SciFi arrives

I am from UK and it would be nice to know if the new Night Stalker series is going to be aired over here on the cable channels like Scifi or ABC1.We always seem to get every thing last over here and it has one of our talented actors Stuart Townsend in the starring roll please e-mail me if there is a chance it will be aired over here.Thanks

Galactica serves all the kudos it has received, but Stargate is much more to SCI FI than a little thing rescued for cancellation on pay cable. SCI FI has become a top 10 cable network in the last two years because of Stargate, which at one point represented more than 20 percent of the network's total primetime air.

That's not really accurate, Jen. SciFi generally does prefer "home grown" content, but synergy and vertical integration hasn't really panned out despite the touting of the various media mergers in the 90s. SciFi's two big hits, those being the "Stargate" franchise, aren't owned by NBC Universal. They are owned by MGM, which is now owned by Sony. SciFi recently acquired the broadcast rights to "Firefly" which is owned by Fox, to coincide with the release of the sequel film, "Serenity," by NBC Universal. The old "Kolchak" tv series is owned by NBC Universal, as was based upon the two original tv movies done by ABC. So sharing and co-partnerships happen often in tv land. "Buffy" and "Angel" both aired on the WB network, but were produced by 20th Century Fox, and while the F/X (Fox) Cable network televises repeats of "Buffy," TNT (owned by Time Warner) repeats "Angel." So to lobby SciFi to carry repeats of the new "Nightstalker" tv series a couple of weeks after it airs on ABC proper is not far-fetched. As for you looking for BBC America to air the new *Doctor Who* in America, don't hold your breath. BBCA is not a basic cable station and has limited viewership compared to SciFi, USA, or TNT. Its as likely to air on BBCA as it is on G4. And Mindshare may be correct about the cheap junk telefilms SciFi airs as being somewhat successful, they aren't critical successes and are not attracting the same folks that tune into BSG. BSG is a critically acclaimed hit, and good enough for NBC proper to also televise. *Mansquito* is not.

It's true. If it weren't for NBC (which I rarely tune in to, except for maybe Scrubs) airing the BSG miniseries, I wouldn't have even known about the series on SciFi (which I never tuned into). Now, with only seeing one season, I've tried to get as many people as I can to tune in. One question I have is why is Season 1 already available on DVD in the UK, but not in the US? http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007L6SA8/202-7752805-5410238

I know a woman online who works for Mindshare, the lead advertising ratings marketing firm, and belive it or not those cheesy scifi movies they are making are BIG in the ratings for them. People evidentially miss the old monster movies. As for picking up the New Night Stalker - won't happen. NBC now owns Scifi, and as you said Night Stalker is going to be on ABC. As far as Doctor Who, haven't seen it, i'm expecting it to turn up on BBCA soon.

If "better" means making throw-away tv films like *Mansquito,* then I guess SciFi is better. If it means SciFi declaring that the new *Doctor Who* "is lacking" (which it isn't in any way) and opts not to pick up the series here in the States - despite the monster success it is currently outside of the States - then the channel is obviously not better. SciFi could do other stuff, like picking up the repeat rights to ABC's upcoming reimagining known as "The Night Stalker" to complement the daytime marathon repeats of "Kolchak the Night Stalker" that SciFi has done for years. Time will tell. If the quality is there, the commercialism will follow.