Was TV simply the wrong medium for Firefly? by VTbrowncoat

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Was TV simply the wrong medium for Firefly?

POSTED BY: VTBROWNCOAT
UPDATED: Monday, February 13, 2006 10:05
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VIEWED: 3484
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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:09 AM

Greetings,

Bear with me here, please. I've been lurking for a few weeks and I am just now willing to share my thoughts.

Consider me a recent recruit, very recent. As I am just now able to fully appreciate Firefly, the stories, the characters, the 'verse.

I don't think that the series ever crossed my awareness when it first aired. It came and went so fast. I tend to like science fiction so it troubles me a bit that I never even heard of Firefly during the brief time this show was on the air.

I heard a bit more about it after it was canceled.

Saw adds for the BDM when it hit the big screen, read a few reviews. Sadly I didn't make the time to go see it, though.

I kept hearing and reading about Firefly as "this quirky cancelled show that was really good."

Then I caught some of Firefly on the Sci Fi channel while over Thanksgiving at my in-laws. I think I saw almost all of "Heart of Gold". And I caught snippets of other episodes later but I didn't get the chance to really sit down and watch it the way I now think Firfly needs and deserves to be watched. What I did manage to catch I thought it was interesting and quite amusing yet I now believe that the medium of television was what really prevented me from "getting it."

I finally "got it" when my wife and son were out of town for a few days between Cristmas and New Years. I went to my local video store looking for something to pass the evenings I had alone. I saw the Firefly DVD's for rent, recognized what had raised my curiosity weeks earlier. I grabbed DVD #1.

And finally, Firefly grabbed me. I rented the entire set in the days that followed and soaked it all in. I watched each episode at least twice and I replayed many scenes multiple times. I watched with subtitles and with commentaries (when available) and without. I freeze framed often to ponder just what was happening on screen or in the background.

Being able to sit down, watch each episode in order without interruption and being able to review key scenes and dialogue is really the key to being able to fully appreciate what this is.

Since then I've bought the Firefly box set and the Serenity movie DVD.

Firefly is a DVD series, not a television series.

It failed as a TV series because a good deal of what made this show so good gets lost during broadcasting and all you're left with is a vague sense of "what's up with the space hooker?" or some other nagging sense that there's so much more.

Firefly can't really be watched with interruptions and while potentially other distractions are afoot.

If Firefly flies again in episodic fashion, I think it ought to just skip broadcast TV and go straight to DVD. I fear a TV series revival might fail again. DVD sales on the other hand would be out of this world.

"We always hoped you two kids would
get together....... who is she?" Wash in Our Mrs. Reynolds.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:33 AM

OLDFOGEY

Quote:
Originally posted by VTbrowncoat:
Greetings,

Bear with me here, please. I've been lurking for a few weeks and I am just now willing to share my thoughts...

Firefly can't really be watched with interruptions and while potentially other distractions are afoot.

If Firefly flies again in episodic fashion, I think it ought to just skip broadcast TV and go straight to DVD.

Hey there! Nice to hear from you.
If you've been lurking for a while then you know
this place is full of people who share your
passion for the series. It's pretty amazing.
Like you, I found the series on DVD so was able to
watch without interruptions. There's an awful lot
of little drumroll type shots followed by black
spaces, so you can tell how many commercials they
used to have. Seems like a lot, but that wouldn't
stop me from watching it on TV if that's where it
was at. Of course DVD's are ideal and all the
future episodes that we know are coming come hell
or high water because I'm not going to shut up until they do --sorry, tirade starting up, shutting down now.

BTW, Firefly most certainly CAN be watched with
interruptions. Last night I watched 6 of the
episodes while my upstairs neighbor had band practice
in his living room. Didn't bother me at all.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:45 AM

DAVESHAYNE

I get what your saying and I would agree with you to a tiny extent except for the unfortunate truth that direct to DVD (in the US at least) is the normal distribution mode for shows/movies that utterly lack quality. If you could get past that feeling in the marketplace direct to video means

it might have a shot. Better perhaps would be for one of the pay chanels to pick it up. As to being able to rewind and/or freeze frame tivo like devices are getting fairly ubiquitous so I don't see that as a major obstacle to broadcast sucess.

David

You wanna go, Little Man?
Only if it's someplace with candle light.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:47 AM

GRIZWALD

Quote:
Originally posted by oldfogey:
BTW, Firefly most certainly CAN be watched with
interruptions.... Didn't bother me at all.

To be sure. I "listen to Firefly" while I quilt, taking stitching breaks to give the screen my full attention on the really visual parts, but the rest of the time I know it well enough to just listen.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:49 AM

MCALLEN

Howdy and welcome!

I think you make some excellent points. I agree that watching the DVD set, with no commercials, and all in a row, and with commentary tracks, etc. is much more enjoyable (and does much more justice to the genius of the show) than watchin an episode per week on tv. I'm biased, b/c I found Firefly on DVD, and that's the only experience I know.

However, imagine if the series episodes were shown in order (insanity!), if they were actually shown each week with no preemptions, if there was actually SOME KIND OF MARKETING done (Shame here on Fox and Universal--even though I'm eternally grateful to Uni--didn't anyone realize that marketing needed to be geared toward nonfans?? I mean, the Browncoats were going to see the BDM anyway--how's about trying to get new folks into the theaters? Again, insanity!), if a network backed the series heartily and actually got the creators and actors on talk shows and interview circuits to promote the show and give any necessary background (again, as far as I know , this wasn't even done with the BDM), if there were commercials promoting the series, etc., etc.

I think Firefly (or Serenity, or Serenifly, or Firenity, or Mal's a Big Hottie, or whatever you want to call the next incarnation) would be fantastic, and actually best-suited, for television ... provided it was done properly.

MAL: We're still flying.
SIMON: That's not much.
MAL: It's enough.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 6:53 AM

ISAACSHEPARD

You make an excellent point VTbrowncoat, however I think the bigger problem is how to market Firefly/Serenity. I know this has always been a majoy issue for the series but no one has effectively found a way to advertise (except by Browncoats recruiting through friends). I think there is also a negative stigma attached to the genre Sci-fi (espically when you say sci-fi wester). Not enough people seem to give it a chance. But if more Firefly/Serenity would be made I don't really care on what medium it is. I just NEED MORE, as we all do!
IS

The Bible's a little fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:11 AM

MERCHANTMARINE1

In my opinion, and for me being at sea as a profession allows my shipmates and I view alot of TV via satillite and DVD movies direct from the production companies. I feel its marketing, and timing, Joss has two hits Buffy which was resurrected from a terrible motion picture, and angel. If you look at current events on TV, aron Spelling leads the TV industry with more hits, even right now with Charmed, and other productions, now and in his history. I believe Fox wanted the golden glow to immediately shine with Firefly and when it did not click with the audience as Buffy did and again with Angel, the show was cancelled. One season, FF, didn't even get a complete season to click with the audience, and on board sailing with me I have the pleasure of allowing several crew members that are scifi buffs view my FF collections, they never heard of FF, and again heard of Serenity only briefly. Mass media and Marketing, the plot was not complicated, not when compared to the Prime Time Crime series of the networks, and the sitcoms and reality TV programs. The undoing was, too many Gene Roddenbury creations.. TNG, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. We have or large parts of the audience have become SciFied out. Notice the awards to Lost, Desparate Housewives, ETC.. with little or no plot, confusing and no imagination.

Merchantmarine1

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:14 AM

SHO

Welcome and greetings! I'm a realtively new Browncoat myself, and I heard nothing about the series when it was originally aired. So, I was indoctrinated to this obsession through the DVD series, as well.

However, I think TV is the ideal place for this story. Watching the series on DVD was extremely satifying, and I thoroughly enjoyed the lack of commercials. But, I would have eagerly anticipated the next show if I had been watching them on TV, and accepted the normal interruptions as we all do with any TV series. The depth and range of the characters and the stories to be told require a long episodic format to fully bring them to life, imho. Direct to DVD would do little to reach out to the masses and bring in the following this story deserves. As mentioned above, direct to DVD means the producers have no faith in the product and it's low quality, unfortunatley. And, I believe this is a series that could connect with more than just a sci-fi crowd, were it actually marketed and promoted, also as mentioned above.

"We've done the impossible. That makes us mighty"

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:25 AM

JONUS

TV is the right place for it. FOX was just the wrong place to put it. It should've been on SCI-FI from the beginning. I mean look at BSG or Stargate. Do you think it would do well on FOX? I think not. FOX cancels all the shows people watch and keep or make new ones that we all hate.

Attack me, not my opinion.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:36 AM

THEPISTONENGINE

I'd have to disagree with you on that score, or maybe I'm just an old-fashioned 19 year old. I love the TV atmosphere, the whole family and freinds get in the same room at the same time everyweek, the quick darts to the bathroom during the commercial breaks, the anguish while waiting for the commercials to be over. I love it.

Tristen

Quote:
Originally posted by VTbrowncoat:

Firefly can't really be watched with interruptions and while potentially other distractions are afoot.

If Firefly flies again in episodic fashion, I think it ought to just skip broadcast TV and go straight to DVD. I fear a TV series revival might fail again. DVD sales on the other hand would be out of this world.

"We always hoped you two kids would
get together....... who is she?" Wash in Our Mrs. Reynolds.

No, Mei Mei. It's time to wake up."

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:43 AM

JOSSISAGOD

Jonus,
I agreed with you on all counts. Then I realized something. If FOX HADN'T aired "Firefly" in the first place there would be at least one less Browncoat at the start, because when it aired I didn't have cable. I would have sorely missed "Firefly" having been an avid Joss Whedon fan at the time.

well, Thats my two cents,

JOSSISAGOD,

And I'm STILL an avid Joss Whedon fan to this day!

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Monday, February 13, 2006 7:46 AM

JONUS

That's true. If it hadn't aired on Fox the people that don't have cable wouldn't have seen it. Sci-Fi should've picked it up after it was cancelled.

Attack me, not my opinion.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 8:00 AM

DATALESS

I think the real flaw with the orignal airing of Firefly is simple, How many Sci Fi series have ever survived on Network Television? The cost of any sci fi show is too great for Network TV. What shows have done well? X-files? That was just two character (lowering cost) traveling around the US solving crimes (even if they are of a supernatural nature.) They shot in or around Vancouver and had few visual or special effects. So though X-files is a sci fi series it doesn't have a spaceship flying around space. It cost less that most series (untill it was a hit and then the major cost was the actors. Just like ever other network series.) If you were paying for something you thought would made you money but the return was no where near the cost and didn't see an end to the loss of money, what would you do? Also if the X-files were releaseed in the same Television environment as Firefly then I think X-files would never have made it either. With cheaply made reality TV Fox's decision to cancel the very costly Firefly became easier. I don't think anyone at Fox ever watches any of their shows. If they did shows like Reunion, Wonderfalls (A special effects intensive show) and Family Guy would have ever been canceled. The avarage rating for Firefly was about 3.3 for X-files the lowest was 4.4 (this was in the last season) and the lowest in season 1 was 5.4 (that stays the lowest rated episode untill the last season), the highest for Firefly was 4.9 that episode was The Train Job. The First episode aired (as we all know). The X-files had an average rating of about 10.0.
http://home.insightbb.com/~wahoskem/firefly1.html (the Firefly ratings)
http://x-files.host.sk/nielsens.php (the X-files ratings)
So no Sci Fi series should every be on network TV but if you put Firefly on Sci Fi, USA or syndication, a place where they can let the show grow a fan base it would have done much better at least that's my opinion. The DVD's would still be released so fans that don't have cable would have gotten to see the show.

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Monday, February 13, 2006 10:05 AM

SNAP

Direct to DVD also means that there is little to no risk to a network when it picks it up to air it. Look at Sci-fi showing Firefly marathons, etc. The Episodes are already made. The DVDs have made money. The network can pay a smaller licensing fee to air it instead of the huge production costs.

I think Firefly would do very well on a Direct to DVD model. Add in other options like iTunes and it would rock.

The ONLY downside I can see is that there might need to be a break between seasons for the cash from sales to build up enough from the previous season to fund the next season.

We have done the impossible and that makes us mighty.
http://www.joss.whedon.youaremighty.com/

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