(no subject)

[liptonrm_backup]

Sooooo tired.

Came across some interesting information as I was surfing the web today. Rockne S. O'Bannon, creator of Farscape is putting together a pilot for WB entitled Cult that he says is influenced by fans. The article I read is here.



Fan culture is an interesting thing and I'm not surprised Mr. O'Bannon was inspired enough by the 'Scapers he observed at conventions and the like to want to create a show that explored this crazy world we all inhabit. We're not like the rest of society, and yet, we are. It'll be interesting to see his interpretation of our little subculture and the reaction of the public at large.

However, I'm also a tad trepidatious. It's not like we don't have enough crazies among our ranks to give us a bad name, do we really need a tv show that looks to depict some of the scarier tendencies of fannish behaviour? Do we want fandom to be depicted as a cult forever and anon? Aren't the tinhats and the insane trekkies stigma enough? Do we want the kind of attention a tv show would bring?

It could certainly be fascinating journey. They have the opportunity to explore why we as fans are drawn to a certain medium, why we obsess and enthuse. Is there something missing in our society as a whole that fandom fulfills and are those unmet needs of the same variety that drive people to join cults? The possibilities are intriguing.

I do wonder if anything will come of this.

In other news. Read a fun article about the new Pride & Prejudice movie where some academic was saying that Colin Firth (from the BBC miniseries) was a much better Darcy because, among other things, he was more attractive. I do not debate this point. I do debate her next point that Keira Knightley (who's in the movie) is to be preferred as Elizabeth Bennet over Jennifer Ehle (miniseries) because Ms. Ehle is too 'heavy'.

I could get offended and outraged and write something nice and ranty in response but observations like that aren't worth the time. Whatever, dude.

Comments

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Of course, Farscape also had one of the craziest fanboy STARS of all time: Ben Browder. I can't imagine how working with him might have influenced O'Bannon. =)

And he's also the creator of Babylon 5, I'm pretty sure. So I'd say he has double experience with crazy fans of his shows.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Ben Browder is a big ol' fanboy, isn't he? There are so many reasons why that man needs to be on my tv screen more. I bet that was more then a little influential.

Actually, I think it was J. Michael Straczynski who created Babylon 5.

We really are the TV generation, aren't we?

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Alien Nation. That's the other series O'Bannon created. I knew it was some older series that I never watched that dealth with humans living with other races. =)

And, yeah, Ben Browder needs to be in a series where he's a crazy, super-smart evil dude and Nathan Fillion is the hard-nosed dude chasing him who has lost a lot to the evil dude and has vowed to avenge him. And then some hot lady can be the girl Fillion is falling for but doesn't want to because of the lost love that Browder killed. And then all of can rejoice that Browder and Fillion will be at conventions together and the world will be a better place.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

He created Alien Nation? That's was a pretty dang decent show, if I remember correctly. Sweet.

OMG! That show needs to be made. Don't tv producers realize the power they have? Don't they want the world to be made better? Don't they CARE?!

On a tangent, was talking with a friend the other day about a show she wants to have made. I'm beginning to think that we smart, creative people have to find a way in because I'm awfully tired of getting excited about shows that might never be.

[lil-banik-slave.livejournal.com]

Didn't he have something to do with Seaquest DSV as well?

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

If IMDb has not lied to me (and I have no reason to believe it has) then yes, yes he did.

Wow, he's done a lot more tv shows then I thought he had.

[lil-banik-slave.livejournal.com]

IMDB is cool, although I have found in the past that it can have it's...um...booboos. It listed Paul Goddard's Birth place as America for a little while.

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

interesting.
What I want to know is why fanning a tv show is any different than any other obsession people have? I mean, it seems like everyone has their own little obsession - whether it's a football team, an era in history, a particular author, a tv show, a type of rosebush, etc. So why is fandom considered insane and the rest "normal"?
(also, it could be me, but I swear some shows are more okay to fan than others)

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

That's the age old question. It's strange how 'normals' look at you weird when you say you love Star Trek or Buffy or any number of fannish shows and then they go on and on about their love for a certain musical group or sports team or what have you. It's the same basic phenomenon, we geeks just like a little thought with our entertainment.

Wow, that didn't sound snotty at all. *rolls eyes*

And you are absolutely right. It's quite all right to fan something like Desperate Housewives or Sex in the City but admit to watching Firefly or Star Trek and people look at you weird.

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

:) be snooty all you want

And you are absolutely right. It's quite all right to fan something like Desperate Housewives or Sex in the City but admit to watching Firefly or Star Trek and people look at you weird.

Yep. That's what really gets me. My last year of college I'd have people roll their eyes at my M*A*S*H obsession (which was a damn popular show in its day thank you very much) and immediately turn around and spend 20 minutes squeeing with each other over The West Wing (which, once I finally saw it, is deserving of squeeing).

It was social suicide growing up to admit you liked Star Trek but really weird if you didn't obsess over Friends or Home Improvement or whatever. Who decides which shows are acceptable? Especially given the large fanbase of the "unacceptable" ones?

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

It appears to be our lot in life to never quite fit in with what the rest of society is doing. It's incomprehensible but I'll say what people have been saying for generations; their loss, more for the rest of us.

Thank goodness for the internet communities of like-minded individuals. We keep each other sane. Well, as sane as we would ever want to be.

[hiyacynth.livejournal.com]

Am in total agreement with you re: the preference of Jennifer Ehle over Keira K, and the ridiculousness of saying Ehle is/was too heavy. And I will never, ever argue about the hotness of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I will, however, say that Matthew McFayden is frellin' hot, too, and also a rilly, rilly good actor and should be given a fighting chance because I want to see so much more of him and if you want proof I will send you my MI-5 Season 1 DVDs and Season 2 (which OMG HE WAS EVEN HOTTER!!!) when I obtain them.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Am more then happy to be sold on the hottness of Matthew McFayden. Having no visual experience with the actor I have no justification to cast stones.

And, heck, it's not like I don't want to see the movie because of the actors who are involved. I like everyone I recognize. I'm more then willing to admit that my stubborn, obsessive preference for the '95 BBC miniseries is my only reason. I'm petty, but honest. =D

[hiyacynth.livejournal.com]

One day I will have to take strategic caps of MI-5, as there is a tragic lack of McFayden photos out there. Here's a link to a wallpaper that's a nice shot of him.

http://www.aetv.com/mi5/downloads_wallpaper_01.html

I promise you you will love him in MI-5 and immediately approve his recruitment to the RHAR.

[lil-banik-slave.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I'm looking forward to that series.

I have often toyed with the idea of writing a series of my own that focuses on a "Niche" society. All the teen series focus on good looking teenagers that wouldn't look out of place on the cover of Cosmopolotin. What about the slighty podgy, glasses toting teenager with an eccentric view of the world.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

It should be fascinating.

There is one adolescent show that played here in the States for about a season before it was cancelled. It was called Freaks & Geeks and it's out on dvd. At least, I know it's on Region One dvd, I'm not sure about multi-regions.

It was a great show. Funny and serious and more real then any other show of the type that I've seen. Highly recommended.

[lil-banik-slave.livejournal.com]

We had it over here, but they shoved it into a "Barely advertised, what there's a show on then" slot if memory serves.

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

Someone should tell this reviewer that Ms. Ehle's figure is correct to the fashions of the time. Keira Knightly would not have been admired, methinks.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I do think that the miniseries version will be much better than any re-make, period and the end.