Firstly, there is nothing wrong with being a midseason replacement. It does not mean that the network doesn't have faith in you. Especially on FOX where they get better ratings at midseason.
Again, I disagree. Perhaps not in all cases, but there are times it shows a lack of faith. The year of Wonderfalls for example, it was up against a similarly themed show in Joan of Arcadia. Wonderfalls was already getting critical raves. They needed to promote the Hell out Wonderfalls, and run at the beginning of the race to give it a chance, not wait until the race was half run, then say OK, go now. Also with Fox, in the past Mid-season appeared to mean they'd throw you in, and see what you could do, but not really support, or promote you. Example: Drive.
Secondly, Tru Calling was on Thursday nights its entire run. I can't disagree with Drive, but then again, the only person at FOX who even wanted to air it was the president.
I can and do disagree on Tru Calling. I'm talking specifically about the incomplete second season. Do you remember? When it was starting to get good. I specifically remember having to go to the Fox site to find the day it had been transferred to, and even that didn't work. I didn't find it until the night it aired, and I was looking for it. Also they did that thing where they waited weeks before airing the last 2 eps they did air.
Thirdly, you can't honestly sit here and tell me FOX didn't promote any of their shows that failed.
Oh yes I can. The inside was invisible. I was waiting for Drive so I knew about it, but when I talked to anybody who wasn't Whedonverse interested they didn't have a clue what Drive was. And BTW they hid that one with unscheduled air times towards the last too.
And with Firefly, they thought screwing around with the order would help, not harm.
You mean they thought they were smarter than Whedon? Guess what. They were wrong.
And all that is completely beside the point anyway seeing as how all this happened in a completely different era of FOX. Every example you gave happened when the network was being run by different people.
And now I'm going to surprise you. I agree with you. In spite of everything I've said, and even though I'm pretty sure this isn't the first new broom at Fox, I have hope concerning these new guys, and I believe they're sincere. Nevertheless if you are saying people who express caution when considering a new series from Fox (especially Whedonverse people. We've been hurt worse of all), are doing so out of ignorance, then I say, I'm sorry Randy, but you're wrong.
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Why did you reply to my post within my post?
I didn't say Fox didn't make a mistake with doing Firefly like that, but it WAS a mistake and it's not like they intentionally set out to kill it after spending so much money on it, and canceling Dark Angel just so they could afford to air the damn thing.
And Fox never transferred Tru Calling...that's my point. It always aired on Thursdays. Season 2...aired on Thursdays. It replaced Point Pleasant. It got a new timeslot, yes, an hour later than season one, but still...Thursdays. And they promoted it quite a lot on the actual network...even more than I thought they should. At that point they'd already decided they wouldn't bring the show back, they were just going to burn off the episodes. And you know what? The ratings were nearly exactly the same as season one, so all the loyal fans found it.
I'm not saying that every network has complete faith in a midseason series but the fact that a series is going to premiere in midseason doesn't mean the network doesn't think it can succeed. ABC didn't assume Grey's Anatomy was going to be a flop.
Wonderfalls...do you honestly think airing it during the fall would have really helped matters much? Had Fuller and Minear not gotten themselves on FOX's bad side, Wonderfalls would have ended up getting a huge advantage over Joan...a timeslot behind American Idol. While I don't like the fact that FOX decided to take away the post-Idol premiere when they didn't agree on the lesbian angle, I can't help but think the two should have saved that for season two...if they hadn't been so stubborn about that one thing, the show might still be on today.
I know you're still bitter about Drive...hey, I loved the show just as much as you did. But premiering in APRIL(!) that show was basically doomed, no matter WHAT. That's all I have to say to that.
My point is...when a network has a COMPLETELY new leadership, you could at least wait and see, without convincing yourself and others that they're just going to ruin everything. Then you have people (some with Nielson boxes) not tuning in because they think there's no point, and it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So I am not saying that FOX has not made plenty of mistakes. But people blame them for a lot more than they're solely responsible for, which I don't like.
Have you seen Fox's blog? (Yes, they run a blog.) They put up a comic referencing how Whedon fans are already starting campaigns to save the show.
FUTURE ON FOX That Gorram Fox
That's another reason I like Fox. They've always been more fun.