Through the Wire
by Eric J. Smith, Kent Gibbons and Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/23/2009 2:00:00 AM
'Battlestar' Discussion Gets Heavy at U.N.
It's rare for any television series to transcend the bounds of its medium. Rarer still for an entertainment show to have such an impact that it enters into the serious debate on the most pressing issues of the day.
As the conclusion of its four-year run drew near, Sci Fi Channel's reimagining of Battlestar Galactica confirmed its place on the short list of TV dramas that engender such heavy discussion when creators Ron Moore and David Eick and actors Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos joined United Nations officials in a March 17 panel discussion on human rights, terrorism and other issues.
The Whoopi Goldberg-led panel addressed members of the press and 100 New York City high school students in the United Nations Economic and Social Council Chamber. Placards at the seats turned everyone into delegates from the show's fictional 12 colonies. The discussion starkly demonstrated to the students and other attendees that the issues in the fictional world of Battlestar have their root in real-world problems.
The topics and experts: human rights with Craig Mokhiber, a deputy director for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Radhika Coomaraswamy, a special representative of the secretary-general, who spoke on children and armed conflict; Robert Orr, assistant secretary-general for policy planning, on terrorism; and deputy representative of Liberia Famatta Rose Osode, on reconciliation and dialogue among civilizations and faiths.
The BSG contingent held their own, answering questions from the students ably and intelligently. Olmos, an activist in his own right, speaking frequently on issues affecting Latinos, became passionate when speaking on the use of the word “race” to distinguish between cultures. He even chastised Mokhiber, who used the word in his comments (to his defense, he was quoting a 60-year-old document on human rights).
“There is only one race,” Olmos said, “The human race.”
He then led the crowd in the show's chant of: “So say we all.”
Eick said that when he and Moore sat down to create the show, they asked themselves, “Why does the world need another space opera?” What they created went far beyond mere space opera.
Though in the series the fleet ended its journey last Friday at a new home, the U.N. event showed that Battlestar Galactica has broadened the discussion of topics that continue to plague the human race.
Sci Fi's New Name Wins Star's Vote
The night before the Battlestar creators and stars did their U.N. thing, they joined other Sci Fi Channel executives and stars at a screening of the series' two-hour finale, which aired March 20. (The Wire gives it two thumbs up, but won't say anything else.)
They and other network stars also stuck around for Sci Fi's upfront presentation, when channel president Dave Howe officially announced the NBC Universal-owned network is changing its name to Syfy in July.
He repeated he'd said earlier — that Syfy (pronounced like sci-fi) broadens the definition to non-space-related fantasy fare and, crucially, that Syfy is a brand NBCU can trademark, unlike the more generic current name.
At the upfront, Howe, standing in front of huge renditions of the new name, made the point by showing slides of the ESPN and Coca-Cola logos. Now, imagine if they were called “sports” and “soda” instead. “Without a unique brand name, they are reduced to a commodity,” Howe said. “That is Syfy in reverse.”
At a party at TheTimesCenter, part of The New York Times's new headquarters in Manhattan, after the upfront, The Wire asked Amanda Tapping, star and executive producer of hit paranormal drama Sanctuary, what she thought of the name change.
Tapping has been in the Sci Fi fold for years, having starred in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis on the network before Sanctuary.
At first she wasn't sure, she said, but she agreed with Howe's logic, especially about Syfy broadening perceptions of the network's programming. She said she's been asked about her show, on Sci Fi: “Is the sanctuary set on a ship?”
No, it's set in an imagined former cathedral, actually. Imagine that.
SES To Do SomeName-Dropping
Now that SES has merged its North American (Americom) and international (New Skies) units, the satellite operator is going to rechristen the combined group.
The company is about a month away from adopting a new moniker, as it's going through the process of getting trademark clearance, said Rob Bednarek, president and CEO of what is currently being called SES Americom/New Skies.
The rebranding is needed because “we don't want folks to focus on the fact that there were two companies being brought together,” he explained.
However, “SES” will definitely be part of the new name, Bednarek said, who added that the existing names of its satellites won't change either.
Based in Princeton, N.J., the group operates 25 satellites worldwide with 900 transponders.
Comcast, Sony GoApple-y In Philly
A marketing miracle: Is Comcast becoming a little bit cooler?
Comcast's got an adorable ad with a catchy jingle (see last week's Wire). In its next branding sortie, the MSO has cozied up to Sony to try to kindle some techno-lust — opening a neon-lit showcase store last week in the basement of its Philadelphia headquarters.
The 3,400-square-foot Sony Style Comcast Labs store borrows the minimalist, space-ship-like aesthetic of the successful Apple Stores (as well as the 40 existing Sony Style retail locations). Staffers will demo 100-Mbps Internet service — which Comcast may launch commercially later in 2009 — as well as Tru2way-enabled HDTVs, Sony PlayStations and other wares.
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