Serenity...

[Weiland]

We should write the sci-fi channel and tell them to cancel some of their original programming (perhaps both Stargates) and then send the funding over to Joss Whedon for season two. They love to take old and forgotton, or even "misunderstood" shows and get them back on the air. Make no mistake Firefly is better than anything they are showing currently, including The Dead Zone.

Whatever it takes this greatly underappreciated show needs to be resurrected. At least it sure would be nice.

 

[mike wightman]

According to boxofficemojo it has taken $35,139,849 world wide so far.

It should reach breakeven at the cinema, and then come the DVD sales.

I've already ordered the US edition...

 

[mike wightman]

I'm enjoying the latest series of Stargate, even if I have to keep telling myself I'm not watching Farscape...

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
What do you think of the rules system, and the ship as a character?

I've never run either, but the system is the same base system as Weis, Hickman and Elmore's Soveriegn Stone. I'm not averse to it, as the character determines the dice rolled, not the GM nor difficulty. I have the non-d20 SS rules, and wanted to try them, but have not found compliant players.

The ship as character is simple narrativism at its finest; it is neither a new idea, nor a great one, though it isn't bad, either. The MF is a character of its own in Star Wars, and Enterprise is just shy of being one in STTOS.

 

[Straybow]

This has never happened before to my knowledge. The dollar theater picked it up a week after it left first run. In the past if they didn't pick it up right away it was gone forever.

I plan to go see it several more times.

 

[jappel]

I think that CT, or which ever version takes your fancy, can fill in a bit of the background crunch - ship building, world generation etc. - while the Serenity rules for the player characters look really good.

Exactly, Sigg. I've got plenty of ways to handle those background tasks. The Serenity RPG looks like it will give me a relatively clean system for chargen and task resolution that permits for character development without resorting to "classes & levels". It's not Traveller's traditional "Everyman PCs, just with a few more skills and attitude", but seems a good compromise.

Plus, my group can buy it off the shelf at our FLGS (where we typically play) which makes them happy, the store folk happy, etc.

Out of respect for keeping some sense of Traveller-related topicality in this forum, I'll post what I know and what I think about the future of Firefly/Serenity on Random Static.

-John

 

[sinistral]

Is it just me or does the Firefly look like a Spofulam dsign? There's something about the vectored thrust that's a bit OTT.

 

[far-trader]

I don't think it's over the top. In fact it seems very sensible, for what was (iirc) previously a combat drop ship before being relagated to the scrap yard and picked up by Mal as a merchanter. Or was it just my own imagination that filled in the ship's past?

And it does make certain maneuvering that much easier, especially if the 'verse doesn't have contra-grav lifters.

 

[mike wightman]

Looks like Serenity/Firefly is quite popular in the scientific community:

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8211

 

[mike wightman]

Oh, and the rpg has nicked my CT maneuver drive idea

 

[Colonel Mac]

As much as I love the series, I was a bit disappointed in the gaps left in characters when it went to the big screen. I was also hoping that it would translate into season 2 but killing off characters is not the way to do it.

Still, I must admit I love it!

 

[kafka47]

I have mixed feelings about the film. As an independent Science Fiction venture, I praise it to no end, as it finally shows the world that Science Fiction <> Star Wars. However, as a continuation of the Firefly storyline, it kinda falls short. The movie misses the angst that made the series work. Instead, it treats us to a loss of family (of which I did not mind that the characters died ~ as this fact, actually makes me respect it more).

I am hoping that Joss will continue his story with another two movies now that he has got the narrative out of the way, he can go back to storytelling. But, I fear the other big projects will mean delays, which by that time, we will actors like in Star Trek, playing not the roles they loved, but just roles.

 

[jappel]

The future of the Firefly/Serenity 'verse currently hangs on the DVD sales. If there is enough profit from these then it seems likely to continue in some form, though what that would be is still very much up in the air. (Compiled from various sources, including multiple interviews given by Joss Whedon in a number of outlets.)

Regarding casualties: This is part of what makes JW's work so much better than most of the dreck out there, IMHO. The heroes aren't going to blithely scamper through, or even with just a few singes. They're going to take Damage, sometimes fatal - these characters really are putting their lives on the line. Pain and sacrifice are also definitely recurring themes in his work, and loss is part of that equation.

- John, Browncoat & Traveller

 

[Shadowdancer]

Buy the DVD. In stores today.

 

[Colonel Mac]

Regarding casualties: This is part of what makes JW's work so much better than most of the dreck out there, IMHO. The heroes aren't going to blithely scamper through, or even with just a few singes. They're going to take Damage, sometimes fatal - these characters really are putting their lives on the line. Pain and sacrifice are also definitely recurring themes in his work, and loss is part of that equation.

Agreed that you can't go 100% no injury and have a believable storyline. The series did show that feature. The prob as I see it is Joss did not explain the past of some, especially Book. What drove him to become the itinerant that he was. He had far too advanced personal weapon skills just to have learned them in a seminary. His security clearance (from the series) was another dark issue not resolved. I just liked the depth of character too much.

However, it is easier to kill off a character than explain one but still...

 

[SanDragon]

You try cramming a season's worth of a series into the length of a movie and see what you get.

Not to mention the fact that Joss wanted to quickly introduce his characters to those who knew little to nothing about them, without boring the Browncoats with what they already knew.

Oh. I beg your pardon. Who left this soapbox here.

 

[kafka47]

Well...excuse me, but the way to do it is lengthen the movie. Certainly, the Firefly fanbase would not object and Peter Jackson has shown that people will sit through longer movies, if they are being sufficiently entertained (eg. Fellowship of the Ring and by some reviews King Kong). Background can also be sutle woven just as the first 2mins of the film reveals.

Plus, add the use of flashbacks and dream sequencing...add complexity but most critics applauded the film and Joss in general for his ingenuity.

Having said that now the second film cannot do any of that, it has to pick up right where the last one left off. A difficult task as the actors age.

Recently, when I showed my Firefly boxed set and asked a friend who did not know the series to recognize Adam Baldwin who I have a photo with me beside him take this summer...she couldn't...so it is rather a race against time.

DVDs tend to rescue movies (look at D&D) but I am not sure about Firefly/Serentity. Perhaps, the total figure of both ought be used--but, it is highly unlikely that Paramount executives would do that.

 

[deadlock]

Greetings and salutations,

I sat through King Kong and was greatly entertained. Peter Jackson did a marvelous job, but there were a couple of seems the movie could have did without. It would have shaved twenty to thirty minutes from the film and still made sense. Trust me, the scenes were totally useless in any context.

As for Book, I think his background was kind of delved into in the movie. Well, at least hinted at when he and Mal were talking before the planet got attacked.
As for Serenity doing another film straight to DVD, I think it would do great. However, there must be some form of advertisement for those of us who have busy and/or hectic schedules. I did not know that there was a second D&D movie until I was watching the Sci-Fi Channel and they were advertising it to be shown on some Saturday night main feature.

As far as the crew of Serenity and the story evolves, new crew members and villians can be introduced. I would like to see the villian from Serenity join the crew at some point due to a common goal or join with the crew every now-and-again due to a common goal. I have some other ideas but they can wait.

 

[Teletron1]

I hate to be a downer but I do not think Joss is going to continue the story no matter how good the DVD sales are. He pushed his resources to the limit to hold on to Serenity as long as he did. He loved the story and the characters enough to hold on to them for four years at great personal expense, however I think he got the rest of the story out that he wanted to. I saw the movie as a conclusion to a great series, they explained the Reavers, more about all of the characters, and the Goverment. I love firefly and Serenity and wish for more to come but I do not belive it is coming. Just one mans opinion.

Ender

 

[parmasson]

Just got Firefly on DVD, I know I am late to it but $s are in short supply. They canceled this show and kept Voyager on for how many years? My cynicism stat just went up by two full points.

BTW does the RPG have a map of this massive solar system in it?