I'm Glad Firefly Got Cancelled! by Schism

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

I'm Glad Firefly Got Cancelled!

POSTED BY: SCHISM
UPDATED: Saturday, November 22, 2008 08:07
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VIEWED: 5903
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Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:22 AM

Wait! Wait! Wait!
*hands up*
Don't shoot!
I can explain!

I've just watched the final episode.
I've been dreading it - it's the last, and then there's no more!

However it lead me to thinkin'.
That could be a good thing.
Think about it.
Think about what would have happened if it got the attention it deserved.

It would have gotten bigger.
It's fan-base would have increased.
The studio would see dollar signs.
They'd force their will upon the creators to make it appeal to a broader and even larger audience.
Long, complex, soap-opera-like stories would evolve.
Unlikely romances within the crew would occur.
Spin-offs would be spawned, offering sub-standard and appauling results.
Cast memebers would grow tired and quit, and new actors/characters would be brought on to fill the gaps.
The show would lose it's chemestry.
The stories would run thin.
It would appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Until it is finally cancelled, years after it should have been put out of its misery.

Isn't the rock star death better?
Snuffed out way before your time?
Your memory still alive in those who loved and respected you?
Releasing post-mortem albums to keep that memory alive?

Isn't it better to wonder what COULD have been?
Instead of being appauled at what WAS?

We just need to remember that Tupac probably had more post-mortem albums than those he released when he was alive...so in keeping with my earlier metaphor, there's hope for the hopeful...

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:44 AM

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Quote:
Originally posted by Schism:
Wait! Wait! Wait!
*hands up*
Don't shoot!
I can explain!

Do not fear me. Our's is a peaceful race and we must live in harmony.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:48 AM

STORYMARK

Even in a worst case scenario where the suits did take it over and hemogenize it, it still would not have happened over night. At the very worst, we still would have likely gotten a full 22 episode 1st season before the suits took over. Which means at least 8 more wonderful episodes before the switch, possibly more.

As for spin-offs, sure maybe they'd be diluted, but on the other hand, I liked the Buffy spin-off more than the original.

So, no, can't quite jump on board with this theory.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:31 AM

NE0VEN0M

I wouldn't quite say I'm glad it was canceled. But I do realize that a huge part of the show's following is based on this idea of something so great ending before its "due time." Ideally, it would have gotten about 3-5 seasons of quality stuff before being wrapped up on the big screen. I just would have loved to see more the fantasy world that Joss had imagined.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 2:12 PM

STAPLES

I must agree that I'm not GLAD about the cancellation, but I totally see where you're coming from. Have you seen Smallville lately? It should've been put out of its misery two seasons ago. On the other hand, I definitely think there could have been a couple more superb seasons before it was cancelled. Three seasons, and then a movie to wrap it up. That's what Arrested Development is trying, and that's what Veronica Mars will be attempting as well (both incredible shows that you should check out if you haven't seen them). Just enough to keep you interested without milking it until there's nothing left. That's what should have happened. That's not what happened. And now I want another movie (or two - a Big Damn Trilogy is what I want to see). Something that won't kill my love of the series, but will add to it without screwing up the amazing storyline.

...and that's my forty six cents.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 2:29 PM

TRAVELER

But the men in suits did take over. "The Train Job" was created and replaced Joss's "Serenity". This confused everybody, because it did not explain how these people got together. The syuits wanted action instead of storyline and those who suffered are us, because that was the begining of the destruction of this series.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 2:53 PM

ANGELFIRENZE

"The show would lose it's chemestry.
The stories would run thin.
It would appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Until it is finally cancelled, years after it should have been put out of its misery."

My gosh, you've been watching House since episode four of the third season, haven't you? EVERY BIT OF THAT has happened! You've got me agreeing with you on those grounds, specifically because I'm watching the horror unfold as we speak. I have to ask myself why I insist on putting myself through such torture week after week.

Don't forget about dropping characters off for no good reason and then trying to fill unnecessary gaps with people we give less than a damn about and certainly don't care about one another. It's horrific.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:20 PM

FREEBROWNCOAT

Well, my sidearm is lowered but I'm reaching for the straitjacket. Joss could keep it going for many seasons, though I have come to believe Wash died to end it. I think he KNEW it was one last shot, no matter the love.

SOmetimes divorce is necessary.

"You have to decide whether it's love or its become necrophilia." (sic)

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:23 PM

RALLEM

There is no doubt that if Firefly had appealed to a wider viewer base and the men in suits at Fox had started to see dollars, then they would have tried manipulating the series even more tan they already were, but we have to remember that this was a Joss Whedon series and even if they did try to manipulate his story it would have still been a Joss Whedon series. We've seen that the execs at Fox already tried to sabotage the series by making Joss change the pilot into the Train Job, and Joss was able to keep it into something that was still distinctly his. I do think though that this series would have had a limited life span of maybe one or two complete seasons before a major change of direction would be needed. We could maybe assume that such a change would have been bad, but knowing Joss he could have made the series even better. I don't know how he could have made it better, but as we all know I am no Joss Whedon.

http://swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:35 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Schism:
Wait! Wait! Wait!
*hands up*
Don't shoot!
I can explain!

And you've done a fine job of it. I myself posited a similar theory back in, oh what was it now- '05? I said it was a perfect moment, capped by my favourite motion picture of all time. Don't get me wrong- I love Buffy, but near 1/3 of it wasn't all that, and I surely woulda hated seein' my BDH's in Firefly equivalents to "I Was Made To Love You" or "Into The Woods".

Sakriligius Chrisisall

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:43 PM

SIGMANUNKI

I highly doubt it would have gotten "soapy." More likely is it getting more "action-y."

But, all that is highly unlikely. Like Buffy, Firefly was/is a cult hit. And things like that tend to fly below the radar for long periods of time. IF they even end up on the radar at all. So, Joss et al would have had much time to work before things went south, IF things went south.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:20 PM

MALSNARA

I think you're forgetting one thing...it's a JOSS WHEDON show!!
Joss never lets anything really and truly compromise his show's and Firefly was a labour of love for him and everybody who worked on it.
Also Buffy ran for 7 seasons without the actors getting bored and leaving it,without any crappy spinoffs, without strange out-of-character romances and without a loss of chemistry or feeling.
Besides - had there been any Firefly spin-offs then who among us wouldn't have watched it! You just need to trust Joss more - he hasn't let us down yet!

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Friday, November 21, 2008 4:28 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Yep, like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean & Elvis...
Firefly will remain forever young.

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Friday, November 21, 2008 6:29 AM

NBZ

Quote:
Originally posted by MalsNara:
I think you're forgetting one thing...it's a JOSS WHEDON show!!

This does not carry the same weight for everyone.

I do not think the quality could have been sustained over time.

Even if it could, there would be decisions/changes made to the show over time that would get some sour grapes. And Joss has some "Jossisms" that would sneak in.

Saying that, I do think that would have been much better than being cancelled than it was.

A mediocre show can atleast be easily forgotten about.

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Friday, November 21, 2008 6:36 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by nbz:

A mediocre show can at least be easily forgotten about.

Firefly was just too damn good. I hope Joss has learned his lesson, and starts working on merely being excellent- perfection will not be allowed to last on TV in this dimension.

Chrisisall

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Friday, November 21, 2008 7:38 AM

NBZ

Indeed.

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Friday, November 21, 2008 8:47 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I myself posited a similar theory back in, oh what was it now- '05? I said it was a perfect moment, capped by my favourite motion picture of all time. Don't get me wrong- I love Buffy, but near 1/3 of it wasn't all that, and I surely woulda hated seein' my BDH's in Firefly equivalents to "I Was Made To Love You" or "Into The Woods".

Sakriligius Chrisisall

Still disagree. Even if it had held to a ratio like Buffy, and a few "Into the woods" came along, by your ratio, we'd still have 2 great episodes for each of the bad. And Id take a bad episode of Firefly over the best of most other shows.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, November 21, 2008 8:52 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Even if it had held to a ratio like Buffy, and a few "Into the woods" came along, by your ratio, we'd still have 2 great episodes for each of the bad. And Id take a bad episode of Firefly over the best of most other shows.

Well, when ya put it that way....

isall

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Friday, November 21, 2008 11:06 AM

STARTROOP

I saw Elvis in Concert like 18 months before he died (yeah, I am that old)...... he wasn't young, more like a great old theatre that had fallen into disrepair and was being used to the Rocky Horror Picture Show ;-)

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Friday, November 21, 2008 11:27 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Quote:
Originally posted by startroop:
I saw Elvis in Concert like 18 months before he died (yeah, I am that old)...... he wasn't young, more like a great old theatre that had fallen into disrepair and was being used to the Rocky Horror Picture Show ;-)

Well, when Elvis was my age, he'd been dead 3 years.
But I still think of myself as a kid!

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Friday, November 21, 2008 11:29 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:

But I still think of myself as a kid!

All this talk of how young our new President is...that's cool, cause he's my age, ha ha!!

Baby Chrisisall

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Friday, November 21, 2008 11:38 AM

STARTROOP

I have resolved never to grow up. It makes life much simpler. When his was my age, he had been dead for nine years .....

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Friday, November 21, 2008 2:54 PM

SCHISM

Waaay back in this thread someone mentioned the show House.
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel.
Up until recently, House was pretty much the only show I cared about if I missed - I planned my routine around each episode.
The character's borderline crude demeanor was appealing.
So the suits exploit it, turn him into a f*cking a$$hole, and wonder why we're not eating it up.

Anyway, yeah, I've been jilted by the suits behind the tv and movie biz too many times to give them any leeway. I'm both disappointed and relieved that the show got cancelled.

It's locked in a time capsule, perfectly preserved, unable to be picked at by the vultures until it's only a crude carcass.

Yeah.

I'm not normally this melodramatic.

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Friday, November 21, 2008 3:03 PM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by MalsNara:

Joss never lets anything really and truly compromise his show's and Firefly was a labour of love for him and everybody who worked on it.

Actually you're wrong. When he first showed the pilot and the execs gave him there "notes", he changed every single one of them (save the wide-screen thing). This included significantly change Mal's character. He said he didn't want to make an issue of the notes because he knew that the show was on thin ice.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Friday, November 21, 2008 11:57 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

I don't agree that cancellation increased it's value or worth.

Joss giving in to network? Try that on Buffy or Angel fans. That only happened AFTER Firefly was cancelled.
Series getting worse? Again, try that on unsatisfied Buffy or Angel fans.

Not gonna happen.

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Saturday, November 22, 2008 8:07 AM

RIVERLOVE

The subject here is flawed because Firefly was just an infant, never having gotten a chance at a childhood. The way the show was going, the enthusiasm and love the actors felt towards the show; it could easily have gone on for a couple of years at its' high level of quality. There was so much to explore and explain, plus new crimes and characters to deal with. It fell victim to cruel timing, and the effect of being treated like a un-welcome house guest. No promotion, no scheduling regularity, not enough people watching, and Fox not knowing or even caring to know what they had. The show was just a number to them, something to sell soup to.

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