Washington Post TV Column by Lisa de Moraes
Wednesday, January 8, 2003; Page C07 .
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2003Jan7.html
Bonnie Hammer, president of the Sci Fi channel, was thrashed by the
critics today when she attempted to sidestep a question about why the
network was dumping the series "Farscape."
Like AMC topper Rob Sorcher the day before, perky Hammer pulled out
the old "Gee I'd love to answer that one but we're here to listen to
our on-air talent blather about their fabulousness, so I'm sorry I
just can't possibly." The line is on the first page of the "How to
Answer Those Tough Questions at the Press Tour" handbook that is
required reading for cable execs.
Hammer's version went like this: "I'd be delighted to talk with you
after this, rather than taking up time with the panel but . . ."
At which point, critics, who on Day 2 of the tour were already grumpy,
let her have it.
"No!" they screamed at a visibly shaken Hammer.
"The bottom line was we couldn't come up with the financial deal that
made sense," Hammer told them. She said that what critics might call
evasiveness was really a decision by the network to "take the high
road. We didn't go out to the press and tell them what was going on;
we didn't feel that was appropriate, so we just very calmly just said
. . . we just financially couldn't do 22 new [episodes]. We could do
13 and that's what we . . . tried very hard to do."
They ended up with only 11 more episodes.
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OTHammer explains Farscape cancellation Scapers be nice to plan Hammer didn't work?
