Australia To Get Its Own SciFi Channel
Source: World Screen
Submitted by: Greg & Alison of Australia (SoSF Fans)
SYDNEY - FOXTEL is set launch a science fiction channel in Australia on December 1 featuring content such as the acclaimed series The 4400 and the entire Star Trek library.
The 24-hour SCI FI channel will also feature Medium, all of the Star Trek franchise television series (Star Trek, Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise), Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Farscape, The Thunderbirds and The X-Files. The channel will be available to FOXTEL Digital subscribers taking the “Laughter & Living” and “My Escape” package tiers, but also as an a-la-carte channel.
SCI FI will be operated by the TV1 General Entertainment Partnership, which is owned by NBC Universal, CBS Paramount International Television and Sony Pictures Television International.
FOXTEL’s executive director of television and marketing, Brian Walsh, said of the new offering, “The channel will spearhead FOXTEL’s biggest summer to date. The launch marks the third new channel to be added to the FOXTEL line up in as many months, ensuring even more choice and more value for our subscribers. SCI FI is an established brand in mature television markets such as the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and given the popularity of the genre in Australia, there is no doubt it will be a hit with FOXTEL subscribers.”
You do realise that Foxtel SUCKS the proverbial, just as Telstra Bigpond has screwed all of us Aussies for years. Here’s the rub…this isn’t “THE SCI-FI CHANNEL” - oh no..it has reruns of all the Free To Air stuff..new episodes of Battlestar ? Nup. Anything else? Nup. To get this extra channel you will have to pay premium prices for the full package of channels. Australia is the arse-end of the world, which is why I will continue to download the stuff I like.
Don’t know if it sucks or not. Just reporting the news that they are providing a dedicated channel to scifi. Do you, as an Aussie, realize that most Americans don’t get the SCI FI Channel free here either? In most markets it is a tiered product that you have to pay a little extra far on your cable bill. It isn’t too much in the way of pennies, but it still isn’t free.
Yes I am aware that the sci-fi channel in the US is not free
That comment by the ED of Foxtel : “given the popularity of the genre in Australia, there is no doubt it will be a hit with FOXTEL subscribers”
Just makes me laugh. How would he know it’s popular? SciFi simply does *not* rate here, just as the Slice team mentioned about viewers in the US.
BTW I wasn’t having a go at you reporting the news, report away, we appreciate your efforts!…. We Aussies will be here to comment on anything that takes our fancy, especially when it comes to evil conglomerate mongrels like Telstra/Foxtel >:D
Sci-Fi Channel Australia will broadcast 31 series including..
* Babylon 5
* Battlestar Gallactica
* Buffy The Vampire Slayer
* Capten Scarlet
* Cleopatra 2525
* Earth 2
* Farscape
* Firefly
* Jake 2.0
* LEXX
* Medium
* Mysterious Ways
* Odyssey 5
* Quantum Leap
* Sea of Souls
* Seaquest DSV / 2032
* Sliders
* Stargate SG-1
* Stargate Atlantis
* Star Trek Original
* Star Trek Next Generation
* Star Trek Deep Space Nine
* Star Trek Voyager
* Star Trek Enterprise
* The 4400
* The Dead Zone
* The Outer Limits
* The Sentinel
* The Thunderbirds
* The X-Files
* Tripping the Rift
-> http://www.scifitv.com.au/home/
Well I for one, am happy to have a 24 hour SciFi channel. Sure as hell beats repeats of Charmed.
I have been writing to Foxtel about a Sci Fi Channel for years and at long last (over 10 years), we will have a Sci Fi channel! I am over the moon about this! And so should other Aussie Sci Fi fans - it’s a step in the right direction. I’ll be watching a few of the shows listed above (Medium, The Dead Zone, Babylon 5) shows I have not seen yet (or downloaded) and some old favourites (Earth 2, Sliders, Star Trek, Farscape, BSG). Woo Hoo!!!!
Sci Fi Channel Australia on Foxtel Digital & Austar Digital
via Channel 132 has now gone LIVE with a Sneak Preview of their upcoming 31 shows.
I’m quite annoyed because it doesn’t come with any of the existing packages and they are cutting all of the existing sci-fi out of TV1. So its either pay $7 extra or get no sci-fi at all. I wish I could dump the basic package, because it costs $37.00 and has nothing in it that I want see. Good on ya Foxtel.
P.S.
Our 2 years is almost up.
I for one and happy that th SciFi channel is coming, not a big fan of the Star Trek shows but am really looking forward to watching shows like Quantum Leap and Mysterious Ways. Whats also good is that is will be a part of my Entertainment Package so no extra cost for me and it means TV1 can run other shows,
Does any1 know when the original Air Date/Broadcast Date was for Quantum Leap in Australia?.
I know we are at least 6months behind, it would of been way after it Aired in May of 1989 in the USA, but i cant remember when this 1 actually came on here.
thanks.