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Sci-Fi Media Television

Independents Push For Second Firefly Season 334

ovanklot writes "It seems that Brilliant Screen Entertainment is looking to see if there is an audience for a second season of the science fiction show FireFly. From the article: 'It's possible that subscribers may choose one of three playback options; monthly DVD deliveries, TV On-Demand using your cable or satellite provider, or computer viewing via Streaming Download.'" They are asking folks to fill out a short survey to gather demographics for support in their efforts to get Fox to release the show to them. The site also stresses that they want neither money nor confidential personal information.
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Independents Push For Second Firefly Season

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  • by Anonymous Coward
    Tried to fill out the survey but there is no option for "pirate box" under the cable/satellite operator.
    • Tried to fill out the survey but there is no option for "pirate box" under the cable/satellite operator.

      You can't steal cable if there is no operator. Just list who you stealing the signal from ;-) Now for the BitTorrent'ers among us, there is trully no choice.

      -Em
  • by Cyno01 ( 573917 ) <Cyno01@hotmail.com> on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @05:50PM (#14562776) Homepage
    Buncha cowardly, inbred piss pots...
  • Wouldn't science fiction of the real future already know this information?
  • Ain't gonna happen (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mark-t ( 151149 ) <markt AT nerdflat DOT com> on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @05:54PM (#14562812) Journal
    There is, by my understanding, an absolutely ZERO chance that Fox will pick up a second season of Firefly and an approximately equivalent chance that Fox will consider surrendering the television rights to another channel.

    The absolute best fans can hope for at this point is a straight-to-dvd 2nd season release.

    • by daivzhavue ( 176962 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @05:56PM (#14562827)
      And a straight to DVD 2d release would be just fine. Better actually in some respects.
      • by mark-t ( 151149 )
        I agree, but that's the BEST case.

        And it's contingent upon how well the first season of Firefly sells in DVD form.

        Even then, they may only make movies from here on out... doing one, two, or maybe as many as three movies per "season" or some such thing.

        • by bubkus_jones ( 561139 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @08:11PM (#14563797)
          The first season is selling quite well. I've bought it twice, myself (once for my self and once as a gift).

          I, and most people I've talked to, prefer to watch their "TV" in DVD form, because you're not dependant on the network, their ability to stay connected, their other shows (how many times was Firefly preempted by football during its first run?), their schedule (how many days was Firefly on in it's short run?), or how much they care about the show (how many episodes were unaired, or aired out of sequence?).

          With how poorly Fox treated Firefly (and Angel, well, how they treated Joss in general those last couple years), I have no doubt that a direct to DVD, or some sort of internet broadcasting, would be preferred.
    • >There is, by my understanding, an absolutely ZERO chance that Fox will pick up a second season of Firefly and an approximately equivalent chance that Fox will consider surrendering the television rights to another channel.

      Given a largely-male demographic for science fiction, you're saying that FOX wouldn't even pass the proverbial leaf on the wind over to these guys? [spiketv.com]

      (One ticket to hell, please.)

      • by JQuick ( 411434 )
        It does not matter whether Fox would be interested in another season.

        Joss Whedon has stated numerous times, that he will never work with Fox again. He wants to do more with Firefly, but says that he refuses to do so unless Fox will relinquish the rights. If another studio buys the rights from Fox, the series might have a future. If Fox wanted him (or probably any original cast members) to make more episodes, they would refuse.
    • by SputnikPanic ( 927985 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:09PM (#14562927)
      However, stranger things have happened. Family Guy, for instance, turned out to be so successful on DVD that it led to the show's resurrection; sales of the Firefly DVDs similarly have been surprisingly high. It was one of Amazon's best-selling DVDs for 2005, and both Firefly and Serenity are still on their top 10. It wasn't until after Serenity was released that I discovered the series -- and that thanks to my girlfriend, Whedon fan that she is -- but I for one would love to see the series come back.
    • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) * on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:09PM (#14562928)
      The absolute best fans can hope for at this point is a straight-to-dvd 2nd season release.

      That sounds significantly better than a TV release to me!

      If Firefly is judged on actual sales instead of some idiot at a studio imagining that some lesser show would fare better in the same time slot, then FireFly will do pretty well - as evidenced by DVD sales thus far.

      Frankly I could stand to have TV as we know it disbanded and just buy all entertainment either online or via DVD. I would not miss these archaic things we call "channels" whatsoever.
      • That sounds significantly better than a TV release to me!

        It sounds better than a tv release to me too.

        But keep in mind that I was talking about an absolutely best-case scenario, not at lall the most probable one.

        At this stage of the game, I believe the most likely outcome is that Firefly will fade away quietly as the clamoring dies down. I think the second most likely outcome is that they release a new movie straight-to-dvd, which could have a dramatically lower budget than a theatrical released.

      • by MrPerfekt ( 414248 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:42PM (#14563175) Homepage Journal
        Just nitpicking here but I'm tired of people ragging on TV. People, mostly geeks, complain about how TV is just pure crap but then in the next breath they talk about a TV show they just bought on DVD. Ugh. So you don't hate TV for all of it's content obviously. But I will agree that about 1% of TV shows are "lowest common denomonator" that a majority of people can enjoy. So that leaves another 99% and of that you may like a huge chunk of it but obviously a sizeable piece of all TV is going to be "crap" to you. You can't win them all. Especially when there's hundreds of channels with about 12 hours per day of programming.

        Channels serve a useful purpose to me. When I want to be "entertained" and I don't want to stress my already-indecisive brain, I just turn on the TV and "see what's on". I _hate_ hovering over a stack of DVDs and trying to decide what sounds appetizing to me at that moment. This is the same reason I prefer "radio" (sat. or mp3 streams) to playing straight mp3s or cds.

        I rather let somebody do the deciding for me most of the time. Which of course freaks out anybody that is a control freak. Just relax, and say it with me: Everything will be ok.

        Which also brings up that in the DVD method, titles need to be selected and paid for (either by renting or buying) before you watch them. I'm more of a try-before-you-buy chap.

        I'll keep my TV thanks.
        • I think it's sorta the opposite. 99% is lowest common denominator stuff (more viewers that way, right?) and then 1% is good.
        • by Reziac ( 43301 ) * on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @11:49PM (#14565119) Homepage Journal
          You say,
          =======
          Channels serve a useful purpose to me. When I want to be "entertained" and I don't want to stress my already-indecisive brain, I just turn on the TV and "see what's on".
          =======

          Exactly why so many "crap" shows make it big. When average Workin' Joes comes home from their 9 to 5, they don't want intellectual giganticism. They want something that they can just flow with and not have to think about.

          And I can speak to this from firsthand experience: When I was working 12 hour shifts (as it happened, on TV and film sets!) I'd come home on Friday night, turn on the TV, and there were Baywatch and the Dukes of Hazzard and suchlike.... Predictable, tolerably pleasant, just enough plot to pretend something actually happens -- and exactly right to relax and unwind by, put my feet up and have a beer and let my brain drift off to sleep.

          [Side thought: one has to wonder if part of why some people find their jobs so stressful is because they've never learned how to really relax after work.]

          Now, I wouldn't pay money for any of those shows on DVD, but they serve their purpose. They're massage therapy for the brain -- you relax and let them do their thing.

          Conversely, I'm quite willing to buy DVDs of shows that have captivated my interest. And yes, those take a proactive desire to concentrate on what I'm watching -- so while they're a lot more intellectually *entertaining*, they're not necessarily great for relaxing after a long day at work.

          BTW this is why my everyday-use MP3 list is "every bloody thing I own" all randomly mixed together -- no need to decide what I want to hear; it'll all come by sooner or later, just like radio.

        • by Nurgled ( 63197 ) on Thursday January 26, 2006 @03:18AM (#14565715)

          I don't necessarily hate TV itself, I more just hate the way it is run these days. It's very distracting to have the action interrupted every 30 minutes for 10-15 minutes of advertising. Networks seem incapable of keeping shows on at a consistant time throughout their run, with gaps in the middle of seasons and shows run out of order, and even then they leap all over the schedule so you have to be eagerly monitoring your TV guide to make sure you don't miss it.

          If they didn't have the advertising (charge more for cable!) and would keep a show on at a consistant time every week for an entire season I wouldn't mind so much. However, since TV can't provide me with the viewing experience I want, DVD makes a much better alternative, and one I'm certainly willing to pay for to get the ability to control my own viewing schedule and to watch entire episodes uninterrupted at my leisure. The only thing it's lacking is the ability to try the first episode before plonking down the cash for the rest; I took that gamble for Firefly at Christmas and it was worth it, but it'd be nice to be able to buy online an episode to watch before I decide whether I want to buy the DVD. From what the captions on TV shows have been telling me recently, some shows are now available for download on iTunes, which is a start.


      • ...some idiot at a studio imagining...

        Lame corporate executives everywhere generally share some common traits and thoughts. Among the lesser ones, these are the worst:

        - I want a better parking spot
        - Maybe I can afford that Ferrari
        - That new guy is coveting my office
        - Great idea, can you work more boobies in?
        -
    • by Anonymous Coward
      FOX has been bowing to public pressure recently with their cancelled series. Need I bring up Family Guy? FOX cancelled, got great DVD sales, and a larger following thanks to the repeats being aired on other networks. What did FOX do? They picked up the show again and started making new episodes. There's talk about Futurama getting new eps too. If there's enough support for more Firefly, we may get it. This survey sounds like a great way to gather data that can be used to show FOX that there is money
      • The downside .... (Score:3, Insightful)

        by rben ( 542324 )
        Is that if Fox brings it back, the bunch of idiots will make money. I really hope they release it to someone else with more sense.
    • by Anonymous Coward
      "There is, by my understanding, an absolutely ZERO chance that Fox will pick up a second season of Firefly and an approximately equivalent chance that Fox will consider surrendering the television rights to another channel."

      Uhh.. you need to check a little deeper before you speak. FOX released the rights BACK to Joss a long time ago so he COULD shop it to another channel.
    • by Sparks23 ( 412116 ) * on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @07:34PM (#14563532)
      Honestly, it's not FOX I see as the roadblock, at this point. It's Joss Whedon and the cast.

      Whedon's said that while he still has "other tales to tell in the 'verse," they aren't ones to be told on TV; he's moved on to other projects, and has said that Firefly -- as a TV series -- is done. The cast, after the film, have moved on to other projects as well.

      Actors (and director/producer/writer sorts) have to make commitments to projects. With the movie, they were pushing for it too. But now they've had to move on to other jobs, and it seems unlikely that they will all be able to drop everything and run back for a second season.
  • About time (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Kris_J ( 10111 ) * on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @05:56PM (#14562837) Homepage Journal
    It's about time that production companies considered DVD subscriptions.
    • Re:About time (Score:3, Insightful)

      by jfengel ( 409917 )
      It would be awesome, but the biggest problem is that they lack advertising. That is, "24" sold brilliantly on DVD, but only after a season of what you could think of as hour-long infomercials for it.

      A season of Firefly would cost over $20 million to put together. To make that up would take a hell of a lot of marketing, which is even MORE money.

      Now, for Firefly that marketing is already done. But if that show hadn't been on TV, and if it didn't have the already-well-known Joss Whedon behind it, nobody's
  • I filled out the survey, and I encourage others to do the same. It takes less than two minutes and you don't even have to give any personal identifying info if you don't want to.
  • Waste of time. (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:00PM (#14562857)
    FOX (or any other major network, for that matter) will NEVER release the rights to any of their shows. The X-Files 2 has been in talks for years but nothing has been moving because Chris Carter is fighting for control over the franchise from FOX. The big networks have all the chips; for what possible reason would they give that up? Unless you're going to drop a huge pile of money on their desk, you are not going to accomplish anything. The television industry is just as greedy as the music industry. You wouldn't expect Warner Brothers Music to give up control of "their" music; why would you expect them to give up control of "their" show or movie? The studios make a lot of profit from selling old shows, music, and movies. They are not going to give that up.
    • Re:Waste of time. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ZachPruckowski ( 918562 ) <zachary.pruckowski@gmail.com> on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:36PM (#14563137)
      To me, this is another problem with copyright. I understand their control over the original eps, and they should get to keep those, but copyright needs a "use it or lose it" clause. If Fox is unwilling to use their "copyrighted" story-universe to make programming, they should have to give it up after a few years.
      • You're not thinking that through. That would basically mean that the children of authors would have to keep doing Brian Herberts (good god, no!) to keep their rights to their parents' estates.
    • Re:Waste of time. (Score:2, Informative)

      by Jaklar ( 886117 )
      Considering FOX is preparing to sell the rights for Arrested Development to Showtime, I guess your argument is a little hollow now.
      • While I agree that NEVER is a bit strong, it's extremely rare.

        There are only two that immediately come to my mind:

        1. ABC got rid of "The Bionic Woman" and NBC picked it up (1977?)
        2. NBC got rid of "JAG" and CBS picked it up (1997)

        So figure that three occurences in 29 years is pretty rare.
        • Matlock was originally on NBC but picked up by ABC, Father Dowling Mysteries, Family Matters was on ABC and then unto CBS. I'm sure there are more examples. UPN and WB networks are merging into one. I can see how FOX can sell Firefly or Arrested Development, they can sell it to Showtime for initial rights and then retain rebroadcasting rights for their FX network.
      • I thought this was still rumor, I was pretty sure one of the other networks (ABC or NBC) were considering picking it up as well. Same with HBO.

        If Showtime is picking it up, sweet.
  • by CapnRob ( 137862 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:01PM (#14562865)
    Seriously - do these guys have any standing, any connection, any track record that would lead anyone to suspect that they could actually produce the show? And do they have any connection with Whedon and company that would indicate that Whedon would *let* them produce it?
  • Nice thought (Score:2, Insightful)

    by DaveCBio ( 659840 )
    But, this isn't the way the broadcast world works. You aren't going to find any execs making decisions out of the kindness of their hearts. The only way they would sell the rights would be if someone made a large enough offer and I doubt this group can come up with that amount. Not to mention how Whedon would feel. Last interviews I read he said the Firefly universe was done for him. Also, an amateur production or even low budget might do more harm than good in the eyes of Fox so they might not let it go fo
  • by Gossi ( 731861 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:08PM (#14562916)
    Check out this:

    http://whedonesque.com/comments/9347 [whedonesque.com]

    • Check out this: http://whedonesque.com/comments/9347 [whedonesque.com]

      That was just a post about how these guys are what they claim to be: Someone trying to get the rights to something they do not own, and asking for info from a specific group of people.

      Now, I don't know what kind of phishing scheme works this way... I suppose a name with an email is a good start for spammers, but who'd want to spama bunch of sci-fi geeks?

      OH MY GOD! It's Rick Berman... he's seeking revenge because we abandoned Star Trek! Hide your children!
  • Fanboy effort? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by mattzog ( 559965 )
    It looks a little on the underdone side so far, but they're looking for information. That info could sway serious financial backers. Nothing like numbers to convince money-men that there's a buck to be turned off of us Browncoats... even if the numbers come from a goofy web form. It's probably the same folk what tried to finance the second season through donations (you may remember from a couple of weeks ago... they had to return them for reasons). I filled out the survey as I would like to see more of
  • No fun anymore (Score:2, Insightful)

    by fawlty154 ( 814393 )
    After they killed the best character in the series, Wash, in the movie, I suddenly stopped caring about firefly altogether. I even gave away my DVDs of the original series because I was so disgusted.

    Just my $0.02.
    • Re:No fun anymore (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      And that's what made it great. When Wash died, it hurt. When Amidala died in Revenge of the Sith, I was looking at my watch. That's the difference between a skilled writer, and tired hack. For all Serenity/Firefly is fantasy, it was interesting to me because of it's unpredictability. Wash was a cool character, and it was a testament to the actor, and Whedon's skills at characterisation that it hurt so much. But it also upped the stakes for the rest of the characters. Hey, if Wash could die, what about th
    • Joss has said repeatedly that all of the actors are signed for 3 movies and that he plans to use them all. He's also said that it won't be in a cheesy, "oh look, a clone of Wash!" way. Or an "evil twin brother" way.

      My guess is that there will either be a prequel, or a lot of flashbacks. Remember, there are 8 months of un-accounted for time between the series and the movie. Whatever it turns out to be, I trust the guy's storytelling abilities enough to believe it won't be cheesy.

      In any case, Wash and Boo

  • by __aaclcg7560 ( 824291 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @06:25PM (#14563055)
    Oh God, oh God, please bring back Firefly and we can continue to live!
    • Oh God, oh God, please bring back Firefly and we can continue to live!

      Meh, there's always Galactica. Same FX guys (there's even a firefly class ship cameo in the pilot ep!), and hot babes blowing up shiny robots in space... what's not to like?

      At first I was uneasy about the whole replicant-cylon thing, and the sexchange they did on Starbuck, but they all turned out to be supersluts, and thus they are quite entertaining indeed.
      • Really? Where's the cameo?
      • what's not to like?

        Galactica is the worst SF show I have seen in a long time. Really. My memory fails to find something to compare it. It seems to be very succesuful, but I can't just understand why. Actuation, scripts, dialogues, visually, all bad. Even vestuary! Do they really use ties? and their leader is a "president"? May be I'm missing something, but come on! and don't make me start on the human-like-cylon-cloned-terrorist-religious-fanati cals... can it get lower than that?
        • Re:Gotta say it... (Score:3, Insightful)

          by be-fan ( 61476 )
          The whole point of Galactica is that it doesn't try to make the future look, well, futuristic. A lot of Sci Fi series go to great lengths to create this complicated, detailed future world, and then have nothing left over to tell an interesting story. In Galactica, the "sci fi" aspect is merely a vehicle for the story. Aspects of the world that aren't pertinent to the story are kept from distracting from the main point. People wear ties because the clothing of the future really isn't important, and doesn't d
  • Obviously they pulled the plug because of perceptions about how many viewers they had. Afterwards, the movie "Serenity" came out. I think the best strategy to get the show back on is to get copies of "Serenity" purchased and rented, and the same for the DVDs of the series. That way, the studio should say "Oh, I people didn't know about this before and do now since the movie came out". If they see signs that more people will be watching, they will probably renew. I also think getting the old episodes on
  • I loved firefly. I loved the dynamic between the people. After what Joss did to some of the characters at the end of the movie (unless, certain people with the name Wash get resurrected, which may happen in the Buffy-verse, but I doubt will in the Firefly-verse), the show might be over for me, even if it is brought back to life. I thought the interaction between Wash and Zoe was one of the great parts of the show.

    In the end, I did fill out the survey, and said I would definitely watch it if they were to bri
    • Zoe: We're getting him back.
      Jayne: [poking at severed ear] What are we going to do, clone him?
  • Guys, while I absolutely love the series, I dont' think it'll happen either. WE aren't just looking at the idea of Joss Whedon coming back into the picture (especially while getting moveis like Wonder Woman) but think about the time span since the series. Do you really think they're going to be able to get all the actors back into the series? and will the chemistry be the same? What I wouldn't mind seeing and would be a possibility is maybe the same universe but another cast, with writers like Tim Minear
    • ...but think about the time span since the series. Do you really think they're going to be able to get all the actors back into the series? and will the chemistry be the same?
      ...but think about the time span since the series. Do you really think they're going to be able to get all the actors to do a movie? And will the chemistry be the same?

      Oh, wait...

      --S
  • by GeorgeMcBay ( 106610 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @07:16PM (#14563398)
    This is about the same as some independent mod team looking to make a game mod out of someone else's IP (actually, much more pie-in-the-sky thanks to the costs associated with producing the actual episodes, if they did get permission, which they won't).

    It wouldn't fly no matter which big broadcaster owned the Firefly rights, and the fact that it is Fox should make this extremely obvious to anyone with half a brain.
  • psychic assassin? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Jaiye ( 949519 )
    I wouldn't mind seeing a series based on River and her kicking ass as a psychic assassin in the renewed revolt against the republic.
    • I was really annoyed at the way the movie progressed from being a western in space, which was great, into 'buffy the space vampire slayer', which was frankly unimaginative and wasn't even well done.

      If there were another series or movie, I'd like them to ditch the superhero karate girl, and downplay the comical zombie creatures. The characters are and the setting as originally conceived were interesting, and should have merited a more grown-up movie.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @07:30PM (#14563507)
    Very relevant, and far more detailed, links:

    "Investigating FireflySeason2 dot com":
    http://www.serenitymovie.org/browncoats/forums/vie wtopic.php?p=50254 [serenitymovie.org]

    FireflySeason2.com's founder, Mr. Ace Underhill, responds and explains:
    http://www.serenitymovie.org/browncoats/forums/vie wtopic.php?t=1580 [serenitymovie.org]

    The Whedonesque thread surveying the brouhaha:
    http://whedonesque.com/comments/9347 [whedonesque.com]
  • by shoptroll ( 544006 ) on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @07:31PM (#14563512)
    The Trade Paperback of the 3 Serenity comics by Dark Horse is coming out 2/01/06

    http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=1 0-759 [darkhorse.com]
  • by dada21 ( 163177 ) * <adam.dada@gmail.com> on Wednesday January 25, 2006 @07:39PM (#14563580) Homepage Journal
    I've been thinking about how a viewer-funded TV show could generate additional income without requiring copyright to protect future profits. One way I came up with would be fan-paid trips to the set, and even fan-paid walk on appearances.

    I've offered to US$500 to sponsor another season of Firefly. I'd likely pay US$2000 to get my name in the credits somewhere. I've done it at museums and other sponsorship activities -- not out of altruism but out of pure ego.

    I'm not a browncoat, but I do love the show. I bought the DVD set before watching the TV show or even hearing about it anywhere, and it sat in the shrink wrap for months. Once I watched it (after 2 false starts) I realized that we need the first viewer-produced show.

    I'd love to see Firefly v.2 be Whedon's real trial into seeing what one could do with an Open Source style show. Honestly, the costs of doing a show differently than a la Hollywood could bring in way more income without having to require people actually pay for the show. Let us produce it (meaning pay for it), let it be freely downloaded by the masses (maybe give it to the sponsor/producers first though and let them give it away to friends and family and then throw it online).

    I think it would be very interesting to see how it goes. Of course Whedon would never allow it, but I'd put my money where my mouth is to get it going and the best way to generate interest is to offer it as the first big major production given away, with the full rights to the characters and name in the public domain. Imagine the fan fiction that could come out of it if the production company also offered to add fan-fic vignettes into the actual "official" episodes. Render your own battle scenes, video tape your own bar cut scenes, whatever. Want it in the show? Send it to us. Help us keep the show alive with your cash, while you're at it.

    Serenity/Firefly is the most anarcho-capitalist plotline I've ever seen. I'd love to see freedom in the next production, not just in the plotline.
  • yeah (Score:2, Insightful)

    by bLindmOnkey ( 744643 )
    after the end of the movie, it seems pretty clear that a season 2 would be pretty pointless. I mean (not to spoil anything, but) there's almost nothing left at the end-literally.
  • Are the actors supposed to just sit around/modify their schedules for this?
  • As far as I see it the only chance to get Fox to move its tail (pun weak but intended) in any way is to make them sick and tired of hearing about Firefly. Work this like a guerrilla PR campaign: Everytime you see, hear, watch anything about or by Fox and have the chance to say, write or even sing about how these people dropped one of the best shows around and are now sitting on it, well, do it. Everytime Fox is mentioned, mention Firefly. Work on it until it becomes a reflex. Make Firefly one of the first t
  • Is it just me, or does the little Star Trek "Corbomite Maneuver" head (used as Slashdot's Sci-Fi icon)look a little more surprised than usual?
  • by tekrat ( 242117 ) on Thursday January 26, 2006 @12:24AM (#14565248) Homepage Journal
    Let's face it. A lot of problems happen in the entertainment industry because of lawyers. People just don't "play nice" because it would be a good thing to do for the fans -- they want MONEY. And nothing happens without the lubrication of MONEY.

    Look at it this way:
    The MAX HEADROOM TV SERIES -- is it out on DVD? No, it is not. Why? Rights issues.
    DARIA - the Animated TV series from MTV -- out on DVD? No. Why? Music rights issues.

    And unless someone is willing to fork over the dough to clear those rights and pay the rights holder and their lawyers what they want, it will not happen. And studios runs their excel spreadsheets and calculate that rights costs versus what they are projected to make on DVD sales isn't enough, then blammo, absolutely nothing happens and everyone sits on the rights they have until the other side budges, but they never do.

    So, will Fox just "hand over" the rights so that Sci-Fi channel can make more episodes? NO, of course they will not. They want MONEY.

    And if you take your excel spreadsheet, calculate the cost of the rights, the cost of production and the cost of everything associated with the production, versus what you'd make, ... well, it doesn't look like a profitable venture.

    Easier and cheaper to make something bad, but original, that you don't have to buy the rights for or fork over a percentage of gross.

    This is why Lucas made Star Wars and not FLASH GORDON.

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