Doctor Who Club of Australia

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Australia finally gets the SCI FI Channel as Foxtel launches it on December 1:
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,20548376-5005368,00.html
"SCIENCE fiction fans are in for a treat with the launch on December 1 of a 24-hour a day channel dedicated to sci-fi television programs like Star Trek.

The Sci Fi channel will offer a mix of modern and classic programming covering paranormal, supernatural and fantasy themes.

Sci Fi will broadcast popular series including hit new series such as Medium and The 4400, plus all of the Star Trek franchise television series (original, Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise), Stargate, Stargate SG -1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Farscape, The Thunderbirds and The X-Files. "

Kerr Avon · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 478

fingers crossed Austar picks it up soon...

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 660 Location: Perth

Woohoo!

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Austar will have SCI FI.
FAQ from the TV1 site:
"Is there going to be a Sci-Fi Channel?

YES!!! Launching December 1 on FOXTEL and AUSTAR on Channel 134. You can sign up for the SCI FI e-newsletter and find out more about the shows from October 20 on the TV1 website"

Kerr Avon · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 478

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Its website with a countdown clock:
http://www.scifitv.com.au/home/

Here's the schedule of what the channel will be showing:
http://www.scifitv.com.au/content/downloads/Scifi_Program.pdf

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 660 Location: Perth

I wonder if they are going to show "Classic" Doctor Who at some stage?

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

phase5 · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 246

Curious as always.

Can anyone supply answers to the following:

- What the pa cost of Foxtel?
- Does/will the SF Channel cost extra?
- Assuming this is Foxtel Digital; what's the average mbit/s of the SF channel? (Or any channel).
- I assume all these programs will be shown with commercial breaks?

Considering most of the programmes listed are already available as boxed DVD sets, how long would you have to go without Foxtel to be able to afford to purchase them all so that you could watch them when ever you liked without commercial breaks?

g,uest · Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 349

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Although it won't launch until December 1, the Sci Fi Channel is currently showing previews in the channel that has been alloted, for those with Foxtel Digital, it is on channel 132. Yesterday I finally got to see the previews.
The previews that was shown were for Buffy, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, The 4400, Medium & The X-Files. All nicely done.
Also good was an ad for the channel which I saw while watching Suburban Shootout on UKTV.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Sci Fi has been launched:

"The investors in the TV1 partnership last night launched their new Sci Fi channel in style at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

The Australian star of the US hit sci fi series The 4400, Jacqueline McKenzie, was the star of the night as she spoke enthusiastically about landing a role on the show and spending the last three years filming on location in Canada.

Channel boss Peter Hudson also spoke in front of an overflowing Museum crowd, reminding them that the launch of Sci Fi channel is now just two weeks away. He also reported MCn has started taking the first ad bookings for the business which was only given the green light eight weeks ago.

Also at the event was a team from the US parent companies – Armando Nunez Jr (Pres CBS Paramount – and the man who oversaw TEN’s new CBS deal), Barry Chamberlain (senior VP sales CBS Paramount), Reed Manville (MD Global Networks-Asia NBC Universal), Andy Kaplan (Pres International Networks Sony Pictures TV International). From the Australian divisions of those companies was Jack Ford (MD Sony Pictures TV), Haydn Arndt (MD NBC Universal) and Sean Cleary (MD CBS Paramount).

Foxtel CEO Kim Williams was also on hand, as were Austar executives and many other subscription TV channel managers."

Source: Mediaweek

phase5 · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 246

I've also read that Foxtel are moving sf programmes off TV1 and putting them on the "SF Channel". So it seems you'll now have to pay extra for something you used to get as part of the basic package.

Personally, I think buying the DVDs over time is a better option.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

The Optus guide for December came in the mail yesterday and the Sci Fi Channel is the cover story with Patricia Arquette (Medium) on the cover as she talks about working on her show. There is also brief info on some of the shows they will be showing but they made one error about The 4400 saying Jacqueline MacKenzie plays a character whose long lost adopted daughter has been found along with the other returnees. It is incorrect since she only adopted her after the girl has come back not before.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Last night saw new previews, this time from Samurai X, Cleopatra 2525, Farscape, Tripping the Rift, Babylon 5 & The Sentinel plus new ones of Medium, X-Files, Buffy, Atlantis,BSG, The 4400. All enjoyable.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Saw another ad while watching a recording of The Incredible Hulk yesterday with the voiceover asking the viewer to check whether Sci Fi is part of your subscription package because if if you want "television with an extra dimension you need Sci Fi."

Also after Surburban Shootout on UK, the edition of Select that came after it talked about the launch of Sci Fi with host Mike Hammond interviewing Jacqueline Mackenzie. She said that The 4400 had no Martians and especially no pointed ears!

Incidentally after Select came the UKTV ad for Doctor Who: Boom Town, a show of course from the sci fi genre but not one that will be on SCI FI itself.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

I thought I bring this thread back up to let people know that Sci Fi will be showing V: The Mini-Series from next week on Sunday December 2 2007 at 5pm. Repeats will be at 11:50pm on Sundays and 8:30am on Mondays.

V is one series I had been hoping to see and looks like I get my chance in finally seeing it.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

TV Tonight has reported that Jericho will debut on Sci Fi next month right from the beginning on Thursday June 5 7:30pm.

Personally this saves me the trouble of renting the episodes that have not been shown yet on Australian TV which I had been thinking of doing as a result of finishing the original series of the similarly themed Survivors.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Found out from an ad at Sci Fi that Jericho will begin on June 5 with the first three episodes.

Afterwards (from looking at the June issue of Optus Magazine) it will be two episodes every Thursday night.

Repeats will be at 4:05am and 1pm on Fridays.

This means that never before seen episodes on Australian TV will be in July.

The ad also says that Sci Fi original movies will be on next month on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Sci Fi has just launched its new video player called Spectrum. Spectrum includes the first season of the Blake's 7 - The Audio Adventures:
http://www.scifitv.com.au/spectrum/