Any show to compete with Firefly?

POSTED BY: Calhoun
UPDATED: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 14:01
VIEWED: 7296
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CALHOUN

Monday, January 26, 2004 10:30 AM

I am very smart. I went to the best medecad in Las Ires. Top 3 percent of my class. Finished my internship in 8 months.. Gifted is the term. So when I tell you that Firefly is by far the best show ive ever seen I want you to understand my full meaning.

But seriously, I consider myself an intelligent and discerning viewer and am hard pressed to find any show that could compete with Firefly.

HIKEEBA

Monday, January 26, 2004 10:36 AM

I've tried. I can't do it.

ALFERDPACKER

Monday, January 26, 2004 10:48 AM

A lot of people will use comparisons to Farscape or Babylon 5.

I haven't seen either show, so I can't speak as to how apt that is.

But its late enough that words don't look like words anymore. Just meaningless collections of letters. I'll be in my bunk.

LOKI

Monday, January 26, 2004 3:00 PM

in terms of storytelling and character development only two shows can compete with Firefly..Buffy and Angel.

Loki - http://pwnilsson.tripod.com

BROWNCOAT1

Monday, January 26, 2004 3:11 PM

In my opinion, no show compares to Firefly.

I have watched Babylon 5 and though I really liked the show, it did not affect me the way Firefly has done. If I missed an episode of B5, it was not that big a deal, as I would catch a rerun later. Quite honestly I never recorded the show, and have not felt compelled to go out & buy the DVD set either. With Firefly I was glued to the set from 7:55 until 9:05 every Friday night. If for some reason I could not be home, you can be sure the VCR was set to record.

Never really got into Farscape. I tried watching it a couple of times, but it just never grabbed me.

I liked Buffy, and I still watch Angel, but I don't feel that undeniable need to watch either of those shows as I did w/ Firefly.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

SAFFY

Monday, January 26, 2004 3:36 PM

I guess the sad part is that everyone is figuring out too late that NOTHING compares with this show. I don't even watch TV. I got the DVDs for Christmas, and now my heart is broken.

I can't decide which is worse: watching the series and knowing the whole time that it's going to end, or having watched it in its original run and then having had it yanked from under you!

I'd do anything to see this on the big screen or anywhere else. Just as long as it's not over!

Anyway, "Sports Night" was one of my favorite shows. ABC cancelled it a few years back, even though it was brilliant, because the American public just didn't "get" a sitcom without a laugh track. It was no Firefly, but it met a similarly undeserved fate.

LENNIER

Monday, January 26, 2004 4:57 PM

I'd say that, given Firefly's untimely demise, there are a small handfull of american shows that do compare and even surpass Firefly (and I do think that Firefly is artistic marvel, and I believe I appreciate its full signficance when I say that, including all its implicit roots in heart of darkness, grapes of wrath, etc., and the brilliance of the fundamental style concept--of using the future to discuss our ideas about the past, of making the future feel immediate and giving it a mundane and intimate sense of realism).
If Firefly had (or does) lived longer it's quite possible that it would surpass all shows, but in its current state I would say the following:

In my opinion, these shows clearly surpass Firefly (though perhaps by a small margin), if by surpass we mean artistically and nothing else:
Buffy season 3-6, Millennium season 1, Twin Peaks, The Sopranos season 2-3, Babylon 5 season 3-4
(in no particular order, because it's damn hard to rate shows)

I think these shows compare to Firefly:
Six Feet Under, 24 season 1, Homicide: Life on the Street (early seasons)

These shows are somewhere on the same continent as Firefly, though they definitely don't measure up toe-to-toe:
Angel season 3-5, The X-Files season 2-5, Carnivale, Star Trek: TNG

As for Farscape, all I can do is sigh. Love the show, but come on. If we're talking art, then it's not even on the radar. If we're just talking about fun unusual shows, then ok, it's near the top.

Also, keep in mind I made a point of stressing american shows. I've seen about 4 japanese series that i would say compare to or surpass Firefly, as well as one Canadian series (The Newsroom), and one Polish series (Decalogue).
And keep in mind that none of these series can be appreciated at all unless one sees ALL of them (i'm sure we've all had that experience where seeing one episode of a show makes it seem silly or bad, but once we see the whole thing it changes everything) ...or at least all the seasons that I listed above, anyhow.

of course, all this is probably meaningless without proper justification and explaination of my criteria (I'm NOT just being a 'fanboy' about these shows, I'm trying to set criteria and be somewhat objective), but unfortunately that would take more time than I have right now, so let's just say it's one fan's random 'opinion'.

STEVE580

Monday, January 26, 2004 5:12 PM

Actually, it seems that sitcoms without laugh tracks are becomming more popular (fortunatly). Scrubs is in it's third season, and so is Malcolm, I beleive. And Arrested Development just started its first. There's a few others, but I can't think of them at the moment...

SPARRONI

Monday, January 26, 2004 5:34 PM

I totally agree with everyone else who said 'SportsNight'. It has a phenomenal cast that you really connect to emotionally and great writing. Buffy also really had me hooked like Firefly, but only while the gang was in high school(the first couple of seasons).

If you're willing to try an anime series, I really recommend 'Cowboy Bebop'. It's got a very similar feel. Their ship, the Bebop, really reminds me of Serenity, and their crew is an eclectic mix of personalities. I saw 'Bebop' before I saw 'Firefly' and as I watched it I had many moments where I was reminded of 'Bebop'. Really worth taking a look!

----------------------
"Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people."

KINGOFKOINS

Monday, January 26, 2004 6:43 PM

I love Cowboy Bebop as well, but it does have several problems, such as the fact that the show generally pushes aside character development for comedy/action. Sure, it has "Ballad of Fallen Angels", "Jupiter Jazz 1 & 2", and "The Real Folk Blues", but mainly we just get "Toys in the Attic", and "Mushroom Samba". That's the fundamental difference, Firefly brings so much more to every episode. Also how the hell can only Spike and Jet pilot a ship as huge as the Bebop?

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"Bible's broken; contradictions, false logistics. Doesn't make sense." - River
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