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Rangers Series?!?!

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by channe:
<font color=yellow>Savant, in your expert opinion - is Rangers doomed?</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
Do you mean doomed with Sci-Fi channel, or overall with any other network?
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SavantB5:
<font color=yellow>>>Sci Fi president Bonnie Hammer said the network will broaden its program scope to bring in a wider audience, adding more fantasy-themed shows and paring down some of its space- and alien-themed action fare.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
Ya know, if you ask me about this quote I would probably put this differently. If Sci-Fi channel needs to focus on anything, its to stop pumping out mindless crap. They are either known for their classic Sci-fi show re-runs, or orignial movie and series productions. And folks, their original productions have been horrid and cheesy with zero potential. I can think of about 3 shows/movies that I have seen on Sci-Fi that have been good, or had lots of potential (including Rangers of course). If they need to change any image, it's this one.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>I think JMS was too happy with Babylon 5 in his last post to be sitting on a cancellation.<hr></blockquote>

I think Savant is right - he was asked about B5 specifically, and answered the question about that show. I don't see what his answer has to do with Rangers, which is a completely different proposition.

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Do you mean doomed with Sci-Fi channel, or overall with any other network?<hr></blockquote>

Well, if even Sci-Fi is cutting back on "space-based shows with aliens" I don't think there's much chance that another network is going to pick the show up. It isn't like the broadcast networks or major cable services are chock-full of series set in space. Barring Enterprise on UPN (which is a unique case) I can't think of any at the moment. And the first-run syndication field is a) crowded and b) dominated by the sort of international co-productions that Warner Bros. has traditionally eschewed.

It is also likely that anyone interested in doing Rangers would also want the rights to the B5 reruns, telefilms and possibly Crusade - and would therefore have to buy Sci-Fi out of its current exclusive contracts for those items. This is one of the things that killed Sci-Fi's attempt to pick-up Crusade back in 1999 remember. History could repeat itself if Sci-Fi were unwilling to give up B5.

I don't see much hope in that direction.

While Sci-Fi is trying to change its image so that people don't think it is only spaceships and aliens, they will probably try to hold onto part of that core audience while attracting new viewers. (Some of the upcoming mini-series are certainly space-based SF.) So Rangers may still be an option for them. They could be holding it in reserve as a possible replacement for when one or more of their other new series inevitably tanks. (Not a comment on the recently announced slate, just the realities of television. Most new series don't make it past - or even out of - their first year on any network.) Or they may still be haggling with Warner Bros. over acceptable terms for doing the show.

At this point the only reason I think the show may still have a chance is that JMS hasn't said otherwise - which I'm sure he will if that happens. After the Sci-Fi deal for Crusade fell through in 1999 he was very direct in telling fans that the show was dead (for the time being) and that it was time to move on. (Granted, he had hopes that WB could move the franchise to Sci-Fi once TNT's exclusive ran out, and that he might get another shot at finishing the show, but that was years in the future, but he still said there wasn't going to be a series and that he was working on other things.)

Regards,

Joe
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SavantB5:
<font color=yellow>Well, everyone was right.

Sci Fi has been negotiating with the producers of a recent movie or mini-series special to make a continuing series.

It's all in a press release they put out today...

Firestarter:Rekindled: The Series

I put all the press releases in another section because none of them say anything about B5. They mention dozens of other projects, though.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Looking beyond my facetious statement above, the thing I find important about them menitoning Firestarter is that it is "to be developed" as in not having an official "go" order.

They aren't above mentioning "in development" series. They've done it many times in the past and the series never appeared.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by channe:
<font color=yellow>Savant, in your expert opinion - is Rangers doomed?</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

I don't think anyone has to be an "expert" to read a lot and pay attention. The key thing is to take off your rose-colored glasses and try to read the signs.

The signs have not been good for Rangers since the thing was produced and they didn't make a positive series decision then.

It's been uphill from there.

Yesterday's announcements are a major sign.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
<font color=yellow>At this point the only reason I think the show may still have a chance is that JMS hasn't said otherwise - which I'm sure he will if that happens. After the Sci-Fi deal for Crusade fell through in 1999 he was very direct in telling fans that the show was dead (for the time being) and that it was time to move on. (Granted, he had hopes that WB could move the franchise to Sci-Fi once TNT's exclusive ran out, and that he might get another shot at finishing the show, but that was years in the future, but he still said there wasn't going to be a series and that he was working on other things.)

Regards,

Joe</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Well, the announcements were only yesterday and I haven't seen anyone post a question to him about them yet. People seem very cautious about addressing him directly with an "ATTN JMS". Someone posted a question without the "ATTN JMS" and he never answered it (may not have seen it, in fact).

I'm not as confident he would bring it up on his own. The Crusade situation was different in that he kept us very aware of what was happening all through the process. I saw him at Gallifrey while it was going on and he told a roomful of people about the negotiations.

If I recall, there were even encouragements to the fans to send letters to SciFi while they were considering things.

Here, he hasn't been as forthcoming. It took him a while even to talk about the ratings (and I think that was after Dylan broke the silence).

I see the situations as being different.

We can all have different opinions on this, but this feels different than that period in February a couple years ago. We even knew back then when the contracts with the actors were running out(mid-July). Here, there aren't any contracts.

Crusade was a real series in production with a staff, a studio, a cast under contract that was waiting to find out if they could resume production. Word HAD to get out to tell those people if they still had jobs to continue.

Rangers is more amorphous.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Recoil:
<font color=yellow>Ya know, if you ask me about this quote I would probably put this differently. If Sci-Fi channel needs to focus on anything, its to stop pumping out mindless crap. They are either known for their classic Sci-fi show re-runs, or orignial movie and series productions. And folks, their original productions have been horrid and cheesy with zero potential. I can think of about 3 shows/movies that I have seen on Sci-Fi that have been good, or had lots of potential (including Rangers of course). If they need to change any image, it's this one.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>


And so what do they do, they go for more cheese and mindless crap. Read the Hollywood Reported article. It's FULL of schlock!

/ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif
/ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif
/ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/mad.gif

That's a 21 Mad Salute.
 
Didn't JMS say resently (paraphrased) that he was tied up until the first season of Jeremiah was finished and that would be in a couple of month? That could be one reason he hasn't said much, if anything, recently about B5 Rangers or other projects he has on his plate.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
<font color=yellow> Well, if even Sci-Fi is cutting back on "space-based shows with aliens" I don't think there's much chance that another network is going to pick the show up. It isn't like the broadcast networks or major cable services are chock-full of series set in space. Barring Enterprise on UPN (which is a unique case) I can't think of any at the moment.
</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Well, UPN did pick up some episodes of Wolf Lake. I don't know if they're going to continue with new stuff though. It's on after Enterprise tonight.



<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
<font color=yellow> It is also likely that anyone interested in doing Rangers would also want the rights to the B5 reruns, telefilms and possibly Crusade - and would therefore have to buy Sci-Fi out of its current exclusive contracts for those items. This is one of the things that killed Sci-Fi's attempt to pick-up Crusade back in 1999 remember. History could repeat itself if Sci-Fi were unwilling to give up B5.

I don't see much hope in that direction.
</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Me either. This sucks. Feels like 1999 all over again. /ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif



<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
<font color=yellow> While Sci-Fi is trying to change its image so that people don't think it is only spaceships and aliens, they will probably try to hold onto part of that core audience while attracting new viewers.
</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

They seem to be trying to attract the cheap and tasteless crowd. IMHO, this will set sci-fi back even further in getting to be taken seriously by the mainstream.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SavantB5:
<font color=yellow>The key thing is to take off your rose-colored glasses and try to read the signs.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Thank you for being so pleasant.

I asked you, as you say you work in a related industry and have knowledge about how these things are done. I don't, for the most part - PR's a big field, and I'm not in entertainment PR, which is its own little world. A lot of others on this board don't, and I asked for them, too.

I don't have rose-colored glasses on. I'm an educated person. I know that, after yesterday's annoucements and the fact that the Sci-Fi Channel seems to be devoted to changing its philosophy, Rangers most likely has a snowball's chance in hell.

But, there's always a chance hell will freeze over... and I want my Sarah Cantrell. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif That doesn't mean I have rose-colored glasses; it just means that I choose to hope for the best until told that the temperature is being turned up. I'm a Catholic; I believe in far more implausible things. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
 
I'm hoping that SFC is going to maybe do a Rangers series later in the year or next year. JMS hasn't officially stated that Rangers is over on SFC. Until he does, I'm not giving up on Rangers. I absolutely hate SFC's new lineup of shows, though. What a bunch of mindless junk! >:p

Tammy
 
I suspect B5 Rangers does not have much hope, given yesterday's announcements. Also I think SciFi's new line up stinks. The only mini-series I'm looking forward to is "Children of Dune" because I enjoyed the SciFi version of Dune.
 
I also saw Battlestar Galactica in there - they may feel that BG fills their "revival" quota. /ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joe Siegler:
<font color=yellow>I also saw Battlestar Galactica in there - they may feel that BG fills their "revival" quota. /ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

It's also a Universal property. With the pending merger with Vivendi, that probably gave it an advantage.

I bet there are some BG fans out there who are happy, though.
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SavantB5:
<font color=yellow>It's also a Universal property. With the pending merger with Vivendi, that probably gave it an advantage.

I bet there are some BG fans out there who are happy, though.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

My wife being one of them. <LOL>
 
I see a lot of people here talking about how there is so much mindless drivel on the Scifi Channel. I really wouldn't know how true that is because I don't watch much TV, let alone tune into the Scifi Channel. I normally work shifts like 2 pm to 11 pm, so I am not usually home during prime time. And I don't watch TV during the mornings and early afternoons because I am usually either working out or on the computer.

But I do agree with those that think that Scifi needs to get down to basics and show good, actual science fiction stuff like B5 and Legend of the Rangers. After all, they are called the "Scifi" Channel. Keep showing the things that I hear they are showing, and they should be called the "Drivel" Channel. /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif
 
I saw the new lineup for the fall season for SFC and it really sucks big time here's to hoping that more than one of there new shows tanks and Rangers comes in it's place .I 'm not giving up the ship until JMS says so
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
<font color=yellow>Well, if even Sci-Fi is cutting back on "space-based shows with aliens" I don't think there's much chance that another network is going to pick the show up. It isn't like the broadcast networks or major cable services are chock-full of series set in space. Barring Enterprise on UPN (which is a unique case) I can't think of any at the moment. And the first-run syndication field is a) crowded and b) dominated by the sort of international co-productions that Warner Bros. has traditionally eschewed.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
The only network I was really thinking of as a possibility was Showtime. Obviously JMS is working on that network currently. They now have a 'Sci-Friday' promotion with Stargate SG-1 and Jeremiah. SG-1 is running its only season on the network before shipping off to Sci-Fi channel, so there will be a void to fill, if they choose to fill it. Since he is currently working on a show on the network, I figured it was a possiblity, if not wishful thinking.

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by RW7427:
<font color=yellow>But I do agree with those that think that Scifi needs to get down to basics and show good, actual science fiction stuff like B5 and Legend of the Rangers. After all, they are called the "Scifi" Channel. Keep showing the things that I hear they are showing, and they should be called the "Drivel" Channel.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
It should be said that using 'B5 and Rangers' as examples of good, actual science fiction may be accurate, but clearly quite clouded as well. There is a lot of good science fiction out there beyond B5. Just not much of it on Sci-Fi Channel these days. /ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif
 
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Recoil:
<font color=yellow>The only network I was really thinking of as a possibility was Showtime. Obviously JMS is working on that network currently. They now have a 'Sci-Friday' promotion with Stargate SG-1 and Jeremiah. SG-1 is running its only season on the network before shipping off to Sci-Fi channel, so there will be a void to fill, if they choose to fill it. Since he is currently working on a show on the network, I figured it was a possiblity, if not wishful thinking.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

Unfortunately, I can't think of a compelling sales pitch for it to Showtime.

Besides, I think they do have a new sci fi show already in the wings. I can't remember its name right now, though.


<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr> It should be said that using 'B5 and Rangers' as examples of good, actual science fiction may be accurate, but clearly quite clouded as well. There is a lot of good science fiction out there beyond B5. Just not much of it on Sci-Fi Channel these days. /ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>

I agree that it's a quite clouded assessment. If you judge the B5LR pilot on its own merits, it's a quite pedestrian space action show in both execution and ideas set forth.

This is where the fans are cued in to say, "...but it has *potential*"...

The bottom line is that while SciFi has been known to take other network's castoffs (Example: Chronicle was developed for NBC), I can't imagine what network would take a show Sci Fi cast off.
 

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