You Bastards, You Killed Firefly

It has become brutally apparent now (like it hadn’t before, right?) that network television, along with its bastard cousin – cable, is run by the most incompetent scatter, nay, lame brained people in all of the Universe and beyond. And I shall prove it in the coming weeks.

For my first tirade, I begin with the now officially defunct (god willing only for a short leave of absence) Firefly. If you’ve never seen it, shame on you; but I guess I can forgive you, since it was put on at the worst possible time – Friday nights. Classically, this time slot spells instant doom for any non-established (and even some of the time tested) show that is put there. This alone is enough to prove my case that FOX never intended for the show to succeed, but wait there’s more.

Firefly first aired back around the beginning of September, the date escapes me at the moment, but that’s not really important. What is important is the season the premiere took place: Baseball Season. More to the point – PLAY OFFS AND WORLD SERIES. What does this mean? Well, one week I’m watching Firefly, the next week I’m not. Inconsistency my friends, sheer inconsistency!

It’s the sort of inconsistency that leads to clicking of remotes. How are people supposed to become attuned to tuning into a show at eight o’clock Fridays if the second episode is shown 2-3 weeks after the first? Isn’t this what happened to The Lone Gunmen? I seem to remember that premiering around playoffs, and died soon after.

And don’t go thinking that that second episode was actually the second episode; ’cause it wasn’t. Third reason I believe FOX never intended the show to last – the pilot never aired till tonight (i.e. Friday, December 12, 2002). Wow, the first episode is now the last episode. Damn FOX and their cruel irony!

You know, the pilot of a series can be a useful tool. It sets up characters, setting and plot; all the things a viewer should know about a show! It would have been nice to know how thing actually came about, instead of inferring them from the second episode which ran as the first! That kinda thing turns off the average to sub-slug demographic; which seems to be what FOX likes to cater to… Need I remind you of Celebrity Boxing, When Animals Attack parts here to eternity and Fast Lane (the L.A. version of Miami Vice, but sucks ass, and is the replacement of Firefly)?

I’m starting to loose it now as I write… When I regain composure I shall add to what I have here and use it to start my diatribes against the networks.

In the meanwhile, why don’t we have a grand ole discussion about it, eh?

Quick Robin! To the forum!