Joss cuts off ties with Fox

POSTED BY: Sniper
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 19:01
VIEWED: 7522
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LISSA

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 5:09 AM

i just really want to know what this means for mutant enemy! anyone???

~lissa, spwhore

SUCCATASH

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 5:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lissa:
i just really want to know what this means for mutant enemy! anyone???

Hi, Lissa. The article says,

"Mutant Enemy is expected to close shop as soon as this week; departing are the label's handful of staffers, including company president Chris Buchanan, who's been with Mutant Enemy since 2002 and is exec producing "Serenity."

Mutant Enemy will continue with Whedon as the sole proprietor."

I thought Chris B. owned part of Mutant Enemy. ?

"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

LISSA

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 5:39 AM

ok, now i'm sad:(

~lissa, spwhore

LIVIDLIQUID

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 8:26 AM

So now we have absolutely no hope of becoming hopelessly addicted to another awesome Joss show. Fantastic.

This really sucks. I'm sure his movies are going to kick ass and all, but once every two years isn't enough Whedon for my addiction.

At least I've got 24 as methodone.

RHUTTNER

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 2:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:
Quote:
Originally posted by rhuttner:
20th Century Fox TELEVISION made Buffy, Angel, and Firefly

20th Century Fox (the movie studio) made Alien Resurrection.

They are different companies.
Thanks for responding. But I find the whole 20th Century/FOX/Joss business relationship confusing.

I thought there was just "20th Century Fox" and "FOX". 20th Century produces and distributes movies, TV shows, and home video. FOX broadcasts television which is totally different and they cancelled Firefly.

And I thought the Fox News corp. was a third entity altogether.

I would like a lecture on this subject. Thanks!

"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

Ultimatly they are all subsidaries of the same company owned by Murdock.

But here is the deal, as I understand it.

20th Century Fox Television makes TV shows such as Buffy, Angel, Firefly, The Practice, X-Files.

20th Century Fox makes movies such as Alien Resurrection, the original Buffy movie, and the X-Files movie.

These are different companies.

20th Century Fox Television owns the rights to the shows. So when the attempt was made to turn Firefly into a movie, the TV division had to find a movie studio to do it. It could have gone to 20th Century Fox, but went to Universal. In either case, the movie studio would have to pay the television studio (either up front or a % of box office) for the rights to make the movie. I believe the side effect of the deal with Universal was to have exclusive rights to the property for 10 years which is why Firefly can't return to TV as a series for that amount of time.

In addition, there is the FOX Network. This is a television network that airs TV shows regardless of the studio that made it. For example, Married with Children was made by Columbia Pictures Television. Networks pay the studios for exclusive rights to air episodes a certain number of times, but the studio still owns it. So FOX the network paid 20th Century Fox Television the studio for the rights to air Firefly.

There is also a distribution division. This is the company that distributes movies to theaters and markets it. So if you go see Star Wars Episode III you will see that it starts with a credit for Lucasfilm, the company that made the movie, then a credit for 20th Century Fox, the company that distributed it. They get a percentage of the box office and the rest goes to Lucasfilm.

But thats not the end of it. There is also Fox Home Entertainment. This is the company we need to thank for the DVDs. They get a percentage of the sales because they make and distribute the property for the Television and Film divisions. So even though X-Files the TV show and X-Files the movie were made by different companies, the home video/DVD is from the same company.

Joss' contract was with the Television studio. The current contract was made after the cancellation of Firefly. People on this board were questioning why he would sign a contract with a company that treated him like go se. Well its because they didn't. The television studio treated him very well. It was the network that treated him like go se. The movie division wasn't that good to him either.

Because there are so many different Fox companies involved, people think its all the same. I recently posted a thread about Amazon having a sale on Season 1 DVD box sets for Fox Television shows. Someone responded with something like he wouldn't buy them and is sorry that Fox is getting a percentage of the Firefly DVD. Well the network doesnt get anything from the DVD sales. The Home Entertainment and the Television divisions do. Thats like saying NBC gets a percentage for the new DVDs for Star Trek.

One last thing to make things even more confusing. Sometimes the networks actually do make the show. NBC was a producer for the first season of JAG. CBS is a co-producer of CSI. In these cases, the network would make money off the DVDs and in syndication since they have partial ownershi

ZEEK

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 4:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AnotherFireflyfan:
Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
uh....what do they mean when he comes back it will be with Fox!? Does that mean he said no matter when he finally wants back on TV he still has to give Fox first dibs?

Talk about adding insult to injury. Not only is Joss really really out of the TV biz for a while but even if he does come back it has to be with Fox.

That would be 20th Century Fox, which has produced ALL of Joss shows. Not the Fox ( ) Network that cancelled our favorite show. So rest somewhat more assured.

I am also interested in hearing why Joss did this, though. And no more Mutant Enemy?? *cries*

Keep flying

That may be true but they're still pretty much in bed with each other. If 20th Century Fox gets a new hit show I wouldn't be surprised if first dibs always go to the Fox Network.

RHUTTNER

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 6:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:

That may be true but they're still pretty much in bed with each other. If 20th Century Fox gets a new hit show I wouldn't be surprised if first dibs always go to the Fox Network.

Well it cant be a hit show until it airs so whatever network picks it up is still taking a risk.

But, you are basically correct. Deals are made between the divisions. Im sure that most of the shows made by 20th TV are on, or were first offered to FOX. Same can be said for Paramount and UPN, Warner Brothers and The WB, Universal and NBC.

After the Universal/NBC merger Dick Wolf, the creator of Law and Order, said that now NBC can name its own fee for the show. This means that Dick Wolf's company gets screwed.

There was a recent lawsuit between the creators of "Will and Grace" and NBC who is a co-producer of the show. The producers claimed that NBC undervalued the show to keep it on their network.

So yes there are deals between the sibling companies.

COSMICFUGITIVE

Tuesday, October 26, 2004 7:01 PM

Quote:

"Why do things never run smooth?"
- Mal, "SAFE"

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