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Apparently, SciFi Channel is not big on formal announcements when it comes to the quick cancellation of some of its not-so-strong series.

Fans of "The Dresden Files" found about the fate of their show when its star was signed on to another series. And now those looking to find out if "Flash Gordon" is getting another season has found out through a passing comment by a SciFi Channel executive more than a week ago.

SciFi Channel president David Howe told trade publication Variety March 21 that the network didn't treat the character of "Flash Gordon" the way he should've been treated, and the network may try to do it again sometime ... just not right now, which reading between the lines means that "Flash Gordon" is no longer on the schedule.

Even with the introduction of Howe to SciFi Channel viewers, who reports to longtime chief Bonnie Hammer, it appears that the network still doesn't seem to think it's worth giving the official announcement on different shows in its program lineup. It's a practice that has frustrated fans, especially those who enjoyed "The Dresden Files," and were writing letters hoping it was one of the Lionsgate shows being considered for a move to another Canadian filming city to help with production costs. Instead, the network implied its cancellation after word got out that Paul Blackthorne was joining the series "Big Shots."

Even then, however, nothing ever came officially from SciFi Channel. Series executive producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who many fans recognize from his work on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," informed fans that the show was indeed cancelled following Blackthorne's exit.

Airlock Alpha reported through sources last September that "Flash Gordon" was on the chopping block. However, SciFi Channel responded officially to Airlock Alpha that the series was not in trouble, and that while ratings were below expectations, the show's production was a lot cheaper than many of its other scripted series and that it didn't need to generate as much advertising revenue as shows like "Battlestar Galactica," "Eureka" and "Stargate: Atlantis" needed.

A month later, SciFi Channel offered a conference call to reporters, including Airlock Alpha, with executive producer Peter Hume, who admitted that some storyline changes were taking place, including more action on Mongo instead of Earth, but that the cast and crew were confident that SciFi Channel was standing behind the series.

"You can't compare us to 'Battlestar Galactica.' That's not fair," Hume said at the time. "It's not fair because you're going to judge a show on the show. And so you could compare us to 'Chuck' [on NBC], but what we're doing is with so much less than they have. I'm not asking for that as an excuse. I'm just saying that there's a reality of what we have to operate in and there's only so much visual effects we can do."

"Flash Gordon" starred Eric Johnson, John Ralston, Gina Holden, Jody Racicot and Karen Cliche. It was filmed in Aldergrove, British Columbia, just south of Vancouver where SciFi Channel films many of its other series including "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate: Atlantis," and where its new backdoor pilot "Caprica" will be filmed this summer.

Thanks to Von Bruno for the tip!

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