This Was Television On July 7
2009: Sci-Fi Channel morphs into Syfy
After operating under the more straightforward moniker since its launch in 1992, the home of Battlestar Galactica and Ghost Hunters rebranded in an effort to expand its appeal. Unlike the common genre shorthand “sci-fi,” the word Syfy could be trademarked and marketed more easily, except for the part where a lot of people still aren’t totally sure how to pronounce it.
Ditching the direct association with science fiction also enabled the NBC-Universal-owned cable channel to broaden its programming base away from standard genre fare and into cinematic treatises such as Sharktopus, Piranhaconda, and Capybardvark. -A.D.
Today’s Birthdays: Billy Campbell, not the one who killed Rosie Larson…right? (53); Amy Carlson, blue blood (44); Mo Collins, Pawnee TV titan (47); Jorja Fox, Vegas investigator (44); Robia LaMorte, cybergypsy (42); Allen Payne, TBS House namesake (44); Doc Severinsen, Carson comrade (85); Joe Spano, Hill Street blue (66); Cree Summer, Rugrat (43); Kirsten Vangsness, dual criminal minder (40); Robin Weigert, calamitous (43).
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