The Expanse-Syfy

That sucks. I was almost caught up and now they cancel it. I am totally bummed. I thought it was a great show.

 

Very disappointing. But The Expanse seems like the sort of binge-able show that would appeal to a streaming service if a deal can be worked out. I don’t think this is necessarily the end of the story.

 

Im sure some other service will pick this up....and for the better....we can now have one hour episodes, say on Netflix...

 

It would be ideal for HBO, Showtime or Netflix to pick this up. My guess is that, since The Expanse did average ratings, didn’t pull in the same numbers as Kyrpton (build in comic book audience), The Magicians (a well done series that is easy to sell to those who out grew and were fans of Harry Potter— for the record I disagree it’s crap) and wasn’t owned by Syfy, it was an easy decision to make for them (and with other expense series in the wings that they will have some ownership of) like it was for the entertaining Dark Matter.

Unfortunately, was afraid this would happen especially given past history with other quality shows such as Battlestar Galatica—although they did have enough respect for the audience by that time to allow for a proper under whelming ending—unlike, say, Farscape or any number of other series they cancelled without allowing for a proper ending (although Farscape did get a TV mini-series to close it off via other backers).

It’s the business unfortunately and canceling the series without a proper resolution just as Fox did for The Last Man on Earth, is more common than not. It does show a lack of respect or care for an audience that stayed faithful.

The problem is that this impacts future ambitious series where audience members won’t commit to watching a show (granted, a small part of the audience but every little bit helps) that they feel—due to the sophistication or complexity of the plot—isn’t worthwhile to invest in.

When Syfy cancelled Farscape, I gave up on the network and this is one of the few shows I watched there. The Van Helsing, Wyonnia Earp crap is typically what they produce along the bad (perhaps they are so bad they are good but I have no interest in them) Sharknado movies.

Like a lot of shows on the bubble at other networks, it’s strictly dollars and cents decisions based on the resources they have but, IMhO, they put those resources into bad and mediocre TV shows and movies).

 

Syfy is a joke. The best series they've ever had and they cancel it? What are they going to replace it with, more WWE fake wrestling? They've lost me forever.

 

You had me at, "Syfy is a joke".

 

Nobody’s going to pick this up. Enjoy it for what it is ....

 

Should I have said "Bad Joke?"

 

You never know. TNT picked up Babylon 5 and ran with it. Netflix might just do the same.

 

Hopeful but doubtful.

I’ve enjoyed the series a bunch. I’d like for it to continue.

 

You said "Scifi"; I don't know how much worse the joke could be... This is a network that tries reaching the nerdiest of audiences - with wrestling shows and "Sharknado" sagas.

Personally, I don't think a network, or a netlet or a streaming service would look at a failed show from a bigger source, and see it's lost ratings power in its' own target demo, and conclude, "yeah, that's what we want - another show that failed with a bigger audience pool, that we can cut the budget and make it worse, and expect a big success despite all the viewers who already have bailed on this sequential series that one depends on the regularlarity of viewership to keep up on the plot."

This would be, like, if BET bailed halfway through on a show called, Kunte Kinte: the Next Generation, and over at the Game Show Network, the suits are saying, "Hey, Roots did pretty well first time out...we could benefit from an audience that big..." Admittedly, TNN did well picking up Nashville when ABC bailed; the storytelling is solid (if soapy), and they were able to jettison enough non-critical characters to help with the budget. But with Expanse, if quality of the storytelling realism is a selling point, I don't see a lot of niche audience destinations that wouldn't want to dumb it down.

Nope, this is going to take more than an American channel or service to make this fly; they need the right partnership with a foreign producer who has a willing audience. A lot of the cable networks with big, prestige tentpole shows have partners such as IRT, or Sky, or - get this, Ovation bought Company X, a WWII story that was a co-production of CBC and Hungarian TV, despite it being quite "American style" in content. Coming up with the business model to get them produced, in some cases must be as entertaining as the plots of these little gems.

 

Ironically, not long ago they were crowing in the media how they were going back to their scifi roots with more actual high quality scifi and less fluff.

It's disappointing that they haven't got the courage to stick with a premium product despite lower ratings. Other outlets do actually hang on to lowishly rating shows that they consider to be premium shows, for example, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or Outlandar.

 

I don't agree, I think Netflix would be a perfect destination. They play by a different rulebook than the traditional networks - daily ratings aren't at all a factor. It's all about having access to a diverse and quality back-catalog of content that can be accessed any time, by anyone around the world.

Binge watching would also improve the experience and they certainly have enough money to make the show even better realized.

Also, Netflix has traditionally been hands-off in terms of micromanaging a production, so dumbing down and interference won't be an issue.

 

Actually, I agree with you Netflix is certainly the exception that proves the rule. (Hulu gaining confidence in that game as wel). I would think, if Netflix is keeping their word to offer 100 new programs in the next year, they would almost have to at least look at any series already produced and running for a current small audience, with an eye to tweak the idea with, "well, it's new to you!" What sort of money would they have to have on-hand in order for all these new programs to be in the same prestige and quality range as, let's say Lost or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., eh? When you don't have the limitations a network would have ("well, they can't both run on Sunday night at 9, can they...?"), the only way you can beat that paradigm is by showing what you can do that a network can't. And maybe just maybe give some old shows the same love they showed, say, Gilmore Girls; maybe return to Firefly, or Wonderfalls, or even Northern Expsosure: Santa Barbara.

 

The way Syfy handled the distribution of this show was a big factor in its demise. Syfy only had first-run linear rights, which means, it did not have the OTT (over-the-top) streaming and other digital distribution rights, but just over the air broadcast (and equivalent) rights.

For a show like The Expanse, OTT viewing is key for long term revenue, especially given the younger skewing target demo. The show was only made available on cable television, or by purchasing episodes or season passes on digital storefronts like iTunes and Amazon (and Netflix in offshore markets). However, Syfy didn't get one penny from iTunes purchases & Netflix. That all went to the production company.

The other thing to note is that SyFy is owned by Comcast, which hates OTT streaming for destroying the cable content business.

This show needs a strong, modern distribution platform, like Netflix, et al.

 

There's a huge difference between Syfy and Scifi. Syfy is waste of available bandwidth and Scifi is a tale told to provoke the imagination and give the mind a present to play with. Netflix has a history of picking up canceled series and taking them to their conclusion. Example "Longmire." We can only hope. Personally, I seldom if ever watched Syfy until "The Expanse" came on. Now, I'll probably never watch the channel again.

 

I'm not gonna start season 3 until & unless I hear that it ends satisfactorily.
I'll never be Deadwooded again.

 

I can't believe this...they cancelled the best Scifi show on television!

WTF!!!

 

Ok guys...The Expanse needs all the help they can get now.

Please HELP SAVE The Expanse:


Netflix suggestion submission form:
https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest

Amazon Studios contact:
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Hulu contact (account required):
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HBO contact e-mail:
[email protected]

Petition: Netflix, save The Expanse:
Sign the Petition

Twitter hashtags: #RenewTheExpanse, #SaveTheExpanse

 

I thought that the effort to not take itself too seriously was part of the fun. Plus it had a beginning, middle and end. I thought that the hero was a refreshing "everyman" that had the perfect 21st century-American attitude.

 

Jim Murray, Property Master for The Expanse:




Amazon Studios contact:
Contact Us : Amazon Studios

 

Just finish the book George.

 

Amazon Studios contact:
Contact Us : Amazon Studios