Does FOX TV Hate Science Fiction?

It's odd how much I watch FOX TV in comparison to the other networks. I mean, Rupert Murdoch is right up there with Karl Rove and Dick Cheney in the pantheon of evil people we could do without. And other Murdoch properties like FOX "News" and FOX "Business" Channel truly suck ass. But I've been a FOX TV fan since its nearly pre-history, with The Late Show starring Joan Rivers. Yeah, I was the viewer that watched it all the way through.

Next came the launch of the prime-time network, with shows like Married. . .with Children, The Tracey Ullman Show (both classics), and like Women in Prison and Whoops! (not classics). Lots of other shows--great and not--stick out in my memory, like Parker Lewis Can't Lose, 21 Jump Street and of course, the spin-off of Tracey Ullman, The Simpsons, which is still on 20 years later.

FOX has always had an eclectic lineup, with daring attempts at off-center humor, and off-beat horror/science fiction. The problem is the last category. Shows like Werewolf, VR-5, Millenium, Firefly, The Lone Gunmen, Alien Nation and others draw in viewers, then are abruptly cancelled, leaving the continuing story often unfinished. I understand that low-rated shows get cancelled, but it seems like FOX plops them on the air, then shuffles them around, or pre-empts them. . .anything to sabotage their success.

On the other hand, they surprised me by bringing back Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles for a second season. And it has been a stellar season so far, with outstanding writing, acting, special effects and action. Still, the show is being pulled off the air for several weeks, and when it returns, it will be on Friday nights, which many consider "the death slot." It will be joined by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.

Arguably, they may be putting those shows in a night that isn't expected to draw high ratings, giving them a pass. And it is true that The X-Files started out on Fridays, and lasted for nine seasons (a rarity for sci-fi on FOX). And apparently Fringe is doing OK right now too. So is the sci-fi glass half-full or half-empty at FOX? Time will tell.

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Further proof that Fox hates science fiction

There is further evidence of the Fox network's hatred and/or misunderstanding of the science fiction genre. Along with giving the Friday Night Death Slot to The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse, they are making room for shows like Boldly Going Nowhere and Glee. . .

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