Demos and Dragons, or How one cable network eats its young, while underestimating the power of intersectional viewership
Bottom line: at a time when many of us may see the age of 75, or even 100, the majority of entertainment is developed for male viewers under 25, and much of it is more demanding of CGI artists than actors or writers. Virtually all Americans will spend most or all of our lives outside that vaunted “demo”, but increasingly, one single demographic is the impetus for most of the popular art developed in our culture. Love it or hate it, the recently departed Caprica was an interesting show, and about to hit its creative peak at the end of the first season, which could have provided Syfy with more Mad Men-esque prestige. Thanks to ambivalence by SyFy (about its audience, possibly its long-term costs) Caprica was almost certain to fail, but it fared better than Lone Star, killed after two weeks despite overwhelming critical acclaim for its first episodes. If we’re in a television golden age, what’s with the piss-poor planning? Continue reading