How could you have not shown the pilot first? by HotForKaylee

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

How could you have not shown the pilot first?

POSTED BY: HOTFORKAYLEE
UPDATED: Saturday, December 21, 2002 09:21
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VIEWED: 3980
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Friday, December 20, 2002 5:15 PM

I had already watched the pilot but the aired one was very good, not much changes but some of the editing was poor. For example Inara's scene in the beginning with her client and a couple other spots.

But come on, after watching this wouldn't it make you at least interested in watching some of the upcoming eps? I'm worried that if a good amount of people did watch and FOX decides to air the last ones in the next month or two people might get lost not having seen what has happened between Serenity and Objects in space.

If that were to happen the new people would lose interest then FOX can "officially" cancel the show saying they tried to make it work by advertising the 2 hour show. What happens to the show then?

If FOX still has eps they are holding onto what does that do along with no "official" word from them yet to another network possibly picking it up?

Quote:
"Didn't have to end like this."
"It still doesn't."
"Yes it does. We can't go back now. There's too much blood. We are no longer who we were. We are what we have become, what you made us!"

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Friday, December 20, 2002 5:24 PM

POETIC4U

I love "Serenity." I thoroughly enjoyed it and the opening scene was just killer. I see a lot clearer now why Mal acts and sees things the way they are. I really can't begin to fathom why Fox didn't air this first.

"Older men declare war, but it is the youth who must fight and die. And it is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow, and the triumphs that are the aftermath of war"
- Herbert Clark Hoover

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King Jr.

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Friday, December 20, 2002 5:35 PM

KOBAYASHI

Hmmm... I don't know what to think.

On one hand I can see how the suits at Fox made Joss put this episode on the shelf. It simply wasn't up to snuff with the rest of the season. It would have been a rather slow start.

Having said that, I don't think that 'The Train Job' was any better of a choice for the premire. As hard is it for me to say - the two weakest episodes of Firefly have been Joss-penned: 'Serenity' and 'The Train Job'.

It could be that the cast simply took a while to gel. Everyone was really awkward in 'Serenity'... both charater-wise and actor-wise.

It is a shame that Fox can't see that its a gem of a show. I think they have set it up to take a fall by promoting it heavily this week. Ratings don't matter now. Anyone who did watch it this week will completely forget about it by the time the last three episodes air, if ever.

Best case scenario is if someone like UPN picks it up and airs all of the episodes up till now, in order, in a marathon. That would get people hooked. Gaurantee it.

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Friday, December 20, 2002 5:35 PM

PTROPE

Let's face it: FOX has never shown much comprehension of genre programming, with the possible exception of X-Files, and they particularly can't seem to get the message that their Friday 8:00 PM slot is not a good one for such shows in the first place.

They've managed to do practically everything possible to assure that Firefly would fail, as evidenced by the airing of Serenity; this was plainly a much better introduction to the concept and the crew, with just enough "Western" aspect to get the point across without alienating the more conventional sf fans, with excellent character portrayals, with strong action and with a subtle and endearing wit. Properly promoted (which, according to Joss, would be 'more advertising, and not aiming it specifically at the 18-49 male demographic, nor promoting it like every other sci-fi show'), this 2-hour intro could have possibly gathered a good audience, more along the demographic of Alias than Enterprise. It will be interesting to see what the ratings do, not that the total lack of advertising in TV Guide was much help; I don't watch much FOX, so I don't know what kind of saturation they attempted.

It would be ironic if "Serenity" achieved an increase in ratings, proof enough that FOX executives don't know this genre, despite their continued (and failing) attempts to plug into it.

------------------
"All of life's big problems include the words 'indictment' or 'inoperable.' Everything else is small stuff." - Alton Brown

www.trekbbs.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/003405.html - Endeavour - An Enterprise Relaunch

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Friday, December 20, 2002 5:54 PM

BIKU

I think "Train Job" and the whole-jumping-into-the-deep-end approach worked better.

The original pilot was too long--too much information--too many characters coming and going, where as, yes, okay, "Train Job" had that as well, but "not so much". Although I have to admit seeing the pilot after the rest of the series spoiled the plot twist a little...

:::snickers::: I think we were supposed to think that Simon was the mole. ^_~

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Friday, December 20, 2002 10:44 PM

THATGIRLISABEL

I dunno, I thought "Serenity" as a pilot was the way to go. Seemed to me it hit the ground at full gallop and never stopped. Every actor was their character, I had no trouble believing Jewel was Kaylee, proud of her ship; Nathan was Mal, protecting his crew and just trying to keep flying; Summer was River, fresh out of the box and insane as they come... I'm not saying "The Train Job" was bad ep, I just don't think it was right for the pilot.

And let's not forget, "Heart of Gold" was put on the back burner, too. And we have Fox to thank for that.

Them's fightin' words.

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Saturday, December 21, 2002 7:46 AM

CAPTAINMAL

I'm stunned.

Stunned that they didn't want to show "Serenity" first, and more stunned anyone would think it was wise.

1. Who could have watched this and thought it didn't have enough action...what did they want - Lethal Weapon?

2. you can't just plop down in the middle of a complex universe with no backstory. All the questions which might have been posed by watching one of the other eps first...What's the deal with the crazy girl? why are they using handguns? what's up with the weastern look? etc...are not an issue when you see things from the start.

3. Sure, there's a little different character interaction - especially regarding Book - but these are in relation to folks who are just meeting each other.

4. the whole flow of the series is altered by putting the first ep nearly at the end...shows that grow an audience have a lienier feel to them that Firefly has never had because of the ep juggling.

5. This program may very well be the best science fiction series I've ever seen, certainly better than anything but the original Star Trek, it would be en epic tragady for it to be so totally bungled like this

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Saturday, December 21, 2002 9:21 AM

HOTARUANNE

this episode certainly cleared up some things i didn't understand...and it certainly introduced the whole story rather nicely...IMO

http://glaivemaster.cjb.net/
Just another Firefly fan

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