Why is the New Galactica not airing on Local TV?

Why is the New Battlestar Galactica *not* in syndication (airing on
local tv)? Stargates SG1 and Atlantis are airing on local television,
which is great because it lets me review the story one year later.

I'm surprised the new BSG is not doing the same thing to reach
non-cable audiences?

Andrew Rossmann...

There aren't really enuogh episodes. Maybe next year.

Mark Nobles...

It hasn't built up enough of a base of episodes to syndicate yet. If it
ran 5 days a week, it would repeat after barely a month. That's why
normal series don't get syndicated until they have 65 episodes or so.

videonovels...

(sigh) I was talking about 1-per-week syndication. Same as SG1 or SGA
which aired episodes 801-820 and 101-120 on local tv this past year.
Verstehen Sie?

The other Eric...

They only have 30 something hours. I've read somewhere that for
syndication to work it requires a minimum number of shows. If S3 runs

videonovels...

You need enough to fill an entire year.

David Chapman...

Which doesn't explain why Atlantis is in syndication, as that only has 44

videonovels...

.

Atlantis is running as if it were a brand-new show. Same way that TNG,
DS9, B5, Xena, et cetera were running on local television.

So this past year, local tv gets SGA episodes 1 to 20.
And in september, local tv gets SGA episodes 21 to 40.

Alan Figgatt...

It makes perfect sense to me. SGA is not a old show running 5 days a
week, but in syndication 1 year behind Sci-Fi. Many of the prime time
network series show up on cable channels with a once a week showing with
only 1 to 2 seasons under their belts.

BSG is being shown on Universal-HD in HD on Sunday nights. So it is
getting repeated outside of Sci-Fi, although on a channel that not many
can get, even those of us who subscribe to HD channels. My Adelphia
cable system does not yet offer Universal-HD, but I hope they will add
it not long after Comcast takes it over.

BSG might have to be edited a little if it were to shown on daytime
syndication such as Saturday or Sunday afternoon on local broadcast
stations. But any nudity is minimal and more suggested than shown. BSG
as is could be shown on most cable networks, but it is already on Sci-Fi
which is in the standard lineup for almost all cable systems.

OTOH, if frack becomes a widely used cuss word and is someday added to
the dictionary, would the FCC tell the broadcast stations that they have
to edit out all the fracks or get fined? (just kidding - I hope).

Alan F

eps to date not counting S3. Not that I think you're wrong - I know that

jayembee...

As I said before, the syndication deal for SGA was made before the
show even went into production. Like SG-1 (and THE OUTER LIMITS and
POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY) before it, the deal is the same as if it
was in first-run syndication, even though it really isn't.

Red Dwarf S7 and S8 ran to 8 eps instead of the usual six so they'd have 52
eps total and be able to enter syndication - I'm just mentioning the
anomaly.

So your point does make sense. SG Atlantis is airing in reruns,
because they already had 22 episodes from Season 1, which can quite
easily fill in a 52-week year (repeat the season 2.5 times).

In contrast, BSG only had 11(?) episodes. Not nearly enough.

Atlas Bugged...

Your numbers are slightly off. It's 20 for SGA and 13 for that first BSG
season.

I was of the impression that syndicators like to see three or four seasons,
or about 100 episodes.

a full 20 that might put them over the top. I wonder how a network
would handle all those wonderful shots of Six.

Benjamin Elliott...

Well, stations might not be able to air the show in the daytime. Also, you
should probably expect some digitally added underwear to make certain scenes
palatable for broadcast TV. Scenes that are considered too intense (like Six
killing the baby in the 2003 movie or a certain scene in "Pegasus" that
didn't involve Six at all) might get trimmed.

I'm sure they'll work it out if they want the syndicated market money. If
they don't want it, then they won't.

Benjamin Elliott

evwill...

FYI: NBC will feed BSG reruns to some western U.S. affiliates for
Sunday night airings this fall to help fill the gap left by football
airing outside prime-time hours.

Everett W.