Firefly (and Serenity)...

[HdE]

Wasn't the only change to the running order that Fox demanded the episode 'The Train Job' be written as a new series opener? My memory of such things is a bit foggy.

Also, just to gloat, I went out wirth a girl for a while who was the absolute spit of Jewel Staite.

Can't gloat too much, though. She turned out to be an absolute cowbag.

[TordelBack]

My memory is probably even foggier than yours, but the Firefly wiki (http://firefly.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Firefly_episodes) paints a head-wrecking picture of episode broadcast dates, which includes the brilliant 'last' episode 'Objects in Space' being shown 10th, the first episode 'Serenity' being shown 11th, and then Episodes Nos. 11-13 being shown 6 months later again...  I actually can't make much sense of it.

[Professor Bear]

The penultimate episode "the Message" was also clearly the season finale, the final episode "Objects In Space" being a rather dull send-off for my money.  I also reckon it was the western trappings that did for the show with Fox, as they seem to have an allergy to the genre.

Currently starting a BSG rewatch, and it is remarkable how much it owes directly to Firefly, from the FX in the space sequences including "flawed" camera shots, shakycam, episode framing and structure, and even sharing writers.

[locustsofdeath!]

I worked for Fox (Fox 56, Philadelphia) as a Master of Controls Operator (fancy title, yes) when Firefly was airing - and I don't remember it at all. At all.

I remember Tru Calling, Wonderfalls and all kinds of other aborted shows that aired during my watch, but for some reason not Firefly. In fact, I was shocked when I found out it aired on Fox.

Currently starting a BSG rewatch, and it is remarkable how much it owes directly to Firefly, from the FX in the space sequences including "flawed" camera shots, shakycam, episode framing and structure, and even sharing writers.

BSG is next on the docket after Farscape. I plan to start with the old series first, though.

[Professor Bear]

I love old BSG, but by christ it didn't half feel like they were trying to squeeze as many feature-length telemovies as they possibly could from the first half of season 1.  If I may draw your attention to a couple of things to watch out for, though: the 'chemistry' between Starbuck and Apollo where they stop short of actually kissing*, and the backstory of the Cylons and what Patrick Mcnee looks like if you freeze frame when he reveals himself when the 'ship of light' comes for him - there's an arc about the humans being pushed through space by higher powers running through the original that actually makes much more sense than the remake, though that's a discussion best left for when you've watched all of both.

*[spoiler]when the two are alone, Starbuck flat-out admits he's jealous of Apollo's new wife.  I guess this makes sense with the mythology of the Colonies being based on ancient Greece, which is where that kind of thing was invented.  Or perfected, at any rate.[/spoiler]

[locustsofdeath!]

If I may draw your attention to a couple of things to watch out for, though...

I missed all of this when I was a youngster watching, which is exactly why I'm so keen to give BSG another go. From what I understand, the new BSG (which I've not seen even a minute of) starts off really well, then fades to mediocrity.

[Professor Bear]

I think the problem was that by the middle of season three, the makers were more interested in BSG as a brand than as a story - at one point there are pretty much no more flashbacks to keep cutting into the story as they'd been doing all along, so they jump ahead two years so they can cut flashbacks from that two-year period into future episodes.  Plus some characters' entire story arcs can be condensed into "women ruin everything", which I imagine probably wasn't intentional.

[Devons Daddy]

In defense BSG bloody hell, one of the greatest sic-fi shows made since EVER the remake, Firefly truly a joy to watch.

in fact this thread has made me embark on a rematch of both. hail the board.

[Roger Godpleton]

The girl who wasn't the main girl and who wasn't the black girl from this show has a new show and the premiere got the worst ratings for a drama premiere in the history of US television.

[Professor Bear]

If that's Scandal you're talking about, it's one of the worst television shows I've ever seen.  And I was sad when they cancelled a show starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell.

[johnjowens]

Loved Firefly and Serenity. I actually saw the film first before the TV series.

I wasn't aware of the TV series and I was disappointed when it got cancelled.

I think too much time has passed between now and the film's release. Nathan Fillion is part of a successful TV series, Castle, so I can't see him giving up time to do filming for Firefly or a Serenity sequel.

It was good of the Castle producers to allow Nathan to make fly (pun intended) references to Firefly.

[TordelBack]

It was good of the Castle producers to allow Nathan to make fly (pun intended) references to Firefly.

I'd say "smart" rather than "good".  I wonder how many Castle fans are Browncoats (or just raw Nathanistas) on the equivalent of a methadone programme.

[Roger Godpleton]

Given that Castle is actually successful, not many.

[TordelBack]

Zing!  Firefly may have tanked on air, but it's been pretty successful after the fact.  Hardcore fans of your lead are handy things, and it never hurts to rub their gussets every now and again.

[I, Cosh]

A few weeks ago, having really enjoyed a rewatch of the first series of Buffy, I decided to give Firefly another chance to see if it was any better than I remembered. It seems I was maybe overly harsh first time around but I still don't think it's any great shakes. Some of the stories and interplay between the characters are quite good but most of the things I disliked about it first time are still there.

There are too many characters from the off and the programme doesn't do a good enough job of giving them all chance to shine. On top of that, they're all varying degrees of nice. Even Jayne, whose supposed to come across as the bad egg, is far too cuddly.

I found the cutesy faux Western idiom - "No power in the 'Verse." - tremendously grating.

Not as grating as the theme tune though. It might not be as bad as DS9, but it's in the same ballpark.

I really, really hated Wash. The character makes sense as Xander or even Jonathan, where he's still a teenager. Even as Topher in Dollhouse it works as he's allowed to get away with it because of his importance to the organisation and it even becomes a part of his refusal to accept what his work has led to.