Whedonesque : Comments on 9539 : Firefly to Fly Again at The CW?!

...Yet Joss just posted yesterday, and didn't mention anything of the sort.

I highly doubt this is true. Even if 20th Century Fox went behind Joss' back to get this done, surely he would've found out from Nathan, Summer, or Gina.

Also...is it just me, or wasn't there a clause in the contract between Universal and Fox that Fox couldn't create a new series until about ten years down the line?

UnpluggedCrazy | February 14, 10:29 CET

"Serenity sequel! My phone is silent and withdrawn." -Jah Sweden, 2-13-06

Perhaps the CW does not have its phones installed yet?

[ edited by Hjermsted on 2006-02-14 08:32 ]

Hjermsted | February 14, 10:31 CET

Oh the angst! Oh the drama! Rumors flying everywhere like little bits of kamikaze lint.

Is there any confirmation for this at all, or is this yet another soft-cock tease?

(soft-cock being a downy chicken covered in kitten fuzz and not the limp protruding device sometimes found on drunk artists)

Epona | February 14, 10:31 CET

I thought Joss said that those rumors weren't true. Also, if this *is* true, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to get our hopes up unless he knew it was a possibility (not to mention it might be bad for the deal if he started rallying the troops to start bombarding The CW with letters and e-mails...). But you could easily be right. I'd rather live a few blissful days under the impression that this might be true, personally. I guess we'll see. Anyone named Jah Sweden who wants to confirm or deny should feel free to do so...;)

Typhon24 | February 14, 10:33 CET

Perhaps "My phone is silent and withdrawn" is an anagram for "shipmate wonderland shiny twin". Meaning, an excellent clone-like copy of our original crew's paradise is in the offing! No, I'm not serious.

willbueche | February 14, 11:19 CET

Let's wait on official word. My spirit doesn't care to be broken again after getting excited over rumors.

My new mantra: I will not read more into this, I will not read more into this, I will not read more into this... =)

kishi | February 14, 11:36 CET

No, this can't be true. It flies in the face of any kind of sense. Especially, as has been mentioned above, Joss gave us a rather comprehensive status update just yesterday and hinted of no such thing. And I mean, The CW? Are they gonna pick up a Fireflyversed show? Aren't their schedule kinda filled up as it is already. I mean, I'd love to be wrong. I finally got my Serenity DVD just yesterday and I managed to go through the commentary twice, the movie once and all of the extras once before the end of the day. And this despite I'd already seen it five times before I got the DVD. Maybe a little bit obsessed yeah. I could definitely use a weekly dose of Fireflyverse.
So either this rumor is just what rumors are most of the time, meaning unsubstanciated speculation and/or manifested wishful thinking, or Joss has fooled us bad. What a sneaky little bastard. :)

Djungelurban | February 14, 11:44 CET

Ahm, 'coats, Joss talked about his phone being silent in regards to a Serenity sequel. Maybe I'm nitpicking here, but he didn't tell us anything about a new Firefly series or a tv movie.

So much from the German literature girl. We know how to interpret things. At times, we interpret way too much. But hey - full of hope here. :-)

After the first mentioning of the Three-Actors-Incident, I thought Kristin might have been wrong. But she has repeated it a second time, with even stronger confirmation. Trust me, that girl doesn't like to be proven wrong. If she seconds that first statement, there is something to it. How much - well, I guess we're bound to find out.

And what would boost ratings and gossip about a new network more than to put up a fan's darling like Firefly, with a fair movie to back it up? Even if they only do a Firefly tv movie, the fans will be all over them.
As a second thought - a tv movie or series thereof would maybe even go around the 'no-tv-series' clause of the movie deal. :-)

Guys, I think this is real. Maybe not yet the real deal, but getting there. And with Joss being occupied by Wondy and Goners - that guy named Tim did a fair job in writing and directing Our Beloved Insect. I'd buy his work in the 'verse any time.

[ edited by Harridan on 2006-02-14 09:59 ]

Harridan | February 14, 11:56 CET

'Cept Tim's got a pilot on Fox. Whether the series gets bought or not is up on the air, but I imagine that's what he's working on. I'm seeing both sides here... Joss hasn't said anything about this, but I don't think he'd want to get our hopes up for this unless it was absolutely confirmed.

But I will beleive, because in the end, it's better for Browncoats to be collectively optimistic than collectively pessimistic.

jfhlbuffy | February 14, 12:12 CET

I've long believed that expectation leads to disappointment. But without expectation, there is no hope, and without hope, well... and so I choose, after reading Kristin's FF tidbit, to believe there may yet be a chance at getting our beloved show back on the air (sure, three of the BDHs could have been at the CW meeting for some other project, but...)

skeezycheese | February 14, 12:38 CET

Next on the CW: Spike, the Movie, starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres and Summer Glau. In which the ~~former Browncoats~~ Blackcoated vamp takes a cooking class from a wondrous lady named Violet Mia who may not be there. Did I leave anything out? ;-)

I'm voting with UnpluggedCrazy and Hjermsted that after just getting a Joss post yesterday that updated everything, this is just too rumory to fly. Also, there's a post right next door about Nathan starring in a movie with Ms. Sackhoff/Starbuck (which rocks!). Nope, doesn't seem like Kristin's report fits what we do know to be fact. It's too bad, too, because it would sure be nice!

On top of everything, I had read somewhere that if the CW just runs all the shows that they announced in their press release (GG, WWF, VM, ANTM, Smallville, etc.), they will only have 2 1/2 to 3 hours left weekly to fill. That's not counting the other shows on WB & UPN they didn't mention by name, or the pilots they are already filming. Honestly, it doesn't sound like there's a whole lot of likelihood FF is getting one of those weekly hours! :-(

billz | February 14, 13:21 CET

Also...is it just me, or wasn't there a clause in the contract between Universal and Fox that Fox couldn't create a new series until about ten years down the line?

I believe I have seen it confirmed that That Old Rumor is just that. Something that's been repeated ad nauseum but isn't true.

Others, I'm sure, have more info about it.

Julesong | February 14, 13:24 CET

~~Hey Kristin how did that Season 6 of Angel you said was going to happen work out in the end?~~

Ahem anyway. I am of the opinion that the Firefly franchise is dead. Zilch. Nada. Ain't comin back at all. Ceased to be. It died when Fox cancelled the show. More chance of James K. Polk coming back as President. Did you know he invented the Polka Dot? No he didn't but I said it on the Internet so it must be true.

However, the Serenity franchise is a different story. And from what I've read in Joss' interviews he would be willing to continue the Serenity story. Hence the comic books with Dark Horse.

And I've noticed in the last few weeks, that Browncoats are saying "Hey if Joss isn't interested , Tim should do it". Tim's very busy. And delving into my half assed pysch profile of the man, I think he'd be much more interested in developing new shows.

And Joss himself is snowed under at the moment. Wonder Woman, Goners, various comic book projects. He's burning the midnight oil trying to get everything into place.

Also Kristin seems to be subscribing to the "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck" theory.

Simon | February 14, 13:29 CET

Kristen: Did you know that Firefly may be coming back to the CW (in my mind) ?
Kristen: I did not know that
Kristen: Yes, it's almost definite (in my mind)
Kristen: We should tell the world
Kristen: Betcha.

No offence to whoever mentioned it above but saying a wrong thing twice doesn't make it right. I'd be happy as a pig in the proverbial if she's on the money and we get even a BDMini-series (Medium Damn ?), I just don't see it happening (especially with film opportunities coming in for the cast, Joss/Tim being busy and the uncertain contractual issues with Fox). To me this is more like "if it has feet and possibly has made some kind of noise in the past then it's a duck and definitely NOT a swan, seagull or pigeon, no siree".

Saje | February 14, 13:45 CET

Also Kristen seems to be subscribing to the "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck" theory.

"if it has feet and possibly has made some kind of noise in the past then it's a duck and definitely NOT a swan, seagull or pigeon, no siree".

Or possibly, "If my friend says she (he?) saw something walking like a duck, then I heard quacking." ;-)

billz | February 14, 14:07 CET

Probably not - though I'd love to be proven wrong. I feel no need to come down on Kristin who runs a gossip column pretty well to my mind - of course she has to be wrong many a time, but she seems to be as credible as such a place could hope for.

I hope in a quiet way that we get to see more Firefly or Serenity (and Buffy/Angel for that matter), and I can't help but feel more optimistic when I hear reports like this - not that I think it has much chance of being true (especially for next season!), but it means that others still hope and wait and want to know more. As long as it doesn't result in a frenzy of excitement followed by the desperation of shattered dreams, I don't see anything wrong with being an optimist.

sasja | February 14, 14:16 CET

Um, it's Kristen.

'Nuff said.

[ edited by syd on 2006-02-14 12:29 ]

syd | February 14, 14:28 CET

I feel no need to come down on Kristin who runs a gossip column pretty well to my mind

Sasja makes a good point that a gossip column has to stay in business somehow. So, maybe I should say that I don't believe this one item that Kristin has written is correct, but maybe she is right about other things at other times! ;-)

billz | February 14, 14:32 CET

Hey guys, thanks for putting things back into perspective. After reading the recent Joss interview, I doubt that there is anything true about this rumour. There could be any number of reasons for the Three-Actor-Incident, and maybe it never happened at all.

In Germany, we have a saying: "Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt", meaning "hope is the last to die" (sounds awkward, maybe the translation isn't all that good).

I'll be patient now. And watch Firefly (Jaynestown is next) one more time, until Serenity arrives in March.

[ edited by Harridan on 2006-02-14 12:56 ]

Harridan | February 14, 14:52 CET

Sounds a bit like "Hope springs eternal (in the human breast)", Harridan (nice sentiment which I think is an Alexander Pope quote).

Saje | February 14, 15:27 CET

Is it me or is everyone forgeting that it's the begining of pilot season right now and the verse actors are of course probably walking in and out of a lot of studio buildings. The studios are not dumb (ok maybe on some things they are), they know talent when they see it and Joss has the Midas touch when it comes to locating talented actors. That and I take evything Kristen says with a grain of salt. I will never forget her telling everybody in her column that according to her sources Angel was a surething to be renewed and not even a week later it was canceled.

Speaking of which yestereday (Feb 13) was the 2 year anniversary of the announcement of the death of the verse on TV, with Angel's cancelation.

RavenU | February 14, 16:20 CET

I'm almost entirely sure this story has no factual basis, but as long as people keep linkin' it, it'll keep rollin'. Rollin' rollin' rollin'.

gossi | February 14, 16:24 CET

I understand Kristen is a gossip columnist, but even in gossip columns you read things like, "I heard this so I called so and so to check it out and ..." That part is missing here, and it makes something that is highly unlikely seem like a total pipe dream.

newcj | February 14, 16:31 CET

I love Kristin, I really do, she loves the 'verse as much as we do only she wears a pair of thick rose-colored glasses and the rest of us have on the bitter lenses of reality. I'd like to borrow hers sometime, I bet the view is pretty.

killinj | February 14, 17:05 CET

False hope can spread like wildfire, but not when Kristin from E! initiates it. She's been proven wrong time and time again - at this point I'm convinced that she completely fabricates 90% of her "rumours". A random poster on imdb.com would be just as reliable.

cowmuf | February 14, 17:23 CET

If there was even an inkling of truth about this, I assume Herc over at Ain't It Cool News would be on it like white on rice. (Umm, unless it's brown rice, or that pesky wild rice that comes in many shades.) But so far nothing, and they've even got a story today about the cheap discounts on "Buffy" DVDs. The whole thing seems very suspect.

rbt | February 14, 18:13 CET

I can't get my hopes up about this too much, at least not until Joss confirms it.

krebstar5 | February 14, 19:05 CET

To Quote the Great Brian Cox
"I'll believe that when my shit turns purple and tastes like rainbow sherbert."

pongluver | February 14, 19:20 CET

You know, when I saw that heading, I was thinking"OH NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! , not this again!". And sure enough it is. Look I am crazy rabid fan, and I have hope ,and not entirely jaded. I have hope that if enough Serenity DVD's are sold around the world, Universal will make back its loss, and make a tidy profit. I have hope that the fandom is expanding, even as we speak, that people are showing it to other people, and more people are being hooked. I have hope that after WW & Goners, Joss Whedon will be a more recognizable name(besides that dude who made Buffy), and I believe that because of his name, more people will find out about Serenity/Firefly and check it out. I have hope that after his name gets bigger, that Joss will insist on doing a sequel, and that Universal will agree(or that Universal will approach Whedon or whatever).

But thats in due time.... right now, the fandom even though it has expanded since the initial release of the movie, is still not big enough to support the new franchise. And its just not profitable enough. I am really getting tired of getting my hopes up and this wild speculation. The fanbase can only get riled up so many times. I know its her job to do gossip thats fine, but I hope she realizes that the fandom is raw, and just... don't need to go through this roller coaster over and over. Not right now. Its bloody exhausting... Anyways...

kurya | February 14, 20:02 CET

What bothers me about this line of speculation is that her friend saw Nathan, Gina and Summer at Paramount and came to the conclusion that talks were underway. If talks really were underway, wouldn't it be more likely that, oh, I don't know, JOSS might be conducting those talks, rather than his actors?

lexigeek | February 14, 20:52 CET

Yeah, lexigeek, I always thought that the actors would've either been notified by their representation that something was afoot, or that Joss would have them over to his place to talk about it.

It doesn't make sense to me that the actors would meet at the studio to 'discuss' a project. I'm no expert, but I really don't think that's how things worked.

Willowy | February 14, 21:06 CET

Oh, please, I hate to be pessimistic but this smells. Kristin is just trying to stir the pot; I, too, was under the impression Fox wouldn't let another TV series fly for at least 10 years. And, no matter how much I want it, I don't see the new CW jumping into something like this, especially with a show that was expensive to make. Color me surprised (and ecstatic) if it does happen, though.

spikeangellover | February 14, 21:26 CET

It doesn't make sense to me that the actors would meet at the studio to 'discuss' a project. I'm no expert, but I really don't think that's how things worked.

Absolutely. As an example (something I read at the Ghost House Pictures website), during negotiations to secure her for a cameo in 'The Grudge 2', SMG was represented by David Guillod of United Talent Agency and Joanne Colonna of Brillstein-Grey Management. The deal itself was negotiated on her behalf by Lawrence Kopeikin of the law firm Barnes, Morris, Klein, Yorn, Barnes & Levine. I mention this as way of an example of how complex these things actually appear to be and how many people (we would not usually get to hear about) are involved.

As to the 'Firefly/CW' rumour, I know Kristin has been defended here by others but I think her track-record and the fact she writes a "gossip column" speaks for itself. She might be a genuine fan of the Joss Whedon's work, but I do not doubt for one moment that she is peddling false hope to generate traffic to the E! Online site.

alien lanes | February 14, 22:23 CET

Umm, yea, I find it quite disgusting that she's even thinking of getting people's hopes so high when she knows so little. I wish she'd just shut up.

zimshan | February 14, 22:51 CET

Whoa! Can we tone down the hostility? It's not like we've ever really taken Kristin seriously before, so why get worked up over some gossip she passed along in a chatroom now? Best to just have a sense of humor about it and let it slide. Afterall, it is free publicity for the 'verse regardless of its truthiness or lack thereof.

killinj | February 14, 23:06 CET

Oh my God, oh my God, oh!!!!!!
Please, It MUST be truth.

Angel TheVampire | February 14, 23:33 CET

Whoa! Can we tone down the hostility? It's not like we've ever really taken Kristin seriously before, so why get worked up over some gossip she passed along in a chatroom now? Best to just have a sense of humor about it and let it slide. Afterall, it is free publicity for the 'verse regardless of its truthiness or lack thereof.

Have the comments here, my own included, been unduly hostile? I would have said not, although I am perhaps not the best judge in the circumstances. I will certainly agree that I tend to lose whatever sense of humour I have when faced with gossip columns but I remain unconvinced that all publicity (rumour and speculation included), regardless of its reliability, is a good thing. Having said that, I do agree that it would be best to let these things slide on by. It's just a bit difficult to maintain perspective when they seem to keep popping up every day.

alien lanes | February 14, 23:56 CET

Maybe Joss doesn't want to get people's hopes up until something concrete happens. Also, I think technically there is a difference between a Serenity sequel and a potential new series and Joss loves to play games with us, the fans.

Zoic_Fan | February 14, 23:58 CET

Have the comments here, my own included, been unduly hostile?

The previous comment referring to her actions as disgusting and wishing she would shut up prompted me to try to diffuse things before a bash Kristin bandwagon was built for people to jump on.

I remain unconvinced that all publicity (rumour and speculation included), regardless of its reliability, is a good thing.

I'm hard pressed to come up with anything negative for Firefly, its creator, or its actors in having some buzz about it appear in the chat transcript of a gossip columnist.

killinj | February 15, 00:40 CET

I'm still about 85% sure there will eventually be a "Serenity" sequel of some sort. In any case, now would be premature -- I'd much rather see them try this after a few years of growing momentum when Joss and Nathan at the very least should have a lot more juice.

(Please note: I speak of metaphorical "juice," i.e. "power." I think that Joss and Nathan can probably now afford nearly all the actual fruit and vegetable juices they want -- and not only Tropicana and V-8, but all that really exspensive stuff at Wild Oats.)

bobster | February 15, 00:52 CET

YAYness! I stopped watching UPN and WB and FOX several months ago. I boycotted them. Now two of them have fallen. I somehow feel vindicated. If only FOX would dramatically change management or its name or something.

...if they bring back Firefly I might reconsider but don't really wanna ...even though it's merging and doing the whole phoenix thing, WC is still just UWPBN disquised. Bleargh.

[ edited by ZachsMind on 2006-02-14 23:56 ]

ZachsMind | February 15, 01:43 CET

ZM, there's always the old standby - replacing the 'o' with a 'u'. ;)

Willowy | February 15, 01:52 CET

(Please note: I speak of metaphorical "juice," i.e. "power." I think that Joss and Nathan can probably now afford nearly all the actual fruit and vegetable juices they want -- and not only Tropicana and V-8, but all that really exspensive stuff at Wild Oats.)

Bobster, that made my day. :-)

acp | February 15, 02:17 CET

You know, in Kristen's chat with Rob Thomas, she was actually speculating on the possibility of a Joss show season after next, not 2006. They both noted that while Gilmore Girls is a good pairing for Veronica Mars, it's also long in the tooth and probably only has one season left. Smallville is also aging. So while billz's point that the CW doesn't have much programming time left is a good one, it's not too soon for the network to start thinking about what comes after those shows and setting up relationships with talent. Doesn't mean I think this is necessarily true, but it makes pretty thoughts in my head. Why not hope?

dreamlogic | February 15, 04:30 CET

Yeah we'd all love to see another Firefly season, or something in that 'verse. But if it isn't going to happen, I hope that Kristen's "sighting" turns into serious roles for each of our BDHs.

Kyrax | February 15, 05:47 CET

Of course the best way to confirm this kind of speculation is for someone to ask Nate Fillion, Summer Glau and/or Gina Torres what they where doing at the CW building.

It's also important to note that none of the three people above or for that matter Joss Whedon have said specifically that nothing is going on with the CW network.

No news is good news.

Zoic_Fan | February 15, 06:06 CET

No news is good news.

Except there's news, and it's no news. ;)

theonetruebix | February 15, 07:56 CET

So do it without Joss, the rest know how too. He'd only make Mal to depressing anyway ;)

Pumps | February 16, 21:55 CET

February 14 2006