I don't know how many of you notice that my sidebar changes weekly on Tues Night/Wednesday mornings when I do my weekly obsessions, but it does. This week Joss Whedon is on my mind. I am, naturally, a crazed Buffy fan. Is there any other kind? What is less known about my Whedon enthusiasm is that I never much cared for Angel. That's a TV series that I feel never quite found its voice. Or at least that the voice kept changing. To my way of thinking though Whedon might have struck gold again with Firefly which is now showing at The Urge (On Monday nights at 8:00 @ 2nd & 2nd in Manhattan if you happen to love the Whedon-verse, 2-for-1 drink specials, or Steve the bartender). I say "might" because the first season, which is good but starts slow gives off that familiar impression that the second season will be excellent. Just like Buffy. Her first season was interesting but not exactly classic. And the 2nd season and 3rd season are like television nirvana. Practically perfect in everywhere. But Buffy 's seven season survival was always a TV miracle. Most unusual or great or original shows don't survive. So, the TV gods, being what they are (i.e. oft incompetent) elected to cancel Firefly. No second season will ever exist.
Firefly, the series, for those who are are in the dark about it, was a hard sell. Combining the old west aesthetic with sci-fi, aired out of order, some episodes never aired. And it's all very unusual with tons of characters, complicated backstory, and heavy sexual undercurrents that Whedon shows never shy away from, but that TV audiences often cringe about because it's just too "adult" for them to handle.
The movie "Serenity" will be out in the fall so the growing members of this particular TV cult will have something to be excited about. Here is the trailer.
* In other Whedon news, there's still no word on the possible Faith series and I possibly shouldn't have even brought it up since my yearning for such an imaginary television series is so massive that it often threatens to crush me, the way Faith crushes men's hearts (and bones).
* In still more Whedon news, Wonder Woman is currently being written and will probably be filmed in Australia according to Dark Horizons.
What's your favourite Buffy season? I get torn between seasons 2 & 6 (season 6 not being the most conventional of choices, I know, but I loved its combination of twisted humour and brave darkness).
ReplyDeleteAs for Angel, I went along with it and enjoyed it (without really loving it) for 3 seasons. But then Season 4 came along and blew me away. Right up there with the best of the Buffys.
Rob
The order of my preference for Buffy years changes constantly ...that's how good the show is. You can make a case for nearly any season...
ReplyDeleteBut, that said, season 3 is ALWAYS at the top. Season 7 is always at the bottom. But there is great stuff in each and every season.
Currently I go 3,2,4,6,1,5,7 but I'm fluid.
oh buffy...it seems so long ago i now find it hard to believe i was as obsessed as i was. agree with your assessment that season 3 was the peak and seven the nadir - in fact i hated the last two seasons so much it soured my memories of the earlier greatness.
ReplyDelete'dopplegangland', 'the body' and 'once more with feeling' were my fave eps.
and faith? the one woman that could've turned me straight. yowsa...
Favorite "Buffy" seasons: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1, 6, 7.
ReplyDelete"Angel" season 5 was, I thought, almost unwatchable. Too much was sacrificed (Cordelia) for the sake of too little reward (Spike).
Excellent, love it! » » »
ReplyDelete