Fandoms: Stand Down!

http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com/

It would be funny if it wasn't so...no, actually it is funny. But also a little sad.

Fandoms gone wild have made the headlines in the UK. The 4th Annual Norwich Sci-Fi convention was the venue for a showdown between Dr Who fans and Star Wars fans. It has been widely reported from such bastions of hard news at The Guardian and the BBC, to IMBd (who knew they blogged?!?) and The Sun (nuff said). No word from Alan Partridge as we go to press.

The BBC used Stormtroopers as their lead image:

from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-22542222

While The Guardian used Cybermen:

from http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/tvandradioblog/2013/may/16/sci-fi-tribes-trekkies-browncoats

The Guardian used the brouhaha to unveil their knowledge of fandoms (Browncoats!), but rather spoiled it with this:

Browncoats spend their days arguing over the show's correct episode order, writing lesbian slash fiction about the show's female characters and clamouring for Whedon to open a Kickstarter page to fund a new Firefly movie, even though he's not really that bothered now he's got the Incredible Hulk to muck around with. (Link)

 And people wonder why fans get upset?

Still, the main thing is that the warring fandoms are going to try to make peace. From the BBC piece:

Dominic Warner, secretary of Norwich Star Wars Club, said: "It's been blown up as if it was a fight. There was no fighting."

He acknowledged there had been disputes between club members in the past, but said: "There is no bad feeling between the two clubs. We have never interfered with them.

"It does sound comical. People that dress up in costume are labelled geeks and some people laugh at us, and this just makes it even more so."

He said the two clubs were having discussions about a meeting to resolve their differences. (Link)

So there we have it. No battle, just a little turf war. Whooligans? Hardly. They wouldn't Hurt a Firefly.

And speaking of Browncoats - don't forget that the Can't Stop The Serenity Charity Screening in NEXT WEEKEND, May 21st. There are some fantastic auction items up for grabs so get your tickets now and we'll see you there!

Browncoats: Redemption - new interview with Michael C Dougherty

Are you excited yet?
I surely am! It's only a few months before "Browncoats: Redemption"is released and I can't wait. Co-creator Michael C Dougherty took some time out of his hectic schedule to answer some questions for me, and the interview is up on PinkRaygun.com now. This fan-made film is shaping up to be a huge success and that's great news for Browncoats and the charities they support - because all the money made after production costs have been met is going to charity.

Steven Fisher, the other co-creator, left a comment on the article thanking me for the support I've shown for the project. I replied saying it was my pleasure because it truly is. As a Browncoat I want to see more tales from the 'Verse. I used to role-play in a Virtual Firefly because I love the world that Joss created.

Oh, and tonight I'll be recording my #iamabrowncoat video, so watch out for that! If you're doing one or have done one let me know :)

More Extras Needed for new Fan-Made

Big Damn Fan Films, Inc. is in need of a handful of extras for their independent film, “BROWNCOATS: REDEMPTION,” at an undisclosed location near Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2009. PLEASE NOTE: anyone who has been accepted as an extra for the scenes filmed near Ocean City, MD is not eligible to participate this day.This is a nonpaid gig, but

read more | digg story

EXTRAS NEEDED: So you wanna be in a movie?

Have you ever wanted to hang out in an old western saloon? Would you like to walk down an old western street that has been decorated for the Chinese New Year? Would you like to possibly participate in a saloon-style brawl? Big Damn Fan Films, Inc. will be in need of several extras for their independent film, “BROWNCOATS: REDEMPTION”.

read more | digg story

No-one expects the Fannish Inquisition!

Did I mention I interviewed Felicia Day last week? I did?

Blah blah blah I've been really busy - yeah, I know you're bored with hearing that so here's a post that isn't about me writing my book, doing interviews and hanging with the stars like Felicia. Instead, this is about two great interweb events you may have missed.

And now for something completely different

Monty Python is now officially on YouTube! As they have put on their channel:

"For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands... 

We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube....

But we want something in return.

None of your driveling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years."

Yay for the Great British Compromise! 

Fannish Inquistion? Shurley Shome Mishtake!

And one of their great sketches (which isn't yet officially available but you can find easily if you look...) is the Spanish Inquisition. Were you expecting that? In a clever twist there is a relatively new site that has nothing at all to do with Monty Python but everything to do with the news that matters most - Sci-fi news! The Fannish Inquisition has been going for a few months and already there is some brilliant coverage of Firefly and Stargate conventions including lots of interviews, podcasts from the events and photos.

Creation Con in Burbank, LA 

The latest reports are from the Stargate and Firefly Conventions in Burbank which were held on Nov 21-23 2008. There is so much to read about the event! I am totally in awe of the attention to detail, depth of interviews and reporting and the quality of the photos. Stunning. Plus there are podcasts interviews, too! Ron Glass, Jewel Staite, Adam Bladwin, Summer Glau and Gina Torres were all at the event and I a sure that you won't find better coverage than this. You know I've been busy but I couldn't help but spend far too much time reading up on what my favourite stars have been up to! So for everyone who, like me, didn't get to go, this is the next best thing.

Friday? Already?! Another week gone....

Dang I'm so behind, I'm going have to resort to Plan 9

It's not from Outer Space but it might as well be. This is a post of last resort. The Mashable open web awards are up at the moment so I'm going to see if this post can be so sucky it wins the 'most p*sspoor attempt at making up for lost blogtime - ever!' I'm very hopeful.

What's the what?

This is my list of things I think you would want to know about that have, are or will happen (-ed, -ing). It's not even the full list but then, if it was, I might not win that fictitious Mashable award. That's a 'lose-lose' situation we can all enjoy! Also, I have put links in where I could (be bothered) but in some cases you might have to do some more work yourself. Again, it's all about keeping you guessing. Feel free to complain in the comments section (for all the good it will do you). At this stage it's all about getting this post done so I can enjoy the rest of my Friday.

Strike TV - a new force in Internet Video

• Born out of the Writer's Strike last year - check it out for some great new webseries.
  

Dr Horrible

• Soundtrack is on offer this week at $5 from Amazon.com
  
• Dr Horrible was one of Time's best inventions for this year (yes, this was over a week ago)
  
• New teeshirts are available from Jinx
  
• And don't forget to nominate your favourite Evil League of Evil applications!

The Guild

• Season 2 starts on November 25th (woot!)
  
• New teeshirts will be available from Jinx on Monday and you can get Season 1 DVD there, too.
  
• First trailers for Season 2 should be out next week
  
• I have 3 up-coming posts on Whedonage about The Guild which include interviews withVincent Caro (Bladezz), Kim Evey (producer of The Guild and creator/star of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show) and *gasp* a video interview with Feliciaherself. You will get a chance to submit a question for Felicia so when it's published I'll let you know.
  

NaNoWriMo

Ever wanted to write a book? How about a novel - in a month? That's the simple premise of NaNoWriMo. If you know someone doing it encourage them all you can because it's a punishing schedule. I'm not doing it BUT I am doing something else. The first 11 chapters of my first novel are completed and I have a schedule which says the first draft is to be completed by Christmas. Which is why my blogging in waaaay down. SO if you want to encourage me, too, feel free. A simple 'Get on with it!' will suffice.

Scott Sigler

Is a Podcaster, writer and professional curmudgeon. Last week he offered me a beer. This week he played a cruel trick on all Whedon fans - and you have to be sure he is laughing as we tie ourselves in knots. That probably needs a little more explanation:

• On his AMC blog Scott asked for nominations for the baddest monster hunter of all time. And the funny guy that he is, he's pitted Buffy against River Tam in the week 1 face-off. Apparently there can be only one...it's ok, we will have our revenge.
  
• In other news, his follow-up to the (ok, it was excellent) Infected is out on 30th December which you can pre-order. And in honour of this he is doing a book tour. And one of the places is Seattle. And if I manage to get there (with perhaps a friend or two) I might get a beer.
  
• And the screenwriter has been announced for the Infected screenplay.

Firefly: Between the Lines?

• The Buffy: Between the Lines studio has a special edition - Firefly! It takes place between the Firefly episodes “Jaynestown” and “Out of Gas” and is well worth a listen.

Ma, I've done my homework, can I go play (have a beer) now?

Yes. Yes I can. It's scribbled and barely legible but I've finished. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Nathan Fillion and Dollhouse updates

Some development news about 'Castle'
TheFutonCritic.com have published some updated development news about 'Castle', a new ABC show that will star Nathan Fillion. It gives some plot outlines for the show which certainly sound very promising and, best of all, is news that a pilot has been ordered. It would be really fantastic to see Mr Fillion in a lead role on a show like this. I tuned into 'Desperate Housewives' just to see him in the season finale and it was a real shame he didn't have more screentime. Can't wait to hear more.

Dollhouse: Eliza is a real Producer
In quite an in-depth interview on scifi.com, Joss Whedon talks about how the reduced ad-breaks will affect the timings for the shows and then he moves on to Eliza's roles:

"I said, 'Oh, wow, I've come up with a show, and I’ll do it with you, but you have to know, though, this thing about you having a producer credit: I'm going to make you earn it. I'm going to want your input. I'm going to want ideas. I'm going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.' She and I came at it from a very similar aesthetic view, a very similar political view and a great mutual trust. So, to me, it's an essential part of what the show says about people and about her, that she should be a producer."

This is the real deal for Ms Dushku and it speaks volumes about the respect Joss has for her as an artist and co-worker. It makes Dollhouse even harder to wait for!

Fox gets Foxy with the marketing
In a bold attempt to stir up blogosphere (yep, that's a real word) Fox launched their marketing for Dollhouse, Fringe and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I have mixed feelings about this, but I admire the idea behind it. And they have also headed off the Dollhouse cancellation rumours while simultaneously almost apologising for Firefly's ignominious treatment. Well, I'm choosing to interpret it that way. You might have other ideas...

The Guild Improv and Firefly Marathon

The Last 'Being Humans' Improv Tonight
Your last chance, for a while at least, to catch Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (Codex, Vork and Zaboo) performing as 'Being Humans' is TONIGHT (16th May) at 10.30 pm at the Westside Eclectic Theatre in Santa Monica. Go to WatchTheGuild.com for full details (don't be put off by the fact that the address mentions an Alley. Apparently that's just where you get in - they don't actually perform in an alley...!). One fan who went last week posted on The Guild message board about how much they enjoyed it:

"...All I can say is it was good fun last Friday. Both troupes that I saw perform (and the last like 5min of the show that was on previously) were great. I don't know what else to say about it. Oh, Felicia and Jeff were kind enough to chat with myself and the other 2 Guild fans, after the show. I was stoked to meet them so I was a little starstruck the entire time, but they were super appreciative of us guildies that came..."

If you're in the LA area, give it a go!

Firefly on RIGHT NOW!
The SciFi channel is showing a Firefly Marathon today so tune in if you can receive it. Earlier in the week I got confused and thought I'd be able to watch but, of course, I get Space, not SciFi, so no Firefly for me...which is a real pity because I've lent my DVDs out. Still, that's another person converted, so can't really complain!

Firefly/Serenity News and Blog Happenings

Firefly-fest on SciFi channel - plus more!
This Friday, May 16th, SciFi are showing the first eight episodes of Firefly, from 'Serenity, Part 1' to 'Jaynestown'. And then, if that wasn't enough, SciFi are later showing 'The Sarah Jane Adventures', 'Doctor Who Season 4' and 'Battlestar Galactica'. The DVD cannae take it Cap'n! Well, actually, it better had, or they'll be trouble....

New blog experiment
I've been blogging here now since 1oth February and hopefully posting my 100th blog later this week. It's been an exciting time for me, and I hope not too dismal for you. But you know how we geeks get. Blogger is great but...maybe WordPress is better. Felicia Day uses WordPress, and so do lots of other cool people...So a while ago I submitted to my completely imagined peer-pressure and started a WordPress account. I've posted my first 'real' article there today called 'Future Entertainment: Reviewing 'The Guild' and I would view it as a kindness if you stumbled over there and had a looky. If you told me what you think of it, that'd be even better. For now, though, I'm going to have a nice cup of tea.

Serenity: Better days plus more Felicia HowIWoW

Comic, or graphic novel?
Now, I have a mixed history with comics. As I kid I loved them, couldn't wait for Saturday to come around to get 'Monster Fun'. In my head I remember it as a wonderful comic...then it merged with 'Buster' and it just wasn't the same. Luckily for me, though, my brother had started to get a brand new comic called '2000 A.D.' - thank Tharg for that! Eventually we grew out of it (and my mum, after reading 2000 A.D. encouraged this!) so no more comics. Hubby had a few comic collections and we brought them with us, but I never thought I would ever go back to buying them (if you want to know what a comic addition is like, try Wil Wheaton's blog about it!)Well, I was wrong....

Serendipity? No, Serenity.
Kids Need To Read recently had a auction where you could pre-order a copy of 'Serenity: Better Days', signed by Nathan Fillion. I had heard of this new series, written by Joss and had vaguely thought about buying them, but a signed one was just too good to miss. I was lucky enough to secure copy (they sold out very quickly). It was all organised by KNTR and Spazdogs Comics looked after the auction and the deliveries. I can't praise Spazdog highly enough, because not only did they answer my questions really quickly, they refunded the difference between what they had quoted for postage and what it actually cost. Not many places would do that. Anyway, it came today, lovingly wrapped and signed by Nathan in spanky silver ink. Boy, it looked good! So good, it took a while for me to open it.

Imagining more Firefly
But, eventually I succumbed and dived right in. The drawings are detailed with tones and hues just right (it's actually quite difficult to do low-light well in comics). The story is fast, furious and exactly how you might imagine storyboards for Firefly, except with all the added details and nuances you would expect from a quality Joss product. And the cliffhanger is a real conundrum - what will our heroes do next?! There isn't another series of Firefly, but at least we have the comics, and it's the next best thing.

Kapow! Now for HowIWoW: the quotes
After listening to the Felicia Day interview on HowIWow.org last week I was moved to post here and Doctor Horrible. I also requested permission from Patrick and Shawn (the hosts) to put some quotes up, which they have gladly agreed to. Technically, I suppose I didn't have to ask, but manners cost nowt (nothing), as my gran used to say. I recommend you listen to it if you want to know whether any 'real' people live in LA. Felicia is witty, disarming and fun, and Shawn and Patrick are good interviewers. I have left out the discussion of Felicia's character in WoW due to anatomical considerations (if you've heard it you'll know...), and you'll have to listen for yourself if you want to know how the DDR video 'Thankyou' for The Guild came to be made! So here, for your delectation, are some Felicia quotes:

• I don't have any use for cool people....LA is Highschool on steroids
• People don't understand how cool gamers are
• you are not going to anything great with your life unless you're doing what your passions are...you need to please yourself
• (About 'The Guild') I consider it a series just like CSI
• It makes me mad when people act like I'm more important than I should be
• Girls don't like to kill things, they like to talk (laughs)
• It's really cool having a show with this much fan involvement

And about Doctor Horrible:
"...Joss Whedon saw The Guild and was impressed and wanted to do something on the Internet during the strike so he wrote the musical and asked if I can sing... so he cast me in this upcoming 3-part internet musical called Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog it stars.. Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris and I'm in it and it's going to be amazing...I saw a rough cut... and it's like breathtaking...(even) without special effects...there's no set date (for the release), he actually did it himself... but (it will be) before Comic-Con - end of May, June, July it's not decided."

There you have it. Now go listen for yourself!

Jayne's hat and other news

It's a pity you can't see me.
No, scratch that! It's always a good job you can't see me, but if you could , you would see that I am proudly wearing my lovely new Jayne's hat. Really! I picked it up yesterday from the Post Office. Where did I get it from? Well, I bid and won on the recent Kids Need To Read auction, and I couldn't be happier. Sorry to the other people who bid, but I promise it has a safe home here! My only dilemma now is whether I should frame it with the brilliant signed picture of Adam Baldwin that came with it or not. Decisions, decisions! I'm definitely going to be wearing it to the Vancouver Serenity Day on Sunday July 22nd.

More monkey business
And speaking of KNTR, I told you last time about the unsigned Terrify’n Space Monkeys you can now buy from Kids Need To Read on eBay. Well they now have a new auction for one signed by the incomparable Morena Baccarin, who played Inara Serra in Firefly and Serenity. You'd be bananas not to swing over to eBay and put a bid before the auction ends on April 27th....

Can't Stop The Serenity
Plans are going ahead for the charity screenings of Serenity. There was some distressing news earlier in the week when it was revealed on Whedonesque that US copies of the film had been destroyed accidentally at Universal. In his blog, The One True B!x emphasised that this was an error, not a deliberate act, and that Universal and the CSTS organisers were working hard to sort the problem out. Many people were obviously upset about the prospect of the US screenings not going ahead as planned. The Can't Stop The Serenity official website has now posted that Universal are going to ship (at their expense) extra copies over to the US and that the whole situation is being addressed and handled. I think that's excellent news, and all power to Universal for trying to rectify the error.

Later, on this blog
I reveal why time management is not my strong point at the moment, why the audiodrama Buffy: Between the Lines is now on YouTube, why writer and podcaster Scott Sigler has made me wary of triangles and more from Joss Whedon's Journal.

Saturday Shindig...

You know what I'm going to say, don't you?
If not, you have not been paying attention! Stay behind after class and write "I will visit the Universal HD Firefly Message Board" 100 times.

ReaverDance
In a brilliant (and frankly disturbing!) twist on today's broadcast, Cordrone (a Moderator on the Message Boards) has posted a scary poster on today's shindig thread depicting 'Reaverdance'. Universal are showing 'Bushwacked' tonight in glorious HD, which should be some sight. Predator Vs Alien? They've got nothing on the Reavers! I can't be there at just before 8 PM Eastern Standard Time when it starts, but I'll be along later to see how it all went. The numbers were down a bit last week so a good showing today would be great. You really need to be getting over there just before it's due to air and then keep cruising the boards or posting because once you are 'inactive' (not clicking or posting) for 15 mins you are taken out of the numbers. Should be lots of fun on the Universal HD Firefly Message Board.

Twittering again...
I've added a widget (yes, that's the correct word!) to the Blog showing my recent Twitter activity. Scroll down to view, if you like, and let me know if you're a Twitterer.

T Minus 40 minutes and counting...

Shindig prep commencing...
It's quiet on the Universal HD Firefly Message boards at the moment, but hopefully that's just the calm before the storm of activity. Come on over to the Universal HD Firefly message board to show your support during the broadcast of 'The Train Job' in glorious HD. We all want a sequel (or maybe more!) and this is a simple way of proving that people support Firefly/Serenity.

New release of Firefly is confirmed!

A Blu-Ray release of Firefly is coming...
Whedonesque has a link to TVshowsondvd.com today. TVshow... contacted FOX after Jewel Stait had mentioned at her recent appearance at the recent Supanove Expo in Melbourne that she was recording a commentary for a new release (see serenity2.com for more details of Jewel's Q & A session). The new release is still at the planning stages so far so no word on when it will be out, but this has to be good news for fans!

New Auction for Kids Need To Read - collectors item!
A signed copy of 'The Search for the Red Dragon' by author and illustrator James A. Owen is now being auctioned on ebay. The first book in the series The Chronicles of the Imaginaruim Geographica is called 'Here, They Be Dragons' has already in it's sixth printing and has been picked up by Warner Brothers for a film. Not only is this copy of 'The Search for the Red Dragon' signed by James A. Owen, it also has an original sketch by him on the title page. You can see more details and pictures on the KNTR auction page. A great opportunity to buy what will surely be a well-loved book.

'The Guild' has a spanky new site
Anyone wondering what 'The Guild' phenomenon is all about can now check for themselves even more easily at the newly-updated WatchtheGuild.com. 'The Guild' stars Felicia Day as Codex, a person who has trouble making boundaries between her on-line life as Codex (a healer in a World of Warcraft-type game) and 'real' life, especially when her online 'friends' meet up in real life. Don't worry if you have never played a computer game in your life - these videos will strike a chord with you. Who hasn't angst-ed over the conflict when two parts of their existence collide?! The characters are fully-fleshed and the situations all-too-believable, so it's no wonder that 'The Guild' has already won awards. And speaking of awards, because fans voted in such high numbers for the YouTube Award for Best Series (which 'The Guild' won hands-down) there is an hilarious reward, as promised by Felicia. Check out the 'Latest Video' on the front page for proof that even beautiful actresses can sometimes be, should we say, less than graceful...

Full Burn Update and more Felicia news

A busy time was had today!
The Universal HD Message Boards were running on full power this afternoon (for me it was afternoon, anyway!) for the Operation Full Burn Shindig. Universal were showing the Firefly pilot episode in glorious HD and a whole lot of Browncoats turned up on the message boards for mudders milk, hot bao and a chance to visit with each other. The 'Shindig Thread' only opened an hour before the pilot was due to show but a quick check back now shows that there were 201 replies and 1, 423 views in about 4 hours. That is a stunning amount, especially when you count the fact that there were other Browncoats around on other threads at the same time! Your intrepid reporter (me) was there to experience the event and it was utterly brilliant to be among so many like-minded folk. Stories were swapped, the opening song was sung, regular updates from those lucky enough to be watching in HD and new friends made. For a couple of hours it felt like the Serenity sequel must happen, and soon! I'm hoping we will get some solid figures for how many Browncoats were on the Message Boards today and I'll report back when I know. Happy times, better days.

Can't stop the signal
And because Browncoats are such friendly folk there is going to be another Shindig next week for The Train Job. Now, even folk who had never posted before got involved today, so if you have never been on a message board before this would be the ideal time for you to try it. You will be welcome with open arms and made to feel right at home. It will be a whole new experience and a chance to be part of something special.

Can you keep up with Felicia Day?
Not sure I can! Not content with The Guild, her blog, the sketch show, her acting career (recently Doctor Horrible, ad work and new film 'Prairie Fever' out this year) and everything else she is doing, she found time for an interview with Dynamic Forces. There is a link from her blog to this quite in-depth piece that reveals everything from online gaming to violin practice to whether she would pose for Maxim.

And if that wasn't enough...
She also found the time to post a comment on my blog. What a sweetie! You will find it under 'Change of times/dates for Felicia Day's shows'. In fact, it's the second time Felicia has commented on the site, but the first time I completely failed to realise it was her. Doh! Ok, she used 'Codex' as her nick and I thought she was someone else. It was only a couple of days afterwards that it suddenly clicked that Codex was the character she plays in The Guild. Boy, did I feel foolish! Still, all is forgiven (thankfully!).

New cast announcement for Dollhouse

Televisionary breaks the news
British actress Olivia Williams is to join the cast. Read more details on the Televisionary blog (it contains mild spoilers about the character she is to play). With filming only 3 weeks away we can be sure there will be more news from the Dollhouse very soon.

Saturday 5th April at 8 PM - what will you be doing?
Joining the fun on the Universal HD message boards, hopefully! Operation Full Burn is stepping up to make sure that there are as many Browncoats as possible lurking and posting on the Firefly Message Board just before 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. It doesn't cost anything, it doesn't require you to do anything other than go to the message board (lurkers are welcome, too) but it is your opportunity to take part in a direct action that might have fantastic consequences. Universal will look at the numbers and we want the message to be clear - give us Serenity 2!

How many Browncoats are there?
What a good question! This was posed on the Fireflyfans.net message board and there is no simple answer. Anonymous1 has posted some really interesting figures, though, and in the end, it is money and figures that will determine whether a sequel/mini-series/webisodes are made. So haul your hides onto the Universal message boards on Saturday and be just a number. For once, that might be enough.

Do you live in LA?
Well first off, good for you! And also, good for you because you have the opportunity to see the delightful Felicia Day at The McCadden Place Theatre on Saturday, twice! Her sketch show is actually on at 8 pm on both Friday and Saturday but on Saturday at 10.30 she and fellow Guilders Zaboo and Jeff Lewis are doing an improv show. A chance to see the lovely star of The Guild, Buffy and Doctor Horrible in the flesh? If only I could make it over there, I would. Something to tell the kids in the future. See Felicia's blog for more information.

Did I mention Operation Full Burn yet?
Now, what else is happening on Saturday? Yes, Operation Full Burn. So what's a soul to do if you live in LA? Obviously you log into the Message Board first and then leave your 'always on' connection on while you go clap and cheer Ms Day and friends (not an option for those with dial-up, I know, but we all do what we can).

And I have a confession to make about Felicia, but I'll leave that until tomorrow. I'm still trying damage-limitation at this point...

Buffy Paley, Firefly/Serenity and Joss' Journal...

And there's more!
There have been so many reviews of the Buffy Reunion at the Paley that I thought I would do a list of some of the best ones for us all to use. If I've missed one out that you think should be there please let me know:

Thefutoncritic - the blog that was live, but not posted live (but was still really good)
TV guide - Matt Rousch introduced the panel at the Paley and this is the text version
Buzzsugar - some great quotes and a video clip
IGN.com - really in-depth with pictures, too
TV.com Forums - gives a snippet from each of the panel
MTV Review - good, if too brief, review
Mycelebrityencounters.com - includes a good review of the Buffy panel and pictures
Dreamwatch/Total Sci-fi - with some quotes from the Q&A
SuperJer.com - report from fan Andrew Kern includes an MP3

I wonder if they will all ever get together again?

Firefly/Serenity
Well, we had the news from Jewel Staite posted on Serenity2.net earlier this week saying that she was recording for a new release of Firefly (could this be Blu-ray?). There is all to play for and all these campaigns are still going:

Operation Full Burn - don't forget to join the Universal HD message boards this Saturday (the 5th)
Faces of Serenity - aimed to show Universal how much fans are committed to Firefly/Serenity by detailing every purchase
Serenity day 2008 - a fund-raiser for charities and a chance to show Universal that the people need a sequel. Lots of events including showings of Serenity, auctions and mass-purchases and chances to meet up with local Browncoats.
Youchoose.net - various campaigns for Serenity/Firefly
Richlabonte.net - Vote for top 5 TV shows. For a great breakdown of the results see the FireFly Fans.net messageboard

If you know of other campaigns let me know and I'll update the list.

Joss Whedon's Journal
In which the stress of the last few weeks is finally taking it's toll...

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Joss' Journal January 52nd 08

I'm guessing at the date. Let me see, seeing N today, F again tomorrow, was singing with Z on Thursday, something about a strike yesterday, slept last week, didn't use phone for 20 mins 3 (or was it 4?) days ago, finished last draft 25 secs ago. Yep. Must be the 52nd.

Needed coffee. And you know what? I made it myself. Minions all busy busy busy doing good good good deeds. I'm not sure I made it right, but I think I can now see the last 5 cylons....I can hear a Viper! Starbuck! Wait for me....!

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Doctor Horrible reveals his face...!

First official poster is unveiled
A late-night visit over to Doctorhorrible.net revealed a link to the new poster for Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - and a link to the 'Official' website. There is only the new poster up on the 'official' site so far, but this is an indication that things are moving forward quickly! Check it out and see Neil Patrick Harris in full-on blue glory...is this the face of the crack team that foils my every plan...?

Later, on this blog...
We continue the follow-ups on the Buffy Renuion at the Paley, my battle with Battlestar Galactica and Firefly/Serenity updates/news. Plus more Joss Whedon's Journal.

Back on the chain gang

I found a picture of you
So, what's all about, then? Geekness, fandom, life, this business called show? While recovering I saw the Star Wars documentary, reliving the excitement, the ups, the downs, the wacky hairdos. It was a welcome distraction and had some footage I'd not seen before. Ole Georgie-boy, he knew (and still knows!) a thing or two about how to make a movie. The sheer persistence and bloody-mindedness needed to get the thing done. The compromises and the tears. And he changed the way movies were made, no doubt about it. Good business sense but still an artist. What a guy. (Still not had my copy of Star Wait, BTW).

The powers that be
And yet...there is controversy over the way things were done. Breaks with the writer's and director's guilds hurt him financially and no doubt personally, but it's hard to see how things could have played differently. Now we are lucky that the recent Writers Strike came to a fairly amicable ending and works are back in progress. The way things are going at the moment it would be good indeed to have some inspiring, uplifting productions to look forward to in Autumn (ok, Fall, if you must).

To a place in the past
For me, there is the prospect of seeing a new Joss Whedon series as it comes out! This will be a first for me. England has great TV (and I miss the BBC A LOT), but always getting things second hand was really hard. You will probably gasp to hear that we had only four (yes, FOUR) TV stations in our house. There should have been 5 but we were in a valley and couldn't get the reception. And the satellite channels were so rubbish I couldn't be bothered to have them. And we couldn't get cable because of the valley...Yes, no wonder I was so out of date (...but I still wouldn't have satellite if we moved back). Now I have over 50 channels-worth of rubbish to click through! That's progress, I guess.

A circumstance beyond our control
But Dollhouse - that will be worth it. In fact, I've been checking the boards and already we are poised to start the 'Bring back Dollhouse' petition just in case Fox pull the plug. Now, I'm not going to start an anti-Fox campaign because who knows what goes on in these big corporations. I'm sure there are many able and dedicated people working at the Network. There have apparently been a lot of personnel changes since Firefly was so cruelly squished. So hope springs eternal. The writing for Dollhouse has been going on apace according to Whedonesque and other sources, so it will be interesting to see when casting is going to start and who gets what.

When I see what they have done
Oh yes, and we might get some exclusive insights into how it's all going, but you have to keep this really, really hush-hush. I mean it! I have some insider information from the world of Joss. Yes, I am about to get hold of some authentic extracts from Joss' personal diaries! Me! Now, don't go spreading that around because the deal could still fall through. Obviously, in order to protect the innocent and save my own butt I'll have to amend them slightly, so some of the details might not be 100% accurate. I'm meeting the guy (well, I'm assuming he's a guy) downtown later in the week so I'll let you know. He's emailing some older extracts today so I'll soon know if they're going to be worth it. As soon as I can check it all out I'll start posting. Here's hoping.

Jayne's hat - breaking news!

California here I come..
Big excitement today when I saw on the California Browncoats' website that Jayne's hat - the actual one worn by Adam Baldwin in Firefly - is to be auctioned between Sept 24th and Oct 04th. The proceeds are going to the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation. I expect that this will be the subject of intense bidding so check their CABC eBay page to make sure you don't miss it.

Once more into the breech
And so it goes on - the campaigning, I mean. Faces of Serenity have launched a campaign designed to persuade Universal to make a Serenity sequel movie. The nature of the campaign appears a little, well, arduous, at first but I think it is based on the very sound notion that Universal will be most swayed by proof that there is a fan base that is willing and able to shell out to see the movie and buy the merchandise. And the photo part should be good fun.

Wheatonesque
Wil Wheaton is still recovering from his op, though things seem to be going well. He's not updating his website as much as usual while he convalesces but he has posted a very apposite photo. I'm not sure whether Anya (from Buffy) would be pleased or terrified!

Ploughing (plowing) your own furrow
I watched 'Our Mrs Reynolds' from Firefly again last night and now I'm wondering where that expression comes from. Not to worry, it is a perfect example of why Firefly was such a great program. Anyone who is yet to see Firefly/Serenity would be well advised to watch that one episode - chances are you'll be a convert. The script and acting are fantastic.

Good Bible
So endth the lesson for today.