Dear Sci-Fi Channel...

[Suu]

I actually ganked this from a site:

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/01/scifi-open-lett.html

Dearest Sci-Fi,

Why are you not way more awesome?

Don't get me wrong, when you're good—like with Battlestar Galactica or Eureka (and I'll even give you credit for Doctor who, despite that being a BBC show you just imported)—you're a phenomenal destination network. But let's be honest here, there's not a lot of "good" on your schedule. The Stargate franchise is stale, Flash Gordon (left) is a derisible, stillborn remake, and ECW Wrestling is...wrestling! (And I swore an oath never to speak of Who Wants to Be a Superhero again.)

The thing that infuriates me is that you have so much potential. We're living in the Age of the Geek, where pop culture has finally come around to our way of thinking. Where the most-watched shows on TV are geek-nip like Heroes, Lost, and Bionic Woman; where we buzz about movies like Pan's Labyrinth, Spider-Man, I Am Legend, and Iron Man. The audience could not be more primed for this material, so why are you offering them Ghost Hunters International and crappy "original movies" like Mansquito?
Again, why aren't you more awesome? After the jump, some friendly advice.

Why aren't you adapting more classic sci-fi texts—like you did with Dune—into miniseries events? (Ones that, hopefully, will fare better than Tin Man.) Where's the Foundation saga, or Ender's Game, or Footfall, or The Man in the High Castle, or The Forever War?

Why aren't you engaging today's premiere purveyors of genre material and giving them ten episodes to do whatever the hell they want? I'd watch contained, BBC-style series from folks like Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, John Scalzi, Cory Doctorow, Warren Ellis, Charlie Huston, Neal Stephenson, or China Mieville. The names alone would attract viewers by the truckload. And even if what they produced were failures, they'd be interesting failures—marked by reaching too far, instead of not far enough.

Why don't you try a daily sci-fi soap opera? Airing late at night, so people could actually be home to watch it—or DVR it. Why can't the same kind of serial storytelling that's worked for 50 years on shows like General Hospital be marshaled to create compelling science fiction? (Actually, I've got to give Evan Narcisse a tip of the hat for this one. Because I'm just that kind of bloke.)

Mark Harris was right when he said that science fiction needed to ditch the nostalgia if it's going to reclaim its integrity. Lucky for those of us who love sci-fi that there's a whole network devoted to it. I just want them to fulfill their mandate.

Imagine that. (No, seriously. Get to work imagining.)

[Darth Cupcake]

Aaahhh, the dreams...

I will never stop loving Battlestar Galactica. But I'll be damned if I'll ever bother with much of anything else that damned dirty network puts out...

[AFK]

Was it Sci-Fi or the Comedy Channel that had MST3000?

edit:  Either way if they put that and the X-Files back on, I'd watch it again. 

[Jasper]

I heard good things about Torchwood, though.

[East Coast Hustle]

I demand an Ender's Game miniseries.

I also demand a decent cinematic adaptation of "American Gods".

[Suu]

Aaahhh, the dreams...

I will never stop loving Battlestar Galactica. But I'll be damned if I'll ever bother with much of anything else that damned dirty network puts out...

Haha, cancelled, ftl.

Never liked it...I'm too much of a purest to The Face.

In fact, the only shows I watched on a regular basis were Stargate: Atlantis so I could fantasize about Joe Flanigan, and um...The occasional Farscape. Never got into it. I heard Andromeda was good, but I'm allergic to Kevin Sorbo.

Though the Dune mini-series' that they put out were awesome.  I actually had to get the DVDs.

[Suu]

I demand an Ender's Game miniseries.

I also demand a decent cinematic adaptation of "American Gods".

Yes, and OMFG YES!

/Gaimangasm

[hunter s.durden]

I also demand a decent cinematic adaptation of "American Gods".

Redo Neverwhere using modern American film technology.

[LMNO]

I would so watch the SciFi channel if it had stuff like the above.

[Jasper]

Gaiman really does have a writing style that would make good cinema, as I see it.

[hunter s.durden]

Gaiman really does have a writing style that would make good cinema, as I see it.

Neverwhere was done by BBC, but using the same camera they use to film Keeping Up Appearances.

So, uh, chew on that.

I own it, if you give me your address...

[Jasper]

I don't know either production in book or tv show, so I kinda miss what point you're making, sorry.

Also, I have too many books to read right now- thanks though.

[hunter s.durden]

Imagine if Lord of the Rings was done with same same equipment and production budget as Married with Children.

[Jasper]

AAUUUUUUUUGH!! 

[Suu]

It makes me glad that the American Red Dwarf never got past it's pilot. 

Dear America,

Plz to not be ruinating awesome British TV.

Spanks.