Does genre or sci-fi television have ANYTHING new to offer us? While I like many of the shows we watch, there are very few brand new concepts or characters being introduced over the last few years. Let’s take a quick look at some of the shows we regularly discuss, as a for instance:

Battlestar Galactica – Re-ennvisioning
Doctor Who – Re-introduction of long-running show
Torchwood - Spinoff
Heroes – TV version of all the superhero movies (even cribbed plot points from Watchmen and X-Men)
Reaper - Buffy-esque
Sarah Connor Chronicles – Spinoff

The list of remakes and new takes on old ideas goes on and on – Knight Rider, Bionic Woman, Reaper… The only successful new ideas I can think of are LOST and PUSHING DAISIES. Obviously some of these new takes, like Battlestar and Who are well-done and arguably superior to their original versions. But seriously – why aren’t networks taking some chances?

The sad fact is that network television’s ratings are eroding. They have the majority of any audience for entertainment over movies, cable, and internet entertainment. But those are all vying for the same audience’s time and chipping away.

I would argue, not that any of the networks are listening, that sometimes you have to hold out for the long-term returns. The Office (another remake!) was a well-done show but did not receive much in the way of ratings. Now it’s one of the peacock net’s few hits. I think Reaper is another show with the potential to grow a cult audience. Smallville and Supernatural and Buffy all worked that way. The CW and the Sci-Fi Channel can afford to take chances on renewals because they don’t get much in the way of ratings to begin with. But it shows that audiences are savvy. They want to see a sign of faith in a show they are ready to invest in long-term.

Journeyman got all of 9 episodes before the ax dropped. Was there anything else on NBC’s plate to take its place? Not really. So why not take the short-term hit to later reap the long-term rewards. The only shows that last these days are the ones that make a huge initial impact. Lost. Heroes. Pushing Daisies. Hardly ever a question of renewal because it’s a big hit initially so the nets are willing to invest in long-term marketing. I would argue that they are hits due to quality, rather than promotion.

A good show will be publicized due to word of mouth. My marketing idea? If a show is a hit right off the bat, engage in low-cost promotion – viral videos, star interviews on talk shows, articles in magazines like Entertainment Weekly. Save the bus banners and tv ad dollars for those shows that could be 7 or 8-season shows. A Reaper. A Journeyman. Good premise, solid cast, unique idea. When the elements are in place, it should be obvious if it’s “good.” If anything, just work with the producers to develop single-episode stories with subplots that can become arcs by season two. Look at how Buffy and Doctor Who do it. Single episode stories. Season long arcs. It works. It’s a good model. Sarah Connor Chronicles will be moving into that direction for its second, full season. Smart.

But again, look at how many of those are based on existing properties. Let’s see some support for new takes on ideas. Please. It’ll make my job easier.