The Top 10 SyFy Channel Spin-offs We Need To See!
I am a SyFy addict. But like any addict I am always looking for the next high, and a new better high with flavors of the old ones is the best. So it’s time to spin off some wonderfulness into hopefully long lived series that do what I need: satiate my hunger for shows about people solving problems caused by AI malfunctions and unearthed manuscripts that human kind was never meant to read.
But hey, don’t think I’m just a “Top 10” writer. It’s just a phase I am going though, like your sister did in college. In truth, I was planning on writing an in-depth article detailing all of the named artifacts in Warehouse 13, but that seemed like it would take a while to research, so I put this one together to hold you kind readers over while I finish it (editor’s note: We. Can’t. Wait.).
Geekscape readers who are also Warehouse 13 watchers can be helpful by sending me reports on artifacts they think I might have missed: Sax@Geekscape.net.
So here we go, a list of 10 exciting spin-offs that I want to see come from the existing episodic SyFy shows. If while reading this you find yourself thinking “Well, this shit is impossible!!!” just remember Angel had FIVE SEASONS! Some of these might still be a little far fetched, but hey, you hire a comedian to write, you get some hyperbolic farce!
Fargoville
We all love Fargo as director of Global Dynamics in Eureka, but as this is something we all know can’t last more then a season. Still his recent changeover from bumbling comedic character to bumbling heroic character has made him a much bigger part of the Eureka cast. So lets imagine he looses the job at GD. Suddenly everyone in America holds their breath. Does this mean he has to leave Eureka? Well the answer is yes, but its not without a silver lining. The government is starting a new genius colony someplace else, like Alaska, or under the ocean, and they need someone to make it work. So the plucky and surprisingly likeable Fargo is off to help a new Eureka (of sorts) spring up in a place that had no previous frame of reference. Who will he meet? Who will he love? Will the Eureka cast come visit? And more importantly will anyone respect the mousy Fargo in this new local? Welcome to Fargoville… population YOU!
Warehouse 12
We already know that Warehouse 12 was in England between 1830 and 1914. Or at least you would know if you explored the Warehouse 13 website as religiously as I do. We also know that H.G. Wells was an apprentice member of a team here. So there’s our core for a new (old) team in a new (old) warehouse. The pilot episode could have the existing team travel back in time to play a part, and put a very important factoid the Warehouse 12 teams collective head… It’s going to end, and end badly in less then 50 years. Think of what the dynamic would be like if the Warehousers KNEW when it was going to end. Time travel ruins everything. Anyway the new (old) team is a great reflection of the old (new) team and that makes both shows more interesting. Just like the Scoobies were made more interesting by their new frame of reference against the Angle Investigations team. Oh and Jamie Murray (Wells) was fantastic in Hu$tle and super super hot all day long, so I’m not complaining about an series with her as an anchor.
The “Real” Ghost Hunters
No, this is not a strange mash-up of SyFy mutli-show dynamo Ghost Hunters and the fantastic 80’s cartoon The Real Ghostbusters, but that’s a GREAT idea too. No this is the first fully scripted and fictional version of the now famous SyFy mainstay. Either the existing cast, or newly hired actors look for ghosts in the same dreary famous locations but this time they find them. Well, uh, find them as provided by post-production editing. I know it breaks the shows concept in half, but it also brings the charm of Paranormal Activities (and Blair Witch) onto the small screen in an established format. A show like this is going to come out soon anyway from somebody, so we might as well brand it with the people and procedures we’re used too from Ghost Hunters. My only strong problem with it is that “real” should be for the original Ghost Hunters, and this should be the one strangely without the moniker. Its kind of like calling your decorative rubber fruit company “Real Fresh Fruit”. It’s a lot of hate mail, and confused people, is what I am saying.
Stargate Rescue
You might need a seatbelt for this one, so buckle up, this one is heady. So as SGU is clearly starting to move away from its dependence on Earth backup stories (or should at least), lets launch a rescue effort from the home team after the lost souls on Destiny. To make this work lets have a communication stone malfunction strand any of a dozen good characters on Earth, but not in their own body. With the newfound drive on a man (or woman) who needs to get back not only to his friends, but to his very own body, the government commissions and builds Prometheus 2, a huge ship capable of previously unheard of jumps from system to system. Captained by… oh lets say Cameron Mitchell and a couple of notable scientists from other Stargate series. Matthew Scott (of SGU) would be my pick for the body displaced second in command. Meanwhile back on Destiny whoever has his body has to deal with that, so the series are tied together. Crossing over and back with each other is already prewritten into the concept. The rescue team of course has to deal with whatever they jump themselves into along the way, but in a different way then Destiny. While the SGU crew goes where destiny tells then, the Prometheus 2 COULD stay a little longer someplace and help, but at one expense in their quest to reach the Destiny? Not enough cool for you in one plot? What if Matthew Scott has jumped into someone very different from him… a slight scientist, a woman, carrot top? It writes itself. Plus the chance to un-mothball some old SG cast is something we shouldn’t pass up.
The Really ODD Couple
This romantic dramedy crossed with science fiction epic could also be called “Clargo”. Guessed it yet? Warehouser Claudia Donovan, and Eureka mainstay Douglas Fargo, try to give up their beyond reality world and settle down together in quite obscurity. But, either because of constant exposure to GD experiments or Warehouse artifacts, it seems the world of the supernatural is not done with them. Can their budding (or maybe off-again/on-again) romance survive the fact that they are plagued by werewolves and mad scientists? Can they keep a white picket fence, would they want one? Think Indiana Jones meets Hackers. Hell I’d watch it right now if it were on. Plus the fans are crying out for it after the famous crossover.
INNER-space Astronauts
This one is easy. It’s the same great show Outer Space Astronauts but instead of space, it all takes place in Martin Shorts body. It stays with the shows animation theme of being a mix between live action, animation, and computer generation. Of course the whacky antics of the crew end up causing no end of trouble for Martin, who has to deal with rapid personality and physical changes as they probe deeper and deeper into his inner workings. What did I never notice until now how gross that concept is. Anyway this would be hilarious.
New Haven
It’s a little early to be creating Haven spin-offs, but I think if the show survives it’ll start to make people ask the question I’ve been asking from episode one. If these people pretty much ALL have these powers, then why is it always a surprise when it happens? I mean, its clear they all know this is how the town works, and all of a sudden people are just flabbergasted that these things take place. Even if this was kind of a new thing (which the show makes CLEAR it is not) it’d still be pretty common knowledge at this point that people in town can control the weather or make their dreams reality and all that. Also in the latest episode this woman completely changes into a different woman every Friday and just kind of walks it off… I mean REALLY! Sorry… just ranting here. If you wonder why X-Files and Fringe always travel to new places it’s because you can’t get away with having vampire-shape shifter-werewolf-zombie-magic user plagues every week and having nobody notice in the same small Maine town. Ok… so about this spin-off. Lets imagine after a while some folks from Haven want to move someplace else, the reason is inconsequential. Once they get there though, they need to stay under the radar and avoid showing their powers. Because the folks in this new Haven are not “part of the team” and don’t know about their secret abilities. So what’s it like for a bunch of super humans in a town of regular folks. Look for the chief of police to anchor this spin-off as the leader of the transplants who just wants people to control themselves and not break the façade of normality. Also he and the newspaper guys are the only people on that show I like.
The Ripper Chronicles
Here’s your Sanctuary spin-off. I know I love this idea, but I don’t know exactly where to go with it. John Druitt aka Jack the Ripper has temporarily gained control of his fractured teleporting brain, but not enough to seek his full redemption from the Sanctuary. Instead he travels the world exploring his own struggle as expressed in the minds of killers everywhere. Think Dexter meets Kurt Wagner. Also Bigfoot can play a part somehow because it’s the same actor. Amanda Tapping will appear but only in a series of strangely tacked on tight clothes in the rain sequences.
Nearscape
This is the one I’m really hoping comes out of this article (editor’s note: me too!!!). Somebody tell somebody… or something! Anyway… the idea here is an alternate timeline and story of Farscape. This hinges on the idea that it IS a fully alternate timeline and not say some sort of distorted dream sequence where everyone remembers how it “used to be” someplace in the back of their head. I hate those plots (Sorry House of M). Ok so Nearscape is about a world just like our own where astronaut John Crichton is suddenly sucked into a wormhole… only to come right back out where he started. The world is in an uproar over the existence of wormholes but things seem pretty much normal after John touches down. But slowly over time the greater Farscape universe starts to pay a visit. The whole time of course humanity is using the inspiration of Crichton’s flight to up its own technology and become a space faring planet. By the time Scorpious and the Peace Keepers arrive it’s a battle to see if Humans are going to have a big effect on the galactic politic, or not. Peace Keeper spy on earth? Officer Aeryn Sun. Who falls in love with Crichton? Well you guessed it. As much as this re-envisioning of Farscape charms me… It’s not a true spin-off and worse… its simply not Farscape. How about we spin this off from Farscape: FARSCAPE! Bring it back people. It was great. The comics are good too btw.
Greystone
Last but not least is Greystone my Caprica spin-off. Well… its not a spin-off. Greystone is just Zoe Greystone (Alessandra Torresani) walking around an posing and walking about whatever the writers feel like talking about. Why? Because I think that’s what most people are tuning into Caprica to see anyway. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great show, with a well written plot and some amazing deep interplay. But Alessandra Torresani is just flat out too hot for school and makes it very hard to pay attention. Hell James Marsters is on this show, and he’s one of my favorite actors (and Spike from BTVS in case you’ve lived in a cave for the past decade) but whenever he’s on screen I’m always whispering “hurry it up”. Its strange to like a show as much as I do and also like watching the main character just sit around and think about being stuck in a robot. That sentence probably didn’t make sense if you don’t watch it. It’s a good marketing technique though. I remember watching the pilot episode and when Lacy is taking Daniel Graystone into the Holoband and mentioning that her and Zoe used to use the “group sex rooms” before they got tired of it. Zoe and Lacy in group sex rooms? Well there’s an image that sticks in your mind. What sticks in your mind you want to see more about, thus about 3 more episodes of Caprica watched before I finally got addicted to the plot and characterization. So lets spin off the amazing Zoe’s less then plot driving moments and move Caprica to concentrate on plot, then wait until the next time slot to just watch Alessandra Torresani drink coffee or something. It sounds horrible I know, but you know it would be their highest rated show. Oh and check this out (at least the first 3rd… you’re welcome):
So there they are. In the ten I probably only suggested 6 real spin-offs but I think my point is clear: We want more of what SyFy is currently airing.
Just add some more Star Trek re-runs and a few movies about anything crossed with a shark and I’ll still be addicted. More from your SyFy Addict later kids… send me those W13 artifact finds!
