Band Together! Our Show Shall Return!
POSTED BY: CaptainHicks
UPDATED: Thursday, July 29, 2004 21:25
VIEWED: 8221
PAGE 2 of 5
CaptainHicks, you say you are new here, but how new are you to Firefly in general? I watched and loved the show when it was on the air, but did not seek out online communitities for it until after I got the DVDs. I've seen posts like yours by newbies nearly every week, and there are others who have been members of this site since before Firefly was on TV, so I'm sure they've heard it all before too.
If you think anyone here is giving up on Firefly, you haven't been paying attention. I think it is nearly unanimous that we would love to see Firefly/Serenity back on weekly TV, but when FOX and Universal make a deal that precludes it returning to TV for a certain number of years, you tell us just to ignore that?
Of course, with the success of the BDM, and I have no doubt at all it will be a total success, we more than likely will get at least two film sequels, but if Universal and Joss want to try to bring it back to TV, I am sure whatever contracts exist now can be renegotiated.
Until then, take it easy on us fellow Browncoats. We're on your side.
wo men ren ran zai fei xing.
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In addition to seeing the movie early and often, and dragging everyone you can to the movie, it might not be beyond the realm of possibility to have the existing 14 eps re-aired on SciFi or something as a kind of promotion/interest generator for the movie. It might be worth writing to SciFi channel/NBC/Universal about this...
"I left my heart in Seren-ity Val-ley..." <-- the farthest I've ever gotten in writing filk. ;)
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Ok, I’ve been thinking on this for awhile. I have to admit, CAPTINHICKS, I like your idea. It will never work, but I like it. It’s gutsy. It’s balls to the walls, and I like that. The harsh, ugly, and mean-faced truth of it is… the majority of the mainstream viewing audience is not ready for Firefly, at least not to the point to make it self-sufficient. I know it’s brilliant, you know it’s brilliant, but if Joe Q Public wanted brilliant, the show would never have been cancelled in the first place.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked down at my DVD set (practically with holes burned through them from play) and wished with all my little south Georgian heart that there was more for me to watch. But let’s think about this for a moment, shall we? Even if everyone here was to somehow become independent multi-millionaires, and we were to buy out every copy of the DVD set that landed on the shelves, even if we were to make it the most “bought” TV DVD set in America like “Family Guy,” even if we were to funnel, nay literally pump, FOX with an infusion of our hard earned money, and get Firefly back on TV, I honestly believe that it would be cancelled again.
Why? Because we were wrong? Because it’s… how you say? Fau? No, because the majority of people cramming the Nelson ratings with numbers are more interested in easy laughs, plots that don’t take much thinking about, fast activating and seemingly random explosions, and lots of fuzzy-wuzzy and funny characters. Not to mention dolly tracks, constant focus, recognizable scores, product placement etc. etc. etc.
I believe Firefly is art. Firefly started something that we will all feel for generations to come. It was, and is, innovative, clever, and on the cutting edge of modern film making. The cast and crew meshed like a fine Swiss watch. But hell, Wal-Mart is the 15th largest economy in the world (just behind Sweden). Joe Q Public doesn’t want or spend money on art does he? No, he goes to Wal-Mart and buys the cheapest most mass-produced product he can buy. It does the job and it doesn’t drain his pocket all that much.
But again, I think your enthusiasm is in the right place, CAPTINHICKS. And I do think this is art. So even though I don’t have the money to buy an extra DVD set for a gift, anyone who doesn’t move fast enough gets their butts plopped down on my sofa to watch an episode. Before I know it, that little hour showing has turned into a 12 hour party with my guest’s mouth looking like a big O. Hell, even the most reluctant person I got to sit still long enough jumped up in the middle of Serenity and shouted “Kaylee’s not dead! She can’t be dead!”
I’m not trying to shoot down your idea out of hand. God, I wish you luck and hope it works, but it hurts my heart to say… I don’t think it will. I believe Firefly was probably mishandled by FOX, but that is only a small part of why it got cancelled in the first place. Genius is rarely recognized in it’s time. Maybe if it got a little more air time… the episodes certainly got better and better. But it was expensive, it needed an intelligent and attentive audience, and mostly, it needed a distributor who cared about art as much as the creators, cast, and crew seemingly did.
I don’t know the man, but I’m pretty sure Joss loves this story. Unfortunately, from what I’ve heard, FOX owns it for the next ten years. Now, if I was to become stupid wealthy… buy my own network… buy the contract from FOX… hmmm.. that might work. Anyone wanna lend me a buck?
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Quote:
Originally posted by Superfly:
Anyone wanna lend me a buck?
I'll get back to you after the lottery drawing tonight.
wo men ren ran zai fei xing.
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Though I admire your dedication and passion CaptainHicks, I must say that a return to TV looks dim indeed.
I have been here since before the cancellation. I was lurking when the Variety Ad was purchased, I stood beside my fellow Browncoats and did my part during the postcard campaign. I wrote letters, was part of the Browncoat coat drive, and emailed everyone we could find an email address for at the time. When Joss pitched the show to a network, we wrote emails and postcards. We fought long and hard. We got the DVD set out of it, and our dedication (and our purchasing of the DVD set) helped to get the movie deal.
We have done a lot in getting the word out to people. We post on other message boards to let people know what is going on w/ the BDM and to let them know Firefly is still alive. Browncoats from this board and others were part of the DVD to the Troops campaign, which helped w/ troop morale overseas and to help convert more fans.
I think our best hope for a return to TV is to make the DVD & the BDM as successful as possible. If Universal or a network think there is potential for money or ratings, they will negotiate a deal w/ Fox for a tv series. Regardless of what has been said and by whom we all know that money talks & B.S. walks in Hollywood. Anything is possible if there is money involved.
For now we must do what we can to support Joss, Universal, the DVD set, and the BDM. We follow Joss's lead and throw our support behind him 100%. The rest is up to TPTB.
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
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CaptainHicks:
I feel your pain, my Brother.
Believe me when I tell you that virtually everyone here -- and elsewhere Browncoats converge -- has dealt with the denial you are currently expressing (with the exception of PurpleBelly, the King of Cynicism, who is not only the devil's advocate here, he's his client as well... 
).
Most of us are in the next phase of Firefly's death as a TV incarnation: Acceptance. My understanding is that the deal Universal hammered out with F*x to get the rights to the property for a movie, was that no other television production company can make the series or anything related to it for not less than 10 years, as previously stated by others, if incompletely. Furthermore, the movie deal is for three pictures, right now... Universal can void the remaining two movies if the first doesn't do well; whether that's in terms of first-run theatrical gross only, or the combination of pay-tv receipts, DVD sales and rentals or whatnot, I don't know.
So, as others have stated, we should all be focused on Serenity's debut next April (2005). Save your money on DVDs, we've already made our point, and Universal got it, even if F*x never could. Invest that money in the movie, instead. F*x don't deserve to get any richer off the property than they already have. Now it's time to make Universal rich, and secure the future of those remaining two 'option' movies.
From an alternative perspective, if the movies do well, Universal Vivendi may decide to pony up some big coin to buy off F*x (lead-tight contracts were made to be broken/settled, right?) and put the show back on TV. That would be great; but, I think Joss is done with TV, at least for now. He sees this as his opportunity to move up to the big leagues, after toiling in the minors for, lo, these many years.
Do any of us begrudge him his 'shot at the bigs', especially considering the shite he's had to put up with the past couple of years in TV-land? I certainly don't. I don't think anyone here would either (with the possible exception of the aforementioned PurpleBelly, who I suspect thinks the movie will fail as a money maker and as art 
).
I believe Serenity will be an overwhelming success, on both counts (I have a 'feeling'). Furthermore, I believe Joss will go on making great filmic stories for many years to come, unfettered by the censors and network 'audience analysts'. Some people talk about moviemakers with 'great vision'; Joss' gift is his ability to tell a story. I've never seen anyone do dialogue and characters better. I hope he's never forced to return to the 'small box' (except in feature-lengths for pay-cable, perhaps -- if he wants to?).
I also think that several, if not all, of the actors involved will get taken to the next level, too, and become *Movie Stars*. Those that can't make the transition to the big screen should nevertheless get plum roles on Big3 TV series.
In conclusion, it's best not to think of this as Firefly's death. Instead, think of it as a beloved child who's leaving home to start a life of its own. You may not see it as often as you'd like, but when you do see it, it will be mature and prosperous, and possessive of its own character and spirit, making its own decisions, right or wrong.
(EDIT: And don't forget the effect our love for her -- and all those who've participated in the project -- has had in shaping the lady she's become. How great must it have felt for those young actors to have received the 'rock star' treatment they got at SDCC? I'm so happy and proud, I could bust.)
Serenity belongs to herself now, not her abusive erstwhile parents, F*x TV. Let's let go of her childhood, and watch her shine.
Respectfully,
zoid
_________________________________________________
"Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me." The Ballad of Serenity
Only 268 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes, and 59 seconds left until The BDM!
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i cant do it alone guys. so if you believe that this wont work. then i cant do it. Ill go to plan two. As someone said abve. When serenity comes out and if it does become a box office blockbuster networks will have something to think about and yes joss would have more for his argument. So then we have to go to this moive. I know many of you will several times anyways. But just keep going. Everyday that you have a chance to just go. You can fall asleep during it. which im sure you wont no matter how many times you have seen it. Or even just go to the box office buy a ticket and leave or give it to someone else. Like the first idea see it as a donation. A donation to the show we all love and want back and want more of. Cause if that movie doesnt go well. Thats it. that is our last chance. So just keep going to it over and over. Bring anyone you can. Lie to people if they arent into that sort of movie tell them its something else and thelly liek it. We have to be togethe ron this and do our part with this moive. and if you cant do that show your support that has meant so much to you. Then it really hasnt meant anything at all. We will Band together on this. We have to, or it all will be gone. Make it number one that weekend and make it number one the week after that and after that keep it there until someone finally understands that this show means alot to many many people. Unite!
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Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Fox owns the rights for 10 years. Joss and Fox don't sound like they're very good friends right now. So give it 10 years.
This, my friends, is a prime example of what is wrong with the current state of copyright in America. Copyright was originally intended to ensure that a creator/artist had an opportunity to earn a living from their creation for a period of time, but then the work would get transferred to the public domain as part of our culture and/or benefit to society. Fox cancelled Firefly, the tv series, and has no plans to put it back on the air. They are done making any profit from the series. Finished. Yet they prevent another entity from taking what they disgarded and try it again (new creations from the old work) until after there is no reasonable expectation of success. Please tell be where the benefit is to society? This stuff really bugs the hell out of me.
After 10 years, our crew will have moved on to other projects and may be locked into contracts. They will be 10 years older and what kind of storyline leaps will we have to make? You tell me that after 10 years Simon and River haven't moved on, been "cured", been killed, been captured? Okay, we'll be left with Mal, Jayne, Wash, Kaleigh ,Zoe and possibly Inara (I know I've left Book out). But we've broken up part of the initial ensemble that drew us to the series in the first place. Given the proper storyline through the movies maybe it'll be done so a blow like this can work. I'm not optimistic. Funny thing is that I finally got my wife into the DVDs (after Objects in Space she asked "you mean that's it?"). I think there is a potential new audience now, and is ideally set up for a successful return to tv series format in September 2005, but this is not to be. Again, what benefit to society is our copyright law leaving us with?
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I'm still with you on the first plan, and I don't think it's as impossible as most here. Things change. When the series was first cancelled everyone was hoping it would find life on another network. The idea of a major movie release got some mention and most people shot it down as crazy. "Make a movie from TV show that didn't even make it a whole season? Yeah, right, good luck". We know how that worked out.
I do think Joss is fed up with TV, but he created Firefly as a series. The stories you can tell on a series are different than stories for the big screen. Joss has worked hard to become a master of that type of storytelling and I'm not so sure he'll be content with lijmitations of movie making. I think its one of the reasons he's worked in TV so far.
As far as his comments about it not going back to television... I think he's being a little political here. One of the things he had to do to get the movie made was convince them that it wasn't merely a springboard to re-launch the series. That's probably part of the reason for a sequels in the contract, athough I understand those clauses are pretty common.
Time is the biggest problem, but I'd make a long shot bet (but not for much) that we'll be hearing serious talks about reviving Firefly as a serial. Maybe not on broadcast tv, but there are other options. Joss just has too much story in him for one movie every two or three years.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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To repeat something that has been said time and time again, here and in many other places, the deal that Universal made for theatrical release was with 20th Century Fox, the production company, NOT the FOX television network. Joss has (or had) an exclusive contract with 20th to produce television shows, but those shows could be (and were) on networks other than FOX.
If, or when, Firefly/Serenity returns to TV, it would still be produced by 20th, unless that contract has expired by that time, and if so, Universal might be interested. Also, a revived Firefly could air on ANY network that cared to buy it. JOSS will probably never want to air a show on the FOX network again, but that does not mean he won't ever want to produce another television series.
I do not agree that we should not be encouraging people to buy the DVDs. FOX network is getting none of that money, just 20th Century Fox. 20th has supported this show and Joss from Day One, and if it was not for them we wouldn't have the DVDs or the upcoming BDM. The more people who see the DVDs, the more fans who will be eagerly anticipating Serenity.
wo men ren ran zai fei xing.
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