Firefly

[Orius]

Well, got the movie and saw it. Not bad. It felt a bit off in places, particularly how Mal was in Simon's face early in the plot, but otherwise good. I don't feel like it damaged the experience of the show, though I do have to wonder why Whedon felt it was necessary

Spoiler

to kill Wash off

.

So now I'm totally caught up on the Firefly 'verse like the rest of you guys....

for those that might be interested Joss & Zack Whedon released through Dark Horse Comics this week, Shepard's Tale. A story explaining who/what Shepard Book is it's not what I had expected in terms of who he was.

Aw crap....



Seeing everything in the space of a little more than 2 months though made it a good experience. Not like watching it out of order, having it cancelled, and waiting three years for a movie. There really wasn't enough of the show, and it's left me hungry for more.

 

[Umbran]

I am skeptical of this idea especially for new programming.

...

Unless things change dramatically, I don't see the model changing that much anytime soon.

I think DVRs and online presentation of content are in the midst of changing things dramatically.

I agree. Ad revenues on a global scale would outweigh any subscription price that viewers would find reasonable.

The network is a big middleman. The internet means you don't need to pay him - you can do direct distribution, like a big podcast feed.

Firefly cost, reportedly, about $2 million dollars per episode to produce. Same for Farscape, if I recall correctly. That's production costs and salaries and such all rolled up - all the people who make the series are paid in that, the special effects budget, and so on.

So, one million viewers, $2 per week, and blammo, you have a series. Comes up to be about $50 for a season - about what you pay for to get a season of a series on DVD.

I won't be surprised to see more things like this in the future: Riese: Kingdom Falling | Syfy






Especially since many view for free now. As soon as you tack on any cost the rage will swell.[/QUOTE]

 

[Welverin]

though I do have to wonder why Whedon felt it was necessary

Spoiler

to kill Wash off

.

It's what Joss does when he ends a show, it's something you can't afford to do in the middle of a shows run, but when it's ending it no longer matters.

The other two comic series were good and there should be more going forward, Dark Horse has plans to continue all of Joss' shows starting next year.

 

[fba827]

Not unexpectedly, my favorite "scene" in the story was the interaction with Jayne.

Would that be the same Jayne who is the Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne?

 

[Richards]

The very same.

Johnathan

 

[fba827]

The very same.

That just deserves this ....

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa8OVrMS6Zg]YouTube - Hero of Canton[/ame]

(Coming soon to a D&D Tavern near you ... )

 

[Orius]

Gorrammit, I just got that ruttin' song out my head! Now it'll be in there for another two weeks.

That was my favorite episode of the whole run, and I watched that scene several dozen times.

 

[Fast Learner]

Right now the only successful pay-TV I'm aware of that have original programming are HBO and Showtime.

Starz has some original programming, too. Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Gravity are both solid standouts, especially the former.

 

[Umbran]

I don't feel like it damaged the experience of the show, though I do have to wonder why Whedon felt it was necessary

Spoiler

to kill Wash off

.

If you want to know, you have to look at the structure of the movie, and where it sits with respect to the series as a whole. It is quite obvious if you were one of the obsessive Browncoat fan/freaks who saw one of the pre-release showings*.

[sblock]
Book dies first. You figure that's done to make Mal mad (both in-story and out: the Operative and Joss both want Mal to be pissed off there).

Then Wash dies. Wash was perhaps the most beloved character in the series. Joss is now showing you he's damned serious - his world is cruel, and bad things happen to good people. Good people can and will die.

Then comes the big fight scene at the end. If you're watching this in the theater, a fan of the show, not having seen folks discuss it later, now you really don't know what's going to happen. It is now quite credible that he could go for the TPK!

So, that's why Wash dies - to add tension to that fight, because Wash's death means you cant' tell who, if anyone, will survive to the end.[/sblock]

*Me? No I don't know anyone like that. Not at all. At least, not anyone who dressed up in costume to go to the premier....

 

[Klaus]

I don't feel like it damaged the experience of the show, though I do have to wonder why Whedon felt it was necessary

Spoiler

to kill Wash off

.

It's called Mood Whiplash.