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Firefly Marathon on SciFi, September 18th 319

Posted by kdawson from the reaver-madness dept.
kulakovich writes, "Hot on the heels of Stargate's cancellation, the SciFi Channel is running an entire season of Firefly starting at 8am (Eastern) on September 18th. This news is fresh from yesterday's posting on the Whedonesque blog. Start making space on the PVR!"
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Firefly Marathon on SciFi, September 18th More

Firefly Marathon on SciFi, September 18th

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  • For who? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by xzvf ( 924443 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:27AM (#16050478)
    Doesn't anyone that remotely cares already have the DVD?

    • Why this is extremely IMPORTANT to fans. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by TekReggard ( 552826 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @04:59AM (#16050721)
      As a foreword, this comment is happily placed near the top so people can see it. It really only has to do with the overall subject.

      --

      Okay, so why is this so important to fans that own the DVD, have seen it, or can watch video streams or any other option that would mean they don't have to watch it on TV [regardless of ownership // commitment] ...

      Advertising.

      What is probably one of the biggest parts of financing a TV network is securing advertising that pays well. If you buy the DVD, or watched it before, etc... yes you have made a commitment and helped them out. The problem is the same as with newspapers. They make SO MUCH of their money off advertising they would rather give away the newspapers in some situations to customers who don't want to pay than deal with their issue. Networks work similarly. If the show can't produce good advertising [TV spots in the tens of thousands] and they have one that can [TV spots in the hundreds of thousands] they will do what is financially the smart decision, even if viewers who are watching like the current content.

      I could bet a good chunk of money that somewhere up there some people are watching this very carefully to see how it goes. They made a movie that did alright but not outstanding, but... it did good so it shows promise. The DVDs have sold well, but not in bundles... again, good but not outstanding.

      What they're probably looking for is what kind of viewership they have during the marathon. This is the kind of event that could tip someone's opinion on their network into saying... hey... lets put together another season. This will get us viewers = dollars.

      -TK
      • Ok... I'll admit that when the show first aired and there were stories about it on /. almost daily that I didn't give a shit. I didn't watch it at all and I didn't even give it a chance until it was out on DVD. Eventually I bittorrented the TV shows and I watched, maybe, half of the first one and was hooked. It wasn't long until I owned the boxed set and Serenity. I've also gotten quite a few of my friends "hooked". The question, in my mind, is what do we have to do (in the real world) to convince the netwo

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by harrkev ( 623093 )

          The question, in my mind, is what do we have to do (in the real world) to convince the networks to sponsor more episodes/seasons AND (maybe more difficult) convince Wheedon to make them?

          I love the show, but I am not a "rabid" fan, so I could be wrong on this. But the impression that I have is that Wheedon WANTS to make more. He just needs a network to pay the bills.

          Of course, with the "cast changes" that occured as a result of the movie (I am trying not to spoil it for those that have not seen it), that m

      • What, does this mean I have to take my fingers out my ears and actually watch the ads?

      • A little off topic, but an important point. (Score:5, Interesting)

        by ZJVavrek ( 952066 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @06:40AM (#16050929)
        Okay, you made a great point about trying to show the popularity of the show by boosting viewership. Unfortunately, I don't have the SciFi channel, so I can't help out. However, a point continues coming to mind:

        How do networks determine viewership? Say a million of us tune in to watch the Marathon, half even stay for the entire thing. What is the process by which the networks discover this fact? I'm trying to figure out how much it matters what show I'm watching if I don't have some sort of Nielson box in my house.

        Regardless, I'm very glad that enough of the popularity has gotten noticed so that it can be re-aired. And probably in the correct order, too. (This is /., you think I rtfa? Probably was in there, wasn't it?)

      • Advertising (Score:5, Interesting)

        by digitalamish ( 449285 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @08:55AM (#16051341)
        I just read this little insight about TV a few days ago (maybe here on /.) that completely changed how I look at TV. Programs are made for the advertisers, and we the viewers are just the product. When it comes right down to it, the sucess or failure of a program is determined by the advertising revenue, not really viewership. It's the amount of viewers that draw the advertisers which pays the bills. Bascially only DVD sales and 'webisodes', which are marketed directly to the viewers, are the only place the advertisers are out fo the process.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
        Give it up, browncoat, it ain't coming back.

        -Eric

      • I think you are way off about the DVD sales (Score:5, Informative)

        by silicon not in the v ( 669585 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @11:17AM (#16052504) Journal
        I just checked again on the list of bestselling DVDs on Amazon. The Firefly set is ranked at #59. That may not sound impressive, except consider the following:
        This is about as low as I've seen its rank, as the interest is gradually fading. They update this list HOURLY, and I've checked on it quite frequently over the past year or so. It sat consistently in the top 20 for most of that year. The other thing is that DVDs come and go from that bestseller list frequently. The ones on there now are not the ones that were there 3 months ago, or 6 months ago, or a year ago. And yet Firefly has been on there all that time, mostly in the top 20. The Serenity movie was hanging in there about 10 spots lower than Firefly through most of that time.

        There are some pretty impressive amounts of sales going on for it to sit in the best selling list that long. Also, I don't think the point is lost on the network people that this show has managed to build up a following much bigger after it was gone and off the air than it ever had in its short life. That shows that it's not just the hype and publicity and TV ads for it that are keeping up interest for it. It is actually people being introduced to the show by friends and loving it and telling others about it--THREE YEARS AFTER IT WAS CANCELLED!

        I have been listening to a podcast about the Firefly universe called The Signal. One of the things they broadcast was an interview with Jewel Staite, who played Kaylee. She mentioned that the rights deal they signed for the making of Serenity options the cast for a trilogy of movies. Joss and Universal's deal to get those rights from Fox included that they cannot make more of the TV series for 10 years (from the cancellation in 2003). They do, however, have full rights to keep making movies. Also, if it does well, they could offer to buy out the remainder of that 10 years from Fox if they really wanted to.

        If anything is going to float this boat, I think it will be the very strong DVD sales, which are already showing. They could even make more episodes to release straight to DVD. That probably wouldn't qualify as a TV show, so they could do that without running afoul of the Fox deal.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mgblst ( 80109 )
      There is nothing like watching a show, and knowing that 1000s of other people are also watching it. Knowing that you aren't the only one, that somebody else somewhere is enjoying the same experience, adds something. You must have felt it. It is like going to the movies, but the movies are the size of the USA, and the food is cheap.

    • HD (Score:4, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @07:34AM (#16051028)
      This particular marathon doesn't mean all that much, but starting on Sept. 24, Firefly will be broadcast in high definition on UHD, which is going to be awesome.

      http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=212 [tvweek.com]

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Avatar8 ( 748465 )
        THAT is one of the best things I've heard in a while.
         


        I'm not so excited about the 9/18 marathon since it's a work day, I've seen them all and I have the DVDs, but seeing Firefly in HD will be awesome. By the look of the DVDs, I think the HD quality is there just not visible.


        Thanks for this news.

    • I haven't watched Firefly yet, and I'm thinking about watching/recording the entire season on the 18h.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by smchris ( 464899 )
      Doesn't anyone that remotely cares already have the DVD?

      I suspect the hope is that they haven't.

      Firefly II!!!
      Firefly II!!!
      Firefly II!!!
      Firefly II!!!

  • Theres just one.. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Lispy ( 136512 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:29AM (#16050481) Homepage
    "an entire season of Firefly" - Not to say THE entire season! ;-/
    • That would be 'the entire *half* season'.

      It never made a full season.

      14 episodes. Ok *slightly* more than half a seasons worth.

      "My john thomas is gonna pop off and fly around the room theres so much tasty in here!" -- Jayne.

      I imagine that the network executives would have choked on their caesar salads hearing that line... they couldn't cancel fast enough.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by 1u3hr ( 530656 )
      "an entire season of Firefly" - Not to say THE entire season! ;-/

      Not even that. They're only showing 11 of the 15 episodes.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by halenger ( 806072 )
      This is quite an important comment to note. If you look at the episode list side-by-side with the Wikipedia entry (section with the episode list) ... or if you just know all the episodes and the order etc ... you'll note two things: a) They've decided that, shockingly, order does matter! They have gotten it right there. b) They've decided that the full season shouldn't be aired. While they have gotten the order right they've ditched the last four episodes: 11. "Trash", 12. "The Message", 13. "Heart of Go

      • I swear, TV people are incapable of recognizing anything good. Episode 14 was, in my opinion, the best one out of all. You have to show it, especially if you want to drive people to the movie.

        "Am I a lion?"

        Then again, maybe the first 10 are enough to drive people to the DVD for the last 4, which will drive them to the movie, or that's the plan.

        • "Objects in Space" was probably the best episode of TV SF since "City on the Edge of Forever" (the BG episode "33" was produced after "Objects in Space").

          • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

            by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
            "Objects in Space" wasn't even the fourth best episiode of the series. "Out of Gas" was the best episode of Firefly ever.

            The best episode of sci-fi television ever? Well, that would probably be "Kobol's Last Gleaming" from Battlestar Galactica (okay, technically, it's TWO epsiodes) followed for close 2nd and 3rd by "33" and "Hand of God" from the same series. Firefly's "Out of Gas" would rank 4th. "Whispers," an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ranks 5th. Honorable mentions include "The Inner Light"

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by 1lus10n ( 586635 )
              You mention no classic star trek, no Dr Who and you expect to be taken seriously ? I mean I LOVE BSG, but come on.

          • Oop, I was confused, I thought Objects was the last episode. That's the perfect one to end the marathon with, and SF aside it's way up there in my top TV episodes ever.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by pjtp ( 533932 )
      Not even that... it's 11 out of 14.

      They are missing:

      Trash
      The Message
      Heart of Gold
      Objects in space

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by 70Bang ( 805280 )

        FireFly Episode List [epguides.com]

        Season 1
        1. 1- 1 1AGE01 20 Sep 02 The Train Job
        2. 1- 2 1AGE02 27 Sep 02 Bushwhacked
        3. 1- 3 1AGE05 4 Oct 02 Our Mrs. Reynolds
        4. 1- 4 1AGE06 18 Oct 02 Jaynestown
        5. 1- 5 1AGE07 25 Oct 02 Out of Gas
        6. 1- 6 1AGE03 1 Nov 02 Shindig
        7. 1- 7 1AGE04 8 Nov 02 Safe
        8. 1- 8 1AGE08 15 Nov 02 Ariel
        9. 1- 9 1AGE09 6 Dec 02 War Stories
        10. 1-10 1AGE11 13 Dec 02 Objects in Space
        11. 1-11 1AGE79 20 Dec 02 Serenity (1)
        12. 1-12 1AGE79 20 Dec 02 Serenity (2)
        13. 1-13 1AGE10 UNAIRED Heart of Gold
        14
    • They're actually not showing the entire season. They're just showing up to "War Stories," leaving a few unshown, including what most people consider to be the best episode (Objects in Space).
  • It'd be awful nice if the word "new" was inserted between "entire" and "season"... but this is cool, too.
    • 1. Stargate SG-1 is no longer being produced.
      2. SciFi channel is looking for replacement.
      3. Firefly has a huge following.

      Eurika! (not to be confused by the other SciFi program with same name). SciFi decides to create new Firefly seasons to fill SG-1 gap.

  • Start making space on the PVR! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by shmlco ( 594907 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:31AM (#16050489) Homepage
    Start making space on the PVR??? How about buying the damn DVDs and in the process convincing the powers that be there's a market for good SciFi?
    • How about buying the damn DVDs and in the process convincing the powers that be there's a market for good SciFi?

      Personally, I was curious about the show at first, and then I got increasingly sick of people trying to plug it everywhere on the net and all the "Joss Whedon is my master now" crap.

      One would think it's had it's chance to be popular already, what with the rabid fanboys and somehow managing to get a movie made...If you like it, great, just don't try to force it down everyone else's throat.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by tinkerghost ( 944862 )
      Actually the PtB know there is good sci-fi, what they havn't figured out is how to get good sci-fi to interest enough people to attract the advertisers.
      Look at it this way, what makes for a good sci-fi show?
      • storyline - both a theme and a per episode storyline are what pulls people into a show.
      • character buy in - you have to like the characters - or hate them - either will do.
      • character interaction - the more intricate the character interaction, the easier it is to buy into them
      • character development - 2d
  • so that'll take, ooh, a couple of hours?

    I kid, I'm a huge Firefly fan, but the wording of the summary is a /little/ bizarre ...

    (suppose I should take this opportunity to pimp the UK Browncoats Forum [cantstopthesignal.co.uk]. Consider it pimped)

  • NOT Cancelled! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Jaruzel ( 804522 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:34AM (#16050499) Homepage Journal
    Hot on the heels of Stargate's cancellation


    I know technically y'all like saying 'cancelled' but on the basis that SG-1 ran for 10 seasons, I'd hardly call that 'cancelled'. It's more accurate to state that 'it ended it's run' or 'completed' or simply just 'finished'.

    When something gets canned after just the first season (Firefly), then THAT'S 'cancelled'. ;)

    -Jar.

    • Re:NOT Cancelled! (Score:5, Funny)

      by Tumbleweed ( 3706 ) * on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @04:10AM (#16050590)
      re: 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1

      I'd hardly call that 'cancelled'. It's more accurate to state that 'it ended it's run' or 'completed' or simply just 'finished'.

      Or:

      1) exhausted itself
      2) ran out of steam
      3) long since jumped the shark
      4) shot it's wad
      5) went down hill seasons ago
      6) went out with a whimper, not a bang
      7) finally traveled through that giant Chaapa-ai in the sky (yeah, I had to look up the spelling)
      8) Outgoing wormhole established!
      9) one too many episodes of Wormhole Xtreme!
      10) and they still haven't gotten it on?! Oh right, he's Air Force, not Marine (See the hill, TAKE the hill, dipshit! Two l's for lloser. The one-l'd O'Neil from the movie woulda bagged Carter long ago...)
      11) Ten is a good season to die. (Oh wait, wrong series.)
      12) never did meet the Furlings...(for real)
      13) finally ran out of ex-Star Trek/Farscape/Andromeda actors to guest star (shoulda hooked up some Bablyon 5 peeps)
      14) Hardly any Lexa Doig - good riddance to ya, ya bastards!
      15) hey, aren't those Replicators just Lego Mindstorms?
      16) sometimes the very old (tv shows) don't do as they're told (and die, already).
      17) already re-used every other sci-fi tv show/movie plotline in the history of sci-fi/fantasy.
      18) Atlantis will still suck
      19) Budge. I don't know why they keep reprinting him...

      • Re:NOT Cancelled! (Score:5, Funny)

        by dunkelfalke ( 91624 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @06:23AM (#16050890)
        It passed on! This series is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the TV channels it'd be pushing up the daisies! Its metabolic processes are now history! It's off the twig! It's kicked the bucket, it's shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!!
      • I think you forgot
        This show is no more
        It has ceased to be
        It is bereft of life...
        Stargate is an ex-show!

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by theStorminMormon ( 883615 )
      Yeah, and that was definitely 10 seasons too many.

      What is it with sci-fi fans that they turn off their sense of critical appreciation when they turn on the sci-fi channel. Stargate, Star Trek: Voyage, Farscape - the reason sci-fi shows don't stand a chance with the mainstream is that sci-fi fans have their standards set so low! You transport your average sci-fi show to any other channel and it's revealed for what it is: Hercules or Xena with lasers and spaceships.

      As an actual sci-fi fan, this upsets me.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
        On the upside, Battlestar Galactica seems to be doing okay. It's the only serious sci-fi still on TV.

        -Eric

        • I watched most of season 1. I thought it had some issues, but at least it was trying to play by the rules of a "serious" show. I thought that some aspects were overblown, but it was so, so, so incredibly refreshing to see sci-fi at least aim high. I'm not sure about the whole sexy-psylons aspect, but it might have worked out OK. I mean, it's not even in the same league as Stargate, and it pains me that some people can't tell the difference. Watching Stargate and then Battlestar is like watching Hamlet

  • Who is this marathon for? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by rdwald ( 831442 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:45AM (#16050526)
    I'll agree that Firefly is awesome and all, but who hasn't already seen every episode? It seems that by now, everyone is in one of two camps with respect to Firefly:

    -- Has seen every episode, many multiple times, and has seen the movie.

    -- Has not seen every episode, and doesn't plan to.

    Who will watch the SciFi Channel's marathon?
    • I hadn't seen it before a short while ago, as I didn't have the DVD, didn't want to watch the movie without seeing the series, and didn't have cable... Assuming I actually had cable, I might have been interested in this. But I went with the old standby, and copied my roommate's TV-rip.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by fallen1 ( 230220 )
      Well, I for one _would_ watch the entire marathon except for one thing - it is on a FRIGGIN' MONDAY! You know, when the majority of people have to work. WTF is up with that asinine programming choice? How about making it a marathon on Sunday when the majority of people are off? Now I either have to use up a vacation day as I'm out of sick days and comp time, or get "sick" over the weekend and miss a day of work. This is piss poor scheduling on Sci-Fi's part - and they know it.

      I met both Alan Tudyk and Sum

  • Shiny (Score:3, Funny)

    by Timberwolf0122 ( 872207 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:48AM (#16050530) Journal
    I really hope this series gets either a spin off or a (preferably) another season or ten.

    Come on EVERYBODY NOW!
    Take my love
    Take my land
    Take me where I cannnot stand

    I don't care, I'm still free
    you cant't take the sky from me

    Air Guitar Solo

    Take me out into the Black
    Tell them I aint commin' back
    Burn the land and boil the sea
    You can't take the sky from me

    There's no place I can be
    Since I found Serenity
    But you can't take the sky from me

    daka-daka-daaaawww And Horses!

    http://signal.serenityfirefly.com/ [serenityfirefly.com]
  • They must have spend millions on market research to have determined that we 'nerds' prefer B movies about giant insects and episodes of RAW to SG1 and Firefly, so who do they think will be watching this marathon at 8am on a Monday? Those of us with DVRs, who've probably already recorded it or bought the DVDs?
    • You will bow to the great film god Ray Harryhausen [imdb.com] when you mention B movies about giant insects.
      The man pretty much single handedly developed the special effects industry.

  • Shock horror! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Don_dumb ( 927108 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:52AM (#16050545)
    Sci-Fi Television network, decides to show a science fiction program.

    Wow, I dont know if I can go on now, my vision of the world has changed so much.
    This shouldn't even be an article on a local version of /. let alone the global one.

  • If it's popular on Sci-Fi can we expect more? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by FalconDelta ( 1000597 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @03:56AM (#16050559) Homepage
    I think it's great that Fierfly is going to re-air, but how many times are we going to be able to watch those same initial episodes without wanting so much more? My hope is that they will air the pilot that they failed to air the first time. I know it's probably too much to hope for, but they should really get the cast and crew back together for some more episodes. I don't think it's too far gone yet to do so. I had fun listening to the firefly podcasts people were making. I think the series has a potential similar to starwars if it were developed further. They created the possiblity of a large universe with lots of characters, plot elements, and scenarios. All in all, I can't wait to see what happens.
  • Seriously. I'd think that everyone who could possibly have liked the series already seen it.
    Those who are fans have bought the DVD sets too.
    Is there really a big turf to expand the number of fans?
    Or could they have asked for the same "promotional mini-series" 3-4 minutes each, just like what they did with BG?

  • Maybe it will revive the series? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Barts_706 ( 992266 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @05:06AM (#16050739) Homepage Journal
    I know it may come as a shock to nerdy Slashdot community, but there are people out there who hasn't seen Firefly yet. It is aimed at them and also the devoted fans who will take any excuse to see the series again.

    I hope Firefly might acquire some more interest, enlarge its fanbase, and maybe one day we might see the continuation.

    Anyways, this seems not too probable and (judging by "Serenity" movie) it might be better if there was no follow-ups, if they are to screw the ambience of the series.

    Still, one can only hope. I really liked it a lot.
  • The thing is, this is actually a pretty typical move for the Sci-Fi Channel. Due to a lack of material (largely since they seem to spend most of their budget financing terrible B-movies) they will often fill just about every day of the week with a long 5-8 hour block of one show. Often this seems a bit random and haphazard as they do have a decent library of older shows and they sometimes take the time to revisit a series they haven't aired in a while. Since they bought the rebroadcast rights to Firefly the

  • Why? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by egburr ( 141740 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @08:04AM (#16051122) Homepage
    Start making space on the PVR!"

    Why? I'd much rather watch them on DVD so I don't have to mess with skipping commercials. Don't all the Firefly fans already have it on DVD?

  • So What? (Score:3, Informative)

    by bigbigbison ( 104532 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @08:27AM (#16051204) Homepage
    They are playing 8 hours of Amazing Stories today. Friday they are playing 8 hours of Outer Limits and yesterday they played 8 hours of Andromeda.
    Marathons of shows is what they do. That they are playing Firefly means nothing. It doesn't mean that they are going to pick it up any more than it means they are going to start making new episodes of the Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby. Sadly, they are both dead.
  • Have Scifi snuck hidden cameras back into my house? Bastards.

    All I know about this show is it made me a lot harder to Google.
  • ...that Sept 18 is a Monday, not Friday? Talk Like A Pirate Day is the 19th, and that's a Tuesday. Arrr!!!!
  • Or next thing you know, it'll become the "All Wrasslin, All the Time" channel... at least, that is, until it morphs into a cooking channel.

  • Why you won't see any more Firefly made... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Churla ( 936633 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @10:08AM (#16051849)
    Ol Mr Joss there has a formula. Look at Buffy, look at Angel, and look at where Firefly was heading. He was planting seeds in teh first 11 episodes for several aroty arcs all of which would take a season on their own right.

    a) What did they really do to River? (i.e. operative comes to hunt River down)
    b) How do we "fix" River so she can be a normal girl/woman? (i.e. deprogram her once the big issue is out of her head, leading to..)
    c) Where did the reavers come from?
    d) How/when will Dr Tam and Kaylee hook up (possible the jumping of the shark moment)

    Those were basically 3-4 SEASONS of episodes, once you sprinkled in the side arc and humor episodes. Instead the series got cancelled. But then he got to make a movie. Realizing this was probably the last hurrah for Firefly he packs ALL of A-D into one movie.

    To pick up Firefly now would effectively be about season 4 or 5. By that point in a Whedon series you have started to add in the "random new bigbad for this season" and have started killing off loved characters randomly (which he ALSO crammed into the movie already, maybe we're on season 6).

    In other words.. don't hold your breath.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Rifter13 ( 773076 )
      You forgot: Who in the hell is Book. He has a LOT of insider knowlege. There is another season, there.

      You also forgot, Mal and Inara. Kind of like d, above. :)

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Churla ( 936633 )
        Good point about Book. But I am willing to place bets Book would have been the foreshadowed version of what would happen/become of the operative they sent after her in the movie. Basically Book is a glimpse 15 years into the future of the operative. (Whedon loves the occasional "it's all a big circle" story)

        As a side note, it pissed my wife off to no ends with what happened to Book in the movie. I thought she was going to build a pipe bomb for Mr Whendon after the untimey demise of a certain other chara

  • Don't PVR, BUY THE DVDs!!! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by multimediavt ( 965608 ) on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @11:14AM (#16052474)
    If you EVER want to see this show resurrected (I certainly would), then PVR recording the marathon is not the way to go. Buy the DVDs!!! They're not that expensive, you get all the shows, plus a few extra goodies, and the studio execs get a reason to talk to Joss Whedon about bringing it back! Money talks, PVR-ing just puts another coffin nail in.

  • Why I won't be watching (Score:3, Interesting)

    by beaverfever ( 584714 ) on Thursday September 07, 2006 @10:30AM (#16059107) Homepage
    I really enjoy good sci-fi, but I will not watch anything which is sci-fi just for the sake of it being sci-fi. I am more interested in a quality piece of entertainment than in indulging the genre itself.

    I watched a bit of Firefly because it was hyped so much, but to be honest I thought it was just as clichéd as 95% of the rest of the sci-fi tv shows/movies out there and I gave up on it. Perhaps it was marginally better or marginally more imaginative than most shows, but when a genre's fans start celebrating slight improvements or changes as if they were quantum leaps of imagination, then I think there is a problem.

    Besides Firefly itself, sci-fi fans keep looking backwards (which funnily enough goes against the premise of being a sci-fi fan), and sinking more and more time and money into the old standards like Star Wars and Star Trek. Think about this; Star Trek/Wars are still at the pinnacle of sci-fi creativity, and they are 40 and 30 years old respectively. At what point do Star Trek/Wars become inherently too old? By its nature, sci-fi shouldn't be stuck in the same creative rut as the western movie genre is. How long will it be until really new ideas surface?

    Sci-fi publishing is in marginally better shape with some creative ideas being presented, but there doesn't seem to be the same crossover from printed fiction to cinema in sci-fi the way there is in mainstream fiction. Why is this? Do sci-fi fans read?

    For myself, an important part of sci-fi is imagination, and sci-fi tv/movies are no longer imaginative (there is some product which has imaginative concepts but suffers from poor plot/production/other dismal flaws). Sci-fi is a sick animal with its head up its ass, eating its own shit, proclaiming how delicious and nutritious it is. I would think more sci-fi fans would look forward to the day when something fresh comes along.

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