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Sci Fi Channel (United States)

SCI FI (originally The Sci-Fi Channel, sometimes rendered SCI FI Channel) is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992,[1] that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. It is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBC Universal.

History

The channel was launched on September 24, 1992 as a joint venture between Paramount Pictures (then self-owned, which was purchased by Viacom in 1994) and Universal Pictures (then part of MCA). In that time, network programming included the old television series Dark Shadows, the film serial Flash Gordon, and other science fiction movies and series.[1]

The channel was seen as a natural fit with classic film and television series that both studios had in their vaults, including Rod Serling's Night Gallery (from Universal TV) and Paramount's Star Trek and classic Universal horror films such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and author Isaac Asimov were among those on the advisory board.[2]

In 1997, Seagram, which bought MCA in 1995, purchased Viacom's interest in USA and Sci Fi, and sold the networks to Barry Diller in 1998 to form USA Networks, Inc. Diller later sold USA's non-shopping (film and TV) assets, including Sci-Fi, to Universal's then-parent Vivendi Universal in 2002. Vivendi's film, television, and cable TV assets were then merged with General Electric's NBC to form NBC Universal in 2004. A high definition version of the channel launched on October 3, 2007 on DIRECTV, on Comcast on April 15, 2008,[3] and Dish Network on April 18 2008.[4]

Series

The channel's most prominent series include Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, "Ghost Hunters", and Stargate SG-1, (picked up from the cable network Showtime after five seasons, and eventually becoming American television's longest running science-fiction series), and its spin-off Stargate Atlantis. Its 2006 series, Eureka was the channel's highest-rated series premiere. In addition to Stargate SG-1, Sci Fi also picked up the cancelled Comedy Central series Mystery Science Theater 3000, running three additional seasons of that show. In 2007, it introduced multiple new series including The Dresden Files, Painkiller Jane, and Flash Gordon, all three being cancelled after the first season. It's also the US home of the revived Doctor Who series. In 2006 SciFi also picked up the World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling show (and brand) ECW. For 2008, Sci Fi has commissioned a full TV series of the web experiment Sanctuary, and has called for two-hour backdoor pilots of the following, Revolution, Warehouse 13, Deputized, True Believer, The Stranded based on the comic series Sci Fi co-produces with comics publisher Virgin Comics[6], and Battlestar prequel Caprica.

Bumpers

In some of Sci Fi Channel's modern-day bumpers, people and animals are fascinated by fantastical and futuristic occurrences. The bumps themselves are original and inspired vignettes of science-fiction/fantasy (e.g., a car which turns into a cube that goes into a woman's purse, a woman getting pricked by a rose and the woman dissolving into water, etc.) in contrast to the programming content of the network itself, with the preponderance of the programming including such films as: 'Supergator', 'The Snake King', 'Chupacabra: Dark Seas', 'Dead and Deader' and so on. The bumpers end with its slogan, "iF", which are two of the letters found in Sci Fi.

Random Facts

• The channel's current logo debuted during the airing of the first installment of Steven Spielberg Presents Taken in December 2002.

References

1. a b Carter, Bill. "USA Buys Sci-Fi Channel". The New York Times: March 31, 1992. 2. Omni (October 1992): "A Channel for Science Fiction" 3. DIRECTV Adds Six HD Channels 4. DISH Network Expands National HD Line-Up 5. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 22nd, 2008.