Rumors, Guns and Money!! and Re-Run Rights

[PauNthWorlds]

I am wondering if the hold up right now is that Scifi still has the rights to the re-runs?

Correct me if I am wrong, but other channels would really need to run all the past eps before a new season began.

If that is still the case, and the re-runs become available to use by other networks, would that not open a lot of doors for the Hendson Co.??

Andrew

[NebariNookiee]

In theory -- but Sci Fi has a death grip on those rights for at least 2 years. It's going to be a LOOOOOOOONG wait.

Good thing we're all here to keep ourselves entertained

[PauNthWorlds]

When did the two year death grip start?

I am not going away!!!!!!!!!! I can wait, and I will wait!!!

[Digger]

but Sci Fi has a death grip on those rights for at least 2 years. It's going to be a LOOOOOOOONG wait.
That ain't neccesarly so, NN. To the best of my knowledge skiffy owns those rights for 2 years from the initial broadcast date (which would mean they would all go back over to Henson by early 2005) OR a certain amount of showings. With the Sunday midnight showings they have now replayed most or all of S4 twice (including the initial broadcast) and with the daytime marathons they have been showing they may be using up all of their rerun rights to certain episodes. It may be that before this year is out they may no longer have any rights to S1 because of the marathons (they're showing ALL of S1 next week I think). Imagine if Henson gets S1 back before the end of 2003, and sometime during 2004 they get back S2. Then in early 2005 they get S3 and S4. Henson could already be selling those eps into syndication. We'll never know until it happens though.

[SabaceanBabe]

To be on the safe - not so gut wrenching if it doesn't happen earlier - side, March 2005. That is two years from the date 4.22 first aired. That way, if it's not actually an either/or proposition, we know that would be the latest date the eps could be pried from Skiffy's grasp. That is, of course, providing we're right about the two-year clause in the contract. :D

That's not to say someone couldn't decide to sell those rights back to Henson earlier than that...

[LadyCrais]

As far as getting Farscape onto another channel, that could happen just as soon as NBC is the owner. They are very into cross-advertising and cross-airing these days. Look what they've been doing to with Queer Eye, though God forbid they would try a shortened version of Farscape. The contract might be exclusively with SciFi, but my bet is that Henson would have no problem with re-negotiating for rights to air on SciFi's new sister channels. Preferably Bravo for my money, since it qualifies as art.

[Silk]

What is two years to dedicated fans?

[haesan]

Two years is nothing to dedicated fans. Two years is a lot to actors (who change physically and mentally, and have their lives change). Two years is also a lot to the average viewer. If the dedicated fans were all that mattered, this show would be in season 5 right now.

[Huh]

If two years is the magic number, then shouldn't the season 1 rights be up by now? Did they renew the rerun rights for the earlier episodes every year or something? We have to assume that they did because they are in fact still showing season 1 eps (even though they first aired in 1999).

Assuming that the last successful negotiations for these eps took place around season 3 (when they announced that there would be a season 4 and 5) and assuming that these contracts are for 2 years, would this mean that their rights for season 1 are almost up, and this is why the marathons and daytime rotations are taking place for these eps?

This is a lot of assumptions. Can someone more familiar with the business chime in? It seems strange to me that the rerun rights for season 1 would end at the same time as the rerun rights for season 4. Maybe that is the way the contracts are structured. But if this is not the case, then the rerun rights would end in a staggered fashion, thereby allowing another network to show season 1 relatively soon. This may also explain why we are getting these daytime rotation (i.e. the rights to season 1 are close to expiring and they are trying to get as many showing out as they can before this happens).

[Digger]

If two years is the magic number, then shouldn't the season 1 rights be up by now? Did they renew the rerun rights for the earlier episodes every year or something? We have to assume that they did because they are in fact still showing season 1 eps (even though they first aired in 1999).
Assuming that the last successful negotiations for these eps took place around season 3 (when they announced that there would be a season 4 and 5) and assuming that these contracts are for 2 years, would this mean that their rights for season 1 are almost up, and this is why the marathons and daytime rotations are taking place for these eps?
This is what I was thinking too. It makes sense. There was something about the fact skiffy's cost for FS took a pretty big jump between season 3 and 4. I wonder if part of that was the fact that they had to renew their option for S1 and S2 at that time too. This is why I think it might be possible that skiffy is going to lose S1 (and hell, maybe even S2) by year-end. Unless the contract simply states that skiffy owns the rerun rights to all seasons of FS for a period of two years from such and such date or so many showings. It really sucks not knowing.