# If "Firefly" is so great, why hasn't it been resurrected? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207 "2008-12-30T12:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/21 "2008-12-30T15:25:05Z")
> [@Elenfair](#): > > They used to live on SciFi until Bonnie Hammer (don’t let me go there, I’ll talk your ear off) killed us all. _Eureka_ is holding its own surprisingly well. I feel a little guilty about not feeling motivated enough to watch the third season, as it is a fun little show. I miss _The Dresden Files_, though. ☹ And, yes, I know Nathan Fillion at least enjoys working with Joss. You don’t do Dr. Horrible just for the paycheck. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/22 "2008-12-30T15:43:09Z")
Thanks for the informative reply **Elenfair**. I thought the movie tanked at the box office. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/23 "2008-12-30T15:46:25Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > That’s that I thought at first, but the BBC are past masters of creating Sci-Fi sets on no budget at all, and if they can manage to throw together a passable spaceship interior using their own corridors, some neon lights, and people in ex-RAF flightsuits, then I’m sure that CGI could be employed to recreate some of the sets from _Firefly_ on a reasonable budget… Blech. The BBC’s sci-fi programming is horrendous. They have no budget, no taste, and it shows. Dr. Who–even now–looks like a radio broadcast that was filmed. If you can’t do it right, let it die. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/24 "2008-12-30T16:00:50Z")
Another problem I heard about _Firefly_ and ratings was that college campuses weren’t on the Nielsen radar; a friend of mine works at a local university and said there were about 200 TVs on campus, and from what he saw, they were filled on Friday nights with people watching _Firefly._ ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/25 "2008-12-30T16:46:00Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Thanks for the informative reply **Elenfair**. I thought the movie tanked at the box office. It made around $38 million, I think, which was right around its break-even point. Whedon is a master at taking a small budget and making it look much larger on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/26 "2008-12-30T16:56:48Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Blech. The BBC’s sci-fi programming is horrendous. They have no budget, no taste, and it shows. Comments on NuWho and “taste” aside, I guess there’s just no suiting some people. Does the future always have to have such a glossy veneer? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/27 "2008-12-30T17:02:52Z")
**If “Firefly” is so great, why hasn’t it been resurrected?** Because Wash is dead. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/28 "2008-12-30T17:05:44Z")
I know \*\*Elenfair \*\*refuses to tell us what shows she’s worked on (and I totally understand why), but as a result of this thread I’ve decided to incubate the delusion that she’s secretly Jane Espenson. **Elenfair** , how do you feel about food? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/29 "2008-12-30T17:09:13Z")
“Firefly” won’t be resurrected as a TV show, because it isn’t what TV execs want. For the most part, they want something cheap, easy to follow, and easy to sell in a 10-second TV spot, something that can be syndicated endlessly and re-sold to other networks. In essense, they wanted “Joss Whedon’s _Star Trek_.” With “Firefly” they got something too expensive, too challenging for the average viewer, hard to sell, and hard to syndicate. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/30 "2008-12-30T17:12:03Z")
What he needed to do before ever beginning filming was get a five-year contract like JMS did for _Babylon 5_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/31 "2008-12-30T17:18:25Z")
And look how much good it did him. He still had to rush Season 4 because of financing, and that meant Season 5 was the mess it was. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/32 "2008-12-30T17:20:11Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > What he needed to do before ever beginning filming was get a five-year contract like JMS did for _Babylon 5_. JMS didn’t have a 5-year contract. He also could have gotten canned at any time. In his case, the gamble happened to pay off. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/33 "2008-12-30T17:22:51Z")
> [@](#): > > There IS a niche for shows like Firefly. Those shows live on USA Network right now. They used to live on SciFi until Bonnie Hammer (don’t let me go there, I’ll talk your ear off) killed us all. Let’s all pray she doesn’t do the same thing to USA now. But that’s not where the money is. HBO is another good home for shorter-run series. This is where some other, gutsy, small-fan-base shows are going with some really interesting pilots for next year. Stay tuned, GRR Martin fans. This is what I have wondered. I would have imagined that a high-quality show like Firefly with a loyal fan-following would have been perfect for a cable network like HBO. With the rise of DVD sales I think there is a lot of potential for such shows which is why I am surprised that cult favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks haven’t found a viable model. ``` BTW I am drooling over the prospect of a Song of Ice and Fire show though actually I think high-quality animation would be a better medium for the subject. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/34 "2008-12-30T17:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > “Firefly” won’t be resurrected as a TV show, because it isn’t what TV execs want. For the most part, they want something cheap, easy to follow, and easy to sell in a 10-second TV spot, something that can be syndicated endlessly and re-sold to other networks. In essense, they wanted “Joss Whedon’s Star Trek.” > > With “Firefly” they got something too expensive, too challenging for the average viewer, hard to sell, and hard to syndicate. Hence the complete failure of arc-story shows like _The Sopranos_ and _Lost_ and _Gray’s Anatomy_ and _The Shield_ and _Heroes_. ---
**Author:** ![Torn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/35 "2008-12-30T17:39:55Z")
All I’m saying is if Nathan Fillion had been cast as Captain on “Enterprise”, it would still be on the air. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/36 "2008-12-30T17:59:10Z")
> [@Aghris](#): > > It would be a strange world where popular equals quality. Ms. Hilton is proof of that. Not necessarily. I’d say there have been a pretty decent nmber of Paris Hilton threads in these very messageboards. The same messageboards where Firefly nerds hang out. **Torn** : You’re nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/37 "2008-12-30T18:02:53Z")
This is an interesting topic to revisit in light of the imminent premier of Dollhouse. I would hate to be Joss Whedon right now. Given the run up to the new show (pilot changes, shifting nights), every fan is gearing up to mourn the death of his latest creation. Preemptory “save the Dollhouse” fan campaigns are being whispered about amoung the fanbase. Early reviews of the show are starting to filter out, and some of the text feels oddly familiar to when reviews of Firefly first surfaced (it’s not like anything Joss has done before, where is the trademark Jossisms and buffyspeak etc…) And, at least one review is pretty negative (warning, LOTS of spoilers ahead): [Futon Critic reviews Dollhouse](http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20081227_dollhouse). I concur with the opinion of one Whedonesque poster that people are suffering from “it’s not buffy” already. I hope that everyone gives the show time to grow some wings, develop the characters and the universe they inhabit, and give Joss some time to build something great. Looking back at all his shows, the first few episodes of any of his series are not the strongest - he’s a writer who builds a narrative, which is why I love him so very much. I also hope that there is some way of measuring viewership outside of the traditional models (nielsen ratings, etc). If this show is anything like Buffy, Angel or Firefly, viewing parties will not be an anomoly - on my University campus in Vancouver, we’d get 40-60 people showing up to watch, and we can’t be alone. Not to mention, how many people will catch it online? I’m cautiously optimistic that Joss will pull this off… if only because I want it so very badly! ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/38 "2008-12-30T18:04:44Z")
Personally I read the premise of _Dollhouse_ and gave it one big meh. I’m sure Joss will make it funny and interesting, but the concept fails to click with me. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/39 "2008-12-30T18:22:38Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Personally I read the premise of _Dollhouse_ and gave it one big meh. I’m sure Joss will make it funny and interesting, but the concept fails to click with me. Well, what about the premise of a blonde former cheerleader who slays vampires? It’s not the premise–but the execution. …if only Joss gets time to let the story develop. Which he did _not_ get with Firefly. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207/40 "2008-12-30T18:41:19Z")
> [@Elenfair](#): > > But in the end, it’s NOT what people want or what people watch. I mean, why do you think popcorn-for-the-brain crime shows do so well? CSI and its spin-offs? Criminal Minds? NCIS (bless its cotton socks, it’s kicking ass this season and doesn’t even HOLD the demos)? Because there’s no arc to speak of. The problem with arc shows is that they’re intimidating to the casual viewer. I can turn on CSI and enjoy and follow it even though I haven’t watched a new episode in 2 years. I wouldn’t want to even try that with Lost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-firefly-is-so-great-why-hasnt-it-been-resurrected/479207.md?page=3)