Farscape and Firefly: unpopular opinion by ELKA

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Farscape and Firefly: unpopular opinion

POSTED BY: ELKA
UPDATED: Friday, January 24, 2003 19:19
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VIEWED: 5876
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Monday, January 13, 2003 3:32 PM

This is an unpopular opinion, and I know that I am going to get flamed for it, but I am going to say it anyway.

I watched Farscape from the first season, and I watched every episode of Firefly. As far as the campaigns to save them, I am participating in only the Firefly efforts, because I think it is more worthy, here is why:

Farscape aired for 4 seasons, Firefly aired for a few months. In those few months Firefly had, it's episodes were almost consistently gems, each one of them thought provoking, and creative (okay, maybe not 'The Train Job'...). In 4 years, Farscape had great first and second seasons, I loved them, I have them all on tape. But the third season was horrible, to be harsh, and weaker, to be nicer. It began to emphasize big boobs, big guns, and shock value. The new charactors introduced were vapid, leather clad exotic sexy female aliens. The fourth season was getting better, but it had still lost a lot of the quality that it once had. While the cancellation was abrupt, not giving time to write a proper farewell episode, I think that Farscape was ending it's ...'golden' period.

There's also just the plain fact that Farscape had four seasons, Firefly didn't even have one. I don't think Firefly had a chance, whereas Farscape did.

Lastly, and this is really probably more of a cynical observation, I watched on CNN when they showed the sets of Farscape being destroyed (it made me cry). So I don't think it has much of a chance to return, especially after all this time. But they are still making an anime and talking about a feature film.

So, in my opinion only, and you're free to disagree, I'm sure a lot of people do, I just hope everyone can be respectful and intelligent in their disagreements, I'd rather Sci-Fi pick up Firefly as a show than as a mini-series and let Farscape go down in the annals of great sci-fi before it completely loses what makes it appealing.

Cmmd. ELKA, The bumpkiniest of the Bumpkin Army.

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Monday, January 13, 2003 3:58 PM

SERGEANTX

I have to agree with you, but I haven't commented because I really haven't seen more than four or five episodes of Farscape. What I did see was entertaining and I could see there was depth there, but the characters just didn't reach out and grab me the way Firefly did. I've also kept quiet because I have the utmost respect for Haken and the wonderful job he's done with this sight.... if he want's us to try to save Farscape too, then I'm all for it

Needless to say, they're both quality programs and in a just world neither would have trouble finding airtime.

SergeantX

"..and here's to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest." -- Nanci Griffith

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Monday, January 13, 2003 4:56 PM

GREYWOLFWOOD

It's not the fact that there is conflict between these two shows. It's just that they were the best sci-fi shows on TV. And they're both being cancelled!!!!
Let's just say that season 3 was a bust for Farscape (which it wasn't because I've never seen a show divide it's cast and still be so damn interesting, or make a clone's death so emotional). It was still better than anything voyager or enterprise has put out. Or that bloody andromeda crap. If you didn't like Farscape in it's latter years, you have to agree that it still rocked the casba.

-'Til the end of the World
GWW

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Monday, January 13, 2003 5:03 PM

CMARK51

No flames from this direction - all fair comment. Farscape has had its ups and downs - as for the T&A factor, I have no problems with sexy alien babes, as long as they play more than an ornamental role. YOu should have been around during the "jiggle factor" flurry in the 70s - suddenly every show seemed to have been invaded by braless women in tight T-shirts, thanks to Charlie's Angels.

Every show has its weak episodes, some have weak seasons, and some stay around way too long and sooner or later "jump the shark"

Sadly, Firefly just never got the chance to jump - it set up characters, situations, story arcs, but the suits just never gave it a chance to build, and that's a shame.

Just compare with movies these days - where I work, the weekly movie story is about box office - which pictures had the big weekend. If a movies doesn't hit x dollars on the *opening* weekend now, the studios declares a flop. Just notice how the crappiest movies get the most intense advance promotion.
the same syndrome works on TV and had for a long time - if it doesnt pull the big ratings pronto, it's toast.
That's the show biz.

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Monday, January 13, 2003 5:38 PM

HEGEMON

Personally, I think the third season of Farscape is the greatest season in the history of science-fiction television. But that doesn't mean I don't have room in my heart to love Firefly as well.

I find it amazing that Firefly and Farscape are really the only sci-fi shows that have on a consistant basis put out good/great episodes. Farscape has had a few bummers, but I've found two of Firefly's eps to be bummers thus far as well. Yet these bummers, when compared with the rest of television, are actually gems (it's just that my expectations for them are too high). They both still produce consistant quality - something very hard to find these days. Both have an amazing cast, amazing writers, amazing special effects, amazing crew, and an amazing story.

If it came down to it, I would rather that Farscape had another season that Firefly - simply because I've had four long years to fall in love. I've had four years to come to know the characters of the Farscape universe.

But IMO, I believe both shows are equally worthy of another season.

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Monday, January 13, 2003 6:35 PM

JERRY

I think Farscape is a good show. I prefer Firefly, largely because I prefer a show about humans, and find the Muppets a bit off-putting. But it's a highly creative show that it worthy of admiration in it's own right. I do think that Sci Fi gave it a good run, and was entitled to cancel it if they were losing money, although I think they should have provided a better opportunity to wrap up the storylines than is apparently going to happen. Whereas Firefly was not well handled by Fox at all. But in general, I think it's pointless to try to build up one show by knocking the other.

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003 6:31 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

I have watched Farscape since day one, as I have Firefly. I loved the first season and the second season, but I started losing interest in the third season when it seemed they were relying more and more on T&A to keep interest in the show. The plots seemed to get weaker and it got to the point if I missed an episode, oh well. When it got cancelled, I just sort of shrugged and thought no more of it.

Not so w/ Firefly. I felt fired up and wanted to do something to get this show back on the air. I was truly upset that the show got cancelled.

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003 7:10 AM

MELI

I also watched both Farscape and Firefly from the beginning, and I agree in principle with the arguments above.

I am enjoying the new Farscape episodes, but they don't "grab" me the way they once did -- perhaps because the show has had a chance to go through its logical progression. I feel a bit more comfortable about saying "goodbye" or seeing the show morph into some other format (movies, mini-series, better

novels).

At this point (without having seen the remaining episodes of Farscape), I feel that I would rather have a final Farscape movie or mini-series, to wrap up loose ends, and a full season of Firefly, rather than the other way around. I also think this arrangement would be an easier sell to Sci-Fi, since Farscape is more difficult for new viewers to get into, while Firefly would be much easier to introduce to the uninitiated.

On the more emotional level, I think there is just so much more left to explore in the Firefly 'verse. It is an incredibly deep milieu, of which we have only been allowed to scratch the surface. Combine a terrific political/technological/psychological environment with arguably the most interesting, well-developed, and distinct character set in a "ship" show of all time, and I really really really want MORE.

-- Meli

"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be."

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003 1:24 PM

FURYFIRE

Drown Farscape. More attention is paid to the save Farscape campaign on this site than Firefly. Com on ppls! SAVE FIREFLY. It never had a chance. farscape did and blew it. Firefly has soo much potential, and is now dead beneath its own wings.

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003 1:49 PM

LORA

After so many seasons, I would not say Farscape "blew it". It had a good run. We have been sending all those postcards to try to get Firefly a run like that.

Furyfire: are you in on the virtual season thread?

I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me.

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003 3:48 PM

GUAILO

"Blew it," is retty harsh, and mostly because Farscape was pretty much forced into submission by Sci-Fi, IMO.

However, in spite of how much I want both shows to be ppicked up somewhere, I can tell you all that Firefly's cancellation ticked me off the most....and still does.

All the sentiments above are echoed (except Farscape season 3 sucking...I liked it

) - Firefly was never given a chance. I recorded each episode and watched it later along with John Doe. Firefly started off dull because of the whole "starting in the middle" thing, I believe, and John Doe dropped officially into "insipid" after episode 2. It was just "I still dont' know who I am" over and over and over and over....

Boring...

Conversely, Firefly crept up on me and I started really likeing the characters and thier cause. And there was a cause there, too - fight the man and protect the little guy and hope you don't take one in the back.

Little did we all know that's where Fox was aiming the whole time.

The good news is reading the posts of all you obviously literate, coversationally capable intelligent people and then taking a sideways glance at my mounting Doctor Who book and video collections. I know that there will be a rare few who step up to the plate and keep Serenity flyin', no matter what it takes.

See ya'll in the big black...

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Wednesday, January 15, 2003 10:17 PM

PANIC

I have to respectfully disagree with what's been said above.

I really don't think Firefly and Farscape are in the same class of televison, yet. Farscape delivered fantastic and inspiring television, epidose after episode, over the course of more than three seasons. It took chances, was original, and can only be described as truly epic.

As far as Firefly goes, it was (is?) an interesting show, with promising characters and tight scripting, despite a somewhat derivative premise. It managed to aquit itself well enough in the half-a-season its been allowed, but I'd have to say that its only scratched the surface of its potential so far. Sadly, we may never know how good the show could have been. Firefly, we hardly knew you.

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 5:17 AM

LEGALBEGAL

I only watched a few episodes of farscape and honestly could not get into it. The puppets and stuff just wher not eppiling to me neither was the story lined it seemed almost like a child written dumbed down version of when the muppets invade decent Star Trek. That being the original series DS-9 and most of TNG.

While firefly on the other hand was great sci-fi with excellent writing and realistic characters.

I guess that was my problem with farscape with Andromeda and Star Wars the characters are not human. Star Trek to a lesser degree because for all arguable purpurses they are all human.

The only good alien show SG-1 and the alien movies.

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 6:01 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

I must agree about the puppets in Farscape. It is impossible for me to imagine them as real or take them seriously, let alone get into their characters. The actors on the other hand are good, though my interest in the series did start to wane early in the 3rd season.

Firefly on the other hand grabbed me w/ the first episode. Sure we kind of started in the middle thanks to Fox and the chimps they have running their programming who dictated to Joss to do something different for the pilot and air the pilot later in the season (what a stupid idea!).

I think had it been given half a chance by Fox, Firefly could have been one of the best sci fi shows of all time.

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 8:12 AM

ELKA

Wow. Lots of agreement. I better not tell my boyfriend. He is a huge Farscape fan and of the opinion on Firefly that "no aliens? can't be that good."

The bumpkiniest of the Bumpkin Army.

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 10:17 AM

FLATRACER

Personally, I don't feel that bad about the demise of Farscape. It had its chance to develop. I've seen enough of them to decicde whether it was worthy of my attention, It is not.
Firefly, on the other hand, never really had a chance. Deadly time slot, Sports interruptions, screwy patched together pilot-patchwork-flashback-rehash thing in the middle of the season. Unthinking network execs with a myopic view of the bottom line ($$$).
It's analogous to a 7 year old who gets gunned down in the crossfire of a gang war. Nothing short of tragic.

IMHO
Eric

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:26 AM

FIREFLYPASSENGER

Quote:
Originally posted by FlatRacer:
It's analogous to a 7 year old who gets gunned down in the crossfire of a gang war. Nothing short of tragic.

Good Analogy.

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Monday, January 20, 2003 10:48 AM

FURYFIRE

Bottom line: Farscape lived, Firefly never had the chance.

Ignore Farscape at this board, and focus on Firefly! More attention is paid to a rival show here than the one we should be behind. Come on!

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Friday, January 24, 2003 7:19 PM

GREYBARD

I like Farscape. I do. I religiously watched the first two seasons, and if the last two weren't to my taste, that doesn't mean that I don't still think it was a clever and brilliantly done series that deserved all the praise it got.

However, it had four seasons. If Firefly went down after four, I wouldn't protest. I would mourn, but I wouldn't protest. How do I know this? Because I've loved a lot of shows that have died, and I've lost them at any number of different ages. There is such a thing as a natural lifespan for a show. The shows I cry for, the ones I mourn the most, are the ones less than a season old. Less than a season and you don't even know the characters properly.

If I could just see the rest of a first season for Firefly, I could rest easy, knowing the characters and knowing thier world.

Also, Joss? Think books. Think comic books in graphic novel form suitable for sale in traditional book stores. We're sci fi geeks. We love our comics! And those of us who don't normally read them? Well, The Sandman does well in regular bookstores, doesn't it?

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