Other Sci-Fi

SCI FI (originally The Sci-Fi Channel, sometimes rendered SCI FI Channel when part of a longer phrase) is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. more...

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Animation Art, Characters
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Fantasy, Mythical & Magic
Science Fiction
Aliens, AVP
Babylon 5
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dr. Who
Farscape
Godzilla
Lost in Space
Other Sci-Fi
Outer Limits
Planet of the Apes
Smallville
Space 1999
Star Trek
Star Wars
Stargate SG-1
Thunderbirds
Twilight Zone
UFOs, Area 51, Roswell
Witchblade
X-Files
Xena

It is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBC Universal.

History

The channel was launched on September 24, 1992 as a sister cable channel to USA Network by then-owners Paramount Pictures (which was later acquired by Viacom in 1994) and MCA (then part of Japanese electronic giant Matsushita), the owner of Universal Studios, each with a 50% stake in the venture.

The channel was seen as a natural fit with classic film and television series that both studios had in their vaults, including Rod Serling's Night Gallery (from Universal TV) and Paramount's Star Trek and classic Universal horror films such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and author Isaac Asimov were among those on the advisory board.

In 1997, Seagram, which bought MCA in 1995, purchased Viacom's interest in USA and Sci Fi, and sold the networks to Barry Diller in 1998 to form USA Networks, Inc. Diller later sold USA's non-shopping (film and TV) assets, including Sci-Fi, to Universal's then-parent Vivendi Universal in 2002. Vivendi's film, television, and cable TV assets were then merged with General Electric's NBC to form NBC Universal in 2004.

A high definition version of the channel launched on October 3, 2007 on DIRECTV.

Sci Fi programming

See Sci Fi original programming for the full list.

Sci Fi's programming includes original television movies, miniseries, and series.

Series

The channel's most prominent series include Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, and Stargate SG-1, (picked up from the cable network Showtime after five seasons, and eventually becoming American television's longest running science-fiction series), and its spin-off Stargate Atlantis. Its 2006 series, Eureka was the channel's highest-rated series premiere. In addition to Stargate SG-1, Sci Fi also picked up the cancelled Comedy Central series Mystery Science Theater 3000, running three additional seasons of that show. In January 2007, it introduced The Dresden Files alongside Battlestar Galactica on Sunday evenings. It's also the US home of the revived Doctor Who series.

In 2006, Sci Fi began to air World Wrestling Entertainment's third brand, Extreme Championship Wrestling. Despite very intense criticism of a wrestling show on a science-fiction network, ECW received consistently high ratings. Sci Fi additionally aired the WWE flagship show, Monday Night Raw on 28 August 2006, when the program's usual home, USA Network, broadcast US Open Tennis on that date. Sci Fi again aired Raw on 27 August 2007.

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