What happens if.......?

POSTED BY: TheSomnambulist
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:02
VIEWED: 2989
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THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, October 17, 2005 9:04 AM

Hey all.

Just wondering about the legalities of a SERENITY TV show as opposed to a Firefly show?

I mean if Universal were to commission from Joss a 'SERENITY' tv show, given that this is the name they now own, could this be done? Can Joss continue the story from SERENITY onwards? Or would Fox have issues?

Anyone have an idea of how things stand on this front?

Cheers
The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com

GROUNDED

Monday, October 17, 2005 9:36 AM

I suspect Fox owns more than just the name Firefly.

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, October 17, 2005 10:00 AM

Yes true but how much I wonder? They pretty much gave Universal everything that was in Firefly. And now the name SERENITY is firmly established as a Universal Studios product...

So I'm just wondering how the legalities work should a show based on SERENITY be commissioned.

I think Firefly of old is pretty much done with, but those characters still exsist outside of 'Firefly' with a different studio. Surely Universal have the go ahead to do with them as they wish...don't they?

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com

KILTEDWITCH

Monday, October 17, 2005 9:25 PM

This suggestion reminds me of when the musician Prince changed his name legally to that unpronounceable symbol, and everyone started calling him "The Artist formerly known as Prince". This was not just a publicity stunt; it was a legal maneuver to get him out of his contract with Sony. He was required to record any "Prince" albums with Sony, but when he changed his name, Sony couldn't stop him from recording under another name. Of course, everyone knew that it was still Prince, and bought the albums anyway. When the Sony contract expired, he changed his name back to Prince. The publicity was just gravy. Some lawyer thought that one up. (Damn lawyers!)

So... "Serenity, formerly known as Firefly...?" (Yeah, that's the ticket...)

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, October 17, 2005 9:51 PM

sooooo we gotta come up with a symbol :)

Thanks for the thing on Prince I never actually knew what that was all about... man all these years I just figured he had left some kangaroos out of the paddock... Good to know.

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com

KWICKO

Monday, October 17, 2005 10:31 PM

I thought that Fox and Universal were partners through a merger/acquisition of some sort... If so, Fox really had nothing to lose by giving the okay to Universal to make "Serenity". If it lost money, it wasn't *technically* Fox's money that was gone, and if it MADE money, it could only help Fox through sales of the Firefly DVD sets and or re-airing of Firefly episodes on Fox, FX, or another network (for a fee, of course). And if it became a BIG hit, it would help Fox in that they'd be able to bring back the series - on Fox or another network, such as SciFi - OR they could get more involved with a feature film sequel, etc. You can bet that Fox was going to get a percentage of the gross for the movie anyway. It was a win-win scenario for them.

Now, as to characters, storylines, and the like, my bet is that under the contract terms for Firefly, the vast majority of the characters, their names, likenesses, and so on, are still the "intellectual property" of Fox. They'd either have to sign over the rights to them (not likely), sell the rights, or license them for a fee and/or percentage of the gross, before a new or continuation of the series could take place on any other network.

All of this is UNLESS Joss Whedon or some other interested parties actually acquired the rights to all things "Firefly" BEFORE they started work on Serenity.

I would love to see the stories continue, whether it be through more episodes of the TV show or through feature film sequels, but I'm not really holding my breath at this point. I haven't given up on the idea, but I don't think it will happen too soon (if at all). SciFi would be a perfect home for any new Firefly adventures, and if they proved to be a breakout hit, Fox could always stipulate in the contract that the show could be brought over to Fox Network's primetime lineup.

The best part is, now that there is a plethora of television networks available, a show doesn't have to die just because one of the Big Four networks didn't want to keep it around. The show can be picked up by a smaller network, where it will need a much smaller viewership to be considered a "success". Look at "The Gilmore Girls" for instance - if it were on ABC or CBS, it would have been cancelled before the first season were finished. Being on a "lesser network" (the WB), it found a quirky niche and thrived; it's now in its sixth season, and it's even syndicated on the ABC Family channel. For a sizable portion of the viewing public, the "little networks" have become a haven, a place where we can get away from reality shows, and a place where WRITERS can thrive.

So WILL Fox let good things happen to Firefly? Who knows? But it might actually make them some money if they did. Putting it on a small network allows the writers the freedom to pursue storylines without the politics and placation that seem endemic to major-network shows (the old "you can't say that or we'll boycott your sponsors" ruse), and it allows loyal viewers a place to go to watch their favorite characters carry on their lives. So long as the production budget doesn't become larger than the advertising revenue stream the show brings in, it can be considered a success, in not necessarily a huge hit.

Just a few things to ponder. Do we need to barrage SciFi with a letter-writing campaign to get them interested in wresting control of "Firefly" from Fox?

Mike

THATWEIRDGIRL

Monday, October 17, 2005 10:41 PM

Hmmm, what's next...that's on all our minds' now. I don't know. I'm pretty sure FOX has all tv rights. I could be wrong...actually, i'm wrong quite often. For instance, I'd heard (rumor i'm sure) we didn't here a reference to Vera because that was one of the things FOX owned. No idea how accurate that is.

I'll take what i can get. If i don't get anything else, well, that's life. Surely someone here will clue us in on another great series/movie to watch.

www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
"...turn right at the corner then skip two blocks...no, SKIP, the hopping-like thing kids do...Why? Why not?"

LIMINALOSITY

Monday, October 17, 2005 10:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by KiltedWitch:
This suggestion reminds me of when the musician Prince changed his name legally to that unpronounceable symbol, and everyone started calling him "The Artist formerly known as Prince". This was not just a publicity stunt; it was a legal maneuver to get him out of his contract with Sony.
So... "Serenity, formerly known as Firefly...?" (Yeah, that's the ticket...)

Yeah, that was a brilliant stunt Prince pulled.
Tranquility, by Josh

"Ungoliant: 'Not enough shiny. Want more shiny!'"

THESOMNAMBULIST

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 8:33 AM

Kwicko

Thanks for the breakdown. Much appreciated.

If as you say there was a merger between the two studios then this bodes well for our Heroes no? As any further interest in Serenity would clearly benefit both Fox and Universal.

With this in mind then surely a spin off tv show from SERENITY and/or it's sequels -should there be any- is a very real possiblity. Supposing the box office revenues are enough to convince the executives...

By the way thanks also for the concise breakdown on the way the networks work in the US. I had no idea about any of that... It's interesting that there are alternative networks there, that gives us hope indeed, but why had none of these networks come forward before when Firefly was first aired and subsequently cancelled? Or had the show really not made any kind of impact?

Cheers again Kwicko

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com

THESOMNAMBULIST

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 8:38 AM

ThatWeirdGirl Wrote:

Quote:
Hmmm, what's next...that's on all our minds' now. I don't know. I'm pretty sure FOX has all tv rights. I could be wrong...actually, i'm wrong quite often. For instance, I'd heard (rumor i'm sure) we didn't here a reference to Vera because that was one of the things FOX owned. No idea how accurate that is.

I'll take what i can get. If i don't get anything else, well, that's life. Surely someone here will clue us in on another great series/movie to watch

WOW!!! Vera kept under lock and key by FOX? Surely not???...

....anyone up for a:" FREE VERA" Campaign

www.cirqus.com

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