Has F*X learned its lesson?

POSTED BY: gojiro
UPDATED: Friday, October 8, 2004 21:49
VIEWED: 8510
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DANFAN

Sunday, October 3, 2004 7:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ShinyLeto:
Think for a moment about Fox's primary programming...

That's an interesting take that I hadn't considered. To be honest, I have absolutely no network loyalty (or awareness) whatsoever. I just look for shows that I think I might like and check them out. So, I never gave any thought to Fox's programming "themes"; I just watched Firefly because I thought I might like it.

However, I can see where there might be some real truth to your comment. If so, then what network would have been more "Firefly friendly"? Again, I don't know the answer, because I don't know from networks and their themes. I just watch shows that I like wherever they show up.

ZOID

Monday, October 4, 2004 12:48 AM

ShinyLeto wrote, in part:

Quote:
...(please note that I'm not trying to take a political stance here)...

Nice try, but no dice.

You are taking a political stance, pleas to the contrary notwithstanding. I like Firefly. I am a Republican (if anything). There goes your theory. My distaste for biased news coverage extends equally to CNN and Fox. I find it insulting that anyone would try to 'spin' my opinions, whether it's a news service or a layperson posting on an entertainment discussion board.

This discussion doesn't belong here. It belongs on 'Real World Discussions'; we fought hard to get precisely this kind of shite kicked off the General Discussion Board. Since you brought it up though: I lean towards the Republican Party because the rich people who run that party expect their followership to be responsible for their own happiness and welfare. The rich people who run the Democrats, on the other hand, are convinced that their poorer constituents are too stupid to know how to run their own lives; only Big Government can save us poor souls from ruining our chance at happiness. Take everyone's money (in taxes) and split it up as the wise, all-knowing rich people who run the Democratic party see fit.

Of course, I'm not trying to take a political stance here, but politicians -- and their mouthpieces -- should never visit my intentions. Ever.

Tactlessly,

zoid

BIKISDAD

Monday, October 4, 2004 2:03 AM

I'd like to respond with a big "Ditto" to everything that Zoid just said. I also lean Republican (actually registered that way, but often vote Libertarian). I love Firefly, have never watched one second of any damned reality show, and the only news I watch is local (Because all other network news is skewed as liberal as Fox News is skewed conservative).

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

TOMANTA

Monday, October 4, 2004 2:35 AM

Considering that Fox has had consistent, repeated pattern dating back over a decade of mistreating good television in the EXACT SAME WAY as they handled Firefly, it's doubtful that they will EVER learn.

"FOX! Where the shit hits the fans." - Tim Minear

SOUPCATCHER

Monday, October 4, 2004 7:19 AM

Zoid, I can see where Blue Sun, as a not so benevolent presence, would tend to make F*x leery. That's a pretty compelling hypothesis. A couple of things about it don't scan as well for me, though. It's hard to know just what F*x was basing their decision on. I've been assuming that it was the pilot episode itself that they had problems with rather than the entire body of work. I figured they made their minds up as soon as they saw Serenity. It's always problematic to try to draw conclusions from my own experience and extrapolate those out to F*x executives. But. That said. I just didn't get all the Blue Sun references the first time through. Yeah, in retrospect, it's a huge sub-text. But it went right over my head. In my defense, I was mesmerized by the show and missed many of the details. That's why the DVDs have been so great. So I have a little bit of difficulty with F*x picking out the Blue Sun theme right off the bat.

I think, at the very least, F*x underestimated television viewers. A short time on these boards will convince a person that Firefly appeals to a huge spectrum of the population (domestic US and, increasingly, international). I'm not sure you can nail down just one demographic and say, "Yup. That's where the fireflyfans are coming from."

In regards to the thread taking a turn for the political... I completely agree that the Real Worlds Events Discussion section is where that should happen. I feel slightly responsible for this unfortunate turn. I purposefully did not state my theories on why F*x didn't like Firefly because some of them do range over into political type matters and I felt this thread wasn't the place for that. But I did tweak the conversation in the direction of F*x's motives and also linked to Hank Parnell's essay, which has a strong political theme. So that might not have been the smartest thing on my part. I'm properly apologetic.

There are three kinds of people: fighters, lovers, and screamers.

JUTIN

Monday, October 4, 2004 5:59 PM

As much as I truely hate FOX, it's mostly for being the indian givers that they are... they do have some of the best programing. "24" is probably one of the most inspired and original and only real action show on the air. "Arrested Development" is simply the smartest, funnest comedy to EVER hit the airwaves EVER! "Dark Angel" was a brilliant show from James Cameron. "Wonderfalls" was so unique and darkly comical that it was just simply doomed to be cancelled (and replaced by "The Swan" crap). "Greg The Bunny" was a great mix of The Larry Sanders Show and The Muppet Show. "Action" was an 1999 show that FX airs once in a while, that was just another sheer genious show... you flip down the dial and ABC, NBC, The WB (of course Buffy and Angel were unique), CBS, and UPN are just recycling the same formulas of reality shows, sitcoms, and police drams. ABC got "Who wants to be a Millionaire" and they put in one 5 times a week." and everyone got tired of it... FAST! - CBS has CSI and now they has 3 CSI shows in 3 years and you can catch a CSI show 6 times a week (or at least last week you could).

...sorry for the rant

BROWNCOATFAN1

Monday, October 4, 2004 11:08 PM

i realy hate fox now they could have given firefly a few more weeks try

GHOULMAN

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 4:34 PM

Great thread! Soupcatcher, Zoid... all posts that put forth what I too believe about FOX and the cancellation of Firefly... it was political.

Personally, I think FOX planned to get rid of Joss Whedon the micron Fred put up that "Dixie Chicks" poster in her Wolfram&Heart office.

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 6:06 PM

[soapbox]
I believe it was political, for many of the reasons cited above, and with that in mind F*x should remember...

Freedom of speech.
A goverment by the people for the people.
Work hard for what you want and need and you have the opportunity (not guarentee!) to get it.

Now if the people at F*x feared repurcussions from big business and big government, then they are as anti-American as they come. If they expect that if they stay quiet and do not make waves they will get "something" handed to them just for doing so, they'll continue to only have suck programming and anti-F*x sentiments. A pox on F*x for being like that. This nation was founded on controversey and exists today because of such. They are cowardly piss-pots that should've been kicked out of Hollywood a long time ago.

That is simply my opinion. F*x will never learn its lesson so long as it hides behind its own fear.
[/soapbox]

Of course, it's possible Reavers ate all the intelligent people at F*x, and that got them a might bit tetchy. ;P

TCM

p.s. As a sidenote, I always vote for who I think is the best candidate for the future of our country...maybe someday the Democrats will put up someone who will stop thinking we are all mindless apes who need gov't to pick the lice out of our hairy *zzzt!* TRANSMISSION CANCELLED *zzzzt!*

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SHINYLETO

Wednesday, October 6, 2004 2:50 AM

Look, I'm not trying to offend anyone here. It was not my intention to suggest that Republicans are idiots. There are idiots who may or may not be Republicans who watch reality TV, and there are idiots who may or may not be Democrats who watch reality TV. That's not the point. The point is that the current, Repbulican administration, and by extension a resonable percentage of the Republican party, has thus far demonstrated a pro-business and pro- federal power stance.

I am in no way making a statement about my own beliefs on these issues, and I am not saying that, just because Firefly is anti-business and anti-federal power that no Republican would watch it. Those are by no means the only themes in the show, and it can certainly be enjoyed regardless of one's political persuasion. I am simply saying that, because these facts exist, the demographic that tunes into Fox may not latch on to a show like Firefly. Its just a shame that Fox keeps stumbling on good shows that they end up cancelling because they have a large chunk of viewers who are the wrong audience for them.

http://blackbirdcomic.keenspace.com/

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