Archived Discussion Main / TheFireflyEffect

This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.

// Nick Bensema : I actually am more likely to tape shows if it looks like it's too good to stay on the air, especially if it also looks like I'm the only one who "gets it", and therefore it won't be available on DVD.

ccoa: Removed the following:

• Dollhouse is currently causing pre-airing cases of The Firefly Effect.
  • And, as if Fox is just counting the minutes till they can pull the plug, it's set to air on the Friday Night Death Slot. *Sigh*
    • This may not necessarily be the case, as it's first airing did pretty well. It may be trying to exploit the fact Friday is becoming the sci-fi TV night. New Clone Wars episodes air on Cartoon Network Friday nights, nBSG airs at 10pm EST on sci-fi and sci-fi really hasn't had much to replace Stargate. As difficult as it is to ponder, this just might be a case of even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile. It's on before nBSG, the heavy hitter and is perfectly fitted to work as something to watch before nBSG comes on.

If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Just remove it instead of adding natter. If it later ends up fitting this trope, it can be replaced.

Swish: Put it back, with an edit to the "natter." Reasoning is given on the Dollhouse discussion. Will remove it myself if i see it's getting picked up for a second season, as The Firefly Effect doesn't ever apply at that point, in my opinion. If my explanation i put down doesn't work, perhaps this page's description needs to be reworked.

Swish: Removed Dollhouse as an example. The reasoning behind removing it is on the Dollhouse discussion. It will save headaches if you make the input there before putting it back up.

ccoa: Removed all of the examples, because it seems every single one was actually Screwed by the Network. This trope is not about Executive Meddling, Screwed by the Network, Too Good to Last, or early cancelation. This trope is only about viewers being afraid to commit to a series out of fear these things will happen. Since this is such a subjective trope and impossible to prove, I am in favor of leaving it example-less, but if someone can come up with an example that is actually this trope, by all means.

Old "examples" archived here:

• Tru Calling fell victim to this, the series was abruptly ended by... you guessed it Fox.
  • Likewise for its replacement series, Point Pleasant.
• Wonderfalls
  • After Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Pushing Daisies, it may not be inaccurate to suggest that Bryan Fuller has a curse on his head.
• Maybe we should be calling this "The Fox Effect" instead?
  • Or maybe someone at FOX is just pulling a minor-Hearst, and just wants a certain talented artist to fail, even if, in fact, it would be better for their own business if he didn't.
    • If so, this troper can only hope they end up like Hearst: dead. The catch being sooner, rather than later, and he's not at all sorry for the sentiment.
  • Drive was cancelled after 4 episodes. By Fox.
    • In all fairness, though, Drive was definitely a polarizing series, with some of the worst California Doubling I've ever seen, anywhere. Florida really shouldn't look like the desert southwest.
  • Though with the fall of Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, etc., ABC seems to be gaining on FOX in shows cancelled in a heartbeat.
    • The three ABC shows mentioned above premiered during the WGA Strike-affected 2007-2008 television season. Quite possible that a loss of viewership during that television season would hurt the shows the next season when viewership came back and audiences would be unfamiliar with the storylines already in progress with these shows making it difficult to catch up.
• Arrested Development's third season was almost completely written when they were told the show had been canceled. The writers had to cut their season in half for the final season of 13 episodes. This resulted in an extremely crowded third season, which had good ideas but wasn't able to fully realize them with the time, and instead had to just wrap up the plot.
• Mid-season replacement Keen Eddie wasn't seen by a lot of viewers during its first run, perhaps because it was postponed until summer, aired out of order, was given reality/game show BS American Juniors as its lead-in, had its time slot was jerked around, and was then quietly canceled (by FOX, of course) after just nine episodes. The remaining four weren't seen until it began airing on Bravo, where it gained a small but loyal (and posthumous) fanbase.
• Fox's new show Dollhouse seems to be in a bizarro trope vs. anti-trope war: Since it's a Joss Whedon show, fans are making extra effort to keep it from being Firefly'd in a kind of anti-Firefly Effect, but it still appears to suffer from (Your Mileage May Vary) bad writing and the Friday Night Death Slot.
  • And yet it was renewed for a second season. Commence your WTFing now.
    • At the expense of The Sarah Connor Chronicles which had slightly better ratings as well as Summer Glau.
    • It was reported a while ago on the Dollverse blog that Joss would like to have Summer Glau on Dollhouse, so...hope and pray that's still the case? This troper is fairly baffled by the season two pickup, but grateful. Nerds need things to do on Friday nights, too.
    • And he has got her onto the show.
• Coming up next is NBC's newest victim: Kings. Barely any publicity in the months leading up to it, a unique premise which a vague outline did very little to explain to people. Already gone after a few episodes.
• It's entirely possible that the SyFy (formerly Sci-Fi) Network is going to start pulling this with Warehouse 13 - despite all the hype and the airing of episodes on the USA Network, they decided to switch up the order of early episodes already. Next they'll shift it over to Friday nights...
  • Actually, if they move it to Fridays and pair it off with their highly successful show Eureka, it might stand a chance. It also helps that Eureka's already in the Friday Night Death Slot.