Buhh. Joss' career is his own. If he wants to go and do movies for a few years, he should be allowed without his 'fans' trying to make him feel bad. I think, anyway.

I'm sure he'll return at some point. Hell, he's said as much about 12 times this month alone in interviews. But he has a wife, and a family. Movies pay well. They're a different format. Joss loves movies. He trained to make movies in his younger years. He _loves_ movies, and movie making. He also loves TV.

As a person who also loves both television and movies as different formats, I can cope with a bit of both.

gossi | September 19, 20:36 CET

I think he was just saying that television needs Joss, and he would very welcome back there, gossi. That's all. Never said he couldn't do films. Personally, I loved reading that.

pat32082 | September 19, 20:39 CET

Well, I half agree with the article, I'm just playing devils advocate to say Joss originally wanted to do movies - for those who don't know, he's like a 3rd generation TV writer and he always swore he'd never DO television. He wanted to do movies - well. And he's getting a proper shot. If he's trying to juggle TV shows whilst working on Wonder Woman, it can't be great for the man - as a 'fan' you can only expect so much.

Having Firefly, Buffy and Angel on the air at one point, I suspect, must have pushed Joss personally, and whilst as fans that was a good time... I mean, I want the guy to be happy. And actually sleeping sometimes.

gossi | September 19, 20:42 CET

Joss will do whatever Joss decides to do. I don't think having people adore your work and publicly asking for more would make him feel bad, quite the opposite.

My own personal selfish desire is for one new tv-series in which Joss lets someone capable be the showrunner with a team of great writers to help carry the load so that fans can get their weekly fix and then have a movie come out every year or so.

Shame on me for wanting the best of both worlds.

killinj | September 19, 21:02 CET

Having Firefly, Buffy and Angel on the air at one point, I suspect, must have pushed Joss personally, and whilst as fans that was a good time...

Was having 3 shows on the air at the same time good for fans? One could argue that Buffy seasn 7 and Angel season 4 didn't quite demonstrate the same level of quality as earlier and subsequent seasons, in part due to the fact that Joss was less hands-on with those shows (and that Angel went through a change in showrunners during the season probably had more to do with any of its problems,)

drewfidelic | September 19, 21:39 CET

Hmmm. Not the first time I've seen that byline...I wonder if this is the same Scott Nance I was friends with in college*. It's really likely, as he was doing genre writing back then, as well.

Having said that, I'd have to agree to disagree, as well. I think Joss knows how to get back to television, and recent interviews, posted on this site, indicate a few things (I'm drawing this from memory):

* He has ideas for shows. The interview where he first mentioned an interest in VERONICA MARS also noted he had an idea for a procedural show
* that same interview noted his main reason for not coming back -- he's damn tired of the TV grind. Other interviews have noted that he does want to have the level on control that Scott's article asks him to take on any new television situation.
* However, Joss, for all his talent, is not a ratings-drawer, and that makes it really, really hard for him to get that level of control.

Sure, having the old team back together would be nice. However, I think my main disagreement is that we have to have Joss on Television right now. To speak potential heresy, I want to see the show that'll make me forget BUFFY, frankly. And maybe Joss'll make that show...but it might also be someone else. And dragging a exhausted Joss back into TV means someone might not get that chance.

I, too, want to see what Rob Thomas has in store for VM Season 2, and if Battlestar Galactica will return to the level of quality that drew me in. I also want some newbie film student to make a kick-ass show that makes everyone re-think how genre Television is made, and that excites me in different ways than a new Joss show. Plus, I want joss to "follow his muse", not the wishes of we the fans. We may love the shows, yet love can blind you.
And as a a consumer, and a fan of Joss, if a Network Executive tied me down, put a gun to my head, and asked me which I'd choose...
...well, first I'd tell 'em he's a sick bastard. But then, I'd say that I want sharp ideas, amazing stories set in places just on the edge of forever. I want more women that I can admire, that I can use as role models for any children I might be blessed to have.

And whoever gets me that, get my TV vote.

* For Scott: It's Woodrow. Yes, that Woodrow...

asim | September 19, 21:44 CET

Joss I love your shows and most of your movies.
(Ones other ppl haven't screwed)
Do whatever you want, just keep working and we'll keep loving it.

nixygirl | September 19, 22:03 CET

I think that it can be best summed up this way: "Joss Whedon may not need Television but Television needs Joss Whedon" Just sit at home any night of the week and turn on the tube to watch reality crud and you'll totally get it. Where are the storytellers? I watch Lost and Battlestar Galactica. That's about it.

What makes me sad is watching a show like Lost and observing how plots and interactions are being slowly revealed...creating a wonderful experience. And as I watch it I think "man, this is what should have been happening with firefly" I'm glad for the film but I weep for the lost art....tossed aside by a network.

thiefjehat | September 19, 22:53 CET

I know it's a bit off topic, but it's along the lines of what drewfidelic was talking about. I've noticed that in my case at least (and a bit with other fans I know personally) that the supposed drop in quality seems to come up less and less. Today I was walking home from class, and all I could think about was Buffy Season 7, early on with crazy Spike. When that first aired I really didn't enjoy it, and now I look fondly on even the "weaker" episodes or seasons. I don't know if it's because on DVD it works better (which in my case is probably the reason) or that with no more Joss on TV, it's harder to criticise his work.

On topic, I think Joss should do whatever he wants, and I don't really think the author was saying "Joss don't do any movies" it was just a plea for more TV, which has imo been Joss best work thus far. I've yet to see Serenity (I feel so alone lol...) Bit I'm sure it's a fine film, and that I'll enjoy it immensely. If Joss wants to do movies and comics for another 5 years, so be it, I'll see them and read them, and hey maybe pop in one of those 73 DVD's packed full of Whedon goodness.

[ edited by rabid on 2005-09-19 22:03 ]

rabid | September 20, 00:00 CET

Joss period is great. Joss on TV is better, having seen Serenity. I completely love the movie, but Joss's story layout better on television.

As for the comment on Angel season 4....I don't think there was much wrong with that season. I liked the tight storytelling and even the shift at the end to Jasmine was a bit weird, but still good. I thought Carpenter's acting was getting stale that season though. And Buffy Season 7 was great from Lessons to Bring on the Night and was awesome again from Get It Done - Chosen. My biggest problem with Season 7 was Ashanti lol and a the core group not being the way we had loved them before.

If anything season 6 was the weakest because you can make television depressing, but it can be made entertaining anyway. Although I've never thought Buffy was boring, season 6 is the only season I can't rewatch episodes from beside Once More and a couple scattered throughout it.

ChosenOne5376 | September 20, 01:29 CET

I think it's nice to see someone who wants Joss to return to TV. I personally love films and TV, so it's quite hard to decide, but ultimately I would prefer to have a full season of Joss as opposed to two hours. Films have advantages, they are usually more concise and have better production values, but I don't think that can compare to a long, well developed story over the course of 22 episodes.

That's not to comment on Joss' ability to make either, because I'm sure his films will be fantastic, but just a personal preference. But I think it's great that he is working in different mediums so when he does do TV again, he'll have learned even more and come up with more ideas.

I've learned with Buffy and Angel that the more you watch them, the better they get. I didn't love Buffy season six the first time around, but I love it now. People have commented on Angel season four and said that it was good the first time because of the nature of the twists and turns, but I can't wait to watch it again even though I know what happens.

I thought Charisma did a great job, ChosenOne. By the end of season three I think they definitely weren't sure where the character was going, and whilst the pregnancy and coma pretty much killed Cordelia the character, I preferred it to her being too nice and bland for the last two seasons.

We know it wasn't really Cordy who did all those bad things, but at least we got to see her being bitchy and look on in horror at what Jasmine did, unaware of her being controlled, and ultimately Cordelia's beautiful and heroic sacrifice. I still think that she should have woken up from her coma at the start of season five and I'm sure the writers would have found somewhere to go with her, because characters like Fred, Lorne and Gunn were being wasted for a long time and there were obvious attempts to utilise them more, such as Gunn being given lawyer knowledge. I'm sure they could have found something for Cordelia to do.

But I thought Charisma did sinister very well, of course it was really frustrating and annoying to see her get away with everything, but that's how we were meant to feel. She was very evil whilst pretending to be nice to Connor, and we still got some classic Cordy when she was trying not to reveal herself.

Razor | September 20, 02:16 CET

My "spoiled git" side wants twenty-two hours of Jossy goodness a year, not two! :D

Craig Oxbrow | September 20, 02:40 CET

You know, I love Joss's TV shows, but my impassioned plea to him would run along the lines of "Joss, never ever stop writing X-Men books"...

Flair | September 20, 04:12 CET

I did enjoy Carpenter's 1 episode in Season 5.......I dunno, but she just seemed so fresh, I think the extra long hiatus from Cordelia brought some life back into her portrayal of it.

ChosenOne5376 | September 20, 04:24 CET

However, Joss, for all his talent, is not a ratings-drawer, and that makes it really, really hard for him to get that level of control.

This is what I fear -- lookit Judd Apatow. TV auteur, made 2 near-great TV shows for FOX and NBC (Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared) that were swiftly cancelled, and went on to find comfortable success in the movies with 40 Year Old Virgin. Joss is definitely a different story, with 12+ seasons of TV that have aired, but the cancellation of Firefly really hurt him -- and pissed him off as well. And his work is too... idiosyncratic to get big ratings on TV. If his movies do really well, I can only hope that the lure of TV will still work on him. The serial storytelling and long arcs of character development are hopefully enough to get him back to TV. Right now, the movies are offering him the one thing that he wanted back in his early movie career: creative control.

But I can see Joss eventually (in a few years) needing to bring a story to the medium of television -- I can also see him staging a stage or movie musical or, what fascinates me, a ballet. I'm curious to see whatever he does.

dottikin | September 20, 06:43 CET

I just want him to make movies. I mean, it would be really great to see another Joss TV series, but the man's lifelong dream has to been to direct his own feature film. I've been such a huge fan of his for so many years that I kind of feel for him personally, and damn, I just want to say how proud I am of him that he finally got to do his own film, and exactly the way he wanted to.

I want Joss to be on TV in the future, but let's let this brilliant filmmaker...y'know...make films! It's a great time to be a Whedonite, if you ask me.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 20, 07:05 CET

As much as I enjoy Joss' work on tv, I'm currently more interested in seeing how he does writing and directing his own movies. Serenity was just incredible and just jammed packed with action, plot, shock, tears and laughter. Serenity is never going to make up for the lost seasons of Firefly, but at the same time those lost seasons could never do what Serenity did. I want to see more of what Joss can do with the film medium, especially a movie that starts from stratch rather than continuing one of his tv shows (although I still want the Serenity sequels to happen damnit).

Plus hopefully Joss becomes a big time Hollywood director. Big enough that if he does return to tv, they let him do whatever he wants rather than interfer and give the show the proper care and promotion.

Either way, it's up to Joss and as long as he makes incredible art I'll continue to follow whatever he does.

Matt_Fabb | September 20, 08:13 CET