Syfy Doubling Down on Genre Programming for 25th Anniversary
Two years ago someone at Syfy finally woke up to the fact that genre programming was exploding across almost every network across the dial except theirs — a network literally created for that purpose. So they smartly pulled wrestling from their schedule, started greenlighting more actual science fiction, and have been pushing to reclaim their old identity.
As the network heads to its 25th anniversary this September, they’ve decided to double down on this strategy. The first step was, apparently, to get a new logo for the network.
They’re also continuing to add new programming in line with their current mission. Besides Krypton (which we talked about yesterday), the network has also greenlit Happy! starring Christopher Meloni. Based off the graphic novel of the same name by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, it tells the story of an ex-cop turned hitman whose life is changed by a magical blue horse (who will be played by Bobby Moynihan).
So yeah, that one sounds weird.
They’re also developing a series based off of the George R.R. Martin novel Nightflyers. For those unfamiliar with the book, the network’s description is pretty straightforward:
Set in the future on the eve of Earth’s destruction, a crew of explorers journey on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, The Nightflyer, to intercept a mysterious alien spacecraft that might hold the key to their survival. As the crew nears their destination, they discover that the ship’s artificial intelligence and never-seen captain may be steering them into deadly and unspeakable horrors deep in the dark reaches of space.
So, y’know, family programming.
In any case, it’s nice to know the network is trying. The logo is a bit weird, in the sense that it ditches the purple which has been omnipresent since even the earliest “Scifi Channel” days. Really all we care about is the content though, and they seem to be at least trying to deliver it.
