So why couldn't the Sci-Fi network pick up Firefly???

POSTED BY: OPPYH
UPDATED: Monday, November 7, 2016 10:09
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i never cared for buffy or angel either :-P and yes i've seen each (not a lot, but enough to know i didnt like them). just not of the same quality as firefly. firefly is definitely his best work by far ^_^ well that and titan a.e. but i dont think he was a forerunner on that..not sure.

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The bottom line is, of course, MONEY, and lots of it.

The BDM, according to Box Office Mojo, cost $39M to make and grossed $38.9M at the box office. Not good by Hollywood standards.

Why didn't it do well:

36.5% Poor marketing campaign from Universal.
17.1% Failure of original TV show, 'Firefly,' foretold soft grosses.
15.8% Space Western concept inherently had limited appeal.
11.9% Storyline left the uninitiated and non-fans lost.
10.3% Strange title for an action or sci-fi movie
3.2% The show's fans, the Browncoats, didn't see it enough times.

Fact: Here is an Action/Adventure Sci-Fi movie that is released Sept. 30, 2005. Other than The Matrix (3/31/99) when do you release a Sci-Fi movie in the non-summer months and expect a blockbuster?

Another thing is that, although Sci-Fi Channel is owned by Universal, they still follow the same basic principles of the entertainment world...MONEY/PROFIT. They want more returned than they put into it. Having said that, I still think a miniseries (on the net or in limited release to pay cable, then to DVD) is the way to go. I prefer a TV series than a movie, but the bottom line is a reality show is cheaper to produce than a series with actors, writers and such. Hence we get Big Brother, Survivor, AI and Top Chef, all great shows (wink, wink), but anything of quality - Firefly, Joan of Arcadia, This So Called Life - is flushed down the toilet.

Shiny! Let's be bad guys!

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Originally posted by Shinygoodguy:
The bottom line is, of course, MONEY, and lots of it.

The BDM, according to Box Office Mojo, cost $39M to make and grossed $38.9M at the box office.

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And obviously didn't make a penny on DVD, otherwise it would have been one of the first movies to be released in HD. Oh, wait - it was!

I think the big marketing problem was that it was sold as "Buffy in space" (Big picture of Summer in whoopass mode on all the UK posters) and Buffy is pretty much percieved as a kids show, especially in the UK. When I saw Serenity, a group of people walked out after hearing about Kaylee's nethers

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Hey ImNotHere

People really walked out on the movie - especially at that part. Wow, I don't think they got the movie. That line by Kaylee is great (Mal's reaction was a hoot). But I agree that this movie was not marketed properly, nor was it released to take advantage of the biggest movie-going crowd - the summer audience.

Say, do you remember if any of the actors in the BDM were ever interviewed on any of the talk shows? I'm straining my brain to see if I do but I'm drawing a blank. As you know Leno, Letterman and Conan are key in getting to word out in the mainstream.

Shiny! Let's be bad guys!

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Originally posted by biggestdamnhero:
. Just not a Joss worshipper, or bought into that whole Wedonesque cult. Never cared for Buffy or Angel. Never watched a single episode. But Firefly? Hell yes!
BDH

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To quote Wash from TRASH..." I'm confused ". You go through a lot of contradictory comments here, and I for one am a bit lost as to your true meaning of things. On the one hand, you smartly point out that...

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Most people are too dumb to appreciate good writing, and great character development.

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...and what's exactly the stuff for which Joss has made his mark. But then you follow up with how...

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Just not a Joss worshipper, or bought into that whole Wedonesque cult. Never cared for Buffy or Angel

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I also was cool to the whole Buffy/Angel scene myself. I had seem 'some' of the episodes, enough to know who most of the main characters were, but not much more. Then I saw Firefly - WOW! And yeah, despite the pump action guns, I was able to look past the peripheral stuff and see what was really important. The story and the characters. I was hooked, and still am today. But Firefly lead me to go back and check out Buffy and Angel, season by season, and I'm glad I took the time to watch 'em all.

Anyway, just wanted to point out that it sounded to me you were contradicting yourself a bit.


Also, Firefly is being shown on Universal HD, Saturday nights at 8pm. Just so ya know.



It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Originally posted by ImNotHere:

I think the big marketing problem was that it was sold as "Buffy in space" (Big picture of Summer in whoopass mode on all the UK posters) and Buffy is pretty much percieved as a kids show, especially in the UK. When I saw Serenity, a group of people walked out after hearing about Kaylee's nethers

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I guess it's the Jayne in me, but why'd anyone walk out of the movie then? If anything, that's when you may think things were getting MORE interesting!!

Sorry to hear about the marketing snafu. And despite the draw back , Serenity still managed to rate as BBCs top movie for 2005. Here in the U.S., I don't think it was as much an issue of MIS-marketing, as it was just not enough marketing to begin with. Had they come to me and listened to some of my ideas, SERENITY would have made much much more.



It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Originally posted by Shinygoodguy:
Hey ImNotHere
People really walked out on the movie - especially at that part. Wow, I don't think they got the movie.

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It was a bit rude...

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Say, do you remember if any of the actors in the BDM were ever interviewed on any of the talk shows?

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I saw one interview on morning TV in the UK (Jewel and, uh, I forget who else). It actually opened at #1 over here, but (If I recall correctly) got knocked off the top spot by Wallace and Gromit the next week. There is no shame in that...

There were TV ad spots for it, but the usual stupid sort which stopped when the film actually opened (unlike when they're trying to salvage some lame gross-out comedy and do follow-up ads with vox pops from chavs coming out of the cinema).

I partly blame DVD - its easier to pull something from theaters after a couple of weeks in the knowledge that you can have a second chance come the DVD release than it its to follow through with the film marketing.

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Originally posted by ecgordon:

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Originally posted by biggestdamnhero:
Never cared for Buffy or Angel. Never watched a single episode.

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How can you know you don't care for something you've never seen?


ecgordon;
Because I did not care for a woman slaying vampires. Van Helsing was a better vamp-slayer.
Angel: A Vampire show again? Really the Whedon take on Anne Rice was questionable. Really the whole Vampire genre is been there, done that!

"And I'm thinking you weren't
burdened with an overabundance of
schooling"

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