I picked up Firefly the other weekend, on DVD. What can I say? Andy was right, I was wrong. Firefly is the best TV Sci Fi I've seen in years. Believable characters, good actors, an interesting setting and a promising plot. It's a real shame that they cancelled it - I really would have liked to have seen where it would have gone.
Buffy was still rubbish, though.
Posted to Music and Film by Simon Brunning at March 09, 2005 04:51 PMThe good news is that the movie is out later this year [1], the bad news is that they still won't be bringing the series back. I'm glad to see that you have acknowledged the error of your ways.
Just to continue my stellar recommendations I'm rather fond of the new Battlestar Gallactica [2], it's only been shown on Sky in the UK I believe but has just started on free to air here.
If it doesn't make it to the good old BBC (or even Channel 4) I can heartily recommend at least renting the first season DVD when it comes out.
[1] http://www.serenitymovie.com/
[2] http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/
I've seen the four hour telemovie and two episodes of Battlestar Galactica. So far, it has been surprisingly good. The plots are interesting (though not exactly complex), the writing is slick, the acting is up to scratch and the sets are believable.
The CGI is top-notch. The space-battles have a level of detail I hadn't seen outside of a cinema. Cool.
A little thing that impressess me too: instead of the customary mini-fanfare at the start of each ad-break, there is a thousand milliseconds or so of pointed silence. Stylish and effective.
If it gets a decent, long-running backstory, Battlestar Galactica may eventually rival Babylon 5 for the crown of best sci-fi series, ever. Here's hoping.
Posted by: Alan Green on March 10, 2005 03:33 AMFirefly: Absolutely the best sci-fi series in many years, by a mile. Fantastic - great characters, plot, vision, feel, the whole thing. And no *noise* in space.
I can well believe the politicians at Fox wanted to can it - much to much like real, intelligent drams with decent characters with non-right politics in it. Everything that Fox does not stand for. Grrrrrr.
Battletar Galactica: Very good, way above expectations.
Oh yeah - Firefly rules! I'm sure I told you that myself at some point Simon. The only bad thing about watching the DVD was the frustration towards the end that there wouldn't be any more. Fox should be ashamed. When crud like Enterprise gets at least a series to bed itself in, how can they cancel the most promising series I've seen in ages. Of course, it didn't help the ratings that the double episode we see as the pilot was considered 'too cerebral' by good ol' Fox who demanded a new pilot (episode 3) which was written over the space of a weekend. Trouble is, first time viewers then got 9 characters all at once and no introduction. That was good of them.
Posted by: Katherine on March 10, 2005 11:06 AMOf course, Fox kept Enterprise coz it's all American pie, and there's not a bad thought in any of the crew head, and each episode has a suitable moral at the end.
Their idea of cerebral is anything that challenges the (right-wing-fox) status quo, or questions existing moral structures.
Posted by: Mark Matthews on March 10, 2005 11:54 AMI think you may be taking the conspiracy theories just a little too far there Mark. Right wing bias is largely reserved for Fox News. Firefly was cancelled by Fox for one reason and one reason only - ratings. Mind you, as you say the fact that it wasn't given a chance to find an audience was a bit bleeding criminal.
Posted by: Andy Todd on March 11, 2005 01:13 AM