Why Fox really cancelled Firefly...

POSTED BY: wesleywyndham
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 19:09
VIEWED: 6423
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ANNIK

Sunday, October 17, 2004 6:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SouthernMerc:
This topic has been done to death, but I have to say that there is one show on network TV that isn't below the low standards typically employed there. I'm talking about the ABC show "Lost." Holy cow, a show that takes its time revealing the mystery? Characters that you actually CARE what happens to them? Plenty of backstory on the folks who crashed? Holy moley! Someone was listening! We got us a genuine TV drama! AND IT WASN'T CANCELLED THREE EPISODES IN!

I may feint.

Jayne: "You got yourself lookin' mighty hideous!"

Yes ... it's brilliant. I'm very impressed. It would be great even if there was decent dramadic competition out there, instead of all the reality-schlock. In *this* TV landscape, it not only shines, it outright glitters!

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

SOUTHERNMERC

Sunday, October 17, 2004 6:37 PM

Yeah, and I can't wait til the next ep!

Jayne: "You got yourself lookin' mighty hideous!"

DELIA

Sunday, October 17, 2004 8:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by wesleywyndham:
Yes, given the success of Buffy and Angel I think they may have been expecting something similar. What they actually got was much, much better though. And I say that as a long-time fan of both series and owner of all the DVD sets...

Would never have guessed you were an Angel/Buffy fan from the username . . . .

I think the list of reasons that Fox cancelled the show could go on a good long while, but it can pretty much be summed up, "They got something brilliant and original, had no idea what to do with it, and then got impatient when it wasn't a huge hit in 2 weeks."

Oh, and the kiss of death time slot, lack of advertising, pre-emptions, and scrambled episode order probably didn't help.

___________________________________________
Angel: People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do.
Hamilton: Yeah, but we won't care.

BIKISDAD

Monday, October 18, 2004 1:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SouthernMerc:
Yeah, and I can't wait til the next ep!

Jayne: "You got yourself lookin' mighty hideous!"

Agreed. What I like is that they are slowly letting us get to know all the characters, but at the same time, they're building the mystery - adding plot points - of the island in every episode. I hope this show goes on for a long time because it's obvious that the producers don't intend to answer all the questions they are raising for quite awhile. If the show was cancelled soon, we'd be left with so many unanswered questions again - just like when Firefly was cancelled.

Apathy on the Rise No One Cares.

BROWNCOAT1

Monday, October 18, 2004 2:07 PM

Welcome to the site WesleyWyndham. It's a pleasure to have you aboard.

I can agree w/ your assessment of Fox's inability to understand Firefly, and it's subsequent cancellation. Fox is only interested in big ratings, and unfortunately ratings only seem to come from mind numbing reality shows, or programs w/ lots of T&A or flashy special effects. I guess most of the masses can't wrap their minds around the concept of character development and plot lines.

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

SHEPHERDQ

Monday, October 18, 2004 6:25 PM

Ratings and MONEY !!!!
The ratings COULD have been good, but they decided to kill it before it aired so ratings had little to do with it. That leaves 1. the execs were backbirths and had no clue what makes good sci fi and 2. they looked at the cost per episode and decide the return % was MUCH higher for another cheap dumb reality show and went with that. Low saleries, low budget, and can be cut and edited to look dramatic on promos each week.
This disease is not limited to Fox TV. we had a disater flick that did ok in the box office, but blowing the heck out of DVD sales... That will jog the boys everywhere to dig out the bad dusty scripts thinking they can put out junk and it will make big bucks. They will fall on butt so all producers will once again shy away from disater flicks for a few years.. they never never get it... Spend some bucks, pick good people, make it good and you will make the bucks... put out junk and ya get bupkiss.

The Journey is the worthier part.
www.southdownabbey.com

CAPTAINCDC

Monday, October 18, 2004 9:59 PM

Come on people, according to Ghoulman Star Trek: Enterprise is the reason Fox cancelled Firefly.;)

Ka is a wheel, time but a face on the water.

BIKISDAD

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 12:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownCoat1:
Welcome to the site WesleyWyndham. It's a pleasure to have you aboard.

I can agree w/ your assessment of Fox's inability to understand Firefly, and it's subsequent cancellation. Fox is only interested in big ratings, and unfortunately ratings only seem to come from mind numbing reality shows, or programs w/ lots of T&A or flashy special effects. I guess most of the masses can't wrap their minds around the concept of character development and plot lines.

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

LONG RANT WARNING:

I think Browncoat1 is getting at something that we browncoats all innately know, but haven't overtly stated. The great majority of tv viewers are neither very intelligent nor very well educated - at least not to the level of Firefly fans. Look at the evidence: Really intelligent shows like Firefly, Wonderfalls, and a few others have low viewership and get cancelled quickly for low ratings. Idiotic schlock like Joe Millionaire, etc. has huge viewership, high ratings and stays on tv forever.

I know that we like to blame the networks, specifically F*X (and there is plenty to blame them for), but a lot of the programming decisions that are made are, unfortunately, due to the actual wants of the viewing public.

Joss's shows are cerebral (most tv viewers are not). They are basically modern day versions of what Shakespeare wrote. In other words, they are way over the heads of most people. The fans who populate this site are obviously more intelligent/educated than the average tv viewer and that shows in your various posts. Most of the really, extremely intelligent people I know don't watch tv at all because of the intellectual wasteland it represents. Think about it. Before Joss came along, what really intellectually stimulating shows can you name that were on tv. Other than Jeopardy, I can't remember anything before Buffy that really made me think, much anyway.

And therein lies the problem. When most people watch tv, they don't want to think. They mostly just want mindless entertainment where everything is laid out on a platter for them so they don't have to strain their grey matter at all.

It's very unfortunate (for us, mostly), but shows like Firefly and Wonderfalls are often doomed BECAUSE they are high quality, intelligent entertainment. Most people would rather watch Jerry Springer.

OK, RANT OVER.

I would like to apologize for my rant heavy day. I recently had a knee operation and am in some discomfort, which makes me irritable. When I'm irritable, I rant. Sorry again.

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

YANKSNO1

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 3:05 AM

Fox really cancelled Firefly because Fox is really stupid. They've cancelled a lot of very good shows they didn't give a chance. Firefly was no different.

NYWOE

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 4:48 AM

Quote:

Joss's shows are cerebral (most tv viewers are not). They are basically modern day versions of what Shakespeare wrote.

Although I think you have a good point about Joss being like Shakespeare, I disagree about either of them being only for "cerebral" viewers.

A large part of the reason that Shakespeare was so popular in his time was that his stories appealed both to the educated upper-class as well as the uneducated masses. We only think of his works as challenging today because the language is becoming more foreign.

I think there's plenty for both types of people to watch in Joss's work, and I think that's why he just may blow everyone away when Serenity comes out.

But you are forgivin your crankiness on accounta' your knees. I hope they are feeling better! :(

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Why Fox *really* cancelled Firefly...

Why Fox really cancelled Firefly...