Did the suits nix the pilot because of Buffy?

POSTED BY: shambleau
UPDATED: Friday, July 16, 2004 23:11
VIEWED: 4132
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SHAMBLEAU

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 3:16 AM

Everyone talks about the cluelessness of the Fox execs, but one of the head honchos was Gail Berman, who backed Buffy whole-heartedly. According to Tim Minear, she hated the pilot. This dislike is always painted as mystifying. But think when the pilot was shown to the execs. It was after Season Six of Buffy. This was a season that featured an alienated hero, who'd lost faith in her purpose for being, going through the motions of life, but feeling that existence was hell. The season was dark,dark dark, with a side of dark to go with it. Sound familiar?

And large numbers of fans HATED it. There were other reasons for the fans' discontent besides the unrelentingly depressing nature of it all of course, but to the Fox execs, wouldn't it look like Joss was giving them more of what had already been so unpopular among a vocal segment of the fans?

Joss says in the commentaries that the suits didn't like how unlikable Mal was, which is why Joss lightened him up in TTJ with jokes about space monkeys. Joss also says that his original conception had been a drama in space, about an embittered, closed-off man who gradually began to let himself enjoy life again. Joss had planned for that to happen across the course of the season. Again, this character arc is what happened in S6 Buffy.

So, from their point of view, maybe it seemed perfectly rational to ask him to deliver a lighter, more action-packed show. Or at least the more intelligent of them. The others were still wondering why there were horses, of course.

shambleau

EVENTHORIZON

Thursday, July 15, 2004 4:08 AM

Funny thing is that was and is my favorite season of Buffy- I liked how Mal turned out- but then again, I really liked Serenity's Mal... where you're not sure what he's thinking/going to do.

I was lucky, I saw Serenity first, without any spoilers for any of the series. I had no idea what was coming. My friends were great at not telling me anything but that I should see it- which I did for the first time last month.

But Serenity was really a powerful ep- with no other background to it, that's what hooked me- I really loved each of the characters exactly how they were- Gotta wonder how they would have evolved if Fox had let Joss do what he wanted.

MER

Friday, July 16, 2004 11:11 PM

Hmm, good question. Season 6 is also my fav besides Season 2 of Buffy. I don't get why fans would hate it. Buffy has always been dark. Maybe not THAT dark, but hell, I ain't complaining. ^-^ Plus it has a musical. What does the other seasons have? j/k.

I didn't think Mal was too mean. I knew he was just being a bitch and would eventually have gotten beaten over with a happy sitck.