“Constantine” may be on its way out but I think “Krypton” will be an instant success!
I and many others have been enjoying NBC’s “Constantine” but despite the fairly positive reviews, this David Goyer production may not get renewed for a second season. Just announced today, Entertainment Weekly announced that David Goyer’s next creation “Krypton” has found its home on the SyFy network. The show will be a prequel with the main character being Superman’s Kryptonian grandfather. So with “Krypton” just being announced, how can I be so sure that it will surpass “Constantine?” Let me tell you why.
Krypton is a headliner for Syfy
In case you haven’t seen “Sharknado,” then you should know the quality of Syfy programming. Sure there are some things that are horribly good but most of Syfy’s programming is an acquired taste to say the least. When a major network like NBC takes on a less well known comic character (Constantine) it has to compete with a variety of other shows that reach a much broader audience. With Syfy being a cable network with a niche group of viewers, obtaining a show from David Goyer related to Superman will easily become a headlining show. “Krypton” will be an opportunity for Syfy to draw in new viewers and there is very little competition on the network, no matter what time slot “Krypton” may get. On the Syfy network, “Krypton” is essentially too big to fail.
Constantine was doomed from the start
Before “Constantine” aired many knew its chances were slim. Not only was it placed on the dreaded Friday slot but it also premiered during the World Series. Friday evenings are known as the place where network TV shows go to die because it’s a bad viewing day for the 18-45 demographic. While “Krypton” could be placed in the same time slot, cable TV can be more resilient to the Friday curse. But I seriously doubt that Syfy will place “Krypton” in a bad time slot and even if they do, I’m sure that they will rerun the show on multiple days. I think that Syfy will take “Krypton” a lot more seriously than NBC took “Constantine.”
Superman is more widely known than Constantine
Even though “Krypton” is very loosely tied to Superman, it still has a further audience reach than “Constantine.” Fox’s “Gotham” is an example of a show that centers around supporting characters of an iconic character (Batman) and has found success. I’m sure that “Krypton” plans to follow a similar formula and market the loose ties to Superman to get the show jumpstarted. Because of this, I think viewers will consistently tune in, even if the show is subpar.
There is a lot of quality programming out there that meets its demise too soon. When it comes to ratings, there are many factors that come into play outside of quality alone. While many may consider “Constantine” a good show, I’d still say that “Krypton’s” outlook is less grim with its quality still waiting to be determined.
View Comments (1)
Constantine is a good show. I will be sad if it gets cancelled. Although some classic syfy shows (Farscape) have a special place in my heart, over all, syfy is a horrific channel. Scifi channel was ok. Syfy is horrendous. Gothom is a boring and cliché show. I expect Krypton to be campy with poorly timed dialogue.