Jericho: They should make a TV show out of that movie ...
I know! I'm always late to the party. But, in this case, better late then never!
Since I left St. Louis, I have pretty much lost touch with TV. This is not to say that I don't watch TV. It's just that when I was younger and unemployed, I followed several shows with eager abandon. I was quite big on X-Files, a couple of incarnations of Star Trek, Red Dwarf - what ever was shown in the States, etc.
However, having a job cuts into TV time. As does having a wife. Having a wife who hates what I watch and vice versa, to the point where we usually end up watching Law & Order re-runs or watching TV in separate rooms, also cuts into what I watch. The decline of good shows with things called "scripts" and "plots" in favor of game shows often called "reality TV" or the good shows only being shown on networks I can't afford, i.e. The Sopranos, deeply cuts into the amount of time I spend in front of the TV. Thus, I play way more video games these days than I used to and I watch TV less and less.
Thus, we end up here. A few years ago, back when Fox had more than just 24 in their Fall line up. Fox introduced a show called "Firefly." The previews looked like it was going to be a sci-fi show. Long time readers know I love sci-fi! But, the previews didn't reveal much more. With a wife who hates ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY RELATED to sci-fi, I knew I would have difficulty seeing this show.
A few months later, I remember being vaguely aware that the show I was hoping to see, can't remember the name, had gotten cut in mid season. Shucks. Well, time for more Sims!
A while back, people started talking about this sci-fi TV show that was released on DVD. This was just as a lot of older TV shows were starting to be released on DVD. But, there was a real buzz about this show. I heard the title and remembered that this was the show I wanted to see that FOX canceled. Hmm, well, maybe it was a good show and I'd get to see the DVDs at some point. But, I was way more interested in collecting the Red Dwarf DVDs.
Next thing I hear - there's a movie coming out based on the show. But, the show was called Firefly and the movie is called Serenity. Go figure! Either way, tons of buzz. Lots of people talking about how good it was. Enough people said I didn't need to see the show in order to enjoy the movie. I had a doctor's appointment at an odd time one day, so I took off the entire day and went to the movies after my appointment.
Serenity was, unlike most movies from the last three years, worth the price of a matinee. Matter of fact, it was worth full ticket price. That's saying something considering how cheap I can be! The movie rocked and rolled! I had no idea what was going on for a while, it would have been nice to have a little more background. People randomly speaking Chinese and saying "Shiny" (Shiny? WTF?!), insane, psychic girls randomly kicking Matrix-style ass - but, there was enough there for the non-fans to have a good time. Especially the psychic girl kicking ass!
After the movie, I thought it would be good to see the DVDs. I let it go at that. I don't even think I bothered adding them to my Amazon wish list.
A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine at work offered to let me borrow his copy of the Firefly DVDs. Groovy! American Idol was about to start, so Steph would be glued to that - leaving me with the crap TV in the bedroom or playing on the new computer. Of course, I could watch the Firefly DVDs on the new computer, in their wide screen format and (Gasp!) stereo sound! (The TV in the bedroom is mono - it was cheap!) This sounded like a great plan.
I was eager to watch the DVDs. Not because of the contents, but because I would be trying out a new feature on the new Mac. This would quickly change. I burned through the first four episodes on the first night! There are only 14 episodes! The first four were fucking brilliant! I needed to moderate my intake. There was no way I was going to get through the worst parts the new season of AI if I just watched these things all at once! Aggggh!
Well, my moderation attempts failed. I have lost a lot of sleep and watched the whole set in less than a week. Curses! I am very disappointed! There is no more to watch. There will always be another Star Trek movie or TV show. There will probably be more Star Wars movies - someone will want the money, I'm sure. But, there will be no more Firefly. With the developments in the movie (trying not to be a spoiler, here) even if they brought the show back to TV, it would be very different.
But, I think if FOX has any brains, they should bring this back to TV. They had the next X-Files/Star Trek/M*A*S*H in their hands and they blew it! They let ratings rule them instead of their brains. Hopfully the box office gains and DVD sales on the feature will convince them of the strength of Joss Whedon, the writer/director and of the property itself.
If you have the time and chance, get the Firefly DVDs, watch them all. Then, get Serenity on DVD and enjoy that, too. I think even moderate and non sci-fi people might like them. Not that I have proof of this. The wife read a magazine instead of watching the episode I tried to show to her. *Sigh!*
Since I left St. Louis, I have pretty much lost touch with TV. This is not to say that I don't watch TV. It's just that when I was younger and unemployed, I followed several shows with eager abandon. I was quite big on X-Files, a couple of incarnations of Star Trek, Red Dwarf - what ever was shown in the States, etc.
However, having a job cuts into TV time. As does having a wife. Having a wife who hates what I watch and vice versa, to the point where we usually end up watching Law & Order re-runs or watching TV in separate rooms, also cuts into what I watch. The decline of good shows with things called "scripts" and "plots" in favor of game shows often called "reality TV" or the good shows only being shown on networks I can't afford, i.e. The Sopranos, deeply cuts into the amount of time I spend in front of the TV. Thus, I play way more video games these days than I used to and I watch TV less and less.
Thus, we end up here. A few years ago, back when Fox had more than just 24 in their Fall line up. Fox introduced a show called "Firefly." The previews looked like it was going to be a sci-fi show. Long time readers know I love sci-fi! But, the previews didn't reveal much more. With a wife who hates ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY RELATED to sci-fi, I knew I would have difficulty seeing this show.
A few months later, I remember being vaguely aware that the show I was hoping to see, can't remember the name, had gotten cut in mid season. Shucks. Well, time for more Sims!
A while back, people started talking about this sci-fi TV show that was released on DVD. This was just as a lot of older TV shows were starting to be released on DVD. But, there was a real buzz about this show. I heard the title and remembered that this was the show I wanted to see that FOX canceled. Hmm, well, maybe it was a good show and I'd get to see the DVDs at some point. But, I was way more interested in collecting the Red Dwarf DVDs.
Next thing I hear - there's a movie coming out based on the show. But, the show was called Firefly and the movie is called Serenity. Go figure! Either way, tons of buzz. Lots of people talking about how good it was. Enough people said I didn't need to see the show in order to enjoy the movie. I had a doctor's appointment at an odd time one day, so I took off the entire day and went to the movies after my appointment.
Serenity was, unlike most movies from the last three years, worth the price of a matinee. Matter of fact, it was worth full ticket price. That's saying something considering how cheap I can be! The movie rocked and rolled! I had no idea what was going on for a while, it would have been nice to have a little more background. People randomly speaking Chinese and saying "Shiny" (Shiny? WTF?!), insane, psychic girls randomly kicking Matrix-style ass - but, there was enough there for the non-fans to have a good time. Especially the psychic girl kicking ass!
After the movie, I thought it would be good to see the DVDs. I let it go at that. I don't even think I bothered adding them to my Amazon wish list.
A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine at work offered to let me borrow his copy of the Firefly DVDs. Groovy! American Idol was about to start, so Steph would be glued to that - leaving me with the crap TV in the bedroom or playing on the new computer. Of course, I could watch the Firefly DVDs on the new computer, in their wide screen format and (Gasp!) stereo sound! (The TV in the bedroom is mono - it was cheap!) This sounded like a great plan.
I was eager to watch the DVDs. Not because of the contents, but because I would be trying out a new feature on the new Mac. This would quickly change. I burned through the first four episodes on the first night! There are only 14 episodes! The first four were fucking brilliant! I needed to moderate my intake. There was no way I was going to get through the worst parts the new season of AI if I just watched these things all at once! Aggggh!
Well, my moderation attempts failed. I have lost a lot of sleep and watched the whole set in less than a week. Curses! I am very disappointed! There is no more to watch. There will always be another Star Trek movie or TV show. There will probably be more Star Wars movies - someone will want the money, I'm sure. But, there will be no more Firefly. With the developments in the movie (trying not to be a spoiler, here) even if they brought the show back to TV, it would be very different.
But, I think if FOX has any brains, they should bring this back to TV. They had the next X-Files/Star Trek/M*A*S*H in their hands and they blew it! They let ratings rule them instead of their brains. Hopfully the box office gains and DVD sales on the feature will convince them of the strength of Joss Whedon, the writer/director and of the property itself.
If you have the time and chance, get the Firefly DVDs, watch them all. Then, get Serenity on DVD and enjoy that, too. I think even moderate and non sci-fi people might like them. Not that I have proof of this. The wife read a magazine instead of watching the episode I tried to show to her. *Sigh!*
posted by Jericho Brown at 1/23/2006 12:43:00 PM
23 Comments:
Like you I missed it the first time around. Thanks to the magic of DVR and the Sci Fi channel, I got to see most of the series. I am waiting on Netflicks to send me the movie.
Tivo, boy! Tivo is the bestest thing ever!
TIVO is on my list. Steph is not as convinced. Of course, I can't get her to even tape AI so that we can leave the house on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next three months. Oh well!
Oh well?! How can you be like "oh well"??? This is TEEVEE we're talking about! What's more important?!?
GET DVR!!!! If you have cable/sattelite, most providers these days give it to you for free or a discount when you sign a contract. In this case, it's worth a contract. Trust me!
I never said we couldn't leave the house...SHEESH! :0) The only time of year that I feel like I HAVE to watch tv is Amierican Idol. Other than that, there aren't any other shows that I am that loyal to. If I see them, great. If not, that's ok too. Part of the problem with not watching it when it's on is that there's there "Idol Chats" at work that I'd miss out on, and if we were to go out somewhere, I'd never stay awake long enough to watch it when we got home. I'm a big loser...(no I don't watch that show), but I LOVE American Idol.
Steph, a DVR, whether Tivo or from your cable provider will change your life. I don't watch any more TV than I did before it, I just watch better. They can put the good show's on whenever they like, I will watch them when it suits me.
Sure...take his side. I'm not sure how I could watch Idol better...
Max, you are wasting your time. We won't get a Tivo and/or she won't record her AI until she realizes that she could record her shows and watch them over and over again. Maybe once she realizes that we could move the recorded show over to the new Mac and burn it to DVD. But not before ...
Shiny!
Mean boys...you are all mean boys!
So tell her that!
I've said it's something to consider...but the extra expense would make it like $75/month that we pay for cable. Doesn't that seem a bit outlandish?
People have spent more.
Trust me, Steph. It is one of those things that really does change your life. Every non-DVR TV is "broken" to me now. Beyond the recording ability, the ability to pause and rewind live TV are essential.
Tivo Rocks. Best Buy usually has a huge rebate, I bought our second tivo for christmas this year. Paid $200, got $150 back in rebates. Why a second you ask? To record all the kids shows of course! I love wishlist. Have a favorite show/movie you havn't seen or thought of in years, just type inthe name. If the show/movie EVER comes on, it will record. Just make sure you get one with the newest software load (7.2 I think). Allows you to set up using your wireless network. All previous models HAVE to be set up using a WIRED (no cell phone) phone connection. That is the one thing that has really pissed me off about Tivo. This "revolutionary" technology is dependant on 19th century connections for initial setup. I don't even have a damn phone in my house! Makes setup a pain. They finaly (supposedly) have a model that allows you to set up via wireless network.
I was under the impression you could hook up with normal CAT 5 LAN cable. No? I'll have to look that up ...
Our Moxi (Charter's Tivo) gets software updates and such through the cable wire. No phone line necessary. And I like Moxi's interface better than Tivo. But I'm guessing you don't have Charter where either of you are at. Something you get with Charter that you don't with sattelite is VOD (Video On Demand). It's like when you go to a hotel and you order a movie and it plays instantly for you and you can still stop/rewind/ff/etc. There's also lots of awesome free stuff on there, too. Movie trailers, "magazines", etc.
Check your cable provider and see if they have all that stuff, 'cause I think it's worth it over sattelite. And when there's a storm, cable usually stays connected vs. sattelite. Our sattelite went out at least once or twice a week when we had it. Our cable has gone out maybe once.
Yeah, cable costs a bit more (if you're paying full price), but I think it's totally worth it. Hands down.
And, no... we don't own any stock in Charter. :)
I read a news article today, the writer said that eleven years after it was taken off the air, there are still dozens of sites and blogs dedicated to the show "My So Called Life" - they are all bitching about the show getting cut off after 19 episodes and that they should do more episodes - kinda tough now that Claire Danes has, um, well, aged.
Of course, MSCL doesn't have a successful movie or huge DVD sales that I'm aware of.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I so freaking loved and hated that movie! I can't talk about what I hated without being a spoiler, which just makes it worse. But I can so see this being able to carry on as movie or a new series, even with the direction changes the movie would force. If fact, these changes would keep the series from being dull. It could be one of those few series that treats change as the part of life it really is.
Okay, dude, spill! From here on out, folks, there maybe some spoilers. Tell us what you want to tell us, Max!
First off, I have always been a big fan of Wash. Yeah he was just the comedy relief, but he was good comedy relief. Of course, that made it that much more shocking that he went out like that, hence mixed feelings.
Second, I always figured the plan was to slowly fill in Shepherd Book's back story. I went in thinking that it would just happen over a series of movies rather than a series of, well, a series. They did a pretty reasonable, semi-subtle job of making it clear that it was similar to the Operative's story. But I was just looking forward to slowly finding out who he was in glowing detail.
There were a few minor complaints. Like how Jayne, whose biggest fear seems to be the reavers, suddenly raises little objection to heading straight into reaver space just because it might be the key to what is messing with River.
It also made me mourn for the series. It is my understanding that the movie was supposed to complete the first season's storyline. A series that resolves one major and one minor plotline as well as killing off two major characters promises to be so much better than the drek that fills the airwaves these days.
Ah well.
The problem with killing off major characters is that people suddenly vanish from the audience. When a tv show loses major characters, the show essentially has to be rewritten. This can go poorly (Cheers, That 70s Show) or it can be done correctly (M*A*S*H) - either way, it's an excercise in careful writing and casting.
If you are a continuity based show, or a show that doesn't really give a crap - losing a character here and there matters less. Star Trek Next Generation lost Tasha Yarr early on, but she was a less popular character and the show mourned her loss and the fans didn't exactly cheer, but they were not offended (Denise Crosby was probably offened by the success of the show after she left. The cheesy attempts to bring her back into the story line were laughable at best.) If you are a daytime soap - lose characters at will - no one cares! Cheese is highly expected.
But, pull a popular character out of a show and you have gutted the show. If Wash & Shepard had died while the show was running, say at the end of the first season - I think a lot of viewers would have tuned out. Others may have taken their place, but many would have left the area. I really like Wash, some of the other characters could be lost and I wouldn't care. Same with Shepard Book. If the Doctor or what's her name that lived in the engine room vanished, I doubt I would have noticed.
The trick now is to replace them with better characters - more interesting characters. Better actors don't hurt, either. How about a recovering Reaver ala Seven of Nine. How about a partial mechanical, a cyborg ala Seven of Nine. Hell with it, just get Jeri Ryan on the show. She can pilot the ship and I'll be happy with that!
Take M*A*S*H as an example. When Lt. Col. Henry Blake was replaced by Col. Potter, not only did you get a deeper, more well thought out character, you also got a better actor in Harry Morgan. This gave the show more depth and scope and range, allowing for a better show. All by adding one better actor. Add that to Mike Ferrel and David Ogden Stiers, the show went from being mad cap hijinx to a true dramedy.
If Firefly/Serenity can get even close to that - they're in business!
I dug Shepherd Book almost as much as I dug Wash. And I know that replacing them would not be easy. But if they do it right and took it to the next level like M*A*S*H did, it would not only make it the best thing on TV now, but possibly the best SF show ever.
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