Anybody watchin' Firefly?

[JediTricks]

Damn Fox straight to hades! Once again, Fox has a good, break-the-mold, not-entirely-mainstream show on their hands (2 actually counting John Doe, but that's a different issue) and they bury it in the dregs of their schedule on Friday night. Why not just air a test pattern or infomercials in its place, may as well be honest about it. I think Firefly is pretty good, definitely one of the few shows for Fox that is entertaining enough to return for, yet I can already sense the sword of damocles hanging perilously above it -- a la Dark Angel, The Lone Gunmen, Futurama, and Family Guy. If I could say one thing to Hollywood, it would be to boycott Fox until they start nurturing new series better rather than the current policy of the 13-ep heave-ho. While I don't know the crew of Serenity is getting keel-hauled and I certainly hope the show lasts a long time, I won't be surprised if it gets the axe by May.

That said, tonight's show was really solid and did a nice job of building just a tiny taste of the overall story rather than an overwhelming amount. One thing I really liked was that River isn't just a zombie here, she's creative and resourceful when the need arrives. Also, the bounty hunter - while bearing a few slight similarities to other sci-fi mercenaries - was a very interesting character and reminded me of someone we'd meet on "The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr." rather than just a generic hunter/killer.

[JediTricks]

5 days is all it took from writing the above till Fox cancelled the show. There are only 4 eps left, including tonight's 2-hour episode which is actually the pilot ep that didn't get aired till now. Then, after tonight's ep, the show goes on a break for a little while, comes back and finally airs the last 3 eps.

According to AICN, the show is being shopped to the other networks, with UPN being the most likely candidate. Fox shouldn't be allowed to have new series, especially sci-fi series, without a 2-year promise to the viewers. These Fox programming clowns clearly don't recognize the importance of BUILDING a core audience - greedy bastages want it all dropped in their lap within 5 eps or the show gets the axe.

[Dr Zoltar]

I for one loved the show. Just watched the 2 hour pilot tonight and it was very good. Gave you a better understanding of many of the characters that couldn't be gotten from the later episodes. The show is much better than Enterprise and, dare I say it, Farscape.

And you're right. Fox has a way of killing great shows:

Sliders
The Lone Gunmen
The Visitor

Just pray that Sci-Fi doesn't pick up the show and suck all the life out of it as they did Sliders.

[JediTricks]

I think Firefly and Farscape are so different that I couldn't really compare them, I like 'em both.

Last night's 2 hour ep of Firefly was pretty good, it made a good foundation, I watched it twice just to catch details I missed the first time around.

As I understand it, Sci Fi channel is no longer going to be producing new original programming, which is why they killed Farscape. What's really weird is that the last season of Sliders, which didn't even have Jerry O'Connell, had its ratings go UP, yet SFC cancelled it anyway because they had already spent the allocated money for it on Farscape, expecting Sliders' ratings to flatline.

At least Sliders got 3 seasons or so out of Fox like Family Guy, Futurama and Titus; Briscoe County, Dark Angel, Lone Gunmen, Space Above & Beyond, Firefly, and so many others didn't even get that far thanks to crappy Fox programming execs.

[sith_killer_99]

No more original programing from SFC?:eek:

Fox has a bunch of idiots at the wheel. I still can't believe they canceled Futurama or Lone Gunmen.

I guess they were hoping to equal the success of X-Files with Lone Gunmen (sorta like Angel from Buffy). There was never anyway that was going to happen.

[Jedi Master Silas]

Well I loved Freaky Links and they did away with it. Go figure..

[sith_killer_99]

I was a "Nowhere Man" fan myself (UPN).;)

I was also a big fan of "Kindred: The Embrace" and I was severly disapponted when it went off the air, not to mention "Dark Skies" which had a REALLY good premise, but was murdered by the writers.:(

[mrmiller]

I agree- FOX sucks. I loved Dark Angel, and they end it on a sort of Cliffhanger, and never explaing half the things in it. That's why I never watched Firefly or John Doe. I can just see going along with John Doe, then they will can the show without ever explaining who he is. What a load of BS. They also ruin their Comedy shows like Futurama and Titus by canceling them prematurely. Maybe they should remember some past history lessons, like how low Star Trek was rated, or that Seinfield was one of the lowest rated new shows during it's first season. Sometimews you need to look at the potential and quality of the show. If it's a good show, people will find it. That is if you give them time to. $@%# Fox.

=MATT=

[JediTricks]

You know what else I hate? When Fox puts on a series that they cancelled before they ever aired it, like the live-action "The Tick".

[Dr Zoltar]

Thought I'd bring back this old thread to life. Just got my DVD copy of Firefly yesterday in the mail and man am I happy! I am stoked that I have every episode on DVD now plus extras. This set is definitely worth what I paid for it.

I'm a big deleted scene fan myself. The 3 scenes cut from the pilot sure added a bit to the premise of the show.

[Rocketboy]

Looong dead thread here and I'm a bit surprised.
We had a nice little dicussion going at swc (http://www.swcollecting.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=279&highlight=firefly) and I know Serenity (http://www.sirstevesguide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28757&highlight=serenity) has/had a semi-decent thread here.

Looking at my old posts, I can still agree with many of my comments about Serenity (seeing as I hadn't seen Firefly beforehand). That being said, I am a total convert to the Firefly universe.

Anyway, for those that want Firefly and haven't picked it up, Target has it on sale this week for an awesome $18!

[pbarnard]

Anyway, for those that want Firefly and haven't picked it up, Target has it on sale this week for an awesome $18!

That in store only? The website has it for $35 and change. Or you using any codes?

[Rocketboy]

I saw it with my own 2 eyes.
It is also in the Target Online Ad (http://weeklyad.target.com/target/circular_browse_listing_detail.asp?storeid=2395221&pagenumber=18&rapid=312246&listingid=-2094497367&mapareaid=10137438).

[2-1B]

I'm glad I waited to get into the show after it was cancelled...it would have driven me nuts to watch Fox do what they did to it, I would have been way too salty since it really is a good show. :)

I still wish they wouldn't have messed with the tv/movie continuity of Simon figuring out in different ways/times what they were doing with River. :confused:

[Rocketboy]

I'm glad I waited to get into the show after it was cancelled...it would have driven me nuts to watch Fox do what they did to it, I would have been way too salty since it really is a good show. :)Gotta agree there.
Even though I knew there was a limit going in - I still was saddened when I finished the last episode. I wanted MORE!
I'm glad I missed the out of order airings and agonies of trying to save the show.

[2-1B]

I remember posting in confusion when I got the DVDs and started watching out of order because they weren't numbered and I followed an online list of air dates. :crazed:

[JediTricks]

Well, I was wrong about Sci-Fi Channel halting new original series production, but was right about just about everything else. I really think this series could have been great, had an amazing 7-year run and just felt so right, but instead Fox murdered it in its earliest stages, too early for the series to be rescued from the void the way Family Guy and now Futurama have been.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

I enjoyed many of these shows that got shut down too early. They cancelled Firefly and moved Fastlane into its spot. John Doe lasted the season, but ended on a cliffhanger. The Vistitor was good. Nowhere Man lasted the season, but was sort of an uncertain ending. Dark Angel made it two seasons, and they were able to put an okay finish to it, so that didn't bother me as much. Lone Gunmen was cool and a bit more fun than the X-Files. My theory is that they killed them off in the X-Files so that they didn't have to answer any questions about bringing back their own series again.

It just makes me wonder what the criteria are for renewing or canceling. Some shows are always down in the ratings, but they last forever, like those sitcoms on UPN or WB, but I guess they don't cost as much to make. The thing with many of these sci-fi shows is that they often have the most loyal following. When you add to this a show that has some sort of ongoing story, it is quite frustrating when you invest time into a show only to have it cancelled with no resolution to the story.

[Rocketboy]

The news is a few hours late, but Sci-fi played Firefly from 8am - 7pm today.
And Serenity is getting a bunch of HBO play.

Watching both the show and movie today made me want even more from Firefly/Serenity.
Whedon had better get off his butt and make the Firefly comic he announced what seems like a long time ago.
I also wanted a full line of action figures (the couple they released with Serenity were so-so) and a video game.
NOW!

[Phantom-like Menace]

Yeah if I had to name just one cancellation of a show that should have been allowed to survive, it would be Firefly. I caught a bit of Serenity earlier today, and I have it recorded for when I get time to watch it (hopefully tomorrow night), and that reminded me all over again how much Fox can **** itself. I still snicker at the various lines in that movie just as I snicker at lines from the series when I catch episodes.

I was just thinking that it was near phenomenal how quickly that series was set up. I mean, you can get something like Voyager or Deep Space Nine and say those shows were up and running quickly, but those were continuations of a franchise. Firefly seemed to know where it was going right from the start (Fox certainly knew where it was going, the bastards). Can you point to the thirteen episodes and show me growing pains? I certainly can't.

It was this show that all but made me parental block Fox, and it was only the return of Family Guy that found me watching Fox again. Family Guy is now the only show I watch on Fox.