’m not that into sci-fi, but I started watching BSG because everyone said it was one of the best shows around…and now it’s one of my favorite shows of all time. And my other fave shows are Grey’s, Lost, and Gossip Girl. Maybe the networks don’t have enough faith in their shows or audiences.
Fringe really isn’t a good example because it had a good first season ratings-wise, but has fallen on hard times because of FOX’s decision to move it to the ultra-competitive Thursday at 9 timeslot.
FOX just wants to do better on Thursday nights. They knew the show wouldn’t beat Grey’s or CSI– but beating NBC? Shooting fish in a barrel.
Look at NBC’s entire schedule. Some half hour comedies, some 20/20 type news shows and Leno. TV Guide quotes that no matter what happens Leno is positioned 4th. That only works if you think the ratings cover only the Big Networks. USA, Spike, SciFi et al have audiences and worthwhile programmimg. Yes, some of these are owned by NBC. So move Day One to where it belongs. Cable !
No, don’t move it to cable. USA was airing The 4400 and went and cancelled that one without even resolving any of the story line 0 because of ratings. The 4400 was one of my top 5 shows of all time, it was fantastic. Had it been on any of the three big networks it woulda been bigger than Heroes and would still be around.
I have to agree with the folks who said Fringe is suffering b/c of it’s time slot. I know I can’t watch it b/c my husband already has two other things taping at the same time so I am planning on watching it in reruns. I have heard great things about it though and am looking forward to catching up.
You don’t have to wait until the episode repeat. You can catch Fringe at both hulu.com and fancast.com. One advantage to watching it online is there there are far fewer commercials.
NBC is probably right, because based on their past behavior they wouldn’t promote the show the way it should be anyway, which would lead to less interest. Also, alot of viewers have tried to invest in sci-fi shows on the main networks before, only to have the show cancelled on them halfway through w/ no reconciliation of plot, so why even bother. Personally, I watched Flash Forward last week but this week I passed for SNL because I figured that its not going to last anyway. And if it does for some reason and become a hit, I’ll just catch up w/ the season 1 dvd during the summer!
Oh…one more thing! That promo photo of the cast-Heroes much? Can’t NBC at least think of a different way to have a cast photo?? That looks identical to the season 1 photos of the Heroes cast.
I had to give up “Fringe” because it comes on at the same time as “Grey’s Anatomy.” That was the hardest cut I’ve ever had to make…
I agree about Fringe. I really wish it wasn’t on Thursdays.
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The reason sci fi is doing poorly is because the shows that air now are terrible. Flash Forward blows. Fringe is a half-baked X-Files. Dollhouse is for nerds hot for Eliza Dushku. Who wants to what this crap?
your mom blows
your mother is a moron like you
Tuesdays was a great day to air Fringe. I don’t understand the logic behind moving it to Thursdays. I’m surprised that anyone is surprised that there has been a drop in viewership since its move to Thursdays.
I still watch Fringe, but I no longer watch it when it’s on TV. I suspect many other viewers share viewing habits similar to mine.
It’s no wonder Fringe has had viewers drop off! Why did fox move it to thursday night against CSI and Grey’s Anatomy. What were they thinking. It was perfectly fine on Tuesday nights which by the way has the worst fall line up. There is nothing on! Please FOX don’t kill another great show!
ABC has a long history of canceling good new shows without giving them much of a chance. Shows like “Sports Night”, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” & “Dirty Sexy Money” were all critically acclaimed but there was very little advertising for any of these shows, if any once they started so how can ABC expect them to get high ratings?
The best example to me is 2000’s “Wonderland” which was canceled after only 2 episodes. I had never even heard of this show until DirectTV picked it up and aired the 8 episodes that had been filmed and commercial free to boot.
Thanks to The 101 Network, I was able to see one of the best television shows I have seen in years, if not ever! Why after only 2 shows ABC felt this intelligent, wonderfully acted, suspenseful, emotionally charged show was “too much” for viewers to handle claiming the shows subject matter was too disturbing. ABC needs to give their viewers some credit. You can see mental illness in some form in just about any of the reality shows that have been getting good ratings for years now.
So now with word of “V” only getting the first 4 episodes aired in November and the rest (possibly) 4 months later in March, I have decided that I will be skipping this show altogether as once again, ABC is already giving up on a show before it ever airs.
I wish that “Flash Forward” was on any other network because I fear it will have the same outcome if its ratings dip slightly from it’s premier because with the finale of “LOST” just around the corner, “Flash Forward” was a show I was really looking forward to and it did not disappoint during it’s premier.
So please ABC, leave this show alone. Don’t send it the way of other great shows like “Wonderland”, “Dirty Sexy Money”, “Life on Mars” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”, “Sports Night”. Try for quality for a change even if the ratings are not top 20!
Studio 60 was an NBC show– but you made a valid point.
GREAT post. Very well thought out and stated. Thanks!
I think sci fi shows have it more difficult because their audiences are more demanding and they really get invested, so they are not as likely to handwave as much. Fringe and Dollhouse are suffering because they’re not up to par quality wise, not because there isn’t an audience for sci fi shows.
I couldn’t disagree with your assessment of Fringe more.
Maybe there afraid of “Jericho”
I don’t think sci-fi is the problem, I think the problem is networks don’t know how to handle them. They aren’t sure how to promote them to appeal to a wide audience, unsure of how much to show, to hint at, to hide. It is too much of a guessing game in this market based on numbers. Fringe is a quality show and was doing fine in its original timeslot, but the networks feel the need to compete against each other all on one or two nights. If a show drops in the numbers against 10 other shows, is it really a surprise?
can’t wait for story on this
And not to bash the Gay community, but give us a break !!, I would like to see a scifi movie thats adventurous and exciting without having to watch some guy scream like a woman and some chick beat the crap out of a dude and smack him, then he cries,, now if you have class Like Tyler Perry I’ll watch your movie, or even stephen speilberg
What?
Yeah, there’s a good place for them and its called CABLE television. Screw network television and their bean counters.
some people like me A 15 year old girl can’t afford cable and their parents can’t either! do you except me to pay 100 bucks a month? GET OVER YOURSELVES, RICH PEOPLE! you are no better than anyone else and i deserve to watch these shows it’s not our fault’s the shows have lower ratings.