Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 Here's an update for all you Sci-Fi nuts <g> Lynda > http://www.news-journalonline.com/column/247/03SceneTWEN072005.htm > > 'Firefly' glows in the deep, deep black > > By C. A. BRIDGES > TWENTY-FOUR/SEVEN > > Last update: July 20, 2005 > > > Starting Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m., the Sci-Fi channel will begin > broadcasting the best science-fiction series ever made. Coincidentally, > it will also be showing one of the best western shows and one of the > funniest comedies. And it's called " Firefly. " > > Five hundred years in the future, a veteran of the losing side of a > galactic civil war must find a way to survive on his own terms under > the government's radar. With a small, quirky crew and a small, quirky > ship, Captain Malcolm Reynolds takes on whatever job, legal or > otherwise, that he can get. And one day he picks up something that the > government wants very badly. > > " Firefly " was created by Joss Whedon, who also created a blonde > vampire-slayer you may have heard of. His sci-fi show was cancelled > midseason, only airing 11 episodes. So why should you watch a > half-finished science fiction/western from three years ago? Here's why: > > It was cancelled by Fox, which shouldn't count. > > Cannily realizing that viewers enjoy the thrill of the chase, Fox > skipped the pilot, ran the second episode first, mixed up the rest, and > waged a heroic battle to keep interest high by endlessly airing > commercials about " Oliver Beene. " Had " 24 " been handled the same way it > would never have made it to " 12. " > > Of course, after " Firefly " was canceled, Fox finally ran the first > episode because TV executives like a good joke as much as anybody. > > FOX Broadcasting Company > The cast of " Firefly " (from left): Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Ron > Glass, Sean Maher, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan > Tudyk, and Summer Glau. > It could be the only science-fiction show ever with a Chinese/bluegrass > soundtrack. > > The lack of this is exactly why " Enterprise " failed. > > It's a dessert! It's a floor topping! > > In this future the farther settlers travel from the central Core > planets, the more rural they get. So you get spaceships and computers, > but you also get horses and revolvers and pretty floral bonnets. > There's excitement and comedy and romance and crime and even an autopsy > or two. No swapped soccer moms or entrails-eating for money, but I > think the other networks have those covered. > > You won't feel stupider afterward. > > Regular television consumption will leave you with the inescapable > conclusion that everyone in the world is a moron. People say stupid > things, make stupid assumptions, and consistently fail to see obvious > solutions because then the show would end 52 minutes too soon. You can > actually feel your brain freezing up from vapor lock > > The folks in " Firefly, " good and bad alike, tend to do the same things > you usually scream at television people to do, before you think to > scream them, except when they're doing something even better. As it > turns out that doesn't always help, but at least then you've got no one > to blame but yourself. > > Anyway, how much " Stargate " can you watch? > > I mean, seriously. > > No weird new science. > > No time travel or glowy swords or teleportation or clones or dimensions > or sonic bathrooms or food in pill form or anything that isn't an > obvious extension of existing technology. Our heroes' ship " Serenity " > is comparable -- in personality, performance, and gas mileage -- to my > 13-year-old Tercel. ( Firefly, in case you are wondering, refers to the > ship's type.) > > Most importantly there are no aliens, bug-eyed, lobster-headed or > otherwise. " Firefly " is about human-type people, and that's plenty > interesting enough. > > It has whores and preachers. > > Ordinarily two professions that television shows run away from like > scared little girls. People don't change much, even in 500 years, and > both the thrill and mystery of sex and the challenges and comfort of > religion will still be with us. I hope. > > It'll get you ready for the movie. > > Yes, the movie. > > Thanks to massive DVD sales and -- well, let's go with " devoted, " > because " dangerously obsessive " sounds so negative -- fan interest, > Whedon and all the original actors will gleefully return to fly in the > big damn movie " Serenity, " which is scheduled to be released Sept. 30. > This does not generally happen with canceled TV shows, but it happened > with this one. > > You may notice I've said little about the characters. I haven't > mentioned Mal's frightening pragmatism, Zoe's loyalty, Wash's sense of > humor, Kaylee's sunny nature, Jayne's cheerful violence, Book's wisdom, > Inara's sensuality, Simon's sacrifice, or River's peculiarities, and > that's because trying to label any of them with a single description is > useless. You really should meet them yourself. > > So, now's your chance. See the shows as they were meant to be seen -- > in order (!), with the three unaired episodes -- and enjoy a truly > great science-fiction show. > > And remember, every time you support a canceled Fox show, somewhere a > network executive loses his wings. > > chris.bridges @news-jrnl.com > > ----------- > > On the Web: > > Sci-Fi: Firefly > > Official Serenity movie site > > FireflyFans.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 YEAH! Thank you! I cannot wait! Nikki , " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote: > Here's an update for all you Sci-Fi nuts <g> > > Lynda > > > http://www.news-journalonline.com/column/247/03SceneTWEN072005.htm > > > > 'Firefly' glows in the deep, deep black > > > > By C. A. BRIDGES > > TWENTY-FOUR/SEVEN > > > > Last update: July 20, 2005 > > > > > > Starting Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m., the Sci-Fi channel will begin <<SNIP>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 > > Starting Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m., the Sci-Fi channel will begin > > broadcas tingthebestscience-fictionseriesevermade.Coincidentally, > > it will also be showing one of the best western shows and one of the > > funniest comedies. And it's called " Firefly. " OK, I only saw the first 2 episodes of Firefly... but on that basis it didn't come close to the best sci-fi series ever made... I could think of at least a dozen that were way better, and not many that were worse. BB Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.