Firefly: only 50% dead

[archerships]

[Warning: Firefly geekdom ahead]

Over on Whedonesque (a group blog devoted to all news related to Joss Whedon), a number of the regulars are quite pessimistic about the return of Firefly in serial TV form. For example:

Well, Firefly as a franchise -- aside from the Titan books -- is pretty much dead. --gossi

I feel that Firefly is dead. It's as dead as Angel is, it's not coming back and Joss is done with it. -- Simon

This pessimism strikes me as odd, given the history of other sci-fi franchises. The lag time between the origin of a sci-fi series and its revival can be quite long. For example, as I wrote in response to the comments above, Star Trek didn't re-emerge as a movie until 10 years after the series ended. A new series didn't emerge for 18 years.

A new Battlestar Galactica did not re-emerge until 24 years later.

The Firefly universe may not return to television as we would like, but I think it's far too premature to call it dead yet.

Of course, then the question becomes, when isn't it premature to call it dead ?

I would argue that there is no binary condition "dead" or "alive". No series is truly dead so long as any prints remain, and any fan is alive. However, there are gradations of life and death. A truly living series would be in current production, enjoy a fanbase of millions around the world, and heavily influence popular culture via spinoff movies, events, books, and tchotke's. Star Trek during the 90's would probably fall into this category.

A series would be mostly dead when the series is out of production, the fan base is small, static and/or shrinking, the original cast members are dead or forgotten, and there are no ancillary products associated with the series. By these criteria, for example, the Land of the Lost an almost completely dead series. On a percentage basis, I would say that Land of the Lost is 95% dead.

So where does Firefly stand? The series is out of production, it's true. And the movie performed disappointingly at the box office. But the fanbase remains vibrant and continues to grow, as more people discover the movie and series on DVD. The actors and writers are mobbed whenever they appear at conventions. Moreover, they're young and working and enjoying success in other projects. Like the Star Trek actors, they could easily come back to do another series or more movies. On a percentage basis, I would say that Firefly is still 50% alive.

Comments

[brkvw.livejournal.com]

Agreed.


It was a really fun movie though. I was not as big a fan as my friends. In fact only saw about 5 of them from TV (Tivo).

But the movie was simply a good time.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

But the movie was simply a good time.

Yes, I agree. Tell your friends! : >

[evillinn.livejournal.com]

Why do you think people feel such a need to determine whether something is dead or not? I pretty much agree with what you said here, but I always find it curious to hear discussions that include statemens like the ones you quoted. It always seems like there is some purpose to declaring something "dead". Do you suppose this is so that the fan or semi-fan can sort of put it to bed and move on to a new property? Or is it an attempt at some authority on the subject?

Its a part of geek-talk that I've always been a little puzzled by.

I absolutely love Firefly, and would be ecstatic to see it get another chance at life, but I won't likely make any bets on it. ;)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yes, it puzzles me as well. I think your theories explain part of the motivation. Also, such comments tend to come up whenever more optimistic fans discuss ways that a new series could happen. Perhaps it's akin to the exasperation I feel when someone expresses hope that they will win the lottery? Yes, you could win, but the odds are so low that buying tickets is a waste of money. Likewise, Firefly could come back, but the odds are so low that it's a waste of time speculating about it.

[knova.livejournal.com]

"Why do you think people feel such a need to determine whether something is dead or not?"

To me this gets filed under "Yet another thing I don't understand why people spend their time on." Along with AM talk radio, Paris Hilton, and ESPN's week long constant commentary on the NFL draft (which apparently gets more viewers than all but the biggest games of the year)**. There's no drama, and none of the constant discussion is going to change what's going to happen.

Then again I enjoy spending a bunch of money to buy yarn and a whole hell of a lot ot time to crochet a blanket when I could easily head to a thrift store and pick up one for a couple dollars... To each his own, I guess.


**Sorry. Pet peeve because I work in radio and had to watch the draft all weekend for sound bites.

[evillinn.livejournal.com]

heh. I can see why that'd be a pet peeve.

I mostly asked my earlier question because I'm only a minor geek, but I spend a lot of time at gaming/sci-fi/fantasy conventions. I find the culture and communication really interesting, and have seen a number of these types of conversation. Its always struck me that there is a little bit of a "one-up-manship" element to it. NOw that you mention it, there is totally a parallel with sports conversations. I certainly don't mind either, since despite not being into the subject matter (to that degree, at least), I really do get a kick out of listening to people discuss things they know about and are excited by. People watching at its finest. :)

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

the difference is more that these people want original cast with Joss Whedon writing it.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that's part of it too.

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

How many of the characters from "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (The comic, not the disastrous movie) hadn't been used in anything since before our grandparents were born?

How many of them had existed only as reprints for history buffs, if that?

So long as a single copy exists, nothing is really "Dead." It's just on hiatus.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[other.livejournal.com]

It's dead. Comics and novels are notwithstanding. Neither would a series about a minor character showrunned by one of the other writers.

Battlestar Galactica wasn't 10% dead and came back, it was "reimagined" and the new series is GINO (Galactica In Name Only). Think of it more like alias that is passed on rather then the same person coming back from an extended vacation.

[dizfactor.livejournal.com]

Firefly is 99.999999999% dead. It's never even had the potential to garner a wide enough fanbase to justify its budget. It's a show which has never had a chance at anything beyond the narrowest niche market appeal, and yet which requires a big mainstream budget to exist. It was dead before it hit the airwaves.

The fact that it hit the airwaves anyway, and later became a movie, is testament to serious errors in judgement on the parts of a number of TV and movie producers.

Mind you, I enjoyed the fruits of those errors in judgement, but that doesn't make them any less stupid from the perspective of the studios.

[troyworks.livejournal.com]

a) can other authors write as well as Whedon if he's no longer interested.
b) does it have to be Whedon or prime-time to work?
c) the character interplay wouldn't be the same in 10 years, or at least I don't think I'd find the idea of this rag tag group on the same vessle after 10 years compelling.
d) they've killed off two characters in the movie, unless all episodes happen prior (which limits where they can go) they've kinda messed permanently with the dynamic that made it work.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

a) Yes, I think so
b) No. I think direct-to-DVD, or cable could work as well.
c) I think the characters could remain compelling, although I don't think you could put them back into exactly the same story line. Did you find the Star Trek movies compelling?
d) I guess I don't see the Firefly universe as so fragile. Yes, the original crew will always have a special place. But I think killing off and/or retiring major characters once in a while gives a show a dramatic edge, and provides space for newer characters to emerge.