Let's Not Confuse FOX with 20th Century Fox

POSTED BY: YT
UPDATED: Sunday, January 11, 2009 19:30
VIEWED: 9950
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YT

Friday, March 31, 2006 12:32 AM

It's a common problem, exacerbated by the use of "Fox" to identify both. I've commented on it several times in replying to individual posts (as have others) and realized I was repeating myself. I can't easily locate my previous posts on the subject, so decided to make it a separate thread, to which I can then refer folks. Here it comes:
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20th Century Fox is the studio with which Joss Whedon (as head of Mutant Enemy) had a development deal, and where he made all three of his television series (BtVS, Angel and Firefly).

the FOX Network (hereinafter FOX) bought original broadcast rights to Firefly from 20th Century Fox (making a long story short: US12Megabucks to make the pilot, & US2Megabucks per subsequent ep, for a total of US38Megabucks).

FOX (the TV network) declined to pick up the series based on the pilot, and asked Joss to write another first ep, over a weekend.

FOX picked up the series, but declined to air the pilot first.

FOX gave Firefly the same time slot they had first given the X-files -- Fridays at 8.

FOX, who had paid about a US$Billion for the baseball playoffs, decided to air those live. This affected Firefly's schedule for the following couple of months. FOX did advertise Firefly during the baseball playoffs.

Firefly's ratings were never higher than fourth from the bottom of FOX's prime time lineup, and three times were at the bottom.

FOX (the TV network) cancelled Firefly.

20th Century Fox (the studio) left the fixed sets (which filled two of their large studios) up for six months, to allow Joss to shop Firefly to other networks. I don't know if he tried ABC, NBC or CBS, which would have had even larger audience guarantees (to sponsors) than FOX, but he definitely tried the SciFi channel; they declined.

Joss Whedon has said that he still has a good relationship with 20th Century Fox, the studio.
The FOX Television Network? not so much.
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Why does this matter?

FOX (the network) has no rights to Firefly; those expired when they canceled the show. They make no money from Firefly.

I see no reason to castigate folks for buying Firefly DVDs, which benefits 20th Century Fox, the studio that always supported Joss's work.

To summarize:
20th Century Fox ... the Good
FOX .................. the Bad
Fox .................. the ambiguous

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . .

RESE

Friday, March 31, 2006 12:42 AM

Thank you. That needed to be clarified. So many new folk on the site these days; there's bound to be some confusion. No biting of the nice hand!

NOSADSEVEN

Friday, March 31, 2006 4:54 AM

Yeah, I usually just use the shorthand:
20th Century Fox = made Firefly = good.
FOX Broadcasting = cancelled Firefly = bad.

But I'm going to bookmark your post to refer people to for the details - especially about the rights issues. Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

ITSBROKEN

Friday, March 31, 2006 5:19 AM

I like the randomness of the post. Also it was very informative, officially linking to this so it never has to be said by you or anyone ever again. Thank you for the post.

-ME

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*Firefly is my escape, it doesnt work to tell people about firefly because i get too excited and scare them away, i have to set a trap!
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http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=19318

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

Friday, March 31, 2006 5:25 AM

Um....I am not quite sure that right, nosadseven. As I understand the matter as the following:

20th Century Fox - Movie studio that distributed Star Wars and has deal with Joss Whedon. Owned by Rupert Murdoch

Fox Television - a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox and broadcaster of Firefly (sadly).

Fox - Presumably a generalized reference to both the studio and television network as one giant entity.

So....people can be bitchy about Fox being completely moronic, but only if they are thinking of Fox Television rather than the studio. The DVDs are property of 20th Century Fox until the property rights contract dies off...but that won't happen.

Fox the studio will hold on to the property rights for the series cuz we make them $$$. So...unless we Browncoats can compensate Fox Studios for potential future revenues from the boxset, they will be the beneficiaries of our lovely cashy money till time immortal.

Then again, I could be wrong. Just stating my 2 platinum

BEB

Literature has shown us some of humanity's greatest achievements; history, some of our greatest failures -- Alun Lewis

YT

Friday, March 31, 2006 7:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BlueEyedBrigadier:
Fox Television - a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox and broadcaster of Firefly (sadly).

This turns out not to be the case. However, it does confirm that there is some confusion.

20th Century Fox Television is a subsidiary of Fox Filmed Entertainment. They once had a production deal with (among many others) Joss Whedon & Mutant Enemy. They did not broadcast Firefly.

the FOX Network ordered, paid for, originally broadcast, then canceled Firefly. They are neither a subsidiary nor a division of 20th Century Fox.

Quote:
So....people can be bitchy about Fox being completely moronic, but only if they are thinking of Fox Television rather than the studio.

But there's no justification for that. 20th Century Fox Television supported Joss, and he still has a good relationship with them.

Quote:
Fox - Presumably a generalized reference to both the studio and television network as one giant entity.

Yes, that's precisely my complaint.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . .

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

Friday, March 31, 2006 8:23 AM

Ah....guess I just helped with the confusion, huh?

It is kinda stupid that you have 20th Century Fox and Fox Televison, and neither are related. Just confuses people like me who assume that they are.

Oh well...too bad 20th Century couldn't buy up Fox TV and allow for Firefly to be televised again.

BEB

Literature has shown us some of humanity's greatest achievements; history, some of our greatest failures -- Alun Lewis

JONESTEIN

Friday, March 31, 2006 2:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by YT:

FOX (the network) has no rights to Firefly; those expired when they canceled the show.

Thanks for the very informative post! I too was ignorant of these facts and confused by the ambiguous use of the name "Fox".

I thought I read somewhere that FOX (the network), never "officially" cancelled Firefly, they merely put it on hiatus which technically, leaves them with the broadcast rights. Didn't SciFi have to make a deal with them to broadcast the Firefly marathons?

-Jonestein
*************************************
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MAL: Good.
(BLAM!)

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YT

Friday, March 31, 2006 7:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jonestein:
I thought I read somewhere that FOX (the network), never "officially" cancelled Firefly, they merely put it on hiatus which technically, leaves them with the broadcast rights.

I heard (not read) that too, and that is customary. However, at some point their rights expired because . . .

Quote:
Didn't SciFi have to make a deal with them to broadcast the Firefly marathons?

SciFi's deal (for about 1% of what the FOX network paid) was with 20th Century Fox, as is Universal's.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . .

MILFORD

Friday, March 31, 2006 7:46 PM

Thanks for making that distinction. It's one I always made in my head but not on a post. Here's how I understand the difference between the two.

In the 1000-1600's Eurpoe was constantly at war. Kings and whatnot had to find ways to keep the fighting men (sorry ladies, no fighting for you then) inspired. This led to a common oratorical practice called the Battle Oration. The most important characteristic was the characiterization of the enemey to be vanquished. They usually made comments about how God was on their side and commanded to do all sorts of evil to the enemy, which I'm sure was a surprise to God most of the time. The most common characterization of the enemy reveals what these soldiers thought was the worst act a human could commit. They would often allege that their enemies would cut the babies from the bellies of pregnant women and then make sport by tossing the babies up in the air and catching them on the points of their swords. Truly a ghastly scene.

Pretty much sums up my feelings about Fox Television, at least Fox Television since the X-Files ended.

20th Century Fox Studios I've got no beef with.

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