Sky Sci-Fi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the British and Irish channel. For channels in other countries, see List of Syfy TV channels.
Not to be confused with the Sky Cinema channel, Sky Cinema Sci-Fi & Horror.

Sky Sci-Fi
Sky Sci-Fi logo
Logo used since 2022
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Ireland
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Timeshift serviceSyfy +1 (closed in 2022)
Ownership
OwnerSky Group (Comcast)
Sister channelsChallenge
CNBC Europe
E!
Movies 24
Pick
Sky Arts
Sky Atlantic
Sky Cinema
Sky Comedy
Sky Crime
Sky Documentaries
Sky History
Sky History 2
Sky Max
Sky Nature
Sky One (until 2021)
Sky News
Sky Replay
Sky Showcase
Sky Sports
Sky Sports Box Office
Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports Racing
Sky Witness
History
Launched1 October 1995; 27 years ago (1995-10-01) (as Sci Fi Channel/Syfy)
26 July 2022; 2 months ago (2022-07-26) (as Sky Sci-Fi)
Former namesSci Fi Channel (1995–2010)
Syfy (2010-2022)
Links
Websitewww.syfy.co.uk
Availability
Streaming media
Sky GoWatch live (UK and Ireland only)
Now TVWatch live (UK and Ireland only)
Virgin TV AnywhereWatch live (UK only)

Sky Sci-Fi (formerly Sci Fi Channel and Syfy) is a British pay television channel service specialising in science fiction, fantasy and horror shows and movies. It is owned by NBCUniversal International Networks, a division of NBCUniversal[1] and as of 2018, Sky Group.

History[]

First Syfy logo used from 2010 to 2017
Second Syfy logo used from 2017 to 2022

It was launched in 1995 as a localised variant of the US network Sci Fi Channel (now Syfy), with a similar programming line-up. It was on air each day from 8am until 2am, but only on cable as a lack of transponder space on satellite meant that it was only able broadcast for a few hours each day on that platform. It wasn't until the launch of Sky Digital in 1998 that the channel's full broadcast hours were available on satellite.

On 13 April 2010, Sci Fi Channel was relaunched as Syfy, as part of an ongoing global rebranding.[2] The relaunch was accompanied by the premieres of V and Human Target. The channel was given a new on-air look and a tagline of "Imagine greater".

Sky applied for a Sky Sci-Fi trademark on 4 May 2022.[3] On 14 June 2022 Sky confirmed that the channel rebrand would take place at 11am on 26 July, accompanied by a refreshed schedule of new and existing content.[4][5]

Programming[]

Programming in the channel's early years followed the US channel's model, then consisting largely of archive shows such as Lost in Space, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and films from the Paramount and MCA vaults. The channel was also notable for being one of the first UK television channels to show anime movies and television series on a regular basis. These programming choices were supplemented by a few 1980s animated series shown in the mornings such as Robotech, Bionic Six and G-Force, although they were dropped as the channel's lineup became more independent of the original US channel.

Currently, most archive and anime programming have been phased out of the channel, which now concentrates on contemporary show, movies, and other programming. One original UK production was the late-night show Headf**k, which featured excerpts from unusual TV shows, short films (including Chris Barfoot's 'Phoenix' and 'The Reckoning') and music videos from around the world. Later episodes were presented by David Icke.

Programmes on the channel throughout more recent times have included UK premieres of big name US shows like Heroes, Flash Gordon, Eureka, and more recently Knight Rider, Legend of the Seeker and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Also shown as of February 2007 are digitally remastered episodes of Star Trek (not to be confused with the remastered series with new CGI); in October the channel secured an exclusive deal with CBS to air Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, remastered from original film elements to current HD standards with new HD CGI sequences, and as of November 2012 have been broadcasting them in (mostly) chronological order.[6][7][8]

First-run programming[]

Repeat programming[]

  • Alphas
  • A Discovery Of Witches (from 30th August)
  • Firefly
  • Dark Matter
  • Fringe
  • Futurama (from 26th July)
  • Fortitude
  • Human Target
  • Intergalactic
  • Grimm
  • Merlin
  • Project Blue Book
  • Wynonna Earp
  • The Leftovers
  • Manifest
  • Westworld (season 1 and 2)
  • Watchmen TV series
  • Fringe
  • Killjoys
  • The Outpost
  • Pandora
  • Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels
  • Siren
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Star Trek: Enterprise
  • Stargate SG-1
  • Stan Lee's Lucky Man (1st November)
  • Spides
  • Stargate Atlantis
  • The Twilight Zone
  • Trickster
  • The Librarians
  • Star Trek: Voyager
  • True Blood
  • V
  • Stephen King's It

Viewership and reach[]

As of April 2008, the channel reached an average of three million UK and Ireland households a week, appealing equally to male and female demographics.

Initially, the channel shared its analogue satellite transponder with no less than five other channels, limiting its output to early evenings and late nights with the rest of its continuous daytime programming (including cartoons) restricted to cable customers. With the launch of Sky Digital in the UK the channel eventually expanded to exclusive broadcasting on its own channel and now broadcasts round the clock most days each week.

Most watched programmes[]

The following is a list of the ten most watched shows on Syfy (previously Sci-Fi), based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB up to 10 September 2017.[9] The number of viewers does not include viewers from Ireland, repeats or airings on Syfy +1.

Rank Show Episode No. of
viewers 		Date
1 Heroes 1.01 – Genesis 579,000 19 February 2007
2 V 2.09 – Devil in a Blue Dress 549,000 19 May 2011
3 Heroes 1.19 – .07% 529,000 18 June 2007
4 Heroes 1.05 – Hiros 523,000 12 March 2007
5 Heroes 1.03 – One Giant Leap 512,000 26 February 2007
6 Heroes 1.06 – Better Halves 509,000 19 March 2007
7 The Librarians 1.01 – And the Crown of King Arthur 503,000 8 December 2014
8 Heroes 1.04 – Collison 502,000 5 March 2007
9 Heroes 1.02 – Don't Look Back 494,000 19 February 2007
10 Knight Rider 1.01 – A Knight in Shining Armor 490,000 19 May 2009

HD feed[]

A high-definition simulcast channel was launched on the Sky+ HD service as the 31st high-definition channel on Sky. A range of high definition movies, including Sci Fi Channel original production Ba'al: The Storm God, aired on the channel along with Eli Stone, Tin Man and Sanctuary.

It was added to Virgin Media on 1 April 2010.[10]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Universal Networks International". NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  2. ^ Tryhorn, Chris (19 February 2010). "Sci Fi channel to rebrand in April". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office".
  4. ^ https://rxtvinfo.com/2022/syfy-channel-to-re-launch-as-sky-sci-fi RXTVinfo, 2022-06-14
  5. ^ "SyFy channel re-brands to Sky Sci-Fi offering new shows and fan favourites". Sky Group (Press release). 14 June 2022.
  6. ^ Farber, Alex (17 October 2012). "Syfy first to beam Star Trek in HD". Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  7. ^ Munn, Patrick (3 October 2012). "Syfy UK Acquires Rights To 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'". Tvwise.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Star Trek Syfy UK To Air TNG in HD". Startrek.com. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  9. ^ BARB, via [1]
  10. ^ "SCI FI HD to be beamed up to Virgin TV viewers". Virgin Media. 15 March 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""