Flash Gordon (informally canceled)

[Just Jeans]

The new Flash Gordon series premieres on the SCI FI Channel on Friday night. The next Monday will see the pilot episode released on DVD with a bunch of special features.

From SyFy Portal (http://www.syfyportal.com/news424015.html):

SciFi Channel is flexing some of its muscle in the realm of the instant DVD release, banking on the hope that its new audience for the series "Flash Gordon" will want to include the remake's first episode in their video library.

The network, along with Genius Products, plans to release the pilot episode of the new series starring Eric Johnson, Gina Holden and Karen Cliche on DVD Aug. 14, the Monday following its Aug. 10 premiere on the cable channel.

The DVD will have a bunch of features not available with the actual broadcast, including a sneak peek of the upcoming SciFi Channel miniseries event "Tin Man," starring Zooey Deschanel and Richard Dreyfus. Reporters who attended the June digital media press tour for SciFi Channel had the first look ever of "Tin Man" while visiting the sets of "Flash Gordon."

The DVD also will include deleted scenes, and storyboards and sketches. It will retail for less than $20.

SciFi Channel has been planning to do several releases utilizing instant DVD this year, including the upcoming "Battlestar Galactica" telemovie "Razor" as well as two telemovies from its former "Stargate SG-1" series.

"Flash Gordon" premieres Aug. 10 at 9 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

[Spade]

I set my dvr to record it. I haven't watched it yet though, been to busy.

It will be interesting to see how this show turns out.

Take care and God bless.

Spade

[DrLar]

Well, seen the first four epis, not so bad, but I thought Everything would take place on Mungo (sp) and Ming would be a chinese-looking guy. I like the beauties in it though, full of eye candy and there are even a tribe of women (amazons anyone?). All this rift back and forth stuff is making me dizzy..

[Just Jeans]

Don't get too attached to it -- word is, SCI-FI will not be renewing it at the end of the first season (repeats of Doctor Who have been pulling better ratings than new episodes of Flash Gordon). I've deleted them all from my DV-R because I don't want to get into a show that's been axed before the first season is even done.

[Spade]

LOL Man Sci-Fi is going cancel crazy lately. Well I guess it's about time for me to start watching Eureka.

[Just Jeans]

SCI-FI have always been cancel crazy. The fact that Eureka seems to be locked in for a third season really surprised me (and for once in a good way).

[DrLar]

Never tuned for Eureka, not even know what it's about... sounds like inventor's program or something like that, is it good?

And Flash, I think they started with the wrong foot, they shoulda stood in Mongo w/o returning to Earth, IMO.

[Just Jeans]

The location wouldn't matter if the writing just isn't up to scratch, which seems to be the case.

Eureka is a drama/comedy that's set in the small town of Eureka, Oregon. The town is inhabited by the most brilliant people in the world, who work to create new technology (and have invented things that are not provided to the public). US Marshall Jack Carter has an accident in the town whilst transporting his delinquent daughter back to Los Angeles, and over the course of the Pilot Episode he ends up helping solve a problem and is appointed the new Sheriff in Eureka after the original Sheriff retires.

Eureka is actually struggling against Doctor Who as my favorite modern television show. I absolutely adore it. It's humorous, warm, thoughtful and amazingly fun. The entire cast is likable, which is rare these days.

[DrLar]

I see that I have to catch up a full season.... will look for it on DVD to rent it..
(if available)

[Just Jeans]

SciFi Channel Cancels 'Flash Gordon' (http://www.syfyportal.com/news424879.html)

Apparently, SciFi Channel is not big on formal announcements when it comes to the quick cancellation of some of its not-so-strong series.

Fans of "The Dresden Files" found about the fate of their show when its star was signed on to another series. And now those looking to find out if "Flash Gordon" is getting another season has found out through a passing comment by a SciFi Channel executive more than a week ago.

SciFi Channel president David Howe told trade publication Variety March 21 that the network didn't treat the character of "Flash Gordon" the way he should've been treated, and the network may try to do it again sometime ... just not right now, which reading between the lines means that "Flash Gordon" is no longer on the schedule.

Even with the introduction of Howe to SciFi Channel viewers, who reports to longtime chief Bonnie Hammer, it appears that the network still doesn't seem to think it's worth giving the official announcement on different shows in its program lineup. It's a practice that has frustrated fans, especially those who enjoyed "The Dresden Files," and were writing letters hoping it was one of the Lionsgate shows being considered for a move to another Canadian filming city to help with production costs. Instead, the network implied its cancellation after word got out that Paul Blackthorne was joining the series "Big Shots."

Even then, however, nothing ever came officially from SciFi Channel. Series executive producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who many fans recognize from his work on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," informed fans that the show was indeed cancelled following Blackthorne's exit.

SyFy Portal reported through sources last September that "Flash Gordon" was on the chopping block. However, SciFi Channel responded officially to SyFy Portal that the series was not in trouble, and that while ratings were below expectations, the show's production was a lot cheaper than many of its other scripted series and that it didn't need to generate as much advertising revenue as shows like "Battlestar Galactica," "Eureka" and "Stargate: Atlantis" needed.

A month later, SciFi Channel offered a conference call to reporters, including SyFy Portal, with executive producer Peter Hume, who admitted that some storyline changes were taking place, including more action on Mongo instead of Earth, but that the cast and crew were confident that SciFi Channel was standing behind the series.

"You can't compare us to 'Battlestar Galactica.' That's not fair," Hume said at the time. "It's not fair because you're going to judge a show on the show. And so you could compare us to 'Chuck' [on NBC], but what we're doing is with so much less than they have. I'm not asking for that as an excuse. I'm just saying that there's a reality of what we have to operate in and there's only so much visual effects we can do."

"Flash Gordon" starred Eric Johnson, John Ralston, Gina Holden, Jody Racicot and Karen Cliche. It was filmed in Aldergrove, British Columbia, just south of Vancouver where SciFi Channel films many of its other series including "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate: Atlantis," and where its new backdoor pilot "Caprica" will be filmed this summer.