Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Your own TV network

Posting video is great, but how about your own network?

Throughout its history,
the Sci Fi Channel has been an approximation of a real science fiction network. In addition to the inevitable infomercials, there'd be cheesy "reality" shows and other crap. Instead of super-serving — and building — its audience, they aim low. Going for a mass audience, rather than programming to its natural constituency of fans, geeks, nerds and the rest of the audience who loves science fiction and fantasy, has diluted it to the point of being a joke, despite Battlestar Gactica, Doctor Who and Stargate, and all the crappy self-made monster movies.

Could you imagine if someone who really loved the genre (and its variations) programmed it? Ron Moore. Joss Whedon. JJ Abrams. Chris Carter. Warren Ellis. Me.

A resourceful but frustrated fan aggregated a bunch of links to old SF movies and shows, and created his own "network." He could have gone even further, having a page embedded with each episode of each show, if he wanted to, but this is pretty damned good as is. And perfectly legal.

Of course, in a few years (or months or weeks), this may be be obsolete, like dial-up. But it's a wonderful illustration of how marketing is a democratic exercise.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

thanks for the review.

Anonymous said...

Networks beware!

The is the future of television come to bite you on your low aiming asses!

Anonymous said...

I love this idea, that someone who loves the genre programs it. But it sounds like the underpinnings of a fiction novel, because the suits in charge of programming these channels are unlikely to ever have so novel a thought, what with their formulas and agendas. Bravo (no network pun intended) to the fan who followed through as far as the law would allow, and to you, RAP, for pointing it out to me!