Television Series Cancelled Too Early?

[crazy canuck]

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly.  I stopped watching it after the episode when they were doing a train heist of some sort (one of the first as I recall). Western themes with Western accents in a sci fi show really turned me off the show.

I watched the movie on TV at some point. It was a bit better.

So you stopped after the second episode?  The movie is not as good as most of the series.

Like I said, it really turned me off.  Cowboys in space yippee.  The movie was a lot better than that episode.

[Valmy]

Like I said, it really turned me off.  Cowboys in space yippee.  The movie was a lot better than that episode.

Yes I heard you the first time.  Anyway the series is not cowboys in space.

[grumbler]

Like I said, it really turned me off.  Cowboys in space yippee.  The movie was a lot better than that episode.

That particular episode was made specifically at the network's request as a replacement pilot.  It sucked, and deliberately so; the network wanted to cancel and needed bad ratings to justify cancelling.

The thing the TV show had going for it was the dialogue (I think Whedon does the best dialogue-writing in the business).  That episode showed none of that strength, and the movie much too little of it.  The movie was an attempt to do an action movie, and Whedon is crappy at writing action (how many times does he stop action with deus-ex-machina crap?  60% of the time? 70%?) and bad at directing action.  The TV show is well-paced for the kinds of writing he is strongest at.  Some of the plots are dumb, but you won't mind.  It's good stuff.

[celedhring]

Actually that was the first aired episode.  The original pilot wasn't aired until after the series had been cancelled.

Wasn't aware of that. Weird decision since the pilot explains a lot of important stuff, particularly the business with the Tam brothers.

[grumbler]

Oh, and as for

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly

, of course you don't.  You've only seen one episode.  Only an idiot a very, very silly person would expect to understand what people like about a show after only seeing one episode.

[crazy canuck]

Like I said, it really turned me off.  Cowboys in space yippee.  The movie was a lot better than that episode.

That particular episode was made specifically at the network's request as a replacement pilot.  It sucked, and deliberately so; the network wanted to cancel and needed bad ratings to justify cancelling.

The thing the TV show had going for it was the dialogue (I think Whedon does the best dialogue-writing in the business).  That episode showed none of that strength, and the movie much too little of it.  The movie was an attempt to do an action movie, and Whedon is crappy at writing action (how many times does he stop action with deus-ex-machina crap?  60% of the time? 70%?) and bad at directing action.  The TV show is well-paced for the kinds of writing he is strongest at.  Some of the plots are dumb, but you won't mind.  It's good stuff.

Then I regret giving up on it after the first episode.  I wonder if I can watch it on netflix?  I will check it out over the weekend.

[11B4V]

The real lost gem, though, was Odyssey 5.  Better-written than Crusade, better-acted than Firefly.  I still am not completely sure what the story was about.

Good call.

[MadImmortalMan]

I dont understand the fascination with Firefly.  I stopped watching it after the episode when they were doing a train heist of some sort (one of the first as I recall). Western themes with Western accents in a sci fi show really turned me off the show.

I watched the movie on TV at some point. It was a bit better.

That was the first episode aired. 

Which was a problem, because they were aired out of order and nobody knew anything about anyone in the show or the setting or anything that they would have learned from the first episode.

[grumbler]

That was the first episode aired. 

Which was a problem, because they were aired out of order and nobody knew anything about anyone in the show or the setting or anything that they would have learned from the first episode.

Those were problems, but pale against the fact that the new pilot was written in a weekend and subsequently sucked.

[Ed Anger]

Terriers sucked donkey dick. Oh Spellus.

[Queequeg]

Terriers sucked donkey dick. Oh Spellus.

You are completely wrong. 

[Tonitrus]

Mann & Machine

[Ed Anger]

Sheriff Lobo

[Queequeg]

Anyone remember a mid-90s American Psycho inspired Fox drama called Profit?  It's really great, predicted the whole antihero Sopranos thing.  Only ran for about 8 episodes. 

[Ed Anger]

Too bad the Trio cable channel went under. You would have liked it Spellus.