The Clicker Can't Stand BSG On Sunday

I’m not going to mince words here. I’ll just come out and say it: I hate that the SciFi channel moved ‘Battlestar Galactica’ to Sunday nights. To be completely honest, I didn’t realize how much I would miss my ‘Battlestar’ Friday nights until they were gone. The show moved to Sunday nights in January when it returned from winter break. Before I decided to go on a rant about how annoying it is not have ‘BSG’ on Friday, I thought I’d wait a few weeks to see if I would get used to it and guess what? I haven’t.

I’m not sure that I can pose a good argument as to why the show would be better off on Fridays. Variety.com reported back in November that Sci Fi’s VP of programming Mark Stern said, “Broadcast and cable networks realized Friday was not such a bad timeslot, so it's not the easy lay-up it once was.” The other reason for moving the show to Sunday nights was due to higher HUT (Houses Using Television) levels on Sunday night. It’s also extremely likely that they hoped by putting ‘Battlestar’ on at 10 pm, viewers might tune in an hour early to watch the new series, ‘The Dresden Files.’

Sure, more people watch TV on Sunday nights but does that mean there’s a much higher chance that a significant number of those people will stay up past 10:00 pm on a Sunday night just to watch ‘Battlestar Galactica’? Personally, I cant imagine the timeslot change is going to have that much of an effect on the people who weren’t already watching the show regularly. As for the ratings, based on what I’ve been able to find, they’re still close to where they were at the end of the fall season.

Whether or not the timeslot change has any significant effect on the ratings remains to be seen. What it is having a significant effect on is my enjoyment of the show. Don’t misunderstand me – I’m not saying I like ‘Battlestar Galactica’ any less than I did when it was on Friday nights. When I say “enjoyment,” I’m talking about the whole package. Unlike with most of the other TV shows I watch, there was sort of a ritual to viewing new episodes of ‘Battlestar’ on Friday nights. As nerdy as this sounds (especially because I don’t consider myself a ‘Sci-fi geek’), ‘Battlestar’ gave me a reason to look forward to not going out on Friday night. After a long workweek, I could grab a beer or a glass of wine, relax and enjoy ‘BSG’ for an hour. On the off chance that I did have plans on Friday night, I’d rely on my trusted TiVo to record the episode for me and then first thing Saturday morning, like a kid getting up early to watch cartoons, I’d turn on the TV and watch the episode.

Now everything’s different. Two episodes of ‘Battlestar’ have aired in the new timeslot and while the show is still there, the ritual is gone. At 10 pm on Sunday night I’m winding down and usually dreading the prospect of Monday morning, which is a mere eight hours away. How am I expected to fully enjoy ‘BSG’ under these conditions? Instead of having the whole weekend to watch (and occasionally re-watch) each new episode of ‘Battlestar,’ I have to wait until Sunday night.

Sure, you could suggest that I simply wait until Friday to watch the new episode but let’s be honest, would you want to wait five days to watch one of your favorite shows? Plus, one of the things I enjoy most about ‘Battlestar’ is that it’s a great show to discuss online with other fans. Character analysis, plot theorizing and the verbal dissection of each new episode are all part of the fun. I wouldn’t want to wait a week to get online and discuss the episode with my fellow ‘BSG’ fans.

So while I hope the SciFi channel considers moving the show back to Friday nights, I will say this: If the new timeslot proves to boost ratings significantly, ensuring the show survives long enough for the writers to tell the whole story, I would eventually come to support the change. ‘Battlestar Galactica’ is a fantastic show and I have no plans to boycott it based solely on the new timeslot. I just miss my ‘BSG’ Friday Night ritual.

What say you, fellow ‘BSG’ fans? Are you with me in wishing the show hadn’t moved to Sundays? If so, I implore you to comment below with a “So Say We All!” We also have a poll on the subject in our ‘Battlestar Galactica’ forum that registered users can vote in.


What to Watch (2/11 to 2/17)



49th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS) 8:00 pm
The Oscars for music.

’Grease: You’re the One That I Want’ (NBC) 8:00 pm
(New!) – One male and one female are eliminated. The rest go on to perform more songs in the hopes of proving to America that they’re the next Danny or Sandy.

’Desperate Housewives’ (ABC) 9:00 pm
I Remember That - (New!) – Mike begins to remember, finally! Things start to fall apart with Lynette and Tom’s business relationship. Orson finally opens up to Bree about his past.

’Battlestar Galactica’ (SCIFI) 10:00 pm
The Woman King - (New!) – A medical crisis threatens the well-being of the colonials and causes major chaos.



Watch: ’24’ (Fox) 7:00 pm
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm- (New!) – This week we’re treated to two full hours of ‘24’. In the last few minutes of last week’s episode, Morris was kidnapped by Fayed’s people. Hopefully Jack will be able to find Morris before its too late.

TiVo: ’Heroes’ (Fox) 9:00 pm
Run!- (New!) – Matt gets a job as a bodyguard which puts him in the line of fire of an assassination. Hiro gets to Vegas to find the sword.



’American Idol’ (Fox) 8:00 pm
Hollywood! – (New!) – Finally, after weeks of auditions, we’re on to the Hollywood portion of the show in which most of the people who got through on their looks will be eliminated.

”Veronica Mars” (CW) 9:00 pm
Postgame Mortem (New!) – Keith takes time off from investigating the dean’s murder to investigate the Hearst basketball coach’s murder. Logan gets stuck babysitting a 13 year old girl when Dick invites some friends over.



’American Idol’ (FOX) 9:00 pm
The 24 Semifinals – (New!) – The contestants get narrowed down to 12 guys and 12 girls.

’Lost’ (ABC) 10:00 pm
Flashes Before Your Eyes(New!) – Hurley and Charlie try to figure out what is up with Desmond, who’s been acting strange (translation: sorta psychic) since the hatch explosion.



”Ugly Betty” (ABC) 8:00 pm
Derailed - (New!) – Daniel enlists the help of a formal classmate (Lucy Liu). Also, from the previews it looks like we’ll get to meet Henry’s ex-girlfiend.

”The Office” (NBC) 8:30 pm
Business School - (New!) – This is the big Joss Whedon episode! Michael speaks at Ryan’s business school, Dwight tries to catch a bat and Pam invites her co-worker to her first art exhibit. Joss Whedon directed this episode.

’Grey’s Anatomy’ (ABC) 9:00 pm
Drowning on Dry Land - (New!) – The second of the three part episode in which the interns deal with a huge ferry accident. Will Derek be able to pull Meredith from the water in time? Probably.

”Men In Trees” (ABC) 10:00 pm
The Indecent Proposal - (New!) – Marin moves into her new house but Cash (the hot handyman) is still there. Patrick goes to meet Annie’s parents in New York.



Close Encounters of the Third Kind (TCM) 8:00 pm
If you’re too young to remember this movie, it’s Spielberg’s pre-ET alien movie and it’s a must-see.



Cast Away (ABC) 8:00 pm
Tom Hanks gets stuck on an island for years with no one but a volleyball to keep him company. Strangely enough, the movie is actually pretty decent. Then again, it’s Tom Hanks.




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