Cult shark attack series outstaying its welcome
Fewer viewers tuning in to Sharknado movies for campy fun and D-list Hollywood stars
How is Sharknado still a thing?
The fourth movie in Syfy’s famously ridiculous franchise airs on Sunday (8 p.m. on Space) and of course it’s called Sharknado: The 4th Awakens. After killer sharknadoes hit Los Angeles, New York and Washington in the first three movies, this one targets Las Vegas. The trailer calls it “the sequel to the sequel of the sequel to the greatest movie about sharks and tornadoes that’s ever existed.”
Here’s a timeline of how exactly this franchise has progressed, continuing to give stars Tara Reid and Ian Ziering steady employment. Sharknado When the first movie aired (July 11, 2013), critics didn’t take it too seriously since it was clearly trying to be ridiculous. After all, this is a movie that was created because the term “Sharknado” was used in another Syfy original film and a network executive thought it was so hilarious that they should explore it further. But instead of fading into the lame movie hall of fame, the Internet pounced, agreeing that Sharknado was “the best ‘worst’ movie ever made.” Twitter exploded during the premiere and although only about 1.3 million people watched the initial airing, Syfy scheduled multiple repeats. Within two days, the network announced that it had greenlit a sequel and tasked the Internet to come up with a name. Sharknado: The Second One Given that the first movie was such a cult success, celebrities lined up to get the coveted cameo spots in the sequel (July 30, 2014). Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Perez Hilton, Kelly Osbourne and more all took turns to battle sharks, with varying results. More importantly for Syfy, nearly 4 million people watched, shattering records for the network and becoming its most-watched original film of all time. Sharknado: Oh Hell No! This one (July 22, 2015) by far wins the prize for best title and earned extra points by taking place in Washington. It was packed with celebrity cameos yet again. However, it looked like people weren’t finding the premise quite so entertaining anymore: approximately 2.8 million people watched the premiere. Sharknado: The 4th Awakens As the third movie was premiering, Syfy confirmed that the franchise would live to see another instalment. Obviously, Gary Busey is in this one, playing Reid’s character’s father. The network also promises viewers can expect cameos from none other than Fox News commentator Stacey Dash as the mayor of Chicago; “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Duane Chapman as a chainsaw dealer; and Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts as the Shark World hotel manager. Now, the only question is if this joke can live on.