Ah sigh, Starcrossed is toast :(

[wraithfodder]

I am so far behind I'm reading blogs backwards... from David Hewlett's www.dgeek.com site - a section on the show STARCROSSED....

I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to make Starcrossed my follow-up to A Dog's Breakfast and Stargate Atlantis . Unfortunately, all I find myself with is a number of scripts (a feature, a 1/2 hour pilot and a number of for-the-web episodes) and 2 and a half years of development hell! After developing Starcrossed as a 1/2 hour comedy it was then decided that a 1/2 hour comedy isn't what the cable channel was looking for. They then became very excited about developing Starcrossed as a web series, only to discover (after a year of humming and hawing about it) they didn't think it would work as an advertising model.

That said, ScyFy have kindly agreed to let us have Starcrossed back, and for that I am very grateful. However, the legal side of this arrangement will still probably take many months to finalize...and even if it does finally get resolved, there are bound to be strings attached. This experience has made me seriously question the way Hollywood develops shows. It just seems like a colossal waste of time and energy (not to mention money) and that's just the projects that DON'T get made! I don’t remember who said it, or for that matter what exactly they said ;-) but it was something along the lines of: “if you can't work in the system then get out and create your own”. I want a future where television is created like independent film. As it stands right now, the cost of making a television show is prohibitively expensive using the usual (pardon the pun) channels. In order to be feasible in an indie filmmaking way it would have to be much cheaper to produce. Something that's very difficult to do within the current union guidelines. Sanctuary tried to go it alone, but eventually had to resort to the tried and true method of cable show (and good for them for making THAT happen!) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and The Guild have succeeded where many others have failed...mainly because they're smart, entertaining and created and promoted by savvy souls with marketing smarts! I imagine that they were also cheap to make (to be fair I have no idea how much they cost or how they do from a financial perspective, but they certainly don't work on the usual TV budgets) Web based entertainment also needs to be as easy to access on my television as it is on my computer, in order to com

So, SyFy dumped it, to be blunt. However, instead of having this on their schedule, I'm sure they'll find a new wrestling show (insert sarcasm). Sigh.

Comments

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I often wonder what the point of the SyFy/Sci-Fi channel actually is. For the few decent shows they actually produce, these could be picked up by other channels. I've probably mentioned this [loads of times] before, but the UK arm doesn't even show first runs - they're usually bought by channels like Sky 1.

Such a waste. I really feel for David with this. To spend all that time developing something to find that the network really don't have any interest...

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Ah, crud. Stupid Syfy!

[tavabean.livejournal.com]

Well, Rats! (or should I say Squirrels!), that's a shame.
I was looking forward to seeing that.

[yaboiksar.livejournal.com]

I hate to say it, but it's not surprising. I follow Syfy on Twitter but that guy really gets on my nerves the way he answers questions about productions.

It's one big popularity mess.

Oh man!!

[mcsheplovers.livejournal.com]

Daggummit!! I really wanted to see this show! It sounded like Rachel and PaulM might be involved too.
I hate that David went to all that trouble and it was all for nothing.
Maybe he'll find another avenue to get it made.
Love his sarcastic remark at the end of his post----I think he is totally entitled to poke a bit of fun at SyFy.

[nialla]

That said, ScyFy have kindly agreed to let us have Starcrossed back, and for that I am very grateful. However, the legal side of this arrangement will still probably take many months to finalize...and even if it does finally get resolved, there are bound to be strings attached.

Lots and lots of strings will be attached. They don't want to ditch a show -- whether it actually made it to air or not -- and run the risk of another network picking it up and having a hit.

They've buried shows they've canceled but are still airing repeats in the wee hours so they can "prove" the ratings aren't good.

They've canceled a show after making a commitment to another season, and attempted to keep TPTB from saying it so fans wouldn't be able to protest until it was too late.

They "decided not to renew" a show fans expected to return, because they'd changed network direction on a whim. Again. Fans didn't realize it wasn't coming back until they saw the actors getting leading roles in other shows.

Nothing the network does surprises me anymore. Not even wrestling at this point. Which is why I haven't really watched anything there in years. I only keep it in my onscreen guide for the laughs I get over what's on the air sometimes.

[djlmarks.livejournal.com]

Apparently, the executives who run this stupid piece of crap have never been to a Comic con. They would be pegged as posers immediately.

That's what SyFy is now- A POSER

[mercury973.livejournal.com]

Syfy and I are done professionally.
I'm kinda glad this fell through, because there was a 75% chance that they would make it crap. I've become cynical since SGA's cancelation and I feel bad for David (and Jane) who put so much into this.
It looks like the internet might be the way to go

[cimmerdeux.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it could be developed more easily by Canadian broadcasting? I have no idea how that works though but developed in Canada and syndicated like Xena and Hercules and Legend of the Seeker rather than go the network route? There has got to be a better way to do things. Sigh. I would have loved to have seen this.