"Serenity" & "The Train Job" aired in 16x9

POSTED BY: painisscary
UPDATED: Thursday, January 22, 2004 14:15
VIEWED: 3099
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PAINISSCARY

Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:08 AM

Just dug out my VHS tapes of FF,recorded off Fox when the show originally aired, and took a look at a few minutes (wanted to see the opening spoken narration again), and discovered that both "The Train Job" and "Serenity" were aired in their original 16x9 aspect ratio, which I'd forgotten.

Wonder why Fox aired those two in widescreen, but not the others? Guess by the time "Serenity" ran, they probably didn't mind running it wide, since they knew it would the last one they'd air.

Kind of sad seeing the Fox FF promos on my tapes, since back then, there was still hope the show would get picked up for a whole season.

BADGERSGIRL

Wednesday, January 21, 2004 12:23 PM

I'm sorry if this has been discussed, but whatever happened to that opening narration??? I can understand if Joss decided to pull it from the episode for artistic reasons, but couldn't we at least have had it in the extra features?

Anyone know?

"I like her" - Badger

BLINKER

Wednesday, January 21, 2004 6:09 PM

Canada's Space channel plays the series the same way: twin pilots in widescreen, rest of the eps fullscreen.

Must have to do with their status as pilot episodes that FOX asked for or allowed them to run in 16x9 (like the extra-special "Once More With Feeling" did.)

PAINISSCARY

Thursday, January 22, 2004 6:46 AM

My guess as to the absence of the narration is that it was likely only inserted to briefly explain the show's premise and 'verse, since Fox didn't first air the original pilot, "Serenity," which would have set up the setting and premise.

I liked the narration when the show originally aired, but after recently taking another look at it, I don't miss it at all; it just restates what you learn from watching "Serenity," and is comprised mostly, if not completely, of clips from "Serenity," making the intro redundant and fairly pointless.

As to why they didn't include it on the DVD, I'm guessing Joss probably didn't feel it necessary, and perhaps because the intro was only created after Fox refused to air "Serenity" first. Still, as a completeist, I'm glad I still have my tapes of the episodes as aired.

STEVE580

Thursday, January 22, 2004 2:15 PM

Whedon wanted the entire series widescreen, fox didn't. Serenity was filmed to be widescreen; all other eps were filmed to go both ways. There's a single shot in the Train Job where Kaylee and Simon are on opposite ides of the room, and Joss had this shot so that Fox would be forced to air the episode in widescreen.
-Steve