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New York, New York – May 27, 2010 – Marking a major expansion of its reality programming, Syfy today announced it is greenlighting three new series, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen (wt), Paranormal Witness (wt) and Face Off (wt). This broad-based slate builds upon the success of the channel’s unscripted programming such as the Ghost Hunters franchise and Destination Truth on Wednesday nights, along with Syfy’s new Thursday reality block of Mary Knows Best and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, which premieres July 15.
Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen
Utilizing the science of cooking, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen stars one of America’s most notorious chefs, molecular gastronomist Marcel Vigneron (Top Chef). In each episode, Marcel and his new catering and event company will be hired by a demanding client to produce an extraordinary celebration or event. Based on the client’s requests, Marcel will dream up a theme and cuisine for the event, which range from a fairytale graduation party and a Goth-rock fashion show to a birthday dinner held on a platform suspended in mid-air. Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen is a production of Intuitive Entertainment. Executive Produced by Kevin Dill and Mechelle Collins.
Paranormal Witness
From Dimitri Doganis and Bart Layton, the creative team behind Locked Up Abroad, this tense, cinematic, high-octane drama-documentary series brings to life the stories of people who have lived through paranormal experiences that defy explanation; from poltergeists to alien encounters. Paranormal Witness is a production of Raw TV. Executive Produced by Dimitri Doganis and Bart Layton.
Face Off
Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination which allows them to create amazing works of living art. Not only will the show incorporate effects make-up, it will include a wide range of skill sets including prosthetics, 3-D design, animatronics, sculpting, eye enhancers, puppeteering, casting and molding. Each episode involves reveals of the competitors’ finished work, and it all culminates in one winner and one grand prize that will launch a career. Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media. Executive Produced by Michael Agbabian and Dwight Smith.
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This is exactly what David Howe said he would NOT DO when they changed the name to Syfy.
“The thing that I think disturbs us most was people, as we expected, saying ‘Well this is just another opportunity to put more ECW on the air.’ Or, ‘This is another opportunity to do even more reality.’ That isn’t true…”
-David Howe, March 23, 2009 in a conference call with journalists
Since then this is exactly what Syfy has done. They have added a lot more reality and moved wrestling to their prime Friday night block.
Thanks David for not only fulfilling your fans’ worst expectations but also not being honest about.
Syfy continues to push the envelope with bottom of the barrel, mind numbing programming that is equal, if not slightly better than, an infomercial aired between the hours of 3:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. NBC/Universal should seriously cut their losses and get rid of the network. The CW is more sci-fi than this network. Hell, BBC America is more sci-fi than this network.
The SciFi channel is dead.
My DVD library contains anything I would watch that used to air on it. Both, official releases and bootlegs.
It was great while it lasted, though.
It’s well-known that one of these shows came from a high-profile packaged pitch that went around town with legendary talent attached. SyFy passed and then developed in-house on the cheap. Ah, the honor code.
Reading the posts above, and only one thing comes to mind, “losers”. People watch programs, not networks, if you don’t like the offerings, don’t watch, maybe they will be good…do you understand that this is a business, and what they are trying to do is increase their reach so they can make more money and more programs, programs that appeal to losers like you?
Actually, the move is profoundly stupid. That people cared about the network, and now mostly don’t, is a sign of what Sci-Fi had, and what Syfy threw away. Like Toyota management thinking … “hey whats a few runaway cars?”
TV has ALWAYS been a matter of branding. The Tiffany Network? NBC for male-oriented action? Rockford Files? ABC for TGIF family friendly comedies? Fox for envelope pushing lowbrow humor?
Branding matters. Because you want viewers to come to your network and stay there. Not flip around and not come back. That’s why NBC had the powerhouse Seinfeld-Friends lineup in the mid-late 1990′s. It meant something. The shadow today is Community and Parks and Rec.
What SyFy has become is a female-skewing, fortune telling/psychic pet, astrology type place for women missing Dionne Warwick’s psychic celebrities. And so on. Hence the crappy reality.
SyFy is the Walmart of networks.
Its $$ not quality with them.
But even they are not as bad as abc family.
Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen: Could be okay, or very bad. Why not on the Food Network?
Paranormal Witness: Bletch!
Face Off: As a fan of the old ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ magazine, I might be tempted by this one. They need to get some of the ‘stars’ of makeup involved such as Tom Savini or Rick Baker to keep my interest. This is the only show that holds any potential for me to watch it.
@Eric S, that’s not gonna happen. See my earlier post re: SyFy’s ethics vs. cost cutting.
A cooking show on SyFy? Wedging one word into the title doesn’t make it a Sci Fi show.
Here are some other ideas for SyFy: Quantum Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, Quantumly Sixteen and Pregnant and Law & Order: Special Quantum unit.
These shows make as much sense as the History channel running UFO hunters.
While there is some truth to the comment above that people watch shows not networks, there is also such a thing as brand identity. Once you diminish your brand you lose your core audience.
What’s even worse than a slate like this is, is being chatted up by one of SyFy’s reality execs who actually believe they are saving the world of TV.
Could someone please explain why this supposed science fiction channel shows movies like King Arthur and Alexander? That insipid name change was a warning signal.
OMG.
Will Merlin be coming back at least? It’s the only decent fantasy show on this station now.
Let’s just hope Syfy is smart enough to bring back Outer Space Astronauts. That was the best show they’ve put out in a while. I need more OSA!!! Any news on this???
“… programs that appeal to losers like you?”
well, with attitudes like THAT, i’m *sure* the “syfy” channel will have no trouble at all reaching its audience! i just feel like the name syfy itself exhibits nothing but contempt for the people who ought to be drawn to that channel.
admittedly, FACE OFF sounds like a great idea, but the other two, especially the cooking one, are utter abominations and should be scrapped immediately.