Starhyke Latest

Yeah, the trailer was rather hideous. I’m pretty sure it’ll suck.

Danny’s in it! Fuck me!

In fact, that’s the second piece of casting that’s surprised me. Seeing the woman who played Ivanava(?) in Babylon 5 in this surprised me a little.

> “We still need to get the numbers up if we’re going to convince a channel that you want Starhyke on TV. It’s up to you, spread the word and help to get the number of downloads up to 100,000.”

Alternatively, it’s up to you to make a decent show that a channel wants to commission…

>Alternatively, it’s up to you to make a decent show that a channel wants to commission…

Yeah, arguably it’s a bit cheap of a show’s creators to try and fob off responsibility for its success or failure on viewers. It’s almost arrogant, somehow, as tho’ they’re so assured of the flawlessness of their project that any failings on its part simply must be someone else’s fault…

Yeah, if Hyperdrive showed anything, it’s that there’s definitely a market for a good sci-fi comedy. Genre-based comedy isn’t exactly out of fashion - look at what Pegg and Wright are doing with their movies - and if someone comes up with a decent script, then there’s going to be an audience for it.

What they’re trying to do is make people think that the status quo of the mid-to-late nineties - that genre (and specifically sci-fi) wouldn’t get touched with a bargepole by the majors - is still the case and, as has been said, blame their own failings on that. Whereas if it were any good, it’d have been snapped up in an instant.

Anyway, I DON’T want Starhyke on TV, as it looks SHIT and will undoubtedly damage not only the credibility of TV SF (and TV SF comedy), but also invite yet another hundred or so lazy hacks to make cheap Dwarf comparisons…

I must admit, I nearly did say exactly that - that if it hasn’t been bought, it can’t be that great a show. But I didn’t - because I thought some smart aleck would bring up the Movie script. Which is a *completely* different situation (because of the finances involved), but I couldn’t be arsed arguing it.

Mind you, I don’t actually think the trailer makes the show look shit - if there had been some jokes in there, I would be saying it looks promising, because some of it looks quite good fun. But unfortunately, “quite good fun” is not the same as “funny”, which is what the show is meant to be.

It’s not simply the fact that it hasn’t been bought that makes me think it can’t be that good, though - it’s the fact that they’re so defensively - and so desperately - saying things like “No-one wants to buy this, only YOU can make it happen!”

That’s the sort of thing you say about a cult hit that’s about to be canned by an evil faceless network, not about something that hasn’t even established itself (yet feels it has the right to claim “cult” status already simply because it’s got a few people from a few sci-fi shows in it). It sounds like they know they’re defeated from day one.

I must admit, they do sound like they’re getting a bit desperate. It was shot back in 2004 - from what I can tell, they pretty much expected it to be bought in 2005. The fact that it hasn’t been must have sent them into a sort of fluster - which is understandable.

What can I say - it’s a low budget SF comedy, and I have an automatic soft spot for low budget SF comedy. My main problem with all this is that they have yet to demonstrate that they’ve actually produced something funny. If they’d done a trailer that was actually funny, I’d be supporting the show myself. But they haven’t.

The title should give away the fact that this is going to suck monkey testicles.

I think the reason most people round here were immediately negative to the show is because of the title, yeah.

As I keep saying, I’m going to wait until I see the show before I pass judgement, but I’ll admit that the title doesn’t inspire confidence.

> Yeah, if Hyperdrive showed anything, it’s that there’s definitely a market for a good sci-fi comedy.

Please don’t remind me of that excremental piece of television. It’s returning as well, I gather. Why not just use the budget to make a series of ANYTHING else.

Oddly, I had not heard of this, must have missed it somewhere……
What a pity I cant say the same for Hyperdrive.

I only saw the first episode of Hyperdrive - so I can’t really criticize the series properly. But what I saw I thought was rubbish.

It’s telling to note however, that whilst I meant to watch the rest of Hyperdrive to give it a fair chance, and just couldn’t be arsed - I managed to record Red Dwarf every week from The End onwards when I was 13 in 1994.

Sadly, that all sounds far too familiar.
No previous experience and no chance of getting experience.

We keep hearing that the leisure industry is the biggest growing and lets face it, TV has to be the backbone of that industry. Surely, it’s about time someone had the guts to finance at least a decent pilot if a concept or idea is good enough.

The BBC for example used to be the leader at producing new programmes, I would like to see some of ‘our’ money going to some kind of series of ‘pilot’ shows..
Put them out and let the viewers decide, we fund it after all..

Hmmm, Good luck with it etc.

Ta for that Jonathan, I appreciate you taking the time to answer us.

Indeed. I do still have my worries about the show, but I hope I’ve always been clear in saying: I really really hope it works out.

Yeah, good post Jonathan, thanks for that - despite my reservations, I’m pleased that things *seem* to be moving in the right direction for you, as no show should be allowed to rot once it’s been filmed and almost finished to this degree.

And may I say you have an excellent name.

I feel bad, now.

We spoke in ignorance, yes. My bad, too, for contributing to it.

Oh, I still don’t think it’s going to be much cop (and I still downright loathe the title), but there’s nothing worse than someone being extremely nice about it when you’ve been really harshly critical ;-)

If I’m honest, Jonathan’s post is exactly why I keep repeating that it’s only fair to judge the show once we’ve seen it. With all the hard work that’s put into making something like this, it seems only fair really, even if I have reservations about what we’ve seen so far.

Have watched the second of the clips. One thing I would say is it looks like those involved had a lot of fun making it. Which generally is a good sign.

Also the fact that the producer is willing to come on here, take criticism on the chin and still keep plugging away at something two years after filming it has to warrant respect.

I look forward to this 10 minute trailer. As mentioned several times above I just hope it has that “one great joke”.

Oh forgot to add, the clip with the ship crashing through the satellite did raise a smile. The production looks great too but just how many shots of people kissing are needed? Pray god tell me it’s not Friends in Space.

Don’t use the names of cast members for your comments, please.

Perhaps they’d be willing to show it in Peru?

Interesting quote…
So Reginald was of the opinion that breasts should be covered up and duly created the bra……..Being told he was wrong by all his mates down the pub, he then apologies and claims it was an honest opinion at the time and thus, the saying was created, yep, makes sense :-)

Actually, just to put some perspective on all this re my Hyperdrive comments…

Just taking a typical Saturday nights available viewing, if you put hyperdrive on at any point early to late evening, I would watch it over anything else at the moment apart from maybe Robin Hood, which I’m still not sure about……

Much as I find it pretty dire, it’s still preferable to a great deal of the so called enertainment put out, and has had a lot more effort put in than a lot of the dross……

Thanks again for that Jonathan. I do hope it all works out, and I look forward to seeing the end result! It deserves to be seen, so we can all have an informed opinion.

On the subject of Hyperdrive - here’s a Kevin Eldon interview:

What’s next for you?
Another series of Hyperdrive. I don’t think the first series was quite right but that’s first series for you. We shall endeavour to make it truly smashing.

The fact that Kevin didn’t think a huge amount of the first series makes me look forward slightly more to the second. Maybe they’ve realised their mistakes, and the second series will be, well, funny…

Unless they have changed the writers (Father Andy Riley and someone else) or they’re gonna make major changes to the format, it will be as crap as the first series. Crap. And that’s swearing.

>I’m the producer of Starhyke

I said it before and I’ll say it again: the internet is a beautiful place.

Have just watched the trailer. Is it ironically funny? Or just Prisoner Cell Block H in space? And why have they kidnapped Gandalf?

Mind you, would PCBH in space be such a bad thing?

Oh yeah, Ganymede and Titan rules! (Discovered recently and addicted already)

Jonathan, I think Phil believes you! He’s just referring to a few past incidents where the people we review actually turn up and comment on our articles.

I hope you manage to get the show out, anyway.

>Oi! I AM the producer, honest.

Oh yeah, Cappsy is right. I meant no disrepect at all. I’m just always surprised when one of us writes something that ends up getting the attention of the person behind the project in question. The fact that several of them actually take the time to reply is even better.

I’m going to make a point of looking out for you at memorabilia, camera in hand etc.
I too, hope it gets off the ground and more importantly, that it’s funny.
I’m looking forward to the screening…