TAKEN airs Dec 2 on Sci-Fi
 

I'm almost done reading the book and I'm now even more looking foward to seeing this miniseries. There are a few trailers at
http://www.scifi.com So what ar others thoughts on this?

Sci-Fi Channel? What's that?

Seriously though, a while ago during Farscape I saw a commercial for this and was pretty intrigued by it.

But that intrigue was replaced with disgust at the way Sci-Fi treated the show which was responsible for me seeing the promo in the first place.

So, those are my thoughts on it. Sci-Fi will be returned to my channel lineup on January 10th, 2003. Whether it stays there or not is up to Hammer and her cronies...

If you watch this, you go on <B>The List</B>. What's <B>The List</B>? You sure you want to find out?

das

P.S. Apologies to those involved with <I>Taken</I>, but when you make a pact with Satan, you deserve what you get.

The Sci-Fi channel.

I thought it had stopped airing and was only coming back on-line for 11 hours starting on January 10th?


Pissing of your loyal viewers is a bad way to get them to watch a "highly touted" mini-series.

As much as i was pissed at sci-fi channel for what they did to farscape i still have a few things to watch on the channel. Stargate SG-1, The next Dune movie and i must watch Taken. I saw Die Another Day today and during the previews they showed the trailer for taken. A lot of people oooo and ahhh'd.

Capt

Is December 2nd a little too early to get started on my taxes? Maybe I can catch a Diagnosis: Murder rerun on PAX...

<B>Capt</B>,

I assume you're a fan of <I>DS9</I>, and consequently, I'll assume you're a fan of science fiction. With all the Sci-Fi Channel has done to prevent quality science fiction from airing in the United States, I submit that we all have a responsibility to avoid it. It's not just <I>Farscape</I>, but a long list of outright lies and blatant hatred of the genre they profess to televise.

If you want to watch this, show some restraint, take a stand, and wait for the DVD. There's no excuse for supporting the forces of evil.

das

I'll wait for the dvd release of Taken, if that never happens then it must not have been worth watching in the first place.

I love the scifi channel because men in kilts rock. Seriously, Braveheart is my favorite science fiction movie. :rolleyes:

Well, not really . . .

:mad:

The SciFi channel doesn't even exist for me anymore. It'll come back on my channel lineup for the next 11 eps of Farscape, then that's it.

tasha

I understand the channel has made some bonehead moves that people are mad about.

Farscape
The Chronicle-why oh why was it cancelled
I-man-Even though its ratings dropped
First Wave-Actually wasnt sci-fi's fault its gone

We can go on and on and then i can go on listing other tv stations that have done the same thing. Just look at Fox. Just like sci-fi did with farscape, they said Dark angel would be back. Then a few days later they changed there minds and cancelled it. Even though i love firefly they still cancelled DA. But i dont boycott fox. I can go on and on about stations who have lied and cancelled my fav shows. But life goes on



capt

Completely different. Sci-Fi commissioned 2 seasons, the writers wrote a 2 season arc, and they yanked it after 1 season, even though the show was their highest rated original series (until they tried to kill it). Not only did they yank it, but they tried to bury it for months. Had Kemper not leaked the story to the fans, we still wouldn't know. Remember, they're the channel that issued a press release telling the public that they'd be getting rid of their "space" oriented programming, because it's "too Sci-Fi."

Fox never lied about <I>Dark Angel</I>. They didn't call it "their signature series" less than a year before killing it. They didn't issue a statement telling the public they had "complete confidence" in the series and had "commissioned 2 more seasons and hoped for many more" before yanking it after one. They told the public it would be over after the second season long before the season was over. The writing took a drastic turn in the second season to try and gain ratings, and it didn't work. There was nothing misleading about its treatment in any way. The only reason a 3rd season almost happened is Fox's skepticism over <I>Firefly</I> and pressure from James Cameron to give it one more season.

Rationalize it however you like to sleep at night, but what Sci-Fi has done is far beyond anything other networks have done (I too could go on and on about show cancellations that pissed me off). They have a consistent history of lying to their viewers with misleading and flat inaccurate press releases; they used science fiction programming to build a core audience, then cancelled all their original science fiction shows to divert funds towards new age and slightly fictional programming; they sent staffers to fan chatrooms issuing threats that we'd never see the Final 11 episodes if we continued to protest the cancellation of <I>Farscape</I>; they refuse to release the first 88 episodes so another network can tell the 5th season that they guaranteed. And more importantly than anything ... they hate science fiction. They look down on it. They've issued press releases saying that much. They think science fiction is too geeky and doesn't have broad appeal. They are blocking the marketplace from legitimate science fiction programming, and supporting them is an agreement that science fiction programming doesn't belong on television. Unless you count <B>Braveheart</B> and <I>Crossing Over with John Edward</I>, of course.

[/hijack]

das

Well, I only watch Seinfeld reruns and on Sundays I watch HBO, so the Sci-Fi channel is unchartered territory for me. After reading the book 'Taken' I can see why it wasn't being made into a feature. The entire story spans over 50 years, from 1943 to present day. It is similiar to Close Encounters but on a much larger scale, it has good (IMO) ending and gives an interesting theory on all the UFO/abuction business. I for one would rather wait for a dvd release also so I can watch the whole story in one sitting.

IF it gets good reviews and IF I get around to it and IF it comes out on DVD, I MAY watch it later on.

But I'll be damned if I'm turning on the Sci-Fi Channel to see this during the TV run. Hear that, advertisers? I'm not watching. I'm. Not. Watching.


With Sci-Fi's track record, they'll probably change the timeslot three times during the course of the miniseries and then stop airing it right before the final episode because it couldn't "build on its audience."

One more year of Farscape. That's all I ask.

Anyone planning on watching "Taken"?
 

It starts tonight at 9pm (8 central) on the Sci-fi channel. It's 10-parts -- 2 hours long for each episode.

It's produced by Stephen Spielberg and is about alien abductions & government conspiracies.

From what little I've read its revolves around 3 different families. Anyway, it sounds really cool. The story begins in 1947 -- goes to 1975 -- and then to the present. There is an "episode guide" on the Taken Website as well as a "trailer".

I always enjoyed him on South Park but I'm questioning whether he really needed his own show.

I'll wait for the DVD release and do a Netflix rental. Ten nights of Sci-Fi channel promotional crapola is more than I can stand. Sci-Fi channel can bite me.

Ok, here's the story:

Taken is an epic saga that weaves together the stories of three families over multiple generations — and their crucial roles in the history of alien abductions. Set against the backdrop of actual historical events, Taken creates a powerfully emotional and evocative tale of mankind's encounters with extraterrestrials.The story begins with RUSSELL KEYS, an American WWII pilot who is dying of a bullet wound while his plane spirals down into enemy territory. Blue lights on the horizon interrupt his plane's descent — and some time later he and his squadron find themselves mysteriously whole and healed, on safe ground with absolutely no memory of how they got there. Only years later, as each member of the squadron dies inexplicably, does Russell understand that his life has been forever altered by his first alien encounter. Haunted, he searches for answers to his unfolding memories, only to realize he is powerless to prevent his son and subsequent generations from also becoming abductees.When the 1947 crash of a UFO near Roswell, N.M., occurs a few years after Russell's first encounter, U.S. military man OWEN CRAWFORD leverages his knowledge to become a major player in the subsequent cover-up and secret government investigation of the E.T. presence. This begins a decades-long effort by the Crawford family to use the government's investigations to secure their own powerful legacy — and to stop anyone who gets in their way.Finally, shortly after the Roswell crash, a chance encounter with a wounded man nearby sets off its own strange chain of events. SALLY CLARKE is a lonely woman who unexpectedly finds love in the arms of a stranger. Despite Sally's conviction that she has interacted with something not of this world, the other members of the Clarke family are unconvinced, even after she bears a son, JACOB, who manifests remarkable intuitive powers. Skepticism eventually evolves into obsessive belief, but too late to save the family from being pulled deeper into the secret designs of both the government and the extraterrestrial presence.The grand scale of these three families' tale, as told through the voice of Russell's 10-year-old great-granddaughter, ALLIE KEYS, explores generations of extraterrestrial encounters beginning in the skies over Germany during the Second World War to the modern tales of abduction that include the 1977 release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As we reach the present day, the decades of secrets unravel — and all three families must come together to unlock the awe-inspiring mysteries of being Taken.

10 parts at 2 hours a night is a bit more than my attention span can handle. I wonder if they'll have "Cartman's Anal Probe" in it?

Nope.

They killed Farscape.

So no "Taken" for me, thank you very much.

I'm not committing to 20 hours of more TV - unless I hear its really good and they play it during the summer...

I must have missed something. I never watch the Sci-fi channel. I actually don't really watch much TV... What's the anger with them all about?

The show looks good to me.. who cares if the channel did some things you're upset with??? to each their own I guess.

I'm actually just taping it (no tivo) and watching it when I have time.

I wouldn't mind watching, but two hours every night for ten straight days is a little much.

http://charliegoose.homestead.com/files/goose.jpg Honk!

Asked & Answered.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...75#post3041875

strange I did a search on Taken and it gave me no results.

Same here. And I was even specific to the TV forum. I ended up searching through my subscribed threads.

Weird.

Search is broken, and has been for some time.

Did someone merge a threadcrap thread with an "I'm planning on watching Taken" thread?

How should spoilers be handled? I suppose that devoting a thread for each night would just piss off those who own TVTalk, n'est ce pas? :grunt:

OK. Diatribe over. And some seriousness about the last two questions.

Turned this off after the first 20 minutes. Wasn't very impressed.

I already saw <b>Taken</b> when it was the <b>X-Files</b>

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wizdar
Search is broken, and has been for some time.

Did someone merge a threadcrap thread with an "I'm planning on watching Taken" thread?

How should spoilers be handled? I suppose that devoting a thread for each night would just piss off those who own TVTalk, n'est ce pas? :grunt:

OK. Diatribe over. And some seriousness about the last two questions.

---

I thought the words had to have more than four letters for http://ads.kleinman.com/images/top_search.gif to work?

I don't think the initial thread was a threadcrap. It was just our disgust at the Sci-Fi Channel that made it seem like one. Because, to be honest with you, if Hammer didn't do what she did, I would be watching this. [in fact, my girlfriend still wants to] I'm sure das will be able to express this more eloquently.

A friend called me today and left a message on my cell phone. He said that if we were going to watch "Taken, he would like to come over.

I called him back and said that we wouldnt be watching it because it was on the Sci Fi channel. Nuff said.

I hope the the miniseries tanks because the channel took away one of my favorite shows!!!!!

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth Rogue588 •<HR SIZE=1>I'm sure das will be able to express this more eloquently. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Suck my nuts, <I>Taken</I>. OK, maybe that wasn't particularly eloquent. ;)

I agree, though. I would be watching this under different circumstances. But the disgraceful way in which the series was funded prevents my concience from letting me watch this.

As this thread was initially about the series coming to air and not a discussion of content, I'm not sure if there's a threadcrap problem. If the traitors who are watching this would like to discuss the episodes in this thread, I don't mind not posting in it. However, it may be better to start at least one episode discussion thread to clear out those of us who feel that watching this is a direct afront to quality television and an admission that you don't care about whether science fiction television has a home in the United States.

das

If I was a Nielson family, there's no way in hell I would watch the Sci-fi channel again (except for Farscape), but boycotting doesn't really do anything. Many of you said you'd buy the dvd, but wouldn't the Sci-fi channel make more money off your purchase of the dvd set than your non-nielson watching of the series? As far as advertising on Sci-fi affecting me, I have PIP and I usually channel surf or watch a video tape/dvd during commercials anyway. I actually kind of want to support this show because I'd like to see television experimented more and the 20 hour miniseries is a pretty interesting idea.

All that being said, I watched the first episode and it wasn't that good, but it wasn't bad either. I can't decide how I feel about it and won't know until I get further into it.

I thought it was ok. I don't know now if I'll stick with it through all 10 episodes yey . I kept waiting for Julie Benz to appear on screen in vamp face.

Before I get yelled at for watching this I don't watch or pay attention to Sci-Fi at all so I'm not up on what all the fuss is about. I know farscape was cancelled and it pissed everyone off but that's all I know.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth nny •<HR SIZE=1>If I was a Nielson family, there's no way in hell I would watch the Sci-fi channel again (except for Farscape), but boycotting doesn't really do anything. Many of you said you'd buy the dvd, but wouldn't the Sci-fi channel make more money off your purchase of the dvd set than your non-nielson watching of the series?<HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you could kill a man, and no one would find out, would you do it? Maybe so. Either way, just because you don't have a box, you are not insignificant. Anyone with a half decent background in statistics can easily prove how the Nielsen ratings inaccurately represent cable channels with a small sample size. And in the final analysis, ratings aren't the ultimate factor ... advertisers are. And sooner or later, they will have to accept that the Nielsen's are intentionally and egregiously biased towards the big networks, and their advertising dollars are not being spent effectively by endorsing that system. While we cannot directly affect the Nielsen ratings, we can effect necessary and positive changes in the way programming decisions are made.

das

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth MrX •<HR SIZE=1>Before I get yelled at for watching this I don't watch or pay attention to Sci-Fi at all so I'm not up on what all the fuss is about. I know farscape was cancelled and it pissed everyone off but that's all I know. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

<I>Farscape</I> was the proverbial straw on the camel's back. In short, without going into too much detail, over the past 3 years, the channel inaccurately masquerading as a sci-fi channel has shown a consistent and directed effort to eliminate quality science fiction programming from their station. More importantly than that and what fuels the fire for many of us is how they've blatantly lied to both their viewers and the producers of their shows. Adding to that, they have issued numerous (and completely hollow) threats against their viewiers and overall shown a complete distaste for anyone interested in quality science fiction programming. The double-talk, the lies, the completely inaccurate and accusing press releases, and the cancellation of their 2 most popular series on top of their attempts to bury <I>Rangers</I> have all culminated into a state where many of us are finally saying "enough is enough." Thankfully, they have nothing in their pipeline that even remotely seems worth watching.

das

P.S. Though some of us feel very strongly about this whole mess, I don't think anyone would yell at you for watching this.

P.P.S. Why would we yell at you? Your day of reckoning will come soon enough.

P.P.P.S. I'm kidding.

Did anyone else catch the long self-promotion commercial before the start of Taken last night? Just further proof of their straying away from being an actual Sci-Fi channel. They show what's coming up in 2003 and several things struck me: The original series segment actually showed Farscape (I know the rest of the season has yet to be played, I just find it funny they consider the show important enough to be a part of the channels future after the way they've treated it). Next, Tremors the Series....oooh boy can't wait (sarcasm). Blockbuster movies, Children of Dune.

After seeing it, I checked my TiVo for the next 10 or so days and other than X-Files, I can't find any classic series. No B5, no Star Trek, Leap, etc? Are they now getting rid of everything during the day only to play movies?

USA2 indeed.

With a show like this, I wouldn't have a problem with multiple threads for each night. That would make dealing with spoilers much easier. Each thread would need to be labeled with the date and noted as potentially containing spoilers.

The two threads that we merged were more general in their discussion. So, though not quite from the same direction, we felt that they were similar enough to be a single discussion.

Yeah, 20 hours seems like a wee bit of overkill, especially over a one week period.

If they had spaced (no pun intended) it out over a bigger window I possibly would have taped it, but there is no way in he** that I can watch that much tv, especially on an unproven mini-series. I'd be pissed if it really started to suck at 15 hour mark.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth 12thmonkey •<HR SIZE=1>If they had spaced (no pun intended) ...<HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

:lol: I think you've figured out why all the episodes are jammed together. After their press release condemning "space" related programming, the braindead execs must have figured this also applied to spacing out this miniseries.

das