The Substance of Things

POSTED BY: Fedoraccoon
UPDATED: Sunday, January 29, 2006 23:08
VIEWED: 6785
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GRAYALBATROSS

Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:31 AM

I was looking for Joss interviews and one said something like: "I'm hoping for Serenity 2, 3, and 4, but maybe that's just a fantasy."

If Joss the Boss has hope, so do I.

Keep fly'in.

***
When in doubt, consult the hamster.

Also, I can kill you with my brain

MILFORD

Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:48 AM

People don't want smart shows and networks don't want to wait around for people to realize they're good. Cheers, for example, was a great show, that had some of the worst ratings in history when it debuted, as did Seinfeld. The difference was then networks gave shows time. Now, thanks to shows like Lost (which I love) and Desparate Housewives, that became overnight successes (though DH is learning that Teri Hatcher isn't enough), networks are looking for quick fixes instead of cornerstones. I suppose the ultimate person to blame for that is Mark Burnett, creator/theif (it was a popular show in another country a while back) of Survivor. That show ruined everything because it was cheap and people liked it.

Another reason smart shows don't make it, as I mentioned, was because people don't want them. Now they generally don't want them for one of two reasons. First, they're too tired to pay attention. Lots of people I know love Law and Order, CSI, and ER because they don't have to pay attention very hard. After a lot of junk during their week, most people just want to unplug and relax. So shows like Firefly that take a little more effort are tough. The other option is, quite frankly, some people are just plain dumb. Their minds aren't tired, just absent. Absolutely Lazy.

Anyhoo, that's my take. Sorry I'm so long winded.

Remember, that but for one trifling exception, the entire universe is made up of others.- Oliver Wendall Holmes

NUCLEARDAY

Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:51 AM

Yes, I'm holding out hope the impressive DVD sales as well. I mean look at Family Guy...

Myself, it was the DVDs that turned me from someone who was slightly annoyed at the cancellation into a browncoat.

There's always talk about how movie theatre revenues aren't quite as high as sometimes expected, which is why you're seeing the DVDs being released earlier and earlier. (Actually caught a little thing on NPR the other day about how they're trying something with another movie... can't remember the director... where they want to release the movie in theatres and on DVD simultaneosly.)

I'll take what I can get, and quite gladly at that... But I can somehow see Firefly doing rather well if they'd let it come back on a video-on-demand or straight-to-DVD sort of thing.

DC4BS

Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:11 AM

You know, come to think of it, VOD (if spread to every TV set) would THANKFULLY put Nielson out of buisness...

And then we would FINALY, TRULY see just what is being watched and what's not.

Probably upset a lot of applecarts in the buisness of advertising via TV comercials. EG: "What? you mean we've been spending millions on advertising on a show that only about 5000 people ever watched!!!" And, "Cool! Look at how far out 10k went on that 'unknown' show that millions watch faithfully every week!"

Consider, if that first 5000 were Nielson familys, we ALL get stuck with that crap forever cause it'd be the most highly rated show of all time and the 'unknown show would be cancelled ASAP...

An extrapolation of some secretive and mysterious "sample" that is claimed to represent everyone. And yet, noone I know ever thinks it represents what THEY watch or even would EVER BE CAUGHT DEAD watching?

Who knows? maybe most people do just mindlessly watch crap and really don't want anything more.

I, for sure, feel that I have NEVER been properly represented by any Nielson rating.

Perhaps we, in part, have only ourselves to blame.

Consider the fireflyseason2.com website. People are freaking out that someone is attempting to gather demographic information on us to try to push for a resumption of something we all want.

So what is our most notable reaction to date? We run screaming for everyone to hide! "Don't go near that! It might be EVIL!"

Well, JUST MAYBE if TV execs actualy HAD some REAL information on the TURTLE PEOPLEs prefrences, they might just realize that there are more of us out here than they think. If the only demographic info they can successfully gather is from "stupid" people, then is it any wonder that that is all they will cater to? For all they know, stupid is all that exists outside their boardrooms.

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dc4bs

GLUEMAN

Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:14 AM

Is it me, but I find FF/S is viewable on several levels. From simple minded view to the complex layered story arcs.

Wash: "Little River just gets more colorful by the moment. What'll she do next?"

DC4BS

Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by milford:
Cheers, for example, was a great show, that had some of the worst ratings in history when it debuted, as did Seinfeld. The difference was then networks gave shows time.

BAD, BAD, BAD example.

The only reason Cheers wasn't cancelled was that the network couldn't afford to tear down the set and pay for a whole new show that season.

Much cheaper to simply let the failed show continue untill they could. They let it go only because they had no other choice.

Word of mouth between season one and two made it a sucess in season two. That was when they decide not to cancel it.

If they had had the funds, Cheers would not have made it to season 2.

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dc4bs

GLUEMAN

Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:43 AM

"the network couldn't afford to tear down the set"

That's BS. I've worked on that end of the entertainment business and that's one of cheapest things to do. Besides the set is designed to break apart and store or cut up and thrown in a dumpster.

"pay for a whole new show"

That I agree with.

Wash: "Little River just gets more colorful by the moment. What'll she do next?"

BELOWZERO

Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:20 AM

ooh. I LOVE Basho. My favorite haiku are written by him. I looooved his death poem.

Clouds appear
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
-Matsuo Basho

"Do not go gentle into that good night....
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. . .

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night. . ."
--Dylan Thomas

NOVASTARCLOUD

Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:22 AM

Re: the substance of things
I think Mr. Whedon was making a statement when Mr. Universe said something about the "somnambulate" population, "the puppet theatre", etc.
Yes, Fedoraccoon, I agree with most of what you said except on one point, that TV has not "moved below and away". I think (IMHO) that it has always been a cesspool of mediocrity. It's main objection is to sell, sell, sell shampoo and diet pills. It's bottom line is to do that as cheaply as possible.
But every now and then something of quality comes along and hooks us, makes us fall in love with it and then it's gone because it didn't sell enough deodorant.
I think that's why we feel so betrayed and hurt. I know I do. Anyway, just my humble opinion.

BELOWZERO

Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:23 AM

HEY! I happen to like CSI *because* I have to pay attention. I learned way, way, WAY too much about DNA and forensics by watching that show!

If I didn't want to think I'd watch this so-called reality TV crapola.

Come to think of it, there was a long time I didn't OWN a TV cuz nothing good was ever on it. May have to go back to that. Nothing wrong with a good book.

"Do not go gentle into that good night....
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. . .

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night. . ."
--Dylan Thomas

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