Firefly Season 2 Talks (1 Viewer)

[mattCR]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=0&id=34383
http://www.fireflyseason2.com/index.asp

Not necessarily for TV, but there are apparently negotiations ongoing for original programming for the SciFi network & iPod.

A lone fan with money is setting out to test the idea of buying the rights to Firefly and marketing it through those means.

Only time will tell if they can get the Firefly back off the ground.

 

[JohnS]

That would be something! I'd love to see it come back in some type of form.

Also Inkworks, the trading card company has just announced Firefly:The complete series trading cards in April.
These will have autograph cards and actual costumes worn on the show.

Firefly:Complete series trading card news

 

[Rakesh.S]

if something is going to happen i'd like to think it will happen/be announced by the end of this year.

Once we hit '07, it will have been 4 years since Firefly went off the air and the actors surely will not want to pursue it. This guy's idea seems like a longshot, at best, as they put it. I just can't see the logistics being taken care of without a major studio involved.

Let's hope there is a return to tv..and soon. I'd prefer a weekly series to a movie every 3 years.

 

[todd s]

Sounds almost like the fan effort to save Enterprise from cancellation. they were collecting donations to be used to make a proper finale. They actually had a couple of millionaire Trek fans donate a couple of million. But, Paramount shot down the idea.

 

[Travis_S]

Chances of this happening: 0%
Give it up, already. Let it die.

 

[BrianBr]

Travis,

Why the hate? "Give it up, already. Let it die."

-Brian

 

[Greg.K]

I agree with the "let it die" comments. The movie provided a good ending for the series, IMO. It's better to channel this energy into something new at this point. Leave Firefly for comics.

But then, if it did happen I'm sure I'd watch it.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Except they've all expressed how it was pretty much the best work experience of their lives.

Not to mention, if this happened they'd be free to creatively do the series mostly how they wanted. Which means more of an HBO style of storytelling. If this theoretically happened I'd expect short 12 episode seasons, each year. Giving Joss freedom for movie projects and the like.

The odds certainly are slim, but I think it's interesting. The Enterprise thing was people trying to finance the show so UPN wouldn't lose money by airing episodes. UPN explained it's not possible to do that because they'd still be wasting airtime with something that COULD be earning cash via ad sales.

This is apparently the idea to licence the rights from FOX to produce the series independently, and then attempt to sell it to the highest bidder. Meaning FOX could give them the money to distribute a direct to DVD set of two episodes and theoretically make a lot. It's surely a longshot, but I think it's interesting that talks have apparently gone this far, and this seems a big more legit than a lot of campaigns. This isn't about getting a network to reconsider bringing the show back... to my knowledge this hasn't really ever been done before.

 

[todd s]

I had heard Enterprise wasn't losing money. It was just that the head of CBS (who runs UPN) didn't like the show and were looking to kill it. Thats not saying it was a money-maker.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Enterprise probably wasn't losing money for Viacom, long term, when all was said and done, but there was no way a show that cost $2M/episode with falling ratings was making money for UPN.

 

[Will_B]

As a point of comparison, the syndicated tv series Highlander (with Adrian Paul) went off the air many years ago, and yet filming of the latest Highlander film (with Adrian Paul) just wrapped a couple months ago.

Moral being that some properties have more enduring interest than others. They just sit around percolating, waiting for funds to come in...

Myself, I'm keen to see more Firefly/Serenity, but I am equally keen to see any other projects that Whedon and his crew may decide to pursue instead. I got into Buffy, and that led to Angel, and both of those led into shows related to Whedon's crew such as Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me (and at some point I should see Point Pleasant). Just follow the creative team that Whedon worked with and there's so much to enjoy!

 

[Steve Y]

While you won't ever find me embracing the phrase "let Firefly die", the chances of it being renewed on television are close to nil. I'd say the safest bet, and an extremely slim one at that, is some kind of made-for-TV special on the Sci-Fi Channel. I think there's actually a better chance of a theatrical sequel than a television sequel (still not very good).

I would love to be proven wrong.

And what's this about fan(s) putting up money for a show? This kind of thing screams "poison" to most television executives. Fan-supported = Cult show = years before advertising revenue. Buffy would never have managed to produce its five excellent seasons of television if it had not been on a fledgling network with "experimental" rating policies.

(yes, "five seasons", for those of you compelled to correct me with the technically-correct "seven")

Firefly had at least four years of excellent television left in it, and I would have much rather had the rest of season 1 and season 2 than "Serenity" (which I enjoyed, but not as much as Firefly).

 

[Ravi K]

Didn't Whedon say himself that Serenity was the last we'd see of the Firefly story?

 

[Greg.K]

Ok, "let it die" is a little harsh. But I don't think there's much reason to have a new series.

If the series had been allowed to continue, we would have gradually found out more about River's and Book's pasts, learned about the Reavers, and learned more about the Alliance.

Serenity gave us an explanation for River and killed off Book & Wash. It revealed the Reavers, and got the Alliance off their backs. Kaylee and the doctor got together. It was a quick wrap-up to almost every lingering thread from Firefly.

I'm just not sure there's all that much left to be told to justify more TV shows or movies. But a comic book series and perhaps even a series of novels would be nice.

BTW, I hope spoilers are ok here. I assume everyone has seen Serenity.

 

[Will_B]

Nope.

 

[Mary_P]

He's pretty much said exactly the opposite -- that the story will continue in some form, though due to events in "Serenity," it couldn't be exactly what the original series was.

Whedon made a surprise appearance at the Flanvention in Burbank last December and stated that he hoped to get more stories in this universe out -- preferrably in some filmed form, with the original cast -- but that one way or another, the stories would be told, in particular the story of Book's past. He's said that that would get out as a feature film, a mini-series, direct-to-DVD, novel, comic book, blog, or whatever, but that one way or another, it would be told.

And, yes, both he and the actors seem keen to work together again -- I hope they get the chance!

 

[Kevin Grey]

Why do you think talks "have gotten this far"? The Enterprise fans said the same thing. Until we hear from a source other than this fan that Fox and/or Whedon are actually in "talks" I don't believe this guy has (or will) make any progress.

I think Firefly might return in a similar capacity (Direct to DVD or somesuch) but I think it will from an official entity footing the bill whether its Universal, Fox, or Sci-Fi (technically part of Universal).

And just look at the economics here- if this guy is going to fund all of this out of his pocket then he not only needs licensing money but money for production (a 13 episode season will likely cost at least $18 million). I don't really believe this guy has that level of funding.

 

[KevinGress]

He doesn't. His hope is to fund a 2 hour "pilot" and shop that around - network, direct-to-video, PPV, etc.

If he could actually get the ball rolling, get Whedon and cast on board, and shows beyond the 'pilot' get made, I think it would be successful. Not gangbusters, but I think it would pay for itself initially and really build into its own franchise.

And that's why I hope it returns to a serialized show, in one form or another. I really care for the characters and find Firefly's "universe" unique - the same way I found Stargate SG-1's "universe" unique when it first aired. That uniqueness should be given a chance to grow and become nuianced.

I'll watch/read/accept Firefly in whatever form it comes out in next - I'm just hoping someone is willing to take a chance and return it to its proper form - a series.

 

[Travis_S]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...d=34383&type=0
I was too harsh in saying, "Let it die," but everything I hear about this smells. I'm sure this will go places when Whedon "doesn't really know anything about that guy."

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Travis, not to be harsh myself, but you don't seem to have read the mission statement this guy has.

The point is that JOSS IS TOO BUSY with Wonder Woman and the other projects he has on his plate to work on a possibly worthless project like trying to wrestle the Firefly TV rights away from FOX when there's a 90% chance nothing will come of it. Obviously the guy isn't going to involve Joss unless some more obstacles are cleared. His whole goal is to not bother Joss at this point because there is NO REASON TO.

The guy is doing all of he legal legwork so that Joss can work on other projects. If the guy somehow were to succeed he'd give Joss the opportunity to continue the series.

I don't see what's so fishy about running a website that asks for NO donations and merely wants to take a poll of what people might be willing to pay to purchase Firefly episodes on demand.

They aren't even requiring e-mail addresses. Just an age and cable-provider.

Point is that the reason these things usually fall through is they are halted by a production company or another source. The guy has contacted other people, but the whole point of his work is to not bother Joss with it until (or if) something happens. If he approached FOX and is told to bug off... it's done. If he got the rights somehow and Joss wasn't interested... he'll quit. Obviously it's a longshot, but so was getting a movie.

The landscape of TV is changing. Look at The OFFICE (nbc's dud last spring) which is now enjoying an increase of something like 69% of viewers, and it's also the 2nd best selling TVshow on ITunes.

With on-demand, tivo, and more click to watch forms of entertainment taking over... the idea that a 13 episode season of television could be sold to subscribers at 2-4 dollars an episode isn't ridiculous to imagine.

The point is that Joss just doesn't have the time or energy to work on that. But this guy apparently is willing to do it.

Considering it's not bothering Joss or anyone else... what on earth could be the harm in this guy using his OWN resources for a project that might be fruitful in the future? Did you completely miss the message of Serenity? At least the guy's not completely apathetic about entertainment. He sees a possibility to continue a form of entertainment he enjoys and he's trying his best to make something come of it. More power to him if you ask me.

Now if he started asking for donations or money then I'd agree, let it go. But something like this hasn't really ever been attempted before. The TV times are a-changin'.