So you remember when SyFy was called the Sci-Fi channel and showed actual science fiction? Me neither.
Just kidding, of course I do. There was a time when SyFy was a pretty reliable channel. Now, all you can rely on it to do is give C. Thomas Howell and Mickey Dolenz more work than they've had in years.
SyFy is still capable of producing decent scripted shows when they put their mind to it, however, and their previous videogame tie-in project, that Red Faction movie from a few years ago, was surprisingly un-terrible. That trend seems to be continuing with their new companion series to Defiance, Trion World's new MMO, unsurprisingly also called Defiance.
Along with getting a fair share of decent reviews, it also turns out that a ton of people watched the premier on SyFy Monday night. In fact, Defiance was their most-watched scripted series premier in the coveted Adults 18-49 demographic since 2006's Eureka.
Defiance also pulled in the most total viewers and adults 25-54 since 2009's premier of Warehouse 13.
So that's all cool and stuff but I have to mention their wildly twisted brag about how Defiance performed better on "premier day" than Game of Thrones, and the Americans - also known as two of the best shows to appear on television in the last FIVE YEARS - along with The Newsroom, Falling Skies, and Teen Wolf based on "social exposure" which I guess means tweets and Facebook shares. It's a silly comparison to make publicly. It's like bragging about being better at football than Peyton Manning after beating your little brother ten times in a row at Madden. C'mon SyFy, you've got legit positive news for once, so don't obscure it with only pretend-important stats that make Defiance look more impressive than it is on the off change you convince someone that doesn't read carefully that it's better than Game of Thrones or the Americans.
I'm sorry, but I'm digressing . . .
Anyway, I haven't had a chance to watch Defiance yet - it's still sitting on my DVR. So I can't say if it's a good show or not, but any legit science fiction SyFy produces that does well is a good thing since it will encourage them to do more.
You can find more details about Defiance's SyFy premier after the jump.
NEW YORK – April 16, 2013 – Syfy’s groundbreaking transmedia event Defiance became the channel’s most-watched scripted series premiere among Adults 18-49 (1.3 million) since 2006 (Eureka).
Defiance also delivered Syfy’s top performance in total viewers (2.7 million) and Adults 25-54 (1.4 million) since 2009 (Warehouse 13) during its two-hour telecast on Monday, April 15 from 9-11PM (ET/PT). While averaging a 2.0 HH rating, Defiance also averaged 479,000 Adults 18-34, the most for a scripted series premiere since 2006.
Since launching worldwide on April 2nd, the Trion Worlds game Defiance has seen players log more than six million hours of gameplay.
Defiance ranked among the top five scripted cable shows in social activity on premiere day, earning 59K social exposures to rank as Syfy’s best series premiere day and its most social scripted telecast ever. It outperformed HBO’s Game of Thrones and The Newsroom, FX’s The Americans, TNT’s Falling Skies and MTV’s Teen Wolf on their respective premiere days. In addition, Syfy Sync – Syfy’s second screen tablet offering - posted its best day ever in uniques and visits as well as the 2nd best performance in page views.
Defiance became Syfy.com’s best series premiere day ever in uniques, page views and visits, while ranking as the #1 section of Syfy’s Digital Portfolio across key metrics.
Defiance is NBC Universal’s biggest day-and-date launch ever, premiering in over 55 countries on April 15th and 16th including the UK, Canada, Germany and France.
Beginning next Monday, April 22, Defiance will assume its regular 9PM time period, followed on Monday, April 29 by the season return of Warehouse 13 at 10PM, comprising Syfy’s Powerful Mondays programming bloc.
Defiance’s luminous cast includes Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Graham Greene and Mia Kirshner. Set in the near future, Defiance introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this somewhat unknown and unpredictable landscape, the richly diverse, newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. Each week, viewers will follow an immersive character drama set in the boom-town of Defiance, which sits atop the ruins of St. Louis, Missouri, while in the game, players will experience the new frontier of the San Francisco Bay area.
The series is executive produced by Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica, Hellcats), who also serves as showrunner, Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica) and Rockne O’Bannon (Farscape). Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest) directed the pilot; Michael Nankin serves as supervising producer/director on the series. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (
www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.(Syfy. Imagine greater.)
About Trion Worlds
Trion Worlds is the leading publisher and developer of premium games for the connected era. Powered by a breakthrough development and publishing platform, Trion is revolutionizing the way games are developed, played and sold. Trion’s world-class team delivers high-quality, dynamic and massively social games operated as live services across the biggest game genres and devices; including the critically acclaimed blockbuster, Rift™ and the highly-anticipated End of Nations™ and Defiance™. Trion is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with offices in San Diego, Calif., Austin, Texas, and at Trion Worlds Europe in London, UK.
