Spike TV, Part 3
The name change also meant a change of path for the channel. They looked at new ways of getting involved with the audience and actually gaining more viewers. Of course, this was aimed at young men, so they needed to tailor the programs to be more suited to this target audience.
This is when Spike TV introduced the likes of Stripperella and Gary the Rat. They were a huge hit and a lot of the viewer ratings and numbers went up instantly. Of course, the likes of Baywatch, V.I.P., The 100 Most Irresistible Women and The A-Team were all smash hits with the audience and Spike TV was back on track once more.
The Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoons were developed by the channel in collaboration with the channel and the newly hired cartoonist John Kricfalusi. Unfortunately, like many ideas they had in the past, this was not going to last, due to lack of popularity. That being said, it laid the foundations for Spike TV to air older versions of the cartoon and labeled is as “Ren & Stimpy: The Classics.”
The channel is always changing its tune, chopping and changing programs that start to lose a high viewing population. The likes of CSI, Star Trek, MXC, Game Head and Ultimate Fighting Championship are always popular, so they will continue for years to come.
The more they get involved in the American television industry, the better they seem to do. Only recently, they have managed to forge a partnership that will see them receive syndication rights to the Star Trek Series.
If that is not enough, then other smash hit programs and movies will also be aired. They have recently acquired the rights to the James Bond movies, and is the one stop shop for Takeshi’s Castle. One thing that does seem to happen here is that Spike TV does lose their focus. Take 2004 for instance when they screened SpongeBob SquarePants. This is hardly the type of program that is likely to be good for a channel aimed at young men.
Spike TV, Part 1
Spike TV, Part 2
Spike TV, Part 3
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