IAmA Senior Exec at Syfy and we're about to launch Defiance, the biggest sci-fi project in our history. AMA

Why the hell is WWE on Syfy?

See the FAQ linked in my intro post.

Thanks for bringing Continuum to us in the US, we are really enjoying that show. We also like Faceoff, but tell them to stop doing team challenges, I hate when reality shows do team challenges. Looking forward to Defiance.

I'll pass your note along. And, I hope you like Defiance!

How many seasons till it gets cancelled like every other short lived sci-fi show on syfy?

When it gets cancelled, and if it has a large following (like Firefly), will it be brought back on a different network?

If enough viewers watch, hopefully it will last many seasons. We'll see how the audience likes it Monday night!

Why so many paranormal shows? They really suck. You have Ghost Hunters, GHI, Haunted Investigator and now that hillbilly ghost show. I used to love the material on your channel, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Stargate, now we have gotten rid of the gold and left only with the lead. You are working backwards and losing fans.

edit I see this is already being discussed and I am less than pleased with your answer. You are catering to the lowest common denominator and calling it success. Good luck on your "science fiction" channel.

First, Warehouse 13 returns with new episodes on April 29, so there's more for you to watch :)

Second, we make paranormal shows because they have a large, loyal following. For those that don't like them, we also offer a variety of dramas: Being Human, Warehouse 13, Continuum, Haven, Lost Girl, Merlin, Primeval: New World and, of course, Defiance.

I'll be honest, with all the blatant advertisement for the show and game, I was planning on staying away from both. However, I didn't realize you guys were doing it and 5 years working on it makes me more inclined to purchase the game. I hope it works well for you.

Also, will the show and game feature different stories or characters?

There are crossover stories and characters as well as things unique to each platform. So you can play the game without watching the show, watch the show without playing the game, or do both and have a richer experience. I hope you like it!

WHY DID YOU CANCEL EUREKA?

I dealt with the cancelling of "The Invisible Man" back in 2001 while it was your 2nd highest rated show. But I stated then I wouldn't abide another "Invisible Man."

Then you guys got rid of Eureka.

As far as I'm concerned, there is no Sci-fi channel. I will never call it "Syfy" and will not watch another show on 'Siffy.' Ever. Why should I watch shows and enjoy them only to see them get canceled while the reality crap lives on?

It's that classic conundrum of TV where you're reluctant to watch a show that might get canceled, but by not watching, it's more likely that it will be canceled. All I can say is, if it looks good to you, give it a try!

On the Eureka front, I'm glad we were able to make 5 years of a show you liked. It's tough for shows in the modern TV environment to last that long, so thanks for watching!

Don't know if you're still here, but just wanted to say congrats on how awesome Defiance looks! I'm working on getting the game right now and can't wait to see it!

And because this is an ama...how much would I have to bribe you to help ensure that Jaime Murray doesn't die in Defiance or Warehouse 13? I don't think I can handle her dying again, lol.

Thanks! And, I think talking about potential bribes might get me in trouble so I'll have to pass on that one ;)

How long was defiance in development for?

5 years!

Will Defiance be on Hulu Plus the day after it airs?

I believe so.

How did you get a job at Syfy?

Back in the mid-1990s I started a Web site called Science Fiction Weekly. Syfy (then Sci-Fi) liked it and licensed the content from it, then eventually bought it and hired me full time. I've been here every sense.

What all does your job, as a senior executive, entail? What all do you do basically?

At a very high level we develop the overall strategy for the network and figure out what shows to make. But each of us run a department...head of Development, Marketing, PR, Research, etc. I'm the head of Digital for the network.

Your CEO came out and said that she did not like "this space stuff" and summarily started pulling budget for any programming focusing on that sort of show. Your team ended up cancelling a great many expected programs (even ones that tested well) which fans were expecting, and were going to watch. That also precipitated adding wrestling as well as adding reality programming as it seems she wanted easy money with low risk (new programming is risky).

The name change was the kick in the balls we fans didn't want or need.

I honestly appreciate that you want to get new projects up and off the ground, but don't try to BS us with stories about how the changes actually made some level of sense. Not to mention we are still talking about major issues in the past two years, not in some previous generation of management that is long gone now.

Heck, the ONLY reason syfy exists and didn't get pulled apart ala what was g4 (and previously zdnet/techtc) is Battlestar Galactica came out of no where and even with your CEO saying she didn't want it, the finance people and fans came out and made it happen.

So lets cut the crap and focus on this, just say "We wont be answering any questions on these other items, sorry" or hell, just apologize for what you put the fans through and promise to actually support good programming that is semi high risk but is hitting its numbers.

If you nave a question I'll be happy to answer it :)

Looking forward to it... But... Is there ANY chance legend of the seeker will ever return.

That wasn't our show buy my understanding is it won't be back.

I've been playing Defiance, and I've noticed that the show/game includes its own curse word, schtako. Was there any sort of conscious decision to do that, hoping it would get the community support of frell and frak?

Actually David J. Peterson, the guy who created the Dothraki and Valyrian languages for HBO's Game of Thrones, created all the alien languages for Defiance. Here's a cool interview with him about how he works. We did it because we figure aliens curse too ;)

Just throwing this one out. I love your bad movies. Every last mutant lizard, giant bug swarm and resurrected killer spider. Always have and always will.

Thanks! Did you see Zombie Apocalypse? I wrote that one!

What's your biggest challenge in keeping viewership up?

Standing out in a competitive market where there are now tons of new channels and shows, not to mention Netflix, Amazon, etc. The competition is rough!

Thank you so much for doing this! I cannot tell you how many New Year's Eves I've spent with my dad watching the Twilight Zone. :) It is still my all time favorite program (even though I've now seen almost every episode numerous times) that you continue to run, and I wanted to thank you for that. Please keep that going!

My question for you, is if you've considered doing a program similar to what TNT and TCM do, in which a host (or a series of hosts) explains a theme for the movies of the week--and the host and their guests explore the nuanced parts of the film (or poke fun at the sillier aspects of them)? The Science Fiction genre has fascinated me since my film genre course, and I'd love to see the official SyFy channel take a year (or at least a season) to explore the evolution of the genre in a more formal fashion. :)

Thanks for watching, and tell your dad I said thanks too!

We've done hosted TV movies before but they haven't worked out too well for us. I think the tie-in between social networking and TV might make this concept viable in some way, but I'm not yet sure how.

How do you balance the cost/return on an original movie vs an ongoing series? Cable tv shows have been getting much better over the years. Most seem to have abandoned made for TV films and even mini series. Yet you guys still deliver. Love the Roger Corman stuff, keep it coming.

They're totally separate business equations. A TV show is based on being successful over time, so your investment in things like sets, etc., is spread out across many seasons. Whereas the movies are shot in about 21 days and then that's it.

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No thanks!