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from the we-want-netflix-to-reboot-firefly dept.
TBNZee writes:
"Mainstream television has, for a long time, under-served the science fiction loving segment. But with declining production costs, there seem to be two potential sources of alternative production/distribution: digital content (e.g. Netflix, Hulu) and crowd-funded projects. There's still not a lot of science fiction shows that are being produced by the major streaming services, but we'll probably see more with the success of Hulu's exclusive U.S. distribution of Misfits or Netflix's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who. On the other hand, you have many enthusiastic upstarts on Kickstarter that look novel and engaging while having a surprisingly professional look to them.
Which do you think will ultimately be more successful? Do you have any recommendations for other good material out there, or is there something you would like to see?"
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Jaruzel on Sunday February 23 2014, @05:05PM
I was really getting along with SG:U. I loved the darker look, and the unknown stuff around what the ship was doing... But like all good things, it got totally screwed up by the impatient writers, by doing two things [see below].
I think the look and feel was good, it was just let down by bad plot decisions. And c'mon, no matter how much you love Stargate (film), SG:1 and SG:A (and I do.)... After over 15+ seasons, it severely needed a refresh.
-Jar
****SPOILER ALERT****
1. Providing access to Destiny's main computer too early on - which killed the 'we're not in control!' angle.
2. The big reveal as to where Destiny is going and why (OMG... Why?!).
This is my opinion, there are many others, but this one is mine.
(Score: 1) by StarFall on Monday February 24 2014, @01:48AM
While I understand and agree with to a certain extent your two points. How much of these revelations coming (too) early were an attempt by the writers to "wrap things" up so to speak as they saw the cancellation writing on the wall, and were trying to provide closure to the story?
Firefly and SG:U died before their time, with Firefly pretty much having no chance with the out of order episodes and constantly moving air times.
I'm saddened neither show was allowed to gain its footing and find an audience. Somehow it's stymied further sci-fi tv shows in the last 10 years outside of Doctor Who.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Foobar Bazbot on Monday February 24 2014, @03:43AM
Wow, the universe you're living in must totally suck.
Here in our universe, over the last decade we've had Fringe, Alphas, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka, Outcasts, V, Flashforward, and The Event. Right now, Almost Human, Continuum, Defiance, Falling Skies, Orphan Black, The Tomorrow People, and Warehouse 13 are all ongoing. Sure, some of those are junk, and some that weren't junk were cancelled before their time, but the same goes for SF shows in other decades, or for non-SF shows. None of us are really in a position to say whether there'd have been even more SF on TV if $EVENT had gone differently in the past, but your talk of stymiage seems to be portraying things rather bleaker than they are.
Anyway, you seem to be remembering the failures of Firefly (which aired in 2002) and Stargate Universe (which aired from 2009 to 2011) as two contemporary events which shaped the last decade of TV. Firefly makes sense chronologically (though I'd argue its mistreatment and cancellation was far more a symptom of what's wrong (and has been wrong, and AFAICS will continue to be wrong) with the TV industry, both generally and WRT SF specifically, than an actual cause of any change), but SG-U was right in the middle of the last decade of TV.
(Score: 1) by lennier on Monday February 24 2014, @04:22AM
"Firefly (which aired in 2002)"
Yikes. It was that long ago?
I feel old.
Delenda est Beta
(Score: 2) by StarFall on Monday February 24 2014, @08:51AM
Ok you got me. I guess I'm thinking space sci-fi, but yes I then totally skipped BsG, Caprica, Razor of which I've seen of all of them. So lets go over some of the others you mentioned.
I watched all of Fringe liked it a lot, had a full run, surprisingly, I fully expected the show to have been cancelled long before it was able to conclude, thankfully it wrapped up all the loose ends rather well. Terminator:TSCC watched all of it, cancelled early. V liked it better than the old V, cancelled. Orphan Black pretty good only one season so far. Continuum love it hopefully will continue. Dollhouse good, cancelled early. Almost Human bleah. Eureka same. Warehouse 13 watched for a year or so lost interest. Revolution same boat, watched for a season, and couldn't take it anymore. Defiance watched a couple episodes, just wasn't interesting enough. Weren't both FlashForward and The Event cancelled early? I couldn't get into either of them, and felt the ban-hammer coming for them anyway.
We had one season of Tron:Uprising, that was cancelled. Star Wars:The Clone Wars was good, 5 year run, cancelled, but then I hear Netflix gets to wrap the show up with 13 episodes, so we get a season 6, yay, how often does a show get a chance like that? Supposedly they are coming out with a new SW show or two, will have to see how those do.
I like a good thought provoking space sci-fi episodic show ala the Star Trek's, Farscape, Firefly, BsG, SG:U and there just isn't one right now outside the aforementioned DW. Not to mention most show's seasons are down to 11 or fewer episodes. Although if fewer, episodes will keep a show on year after year, I'll take it, but it seems like it would be hard to develop a good following that way. Though, somehow DW seems to thrive on it. Maybe that's the future of SF, Orphan Black and Continuum seem to be doing well with it.
So yeah, maybe I am just a bit bleak, oh well, I think I'm justified by the number of decent shows that get canned and then the others just keep getting renewed. Still waiting for new Orphan Black and Continuum episodes to drop. And wishing Paramount would see fit to do new Star Trek's again. I'd even go for another Andromeda, not Farscape/Firefly quality, but it was good. Just no Lexx, please, ugh, just no.