Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

meelk · Jun 16, 2005, 10:44 AM

Fans of the cult-hit series Firefly will be pleased to learn that the show has been picked up by the Sci Fi Channel--just two months before the release of Serenity, a Universal Pictures film based on the series.
http://www.tv.com/story/story.html&story_id=335

not just yeah, HELL YEAH!

andi*pandi · Jun 16, 2005, 01:47 PM

most excellent!

bubblewrap · Jun 16, 2005, 02:04 PM

I liked Firefly. I've seen some people knock it but it sure beat the hell out of Andromeda.

And YAY!

ReggieX · Jun 16, 2005, 02:23 PM

I thought everyone already bought the DVDs, I know I did!

meelk · Jun 16, 2005, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by ReggieX

I thought everyone already bought the DVDs, I know I did!

I dont think you understand "picked up". Its picked up for new shows.

Chuckit · Jun 16, 2005, 07:59 PM

No.

Originally Posted by the Web site you linked to

All existing episodes will air this summer, though there is no word on a second season.

JoshuaZ · Jun 16, 2005, 08:53 PM

Its not been picked up for new shows, just to run the old ones before the movie comes out. Fox has really tight control over the rights to its shows. I doubt Sci-fi has the money to buy the rights from Fox right now.

wolfen · Jun 16, 2005, 10:55 PM

Thx for the link.

We were in a theater and there were a few ~8 year old kids right behind us. They were watching all the previews like Shark Boy and Lava girl, all the animated stuff, etc. and saying what a great movie it would be. One boy is particularly vocal: He couldn't wait to see all of them. So the preview for Firefly comes on and the boy is silent the whole time. The preview ends and there's a pause. Suddenly he says "I don't think anyone's going to see that movie...I don't even understand what it's about." My wife and I bust out laughin' because we had just finished watching all the DVD's and were excited to see the preview.

The sad part is he's probably right. Shark Boy and Lava Girl will be a big hit and the Firefly will fade into the darkness.

Scooterboy · Jun 16, 2005, 11:07 PM

I think Serenity will do well. They have a 3 film option with Universal. As long as the film is good and promotion is effective. It's not expected to be a Star Wars or LOTR, and there's room to grow.

I really would be stoked if SciFi could score a new Serenity nee-Firefly series from Joss Whedon.
After all, it's not like Serenity hasn't already made a SciFi Channel appearance. Has anyone caught a glimpse of Serenity flying overhead in the pilot episode of Battlestar Gallactica?

meelk · Jun 17, 2005, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

No.

firefly will get a slot during the week, and almost undoubtably take SG1's sport on friday nights after SG1 finishes its 9th and likely final season. The movie just has to do "decently", meaning not totally and completely flop. SciFi is looking specifically for shows like this. I believe they would have taken Angel, but its production costs were simply too high to stomach.

andi*pandi · Jun 17, 2005, 08:48 AM

judging by how the pre-screenings are selling out (10 mins) and the ebay auctions, Serenity will do well. I liked it a lot, and what I saw wasn't even finished.

I certainly don't think 8yrolds are the target audience, so phew, we're safe there. Shark boy and Lava girl?

It's pretty much confirmed that Joss is tired of TV and wants to do film for a while. The actors are signed on for 2 more movies if they get greenlighted. Only after those movies can we talk new series.

The comix should be out soon as well.

Wiskedjak · Jun 17, 2005, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by wolfen

Thx for the link.

We were in a theater and there were a few ~8 year old kids right behind us. They were watching all the previews like Shark Boy and Lava girl, all the animated stuff, etc. and saying what a great movie it would be. One boy is particularly vocal: He couldn't wait to see all of them. So the preview for Firefly comes on and the boy is silent the whole time. The preview ends and there's a pause. Suddenly he says "I don't think anyone's going to see that movie...I don't even understand what it's about." My wife and I bust out laughin' because we had just finished watching all the DVD's and were excited to see the preview.

The sad part is he's probably right. Shark Boy and Lava Girl will be a big hit and the Firefly will fade into the darkness.

Firefly isn't meant for 8yr olds

meelk · Jun 17, 2005, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by andi*pandi

judging by how the pre-screenings are selling out (10 mins) and the ebay auctions, Serenity will do well. I liked it a lot, and what I saw wasn't even finished.

I certainly don't think 8yrolds are the target audience, so phew, we're safe there. Shark boy and Lava girl?

It's pretty much confirmed that Joss is tired of TV and wants to do film for a while. The actors are signed on for 2 more movies if they get greenlighted. Only after those movies can we talk new series.

The comix should be out soon as well.

Joss is just "tired of tv" because hes getting the opportunity to finally do movies. He is helming Wonder Woman as well.

dreilly1 · Jun 17, 2005, 10:01 AM

We've just started netflixing the DVD's recently. I think it's a really good show. I don't think the acting is quite as good as some give it credit for. The storyline is very good not necessarily because each episode is well-written as an individual work, but because the story arcs are well thought out and are quite different from your standard Space Opera. Whedon sets all the scenes up very well, and the whole Western theme to the series makes it distinctive. He pays lots of attention to details: even the fact that you rarely ever hear ship noises on the exterior shots, but hear incidental western music instead, marks it as different.

With all that said, I think the movie will do so-so in the theatres, because all that stuff won't necessarily appeal to your average moviegoer, and the Firefly fan base is simply not that big (both when compared to Trek Wars XXVII: The Search For More Money, and because it doesn't have Angelina Lopez or Brad Affleck in it.). But it will do well in DVD's, and probably make enough money to justify making the other two.

I always thought that we should get TV stations out of content production, and have series with dedicated fanbases make episodes direct for DVD. Perhaps if this stretch of Firefly movies makes money, but not enough to warrant large-scale corporate involvement, there could be a credible business case made for this. I've read that Whedon kept the special effects and sets for the series relatively simple and inexpensive to reduce production costs, maybe he had this in mind already....

Chuckit · Jun 17, 2005, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by meelk

firefly will get a slot during the week, and almost undoubtably take SG1's sport on friday nights after SG1 finishes its 9th and likely final season. The movie just has to do "decently", meaning not totally and completely flop. SciFi is looking specifically for shows like this. I believe they would have taken Angel, but its production costs were simply too high to stomach.

Okay? It's still not picked up for new shows. That's all I was saying.

wolfen · Jun 17, 2005, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

Firefly isn't meant for 8yr olds

That's why it was funny.

nredman · Jun 18, 2005, 05:49 PM

sci-fi needs to pick up the old school doctor who, anyone here get BBC america and if so does that have doctor who on it????

JoshuaZ · Jun 19, 2005, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by nredman

sci-fi needs to pick up the old school doctor who, anyone here get BBC america and if so does that have doctor who on it????

I second that notion!

nredman · Jun 19, 2005, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ

I second that notion!

just dropped sci-fi an email about doctor who, i doubt it would ever happen though

[email protected]

ReggieX · Jun 19, 2005, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by meelk

I dont think you understand "picked up". Its picked up for new shows.

No it's not. Read the site you linked.

andi*pandi · Jun 19, 2005, 10:24 PM

no new shows. click my sig--if there were new shows, those sites would be abuzz.

Scooterboy · Jun 25, 2005, 12:30 PM

The film, "Serenity", will downplay the Western theme somewhat. Also expect action and momentum, rather than the intimacy and character development that were so much a part of "Firefly". Apparently, Universal thinks it can be successful enough to pay back all the money they've spent on the film. I hope they promote it effectively. I'll drag everyone I know into the cinema, which won't be too hard now that I've lent or given the DVD set to said "everyone".

What I'd like to see is Joss Whedon eventually helming his own production company, ala Lucasfilm, so he'll never again have the likes of Fox breathing down his neck or pulling the plug on an unfinished work.