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In which we explore the nature of art on television, Joss Whedon's sweet imagination, and the question of whether art must or can appeal to the masses.
Television can sometimes be art. Firefly was a TV series created by Joss Whedon that existed for one season, beginning in September 2002 on the FOX network. The television show was cancelled after only 11 of the filmed 14 episodes were aired. What makes Firefly so special? Is it the concept, the cast, the writing, the camera work, the special effects? The answer is, all of the above. Firefly sets itself up for both failure and success as a television series on many levels. It puts together a large ensemble cast of nine characters. The story of Firefly takes place in a future that is part Star Trek, part Wild Wild West, spiked with a heavy dose of pure Joss Whedon imagination. Joss' vision of the future of planet Earth imagines humanity as a mixed culture dominated by English and Chinese. The creative decision to have characters that swear a blue streak in Chinese is a brilliant stroke that gets the idea across without having to resort to Deadwood-style swearing or potential censorious bleeps. Joss Whedon has thought intensely about what our future will be like in 500 years through Firefly. The characters use a kind of simplified yet elegant English, that is very reminiscent of how mountainfolk in Kentucky might sound. This writing technique kind of makes sense if you think about the perception (real or imagined) that we don't speak as elegantly as we did 100 years ago. So not only has Joss imagined the future, he imagines what we will sound like in the future and it is convincing television. The ultimate proof of the art of Firefly lies in the fact that the television show was cancelled. Rumors abound as to the reason: spiraling production costs, the network didn't like or understand the show, or perhaps the network gave Firefly a bad time slot that resulted in poor ratings. So MUST art appeal to the masses? I don't think so, but in the business world of television it is mandatory to reap the highest possible profit and to please advertisers. The sad truth is that the complex and rich world of Firefly easily transcends to art which has got to be bad for making money. The brilliant mind of Joss Whedon should be used to create films for the big screen since the little screen creates mostly mediocrity. Be sure to see Serenity, the film that was demanded by the fans of the tv show Firefly.
The copyright of the article Firefly: TV Can Be Art in Art & Society is owned by Mary Rayme. Permission to republish Firefly: TV Can Be Art in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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