SyFy Seeks The Next Big Space Opera, To Replace BSG and Farscape

POSTED BY: Haken
UPDATED: Monday, July 13, 2009 17:52
VIEWED: 6027
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HAKEN

Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:12 AM

Syfy president David Howe wants a new space-opera, along the lines of Firefly or Farscape, by 2011.

Read more here:

http://io9.com/5309356/syfy-seeks-the-next-big-space-opera-to-replace-
bsg-and-farscape?skyline=true&s=i

You would think that it would make more sense to simply bring back Firefly. Casting might be an issue, but Howe has till 2011. I'm even open to the idea of bringing in new characters and continuing from where 'Serenity' ended so that continuity is kept.

ECGORDON

Thursday, July 9, 2009 11:16 AM

SyFy is an NBC/Universal property, so is Serenity, at least as far as I know they still have movie rights. As to tv rights, that might still be up to FOX, but weirder deals have been made between studios before.

The ideal solution is to produce either a movie or short mini-series of Firefly/Serenity, something that could be done while the actors are on hiatus from any regular series gig they currently have.

Why reinvent the space opera when you already have the best one ever created?

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

AURAPTOR

Thursday, July 9, 2009 11:18 AM

Well, there are two less main characters to worry about, if there's a budget issue. By *2011, it'll be 5 yrs since SERENITY, and I'd suspect lots had happened on board.

How interesting would it be with just Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Kaylee on board ?

* I know it'll be 6 years, but from the time they start filming, in order for it to be released in 2011, I suspect, it'll be somewhere in 2010. Just an off the cuff guess.

The T.Rex they call JANE!

FILLYGIRL

Thursday, July 9, 2009 11:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haken:
Syfy president David Howe wants a new space-opera, along the lines of Firefly or Farscape, by 2011.

Read more here:

http://io9.com/5309356/syfy-seeks-the-next-big-space-opera-to-replace-
bsg-and-farscape?skyline=true&s=i

You would think that it would make more sense to simply bring back Firefly. Casting might be an issue, but Howe has till 2011. I'm even open to the idea of bringing in new characters and continuing from where 'Serenity' ended so that continuity is kept.

F*x would DIE before they brought FF back, hopefully they'll die soon.

Chaplain of the 76th Independant Battalion

Do not bother dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

...it's worse than you know...Operative
...it usually is.....Mal

BROWNCOAT1

Thursday, July 9, 2009 12:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haken:
Syfy president David Howe wants a new space-opera, along the lines of Firefly or Farscape, by 2011.

You would think that it would make more sense to simply bring back Firefly. Casting might be an issue, but Howe has till 2011. I'm even open to the idea of bringing in new characters and continuing from where 'Serenity' ended so that continuity is kept.

You'd think, but that would take thinking outside the box. Not sure SyFy has it in them.

I'd be okay with a continuing of Joss's story in the 'verse even if it meant another ship and crew. Is Joss locked in exclusive with Fox currently though? We all know Joss won't let anyone else touch Serenity so it would have to be him at the helm, but if he's contractually obligated to Fox would he be able to even entertain the idea?

__________________________________________
Holding the line since December '02!

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org

Color Officer / Battalion O.I.C.

http://76thbattalion.homestead.com/index.html

PIZMOBEACH

Thursday, July 9, 2009 1:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haken:
Syfy president David Howe wants a new space-opera, along the lines of Firefly or Farscape, by 2011.

You would think that it would make more sense to simply bring back Firefly.

If Firefly has done well in it's rebroadcast runs then it has a chance - you have to know that they know the viewer numbers, and it's not like it would be an emotional decision.

Having said that, it would be a bit of an ego hit for a network exec to choose something that has already been done, it's like saying, "I run this channel and have all of these paid creatives and we can't think of anything new, we just do reruns."

It starts with the numbers though...

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com Now available on your iPhone

NE0VEN0M

Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:37 PM

If Fox is never going to do anything with its rights, why can't they just sell it, make a profit and give it to a company who's willing to go in SOME kind of direction, whether that's re-airing the original episodes, trying to resurrect the series as it was, making a spin-off set in the same verse? It could be a win win for both parties if Fox can make money from the sale, and the new company can make money from the new material.

ECGORDON

Friday, July 10, 2009 1:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ne0ven0m:
If Fox is never going to do anything with its rights, why can't they just sell it, make a profit and give it to a company who's willing to go in SOME kind of direction, whether that's re-airing the original episodes, trying to resurrect the series as it was, making a spin-off set in the same verse? It could be a win win for both parties if Fox can make money from the sale, and the new company can make money from the new material.

I once worked for a company whose employees came up with an unofficial motto, and I think it would apply to FOX and almost any other network too.

If it makes sense, don't do it.

HAKEN

Friday, July 10, 2009 10:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Having said that, it would be a bit of an ego hit for a network exec to choose something that has already been done, it's like saying, "I run this channel and have all of these paid creatives and we can't think of anything new, we just do reruns."

LOL. Considering the numerous rebooting and re-imagining of television series and movies from the 70's and 80's that we've been seeing lately, it's probably not that much of a stretch for the studio execs.

Maybe some of these paid creatives aren't that creative after all. No doubt some are schooled in the idea of "let's bring back what we liked as kids, but slap lots of CGI and hot babes on it to make it new again" as a means of creating new television series and movies.

As a side note, one has to admit someone isn't completely sane when a studio spends $170 million on making "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra." That budget could have paid for 4 Firefly movies with change leftover.

If one removed all the CGI from this G.I. Joe trailer, all that's left is a comedy--and not a very good one at that, but I digress.

PIZMOBEACH

Friday, July 10, 2009 2:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haken:
Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Having said that, it would be a bit of an ego hit for a network exec to choose something that has already been done, it's like saying, "I run this channel and have all of these paid creatives and we can't think of anything new, we just do reruns."

LOL. Considering the numerous rebooting and re-imagining of television series and movies from the 70's and 80's that we've been seeing lately, it's probably not that much of a stretch for the studio execs.

Heh - I should have said, "should be."

Skiffy's David Howe is at least thinking that way:

" We don't want to do something that is the same old. You don't want it to feel recycled. So that's the challenge of doing that. I'm a huge fan of Firefly, and shows that take that idea and take that part of the genre and reinvent it in a whole new way. I'd love to find our version of, not specifically Firefly, but similar to what Joss [Whedon] tried to do with that in terms of, "lets recast the Western in space." Love that idea, and I love that show. What's another way to approach that?"

I get the feeling that he specifically mentions Firefly and NOT doing Firefly, because he hoped he could forestall Browncoat mailings. How naive - get the mail bags ready!

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com Now available on your iPhone

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