TV With several Sci-Fi shows being worked on, is SyFy returning to its genre roots?

[Alien Soup]

In what appears to be a change of strategy for the SyFy Channel the network has several sci-fi show projects that are being worked on. Some have already been committed to, some have only been ordered as a pilot, and some still on the drawing board.

Besides the remake of Blake's 7, the multi-media spanning Defiance, No Place with Robert Zemecksis, and the Robert Moore (BSG) project Helix, the list below is some of the projects that SyFy is working on. 2013/2014 may just be the rebirth of the once-beloved fan favorite channel.

High Moon​

Described as an imaginative, out-of-this-world series exploring what happens when the countries of Earth establish colonies to mine the Moon’s resources and discover a new form of life. Chaos erupts in a genuinely emotional, humorously thrilling and always unexpected fashion as the people of the Moon race to uncover this life form’s powerful secrets. Co-executive producer/writer: Jim Danger Gray (Pushing Daisies). Executive producer/writer: Bryan Fuller. The pilot is written by Gray from a story by Fuller and Gray. Executive producers: Cary Granat & Steve Granat of Reel FX and Don Murphy & Susan Montford of Angry Films. *** PILOT ORDERED ***​

​

Orion​

In this space opera Orion, an adventurous female relic hunter, tracks down valuable artifacts while trying to piece together her past. Set amidst an intergalactic war pitting humans against a terrifying alien race, Orion must decide whether to use her abilities to save herself or commit to the cause and unearth long hidden artifacts that could free all of humanity from a horrible fate. Executive producers/writers: Ron Milbauer & Terri Hughes Burton (Alphas). Co-executive producers: George Krstic & Ryuhei Kitamura. Supervising producer: F.J. Desanto.​

Sojourn​

The first detective ever in space is tasked with investigating a murder on a starship — headed to colonize another planet – and instead becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy involving a mysterious terrible crime dating back to the original launch of the ship 50 years ago. Writer: Phil Levens (Smallville). Producer: Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity).

Clandestine​

After a clan of bandits are nearly destroyed and left for dead by Coalition forces, they take refuge in the nearest safe haven, a derelict Coalition starship floating in space. Once onboard, they masquerade as Coalition officers while continuing their criminal ways – until they stumble upon a shocking realization about the true nature of the Coalition. Writers: Todd Stashwick & Dennis Calero. Executive producers: Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead) and John Shiban (Hell on Wheels).

Infinity​

When an alien armada is sighted in the region of Pluto, the Earth government turns to a young billionaire industrialist — who has the only ship ready for interstellar travel — to greet the aliens and avoid a catastrophe. Powered by secret alien technology discovered on Earth in the 1960’s, the ship engages in a firefight that sends them spinning through a wormhole into an uncharted region of space. Lost in the universe, the team struggles to survive as they encounter new planets and alien species, searching for a way back home. Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost). Producer: Berman/Braun Television.

Silver Shields​

When his father is slain by assassins connected to the government of the large nearby city of Pont Royal, farm boy Caymer journeys there to continue his father’s legacy as a member of the local police force — and to solve the mystery of his father’s death. He discovers that his simple country view on life is at odds with the big city, filled with orcs and other magical creatures. Executive Producer/Writer: Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Alphas). Producer: Aaron Kaplan.

Shelter​

A massive meteorite is headed toward Earth, forcing 30,000 hand-picked humans to live underground in a government funded shelter in order to start a new society. What begins as a Utopia quickly succumbs to the old human faults and jealousies as certain members of society create alliances to gain favor and power. Meanwhile things on the surface are not what they seem. Humans slowly realize that this event may have been fated and the survivors meant for a greater purpose in rebooting life on Earth. Executive Producer/Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin (Deep Impact) and co-executive producer/writer Ari Rubin.​

​

 

[Jetshroom]

I'd really hope that they're trying to get back to a sci-fi channel. I dropped it from my package (before I dropped pay TV entirely) simply because it didn't have Sci-fi shows on it. When I first got it, I loved it. But they only showed old shows that I'd seen to death. Then the shows gradually changed and I realised "I never watch this channel." So I stopped paying for it.

That said, I do live in Australia, I'm not sure that the channels are identical here.

 

[astonwest]

Here, we don't get to pick and choose individual channels...only packages of channels. SyFy was part of the standard cable package. That said, until Defiance came on, I haven't watched the channel since the latest BSG incarnation went off the air. I'm hopeful that they keep this "new" strategy in place for a while...though I guess we'll see.