Jerrod Ankenman ([info]hgfalling) wrote,
@ 2008-03-08 01:33:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Firefly
While I was at the WSOP, I got a chance to watch bits and pieces of a couple episodes of Firefly with Terrence; I thought it seemed pretty good. I recently got ahold of the entire series, and have been watching it over the last couple weeks. I finished up today, along with the feature film Serenity.

The fact that this show was canceled after 14 episodes, when you compare it to the deluge of crap on TV, is just an embarrassment. It's like pulling the Matisses at MoMA down in order to exhibit Thomas Kinkades or something. Geez.

(Post a new comment)


[info]jacksup
2008-03-08 08:32 am UTC (link)
Welcome to the club. I started watching last summer, and have now seen every episode, plus the movie, twice. Check out the interviews with Joss Whedon and the cast on the last DVD in the box set. It's incredible how much care they put into that show, and even more incredible how badly Fox botched it from day one.

I think it's really unfortunate that Firefly first aired before the era of "one long storyline" shows really came into being. The networks seemed to think episodes had to all be self-contained, until 24 came along and destroyed that idea. These days, every series they try seems to be one long story contained in many episodes (because if some new idea works once, keep repeating it--why bother thinking of something else?). I really believe that if Firefly had first aired a few airs ago, it would be one of the top-rated shows on TV.

I still hold out hope that they'll get the cast and crew together again someday. Because I'm stupid.

(Reply to this)

[info]barts185
2008-03-08 01:02 pm UTC (link)
Not much to say other than I agree with you. I really liked both the series and the movie, but don't expect to see any more made.

(Reply to this)

[info]d14n
2008-03-08 04:58 pm UTC (link)
Firefly was easily the best scifi show since ST:TNG in my opinion. (I'm sure there are those that would say Babylon 5 was great, but I never got into it.)

If you look at the Firefly DVD box set for the first-airing dates of the episodes, you will see why Fox utterly fucked up: they didn't air the introduce-all-the-characters episode until week for or something. 'The Train Job' was the first aired episode, and, while good, it threw the viewer into a totally unfamiliar world with unfamiliar characters whose motivations were totally unknown. Horrid decision.

So many shows in recent years have been killed before really having a chance to mature. Studio 60 seemed to be getting better towards the end, but they killed it. The Black Donnellys (which replaced Studio 60) was a worthy successor to The Sopranos, but they killed it; it would have done much better on HBO, I think. I even have a place in my heart for Jericho, which is on the verge of being killed (again); it's really a terribly written and acted show, but the entire concept of the plot is too compelling for me to stop watching.

The most glaring example of impatience by TV execs is The Family Guy. It's a GREAT show and Fox finally wised up to it because of two things: (1) strong DVD sales, and (2) Cartoon Network had been showing the reruns to great ratings for years. According to wikipedia (and I have read this elsewhere, too), it is the first show resurrected because of DVD sales of old episodes.

I have friends who specifically don't watch new shows until they've reached their second season. I can't ignore a quality TV show, so I watch... and hope the thing survives. But my friends consider it a huge wasted time investment if the show gets killed after one season. This is a pretty sane approach in my opinion. But it also becomes a vicious cycle:
-People won't watch a new show because there is a high probability it will get canceled.
-Because of that, new shows get poor ratings.
-Because of that, new shows get canceled quickly.
-Because of that, viewers decide that they will continue to avoid new shows.

TV execs should realize this and start giving shows more of a chance.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]billybizzle
2008-03-08 06:21 pm UTC (link)
This has been tried with Friday Night Lights and failed miserably, so I expect that the model that you hope will start occurring more often isn't going to.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]jacksup
2008-03-11 03:48 pm UTC (link)
It was also tried with a show called Cheers, and another one called Seinfeld.

By the way, Friday Night Lights isn't dead yet either.

Matt

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]abostick59
2008-03-08 06:22 pm UTC (link)
TV executives don't aim for "brilliantly executed concepts, great writing, terrific ensemble acting," they aim for "maximizing revenue." I think we're lucky to occasionally have a series that is really good turn up on broadcast TV at all.

I adore Firefly, and have viewed the boxed set many times over.

(Reply to this)

[info]jpmassar
2008-03-09 01:01 am UTC (link)
Burn the land and boil the sea,
you can't take the sky from me!

(Reply to this)

[info]pokarpokarpokar
2008-03-09 01:14 am UTC (link)
network tv is so 1988

we don't get hbo up here and it's just LOL

(Reply to this)

[info]jellymillion
2008-03-10 10:36 am UTC (link)
+1

Shameful.

(Reply to this)

[info]darse
2008-03-15 06:04 pm UTC (link)
Firefly is the nuts. Geeks r00l (Josh Whedon in this case).

(heh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLyuTU26sDk)

Not having a TV (13 years now) is huge +EV, and any downside is compensated by watching DVDs after quality is known. The new Battlestar Gallactica was also ballyhooed, but i think they're a perfect comparison case study for a course on good story writing: Firefly == awesome, BSG == notsomuch.

Too bad the dumdum execs haven't figured out that quality doesn't hurt EV.

(Reply to this)

Create an Account
Forgot your login?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…