Krypton

Opinion: If Syfy Wants Krypton As A Franchise, They Need To Invest

With Lobo possibly joining Krypton on Syfy, the network may need to invest more time for DC TV on their channel.

Published

7 years ago

June 15, 2019

Craig Byrne

Last week it was announced that Syfy is developing a Lobo spinoff from Krypton from the producers of Krypton.

Reaction to the character so far on Krypton has been good, and we’re all for more good DC TV from the people who made a show about Superman’s Grandpa cool. Assuming it goes to series, and we get 10-episode seasons, that means there will be 20 episodes of good DC content on Syfy every year.

20…. out of 52 weeks.

There is no doubt that Syfy’s promotion of Krypton, during the months it is on, is great. The promos look great, the social media is popping…. but the long breaks (nearly a year between the time Season 1 ended and Season 2 began) are killer. And during that time, perhaps a product of “Peak TV,” it is mostly forgotten that Krypton is even a thing…. to the extent that I fear that when Season 2 started, viewers might have had a “that show is still on?” worry.

Again, this is a “problem” that a lot of basic cable outlets have; Freeform does the same. But at a time when Syfy really needs a hit, when series like Happy! and Deadly Class were ended all too early and who knows what is going to happen with Wynonna Earp, forgetting something good is… not good.

Now, we don’t know the nature of Syfy’s deal with Warner Bros. who produces the series. But we do know that during the months the show is on, each episode is shown multiple times. And that’s great. But then, 30+ weeks of… nothing. If Syfy could earmark, say, Wednesdays at 10 indefinitely for repeating past episodes of Krypton (or Lobo, when/if it happens), it would be a weekly reminder that the show is still a thing. Invest in the notion that Krypton is the crown jewel of the Syfy lineup and there are other great shows in its orbit.

Another possibility that Syfy may want to consider is seeing if they can work out a deal with the DC Universe series to fill those dead weeks. DC Universe does, after all, get Krypton several months after the fact. But we can’t help but think that Warner Bros. might make more money, say, licensing Swamp Thing to Syfy rather than relying on consumer subscriptions, and then they’d still have the content ready for their WarnerMedia empire when it becomes a thing. Maybe such deals could prevent us from losing gems like Swamp Thing so quickly; then again, in an era where streaming will ultimately rule all, would Syfy/NBCUniversal want to fund content that will end up on a competing streamer? And for that matter, why would they want to invest in Krypton and Lobo for too long if they don’t own them? I’d be feeling a lot better about “Lobo in development” if I heard that Krypton was at least renewed for Season 3 already, or even better, two more seasons.

I’m all for Syfy nurturing Krypton into a franchise. But again, I’m so worried that Syfy won’t invest the time, or worse, they’ll cut the shows off after all-too-short runs the way Deadly Class just was. I’m hopeful, and I do think with the right attention and investment, DC TV on Syfy could be a huge winner.

Krypton

Tubi Streaming Adds Superman Movies, Krypton and Lois & Clark

Two Christopher Reeve Superman films, Krypton, and Lois & Clark will all be streaming on Tubi.

Published

3 years ago

December 12, 2023

Craig Byrne

You might not need a MAX subscription to see some of the best Superman-related TV series and movies.

Variety broke the news today that Tubi is now streaming the first two Superman movies with Christopher Reeve as well as the two seasons of Krypton which starred Cameron Cuffe… and coming at the end of December, they are adding Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV show featuring Teri Hatcher.

(Before you ask: Smallville is still on Hulu!)

In addition to those productions, several DC animated movies will be streaming on Tubi as well as series such as Gotham and Batwoman. Several of the DC movies of recent years including The Batman, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Aquaman will also be available. There’s also the time Warner Bros. produced a Marvel show: Blade: The Series, which featured some episodes by Geoff Johns, is also coming to Tubi.

Tubi streaming is ad-supported, so there will be ads, but thankfully, it’s a considerably lighter add than The CW app which shows those irritating ForHers commercials 18 times repeatedly within an hour. You can find Tubi at tubi.com.

Krypton

Krypton: Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page Was Almost Seg-El; Cameron Cuffe Responds

Bridgerton breakout star Regé-Jean Page was considered for the role of Seg-El on Krypton.

Published

5 years ago

April 7, 2021

Craig Byrne

Regé-Jean Page has become a bit of a household name thanks to his breakout role in the Netflix Original Series Bridgerton. But, he may have taken flight in a different iconic role if things had gone a certain way, as he was up for the role of Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, in the series that ultimately became Krypton.

The revelation came as a result of a deep-dive interview between The Hollywood Reporter and actor Ray Fisher who spoke up about issues involving race and executives involved with the Justice League film after original director Zack Snyder departed and was replaced by Whedon. Ray Fisher’s accusations come alongside chatter that Regé-Jean Page was considered for the role of Seg-El on Krypton, as producers were passionate about non-traditional, open-ethnicity casting for the role of Superman’s grandfather, only to allegedly be told by an executive that “Superman could not have a Black grandfather,” implying that one would expect the grandfather to look like Henry Cavill. While Krypton was originally developed to look more like Man of Steel and its aesthetic, members of Zod’s family were, indeed, Black in the Syfy series, and didn’t look like Michael Shannon, so that excuse held no weight. When Zod himself showed up, he arrived as played by actor Colin Salmon who is also not white.

Page responded to this today — or at least, it seems he did with the “fly” reference — in a tweet.

“Hearing about these conversations hurts no less now than it did back then. The clarifications almost hurt more tbh [to be honest],” he wrote. “Still just doing my thing. Still we do the work. We still fly.”

The actor who did land the Seg-El on Krypton, Cameron Cuffe, has responded to Page’s Tweet.

“Regé is an inspiration to me and thousands of other artists. No one should feel okay benefiting from individuals or institutions that treat their fellow humans so unjustly. Change must happen,” he wrote.

We hope there is a role for Regé-Jean Page in the DC Universe someday — you know, they are looking to cast a new John Constantine and he’d likely be perfect… but, of course, it’s pretty certain that after Bridgerton Page can land any role he would possibly want.

Regé is an inspiration to me and thousands of other artists. No one should feel okay benefiting from individuals or institutions that treat their fellow humans so unjustly. Change must happen. http://t.co/sgLQ9OjNjb

— Cameron Cuffe (@thecameroncuffe) April 7, 2021

Krypton

Krypton Is Now Streaming On CW Seed

CW Seed has added Krypton to their lineup.

Published

5 years ago

February 22, 2021

Craig Byrne

Just in time for another new series about new generations of the House of El, CW Seed has added Krypton to their line-up of series that are available free to stream. The link to watch Krypton at CW Seed can be found here.

To describe Krypton would probably not do it justice, but in short: Cameron Cuffe – an actor who we’d better see on our screens again soon – plays Seg-El, the grandfather of Kal-El, years before the planet Krypton exploded. In addition to being a great ride with a very talented cast, the series also offers audiences the best live-action takes of characters such as Brainiac, Doomsday, and Zod…. and how they come into the story is part of the surprise. Showrunner Cam Welsh and his team of writers built a world of twists and turns that exceeded expectations.

Imagine a time when being of the House of El is not a good thing… and if things aren’t made right, the hopeful future brought by Superman and his heirs could never happen. That’s Krypton. So, check out the first episode… it’ll give you something good to watch to pass the time between now and the premiere of Superman & Lois on Tuesday night.