No way will they axe the show
POSTED BY: SadGeezer
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 19:09
VIEWED: 17082
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Well, I don’t actually know this for certain, but lets look at the facts:
[LIST]*Shows with much poorer ratings have stayed alive
*Wheddon has not yet leant his name to any attempts (on-line or off-line) to drum up support to save the show
*The pilot still hasn’t aired yet!
*There are no rumours from Fox or Mutant Enemy that the show will be cancelled
*Only the critics have posted comments that the show may be cancelled
*Wheddon is notorious for starting his story arc’s late
*Most sci fi geeks didn’t get into Buffy and Angel until they were WAY into the first seasons
*Most of the people are very confident about the show – there is no dissent from the production teams
*Nobody from FOX or Mutant Enemy have felt the need to join us in helping to save the show
*Even the most critical fans (like me for instance) have to concede that the series hasn’t had much of a chance to get really, REALLY interesting yet[/LIST]
Most cult TV Sci FI shows (with the exception of LEXX) start poorly while they develop story, arc and characters. I’m just reviewing the first season of Babylon 5 and was appalled at how bad (compared with the later shows) the first episodes were.
I don’t think we should refrain from promoting the show or drumming up viewer ratings on our websites, but I can’t help feeling less concerned about FOX axing the show that I was a few weeks ago.
(PS. I haven't sene the latest episode yet so most of these comments will prolly be redundant - I believe it was a cracker like the previous one!)
SadGeezers Guide to Firefly
http://www.sadgeezer.com/firefly
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I do hope that you are right, as it is a wonderful show. I'm just curious, which shows with poorer ratings have stayed alive? And what networks were they on? I don't know of any shows on FOX with the same first season ratings as Firefly that survived... FOX doesn't care about potential, they just go by the numbers. Unfortunately.
RagNaRoK *gs*
----
"Ich kodiere, folglich bin ich."
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This is exactly what I've been thinking. No one at Fox or at ME have said anything about being disappointed with Firefly's performance. The only thing I've heard from Fox is rationalization for it's somewhat poor performance... "We knew it was going to be a slow start," they keep saying, and have listed the major road blocks in the show's success as having affected all of their shows (i.e. Baseball, Season premier confusion, etc...).
We have no reason to believe that the show will be canceled... at least not yet. *Dylan Knocks On Wood*
--Dylan Palmer--
"Oh my god, I'm a hack!" - Joss Whedon
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C'mon, I really like the show too, but its doomed. Even with all of the advertising, the ratings for Friday's show didn't even cross the 3.0 barrier. As far as no rumors of cancellation go, that's wrong as well. There's an article on SyFy portal saying that Fox will announce the cancellation as early as Monday.
So long Firefly... it was nice while it lasted.
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I still can't belive that this show isn't picked up for a full season.
I hope the show stays on, but it's really down to the ratings in the end. And 2.9 isn't that great, hopefully that'll improve by time...
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Quote:
Originally posted by PsionTen:
C'mon, I really like the show too, but its doomed. Even with all of the advertising, the ratings for Friday's show didn't even cross the 3.0 barrier. As far as no rumors of cancellation go, that's wrong as well. There's an article on SyFy portal saying that Fox will announce the cancellation as early as Monday.
So long Firefly... it was nice while it lasted.
Again, all rumors of cancellation are generated by the critics... SyFy Portal doesn't have some all knowing psychic staff, rather, they it runs on rumor and heresay. There is no reason to believe that SyFy Portal has any inside intel unless they've given a source for their information... as it it, everything is pure speculation.
And you've got your facts confused. The 2.9/5 rating is an overnight. A couple weeks ago, the overnight for an episode was 2.9/5, but the actual rating ended up a much higher 3.2/6. And again, the only thing we can be sure of is that FOX isn't expecting blow-out ratings. We can be sure of this because it's the only comment the execs have ever released regarding the ratings of Firefly.
Sure, there's a big possibility that Firefly won't be renewed for the back seven (back seven, not back nine, because they've already ordered 2 more episodes in addition to the original 13 episode package deal), but it's stupid to just give up and accept that it won't be renewed. There's a level of acceptable pessimism, and the negativity some of us have been spewing doesn't bode well for my respect of the Firefly fanbase. It just says to the outsiders that we don't care... it says to Fox "oh, they won't miss the series, they're already accepting defeat."
So, instead of pessimism and negativity, we should be building hope for the series's future... we should be building an attitude to show Fox that we won't give up Firefly without a fight. This acceptance of Firefly's cancellation (before it's even happened, nonetheless) is making me sick and really testing my faith in the fanbase.
--Dylan Palmer, Pretentious Bastard at Large--
"Oh my god, I'm a hack!" - Joss Whedon
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Quote:
Originally posted by Novagrass:
Sure, there's a big possibility that Firefly won't be renewed for the back seven (back seven, not back nine, because they've already ordered 2 more episodes in addition to the original 13 episode package deal),
Actually, they ordered 2 more *scripts*, but haven't actually authorized production of the episodes themselves. Just a clarification.
I agree, the negativity about the show's future is upsetting, but at the same time I can understand. People don't like to get hurt, so they're trying to prepare themselves for a possible cancellation by being pessimist. This way, they're covered. But that's just my opinion.
-Vali
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Quote:
Again, all rumors of cancellation are generated by the critics... SyFy Portal doesn't have some all knowing psychic staff, rather, they it runs on rumor and heresay. There is no reason to believe that SyFy Portal has any inside intel unless they've given a source for their information... as it it, everything is pure specula
Yes, but you're talking about credibility and that wasn't the point of my post. The point was that there ARE rumors of Firefly's cancellation... whether you think they are credible or not is your business.
Quote:
And you've got your facts confused. The 2.9/5 rating is an overnight. A couple weeks ago, the overnight for an episode was 2.9/5, but the actual rating ended up a much higher 3.2/6. And again, the only thing we can be sure of is that FOX isn't expecting blow-out ratings. We can be sure of this because it's the only comment the execs have ever released regarding the ratings of Firefly.
Actually, you've got your facts confused. The ONLY ratings that would be out right now are the overnights and they were 2.9. Several days from now you will see the official adjusted ratings which may or may not be higher than a 2.9, but that's the whole point... several days from now there is a good chance that Firefly might very well be cancelled. You seem to be saying that the overnights won't mean anything because they're not official and that may not be the case.
Quote:
Sure, there's a big possibility that Firefly won't be renewed for the back seven (back seven, not back nine, because they've already ordered 2 more episodes in addition to the original 13 episode package deal), but it's stupid to just give up and accept that it won't be renewed. There's a level of acceptable pessimism, and the negativity some of us have been spewing doesn't bode well for my respect of the Firefly fanbase. It just says to the outsiders that we don't care... it says to Fox "oh, they won't miss the series, they're already accepting defeat."
Hey, I said that I like the show, but me liking it (and you liking it) doesn't change the fact that it has sucked in the ratings. FOX has given it every opportunity and it's failed -- pure and simple. I wish that ratings didn't matter... hell, I still wish that My So-Called Life was still on the air, but facts are facts... it's probably gonna be cancelled in the next few days. I'm not gonna like it, but it's not gonna affect my life either. It's a tv show for god's sakes... you'll live.
Quote:
So, instead of pessimism and negativity, we should be building hope for the series's future... we should be building an attitude to show Fox that we won't give up Firefly without a fight. This acceptance of Firefly's cancellation (before it's even happened, nonetheless) is making me sick and really testing my faith in the fanbase.
You see it as pessimism, its just cold hard reality to me. As far as putting on a brave face to Fox goes... that's the craziest bit of nonsense I've ever heard in my life. If you think FOX is basing a business decision on what some nobody in a fan forum writes, then you have bigger problems in life than the "future" of Firefly.
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Quote:
Again, all rumors of cancellation are generated by the critics... SyFy Portal doesn't have some all knowing psychic staff, rather, they it runs on rumor and heresay. There is no reason to believe that SyFy Portal has any inside intel unless they've given a source for their information... as it it, everything is pure speculation.
The thing of it is that, if it were as SyFy Portal seems to be presenting it (someone inside the network talking without approval), then they can't name said source. Now, I don't find it likely that they actually have a source (I'm wary of taking information from sites that I've never heard of before) but leaving a source unnamed does make sense.
Quote:
And you've got your facts confused. The 2.9/5 rating is an overnight. A couple weeks ago, the overnight for an episode was 2.9/5, but the actual rating ended up a much higher 3.2/6. And again, the only thing we can be sure of is that FOX isn't expecting blow-out ratings. We can be sure of this because it's the only comment the execs have ever released regarding the ratings of Firefly.
Yes but Fox is going to be deciding on Monday (pretty much everyone is in agreement on this) and the overnight is going to be the only thing really available to do that with. This series needed to have at a minimum a 3.5 overnight to even have a chance. At this point? no hope, no hope at all
.Also, regarding your comments that "Fox wasn't expecting blow-up ratings"? Well that's exactly what ABC was saying about Push, Nevada and we all know what happened to that show, don't we?
Quote:
Sure, there's a big possibility that Firefly won't be renewed for the back seven (back seven, not back nine, because they've already ordered 2 more episodes in addition to the original 13 episode package deal), but it's stupid to just give up and accept that it won't be renewed. There's a level of acceptable pessimism, and the negativity some of us have been spewing doesn't bode well for my respect of the Firefly fanbase. It just says to the outsiders that we don't care... it says to Fox "oh, they won't miss the series, they're already accepting defeat."
Now this part has so many inaccuracies that it isn't even funny. First off, as has been pointed out elsewhere, Fox made an order for 3 more scripts. That's scripts folks, not episodes. This is an almost universal vote of "no confidence" when done by a network (after all episodes require actual commitments, scripts are just so much glorified confetti in these circumstances). Second off, what the fans say doesn't matter (as was proven abdunantly during the "Save The Chronicle" campaign were Sci-Fi took the fans concerned and basically did their very best "JOe Pesci in Goodfellas" to us, sorry still bitter). Third off, let's face it, we're doomed. A show cannot survive on Fox with 2.9 ratings (especially when a show in the same genre earned 4.5's in the same spot last year).
Quote:
So, instead of pessimism and negativity, we should be building hope for the series's future... we should be building an attitude to show Fox that we won't give up Firefly without a fight. This acceptance of Firefly's cancellation (before it's even happened, nonetheless) is making me sick and really testing my faith in the fanbase.
If the fan campaign for FIrefly was making a bit of difference they would have announced a pick-up before now (considering that said campaign has been going on for the better part of a month now). So this, "Won't give up FIrefly without a fight" is just so much useless posturing. If the ratings had gone up into the 3's we might have a chance (and probably would have a chance if it hit 3.5). But now? Please, we are screwed and it brings no shame to admit it publicly.
Nathan
"It looks like a great adventure...That's what it is; that's what it feels like. When I saw the pilot, it was really engaging. It was exciting. It was unusual. It threw me off every now and then. I think people will be grabbed
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Quote:
Originally posted by PsionTen:Quote:
FOX has given it every opportunity and it's failed -- pure and simple.
Given it every opportunity??? What planet are you living on? They did nothing to counter months of the negative buzz concerning the "rejected" pilot. They stuck it in one of the worst time slots for a sci-fi show (years of programming data to prove it.) They pre-empted the first 2-3 episodes.
They haven't tried airing it on a better night/time, which they could easily do, and is common practice. How in God's name do you call that "giving it every opportunity"?
I'm sorry, but I just couldn't let the ridiculousness of that statement stand.
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