Whedonesque : Comments on 11017 : Serenity Moves to HBO.

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August 02 2006

Serenity Moves to HBO. Serenity's HBO premiere is set for Saturday, September 9, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

Am I allowed to grouse now that it's not being given a prime-time slot?

MaryQue | Firefly&Serenity | 19:26 CET | 26 comments total | tags: serenity, hbo

is it really prime time if you're on a premimum channel?

eddy | August 02, 19:31 CET

Ooooh, more people will have an opportunity to see it!! They will love it. They will watch FF. They will love it! Sequel here we come! (crosses fingers)

teachndoc | August 02, 19:59 CET

Has HBO ever done any sci-fi shows? They've had a bit of fantasy-horror in Carnivale and the animated Spawn series, but I can't think of any sci-fi. They should get on that, even not-as-good Showtime have done a few sci-fi shows (Jeremiah, Odyssey 5, Stargate SG1).

They should get a hold of Firefly.

Kris | August 02, 20:02 CET

Very cool, but I'm surprised that the Sci-Fi channel isn't going to be the one to premiere Serenity, especially since they had picked up Firefly. I would imagine that on the Sci-Fi channel that they would be able to pick up a bigger audience. Maybe even give it better time slot at either 8 or 9 pm.

Matt_Fabb | August 02, 20:53 CET

A lot of that might have had to do with price.

YellowBear | August 02, 21:08 CET

Didn't I read that USA bought the regular cable rights for broadcast? USA is owned by NBC/Universal just like Sci Fi. I am sure Serenity will make the rounds on the pay cable stations, then be shown on USA a couple times, then move to Sci Fi Channel for a year or so and then one July or August Saturday a couple years from now it will be shown on NBC.

Seems to be the usual order of things.

TamaraC | August 02, 21:08 CET

I expect Serenity will be on Sci-Fi six months or so after it finishes its run on HBO. As I understand it, these things go something like Theater->Pay Per View->Premium Cable->Cable->Network TV... with in-flight movies somewhere in there around PPV.

jclemens | August 02, 21:11 CET

Will HBO have an exciteable young man in a ghastly red shirt talking about Serenity like what TV Guide Spot has?

Simon | August 02, 21:36 CET

I have sound off as I'm at work, but that guys mouth seems to move faster than humanly possible.

MobileHQ | August 02, 21:58 CET

Did the man in the loud shirt just call the crew "plucky"? Oh man, if I wasn't already in love with this movie, I don't know how I'd feel about "Rossi" telling me about it.

Danica | August 02, 22:06 CET

Serenity hasn't premeired yet in the states? Hmm. We've had it for months up here on The Movie Network (Canada).

What? I'm not being smug.

Resolute | August 02, 22:42 CET

HBO will show the movie first, and then it'll move onto basic cable.

See jclemens post above.

[ edited by VJP666 on 2006-08-02 20:43 ]

VJP666 | August 02, 22:42 CET

Its premium cable premiere in the States was on Cinemax July 22nd. Before that, it was available for a couple of months on pay-per-view starting last February.

And, yes, I think there is a "prime time" when it comes to premium cable. Starz, HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime all premiere their big movies at either 8:00 or 9:00 Eastern time. "Serenity" will be over by 8:00.

I'm happy that more people will see it because of the move to HBO, but even more people would have seen it in the 8:00 timeslot than will see it at 6:00. I would also expect it to receive less promotion from HBO since it isn't being shown in a prime Saturday premiere slot.

MaryQue | August 02, 22:55 CET

My first reaction to seeing the post was, "Sweet, an HBO Serenity t.v. series!" Then disappointment set in once again.

daggerhart | August 02, 23:29 CET

Ahhhh... as someone who lives in Canada to me HBO = Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Oz, Sex and the City, Deadwood and other such original programming. I thought HBO was just another cable channel, similar to the Sci-Fi channel but just as the Sci-Fi channel specializes in sci-fi, HBO specialized in adult dramas. Which I why I thought it was a strange fit for HBO to play Serenity instead of Sci-Fi. But now I realize that it's not instead of the Sci-Fi channel but just the normal chain of things.

Matt_Fabb | August 03, 00:54 CET

See, I knew HBO was more specialer than just original programming. There was a lengthy article in Maclean's about the exact reasons why HBO has not been allowed in Canada. Ever. It seems more like greed than an actual real reason.

Brisco | August 03, 02:13 CET

I think the TV Guide spot is good. They have a nice selection of bit from the movie and while Rossi is a little over the top, he pronounces Joss's name right and I give him points for that!

Lioness | August 03, 03:17 CET

Simon: "Will HBO have an exciteable young man in a ghastly red shirt talking about Serenity like what TV Guide Spot has?"

Ah, the sweet, departed energy of my youth. After watching him I had to go lie down with an icepack and an ~~18-y.o. boy~~ improving book.

I'm not sure I ever had that much energy.

QuoterGal | August 03, 04:09 CET

I thought HBO was just another cable channel, similar to the Sci-Fi channel but just as the Sci-Fi channel specializes in sci-fi, HBO specialized in adult dramas.

I absolutely love HBO's programming. I don't know 'bout anyone else, but I'd definitely catagorize Serenity as "adult drama". I think if Fox had sold this show as such (later time slot...premiere after the baseball season was finished...aired the original pilot first...don't get me started) it might still be on today.
Actually, I wish it was given to FX, put on late (like Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck) and let the adults have full-reign.
Now that would have been sweet.
Anyway, I'm glad to see Serenity on HBO.

AmazonGirl | August 03, 06:44 CET

For those canadians who don't know how HBO started out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO

eddy | August 03, 07:06 CET

Simon- All I could think was....Oh no, not a red shirt!

QuoterGal- I nearly spit my cabernet on my conputer screen.

madmolly | August 03, 10:15 CET

conputer? I want one of those! It would be black and white and have SWAG on it.

gossi | August 03, 12:05 CET

conputer ? Like a Dell, y'mean ?

(OK, OK they're not that bad)

Saje | August 03, 12:17 CET

Saje - 3 dells have broken this month at my work. I have to ring Dell's India (I think) call center to get them fixed. Which is not fun.

I hate Dell with a fiery vengence.

gossi | August 03, 12:37 CET

Even if it didn't get a prime Saturday night slot, I think it is great that it has so many listings. Most people are out in summer on Saturday, anyway. That's why there is nothing to watch on the regular channels.

mikamom | August 03, 21:51 CET

One of the first things my brother and sister-in-law said to me when I arrived at their house a couple of weeks ago was "Serenity is on TV Sunday night - twice." And they're not even fans! However, they did sit down and watch it with me - we only watched it once ;-) - and my brother seemed to enjoy it. I hadn't realized it hadn't been on US cable yet.

samatwitch | August 03, 23:49 CET

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