Wonderfalls canceled

POSTED BY: trekkerj
UPDATED: Friday, February 25, 2005 22:27
VIEWED: 37654
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TOMANTA

Sunday, April 4, 2004 4:15 AM

Here's another post from him in the same thread [there are a few others, but this is the most substantial]

Quote:

Tim, is there anything we can do? I've never participated in a "save our show campaign," but I adore this show and I'll do anything to save it. Who can we write to about this? What should we ask for? This show is excellent and deserves to be shown in full, somehow.

In terms of "saving" the show? Not really anything you can do. The network is a non-starter here. The stuido, 20th, is possibly a different matter. If they get the sense that people would buy a complete series DVD set, it might happen that the series becomes available in future. But please don't waste your time or money on trying to revive "Wonderfalls" for a pick-up with Fox. Ain't gonna happen.

When we first began this series, I was asked by many why I would put my trust in the network that mishandled "Firefly" so terribly. Well, because it felt different to me. Initially, there was real excitement and belief in "Wonderfalls" at the network. My feeling with "Fireflit couldn't launch it or sell it with any measure of success.

And again, "Wonderfalls" felt totally different to me. At first. Then, at some point in the process, I could sense an erosion in enthusiasm. Even as we were finding our footing and delivering to them some really exceptional episodes (ones you never got to see!), things got chilly. Then they couldn't seem to find any place on the schedule for us. Then they did... and it was Friday night. I tell you now, the moment that was announced, I knew it was over. They were dumping us into Friday nights and that was that. When the smashing reviews started coming in... and coming and coming and coming... I think they didn't know what to think or do. You have but one chance to make a good first impression. But they'd given up on the show before it ever aired, and even when the lion's share of critics were hailing the show, it was too late for them to backtrack and launch the series with any kind of conviction. My "Firefly" experience was repeating itself. I think it was USA Today that said this may be "the wrong show, in the wrong season, on the wrong night, on the wrong network." Just so. I do think market forces were at work here, too. Not just incompetence.

I don't know if any network could have brought an audience to this show. Certainly no network that dumped it on Friday night, promoted it in such as way as to try and trick people into thinking it was "Dawson's Creek," or that didn't, apparantly, agree with the things the critics were saying about it. I do think any network wants whatever they pay for to be a success. I don't think they MEAN to strangle something in the crib. I know that the next time I shop something to a network, I'm going to hope to find a network that understands and believes in the thing they ordered. And if they thought it looked good on the menu, I'd hope they'd still have a taste for it once it got to the table.

There's a whole 'nother half of this post... but I deleted it.

Twice burned, me.

SUCCATASH

Sunday, April 4, 2004 4:59 AM

This is very sad. The DVD release is inevitable. I will buy it for my friends.

11THHOUR

Sunday, April 4, 2004 5:39 AM

FOX just doesn't give unusual shows the time they need to grow. All of this carnage will inevitably lead to shows finding other ways to reach their audiences. When networks plow under their new crops before they have a chance to grow, all we'll be left with is dirt.

Enter "The Swan".

11thHour

__________________________________________________________

"Doing the impossible makes us mighty." - Malcolm Reynolds

JENTLE

Sunday, April 4, 2004 5:45 AM

Damn Fox.... God, I'm just.... disgusted right now.

==================
Every well-bred petty crook knows that the small concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting.

KINGOFTHEMUDDERS

Sunday, April 4, 2004 5:48 AM

That's whatcha git for bein clever.

*Flushes toilet*

*crowd cheers*

Now, besides stating the obvious (this really sucks), I am really going to miss Jaye (and more specifically, the actress of the ridiculously complicated name that I can't even begin to pronounce, let alone spell), cause, well, Jaye was/is/was the most unique female character on television. And really hot. That too. Hot. Yes. That. And no William Sadler. Television is not television without William Sadler appearing on it in some way, shape, or form.

Let's face it, Fox did everything it could possible do to get this show out there (they put it on TV didn't they?!?) and it tanked. Let's pick up the pieces and shove em up our nose and in our ears so maybe, just maybe, it'll cause enough brain damange to make us enjoy all the fine programming Fox offers ("Oooh hey, the OC!")

It's just a name people; I'm not really the king of the mudders. Just a prince... always a prince...

HOTFORKAYLEE

Sunday, April 4, 2004 5:49 AM

I have not posted in quite some time but I had to on this one.

How do you place a show on Fridays, show 3 episodes, move it to Thursday for one, then cancel it?

Wow, I love Firefly but Wonderfalls got screwed even harder. Why?

What did Joss, Tim, or any of their people do to piss fox off so much? It is almost like fox has a vendetta against anyone involved with Whedon. They figured they would get him, now Tim, sign them to contracts then screw them.

Think about it. You are a tv exec and you hate someone. Sign them to a deal for an awesome show and kill it. You try to get their best work that you can and bury it. They can not take it elsewhere now without your consent. You also know that this will not show up against any of your reality crap to take viewers.

Mercifuly they let Universal have the rights to a Firefly movie, but you can bet they either made a ton of money or kept all the merchandising rights so they could cash in.

FUCK fox

BUDCLARE

Sunday, April 4, 2004 6:45 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotForKaylee:
Think about it. You are a tv exec and you hate someone. Sign them to a deal for an awesome show and kill it. You try to get their best work that you can and bury it. They can not take it elsewhere now without your consent. You also know that this will not show up against any of your reality crap to take viewers.

*blinks*

*backs away slowly*

________________________
She has had congress with the beast.

RHUTTNER

Sunday, April 4, 2004 6:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotForKaylee:

Mercifuly they let Universal have the rights to a Firefly movie, but you can bet they either made a ton of money or kept all the merchandising rights so they could cash in.

You are making a very common mistake. The Fox that you are cursing is not the one that let Universal have anything. FOX Television Network Cancelled the show that 20th Century Fox Television Studios made and 20th Century Fox Home Video released on DVD. These are different companies of the same umbrella company.

As Tim said:

Quote:

In terms of "saving" the show? Not really anything you can do. The network is a non-starter here. The stuido, 20th, is possibly a different matter. If they get the sense that people would buy a complete series DVD set, it might happen that the series becomes available in future. But please don't waste your time or money on trying to revive "Wonderfalls" for a pick-up with Fox. Ain't gonna happen.

The 20th he is referring to is 'Fox'. This means that if you want a DVD set of Wonderfalls, you have to ask the company that made Buffy, Angel, The Practice, Judging Amy, Roswell, and Yes, Dear--of of which never aired on the Fox Television Network.

And if 20th Century Fox Television made any money off the deal with Universal, or from merchandising then good for them. The people that decided to cancel it will not see a penny of it since its a different company. Its not like ABC makes money from the Charlie's Angels movies (as far as I know).

FIREFLYTHEMOVIE

Sunday, April 4, 2004 6:51 AM

Feh. I should've known. I thought Wonderfalls was different for Fox. Yeah, they put it in the same Timeslot-o-Death, and the promos they put together for it were pretty crappy. That part was déjà vu all over again.

But they actually aired the promos! And the promos themselves weren't quite as terrible as Firefly's promos! And they showed it in the order intended! And re-aired the pilot on a better night! And when it did better on that night, they actually tried moving the show itself to that better night! Yeah, some people missed it because they didn't realize it got moved, but it was a step in the right direction.

Feh.

LINDLEY

Sunday, April 4, 2004 6:57 AM

Actually, the "next episode" promos were pretty decent......for someone who's seen the show. I imagine they wouldn't have been as good to those who hadn't. The pre-premier promos certainly weren't exactly grabby.

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