Is anyone else watching this new show on Fox Friday nights? I really like it. It's a sci-fi western. Good character development, good stories, well written stuff.
The first episode did nothing for me, couldn't catch the second because the FOX station in Boston preempted it to show the Red Sux. Last weeks episode gave me some hope, it was pretty good. Firefly is doing terrible in the ratings though and word is that Fox is going to give it a few more eps. If they don't improve the ratings it's gone. I prefer John Doe.
I missed the first episode. I caught the second and thought it was OK -- the plot was kind of derivitave of Alien but I liked the use of the guy from Melrose Place as the Alliance captain. I enjoyed the heck out of the third episode and not just for the babe factor. I liked the way they showed the clash between different cultures, for example the way the thug crew member was willing to treat the girl/wife as property while the more progressive crew members wouldn't think of it, even though the girl/wife was expecting to be treated as property. I liked the way they lapsed into Chinese every so often. I liked the way they solved the problem at the end. Very entertaining show. I should probably get off Joss Whedon's jock now.
On the first point, Firefly was apparently the most Tivo'd show in some recent polling of those devices. Don't know how that figures into the rating situtation. Second, John Doe? Are you serious? And is that guy a dead ringer for former Daily Show correspondent Brian Unger, or what? Later, COZ
I'm down with it. It's still third in my Joss stable, though....I missed the first ep, but caught the next two including last week despite baseball. If Fox cans it, wanna take bets that either UPN or WB picks it up? They both were interested, but FOX had first dibs because they're the production company for Buffy and Angel and his contract is with them.
I so dig on this show. I TiVo it. Loved the third episode. Saffron was damn hot - which created empathy for Cap't. I probably wouldn't have lasted as long as he did! Good characterization, fairly detailed background world, believable plots. Good sci-fi.
I've certainly enjoyed it so far. Re: the ratings, if Fox had been really strong on it, they wouldn't have put on at 8pm on Fridays in the first place.
Hey I'm not trying to bash it here. I'm just telling you guys what I read. Last week Firefly came in 83rd in the Neilsens, behind Cops. The networks don't care if you tape it, they care about whether you're watching it at 8pm on Fridays. BTW - they'll be showing two old episodes next week if they don't have baseball on. Next Friday will also be a new episode Yes I'm serious, I prefer John Doe to Firefly, although I will watch Firefly.
Here is a link to an article/interview where Whedon talks quite a bit about Fire Fly. My favorite line: 'It's about the search for meaning...and did I mention there's a whore?' A big thank you to person(s) who set up the accounts with the NYT and other registration-required sites. Just put in bigsoccer as the user and the password. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/22/magazine/22WHEDON.html
I TiVoed that episode as well. Storyline was a little weak but all the girls on the show were really hot. I'll probably give it another go sometime.
> The networks don't care if you tape it, they care > about whether you're watching it at 8pm on > Fridays. That's right. The fact that it is often TIVOed is even worse, because people get the benefit of watching an expensive show while easily skipping all the commercials which are supposed to pay for it.
I agree completely. Besides Jayne, who was a riot, the Shepherd - River interaction was very nice. "Your bible is broken." LOL. Later, COZ
Can't do Friday nights and haven't bothered to tape it yet, but I have seen one whole episode and parts of others. It's okay but they really need to lose the guy that used to be on Barney Miller (the religious character). He can't act worth a damn. Maybe he can be eaten in a later episode. Incidently, the series premise looks like it was derived from the writer CJ Cherryh's Downbelow Station, etc., books. Especially the ones that focus on the space merchant/freighter groups.
Of the 3 I've seen (all but the 1st), last Friday's was the least good, but still better than most of what's out there. You can tell the story line's a little weak when the most enjoyable parts are the secondary plots.
Good news is that Joss usually kills someone early on....Jesse on Buffy, Doyle on Angel and if you go back to the movie....he offs David Arquette's character and makes him a vampire (much like Jesse on tv buffy...he got staked quickly too)
Did y'all see who wrote the "Jaynestown" episode? Ben Edlund -- the guy who created "The Tick" comic book and TV shows. Very good track record if you like that kind of thing. I hope he has some more episodes coming.
http://www.petitiononline.com/firefly1/petition.html it hasn't been canceled but it hasn't been given a full season yet and fox is doing jack to promote the show
I also found the best so far. The back story was not only fun but in the service of a very engaging main story. I'm still several weeks away from actually knowing all the names, but the characters are certainly well differentiated already.