Excuse me while I get on my soapbox...

Okay. So I wanted to talk about the new shows coming this fall in my next entry. Instead I'm feeling snarky about what I perceive to be a stupid move on the part of the Sci-Fi Channel. I've been a fan of Stargate SG-1 for sometime and recently became a member of the converted when it comes to Stargate Atlantis. Sci-Fi gave Atlantis the plumb 10pm Friday spot on their schedule - that was good. But since then they have done very, very little to promote the show on air or on-line. They did they same thing to SG-1 when they decided to phase out the show. And I know a thing or two about promos and promotion plans - I do that for a living.

So why would Sci-Fi screw over a show with the production quality and fan base that Atlantis has for shows like Flash Gordon and Who Wants to be a Superhero? Sci-Fi seems to have lost its way and its mission. Quality science fiction no longer seems to be in their plans. If it ain't cheap - and pretty cheap looking - Sci-Fi doesn't seem interested.

Now I know what you're thinking. What about Battlestar Galattica? That's quality and it certainly isn't cheap. Yes it is and no it certainly isn't it. But Battlestar will be a thing of the past after next season and Stargate not only launched Sci-Fi onto a new playing field it kept it there for years. It seems to me the network is less than grateful, however. You have a good quality show with a very firm and rabid fan base. A show that can continue to help launch other programs and sustain those around it. To essentially ignore the program promotionally is simply shooting yourself not only in the proverbial foot but in the very literal wallet. Dipsticks (a term I think show runner Joseph Mallozzi would appreciate).

Okay I'm setting my soapbox aside now...

Next time I really will talk about the fall TV season... promise.

And so it begins...

I started out with a blog about doing television promos. That's what I do for a living after all. But I noticed more and more that I was talking about TV instead of talking about making it. So TV Oracle was born.

So where did I get the name Oracle? The TV part is obvious. As for the latter... well I watched The Birds of Prey for an episode or two and thought the name was kind of cool. Very geeky of me, no? Perhaps I should just claim some sort of reference to the Oracle at Delphi. At least my mythology teacher in college will think I paid attention.

So my plan is to use this space... my little plot of land on the web... to chat up my favorite subject - television. You'll find my TV tastes aren't limited to a single, definable category. From The Avengers (the Emma Peel years, of course) to The X-Files and everything in between, TV is my hobby.

With the new fall season finally visible on the horizon, I'll be chatting about returning shows like Heroes, Stargate Atlantis, Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order: SVU, Lost, and Bones. I'll also have plenty to talk about as Bionic Woman, Chuck, The Reaper, Pushing Daisies, Viva Laughlin (this one scares me a little), and Samantha Who? arrive on our airwaves. This TV season makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Hopefully I won't get too greedy and wind up like one of the brats in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...

My new U-Verse DVR will get a work out, though. 4 shows at once? Bring on a four way tie for my evening's viewing habits... and kiss my social life goodbye...

Tune in tomorrow as the TV talk gets underway. I leave you with a snapshot from Sanctuary. A new online series you've got to check out if you're a fan of sci-fi...