My Space Classics: Recalling the Browncoats Backup Bash

Somewhere in the Internet, I had a blog in MySpace. It's still barely active, thanks to my tweets and Facebook posts. It's about time I featured the best of that old blog, including some pre-Whedonopolis stuff. Enjoy!

From December 2006:

OK, this is a little late, but it turned out to be a pretty good weekend for Browncoats.
The Browncoats Backup Bash wound up Sunday. A lot of people left quite satisfied, even though their wallets may be a little lighter. They had a great time enjoying their favorite show, and seeing some of their favorite stars up close and personal. The organizers from the California Browncoats community really came though, and I wish to thank them all. I was determined to have a great vacation with the Flan That Never Was, and I will admit I should have stayed a little closer to the hotel last Friday. That way, I would have seen Nathan and Alan. Sure, I got a free Mary J. Blige CD by going to Jimmy Kimmel's show, but still.....

I did see Nathan briefly at the party at a Mexican restaurant at Hollywood and Whitley that wasn't even open yet. I will say...lots of people and booze, not much room. I still shook Richard "Niska" Fairman's hand and saw Morena and Christina Hendricks. Never got a chance to talk to them, but it was wall to wall people. Couldn't be helped. I will say this...if the Museum of Radio and TV board does the right thing and sets aside a panel on Buffy's 10th anniversary next March, I will be there, and I'll drop by that restaurant when there's more room to eat. I heard one of the owners is the Glorious One, Claire Kramer. That's reason enough.
So, where did the good stuff take place? An entertainment center known as the Pickwick in Burbank. If you want to bowl, skate or have a wedding reception, or even get some fresh air, that's the best place to go. We had special appearances by Greg Edmonson, the Bedlam Bards (a real hit in and out of the hotel), Tim Minear (giving us seven minutes of "Drive" which will probably be quite different by the time it hits the screens in March), Camden Toy (a real Gentleman) and Johnathan Woodward, who was a BIG hit, especially with the Bards. Let's just say they did things that are immortalized by the digital camera. I will only present publicly the more dignified moments, except when he held up a pair of briefs with Nathan's picture on the front....and that's the beginning.
He also advised the Browncoats not to be too angry at Booster Events. He sympathized with a lot of the problems they had to face. He also said the group will be facing problems for the next seven years, which probably means they are close to bankrupcy. That's still hard to believe, considering the event was sold out. I just hope some of my cash will be re-imbursed somehow. It's a cinch we can kiss Booster Bash 2 goodbye.

At the hotel, fun was still to be had. Adam Baldwin was there Thursday, when the fate of the event was in serious doubt. Friday had Nathan and Alan (who was supposed to be in a film shoot), Christina Hendricks, Mark A. Sheppard (Badger, and now part of Battlestar Galactica), and Woodward. Jewel never got her ticket, but sent her apologies that she couldn't make it.
Next year, Flan 3 could likely be a cruise. I may not be there, but I'll be there in spirit.

My only regret, aside from missing Nathan and Alan...not having enough time to visit either of the big theaters (Grauman's Chinese and the Arclight Dome), only because I spent much of my time in Burbank. Well, if the Paley Festival has the right lineup of shows, and yeah that will include Heroes because of Ali Larter and Masi Oka, I'll be back...and stay at the Motel 6 at Whitley and Hollywood Boulevard. In the meantime, I'll check out the other Best Picture nominees chosen by the Golden Globes..once they open (I'm looking at you, Dreamgirls because everyone should if Beyonce's there). Too bad Volver isn't coming until January in Sacramento, but I can see it thanks to my ticket book. The other event...what's left at Tower Records as the Going Out of Business sale winds down.

Note: I have two Flickr albums on the BBB. This is part one, and this is part two. 

Now, Anaheim Awaits

Usually, when I go to Hollywood or San Diego, I stay in one place, or one city.
This is different.
The first half of my Spring holiday is done, and I am ready to go to Anaheim by train, only because I can.
I just have to squeeze in a Hollywood Walk of Fmae ceremony tomorrow, then I'm on my way.

The past two days have been fine. Kimmel was funny and sexy, or actually Alyssa Milano was. Green is her color.
The Specials mini-concert was a little shorter than I expected. Then again, they had just arrived from being on Jimmy Fallon the night before. They need practice, but they also need sleep. I just wish they had played "Rat Race" or "Message to You Rudy."
Then I spent the whole day seeing off The Bonnie Hunt Show. As usual, both tapings ran over, and were worth it. I'm a little disappointed the taping for the 4/20show didn't have Chris Kattan as I thought. If I knew that, I would have tried to get to that Streamys unofficial event.
Still, it s a BIG shame her show is wrapping up next month. There's lots of room for a show like hers, especially since Tyra Banks is leaving and Martha Stewart is going to share a cable channel, or dominate its programming. It also ends any reason to go to Culver City...for now.
I was thinking of going to Kick-Ass at the Arclight, but I didn't see any people dressed up as the main characters. I also was a bit tired. I may try to see it at the nearby AMC multiplex.

My main concern is seeing if the Anaheim Convention Center can handle Comic-Con as well as San Diego. So far, my only concern is that Anaheim lacks a downtown...and Downtown Disney doesn't count. Thanks to San Diego officials suddenly seeing they could lose their big nerd money train, they're finally starting to expand.
Anyway, I originally planned to go to finally meet Eliza Dushku. However, she's now in Central America for another goodwill mission. She even tweeted about sleeping with termites. Some may hope she'll be in San Diego for Comic-Con to talk about the season two DVD of Dollhouse. At least I can talk to Miracle Laurie about the show, if it can be done.

I had also hoped I'd talk to Juliet Landau about the response to Take Flight, and her YouTube interviews. However, she came down with the flu. So, she'll spend the weekend at home, However, more TF interviews are coming.

It's certain we'll get a zillion celebrities in Anaheim, and I will get to talk to some of them. I just have to remember this isn't like Comic-Con or a CreationCon event. This is just different, and I'll approach it that way. I will still get some interviews for Whednopolis, and maybe I'll spot some "surprise" guests. It is just the first time I'll be in Anaheim with no need for Disneyland.

Then, Conan O'Brien awaits!

Joss and the Seven Pilots Rule

During Rutherford D. Actualperson's hard-hitting interview with Joss Whedon (yes, it was Joss "interviewing" himself), Joss talked about how tough it is to develop a show into the vision you want. This applies to Dollhouse, which has a premise that's tough to relate to: a girl who is programmed to be anyone except herself. He got an order for 13 episodes, but notes the pilot episode isn't enough to get people to make a program "must-see".

When I was given seven episodes, I referred to them as the "seven pilots" cause you always have to lay out the premise one way or another in those early eps.

This means Dollhouse will start as seven stand-alone episodes, before we get to story arcs. Joss isn't a "procedural" guy. He prefers making a big picture. While that's a great philisophy, networks don't think so. They prefer procedurals because each story has a beginning, middle and end that ends in one hour. It's the modern version of a bedtime story complete with an ending that's happy enough. It explains why next season will have lots of knockoffs of Without A Trace, The Mentalist or ER.

If Joss says a TV show should start with seven pilots, would that apply to his previous three shows? Let's take a look.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

This show had a 13-episode order. The premise is a high school girl fighting vampires, demons and assorted hellspawn with the help of fellow students and unlikely allies. It's basically "high school is Hell". The first seven episodes showed that premise well. "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" showed Buffy coming to town and battling a few vampires while trying to make friends. Then we had the story of witchcraft and cheerleading (The Witch), a boy being attracted to a teacher who's really a big praying mantis in disguise (Teacher's Pet), problems of dating while fighting demons (Never Kill a Boy On A First Date), joining the wrong crowd of people (The Pack), and first love being very dangerous (Angel). There was still a story arc, with an old vampire trying to escape from his underground lair to cause general mayhem. He succeeded, but only for a couple of minutes.

ANGEL

Starting just after Buffy's fourth season, it looked at the next step: a young adult striking out into the world. It only looked like a vampire with a soul looking for redemption in Los Angeles. It also looked at Cordelia, who left Sunnydale to become an actress. Just like Buffy, it's also about good and evil, with evil being Satan's lawyers, Wolfram and Hart. This show didn't really have an overall arc because it was supposed to be an anthology. We start with "City of...", with Angel getting his mission from Doyle and meeting Cordelia. "Lonely Hearts" looked at murder and the singles scene, while "In the Dark" was a continuation of a Buffy story with Spike and the Gem of Amara. "Fall to Pieces" was about stalking, while "Room with a View" was about Cordelia moving into a haunted apartment. "Sense and Sensitivity" was about being PC in police work, and "Bachelor Party" was about Doyle and his ex-wife. Again, there was no overall arc. It's just about Angel trying to battle evil and hopefully be redeemed. Longer arcs involving Lindsey, a resurrected Darla and Pylea would come later. Angel was seen as the companion piece to Buffy for two years until it went on its own when she went to UPN.

FIREFLY

This space western features another example of a man striking out on his own, with a loyal crew behind him. They have a simple mission: do a job, get paid, keep flying. Throw in some intrigue, double-dealing and occasional Chinese phrases, and you have a good show that suffered a fate that was one of Fox's most embarrassing decisions...and not just the fact that they showed the pilot last instead of first.

When I first saw "The Train Job", I was very interested in Malcolm Reynolds. He looked like an outlaw, being willing to do what he could keep flying. Stealing an Alliance cargo from a train is the type of job he'd do. However, when he realized the cargo included drugs that would have saved lives, his better angels got the best of him. The rest of the first seven episodes touch on the Serenity's mission, to keep flying no matter what.

Just like Buffy, however, there were two story arcs. First, there's the Alliance wanting a certain girl named River Tam for some unsettling reason. We later find out it's because they wanted to turn her into a weapon. She had some interesting skills, and the Alliance would do anything to get her. Her brother, Simon, is just as determined to protect her. The other arc involves Shepherd Book, who may look like a man of God, but apparently has an interesting past. An I-D card, for example, got him first aid very quickly in "Safe". He later shows some knowledge of criminal activity when they ship heads towards a trap in "Our Mrs. Reynolds". The hope was that Firefly would have have a long life, like Buffy and Angel. Sadly, that wouldn't be the case.

So what could happen to Dollhouse? Will it last five years or so, like Buffy or Angel, or would it be one of those Brilliant but Cancelled shows, like Firefly. Joss says the first seven pilots touch on the premise, but they will also determine whether the show will last. The days of giving a show time to develop and attract an audience, even a year or so, are long gone. Fox has said it will give Dollhouse 13 episodes to prove that there should be more. Let's hope the episodes will be very convincing.

What if the Browncoat Party took over?

Thanks to Whedonesque, I found something at Buffyfest which projected what would our country be like if the Slayer Party defeated Obama and McCain tomorrow. Could you cheer for a President Giles, Vice President Wyndham-Pryce, or support Buffy for Secretary of Defense, and Angel as National Intelligence Director? Some of the other choices are interesting, and more likely if there were still alive.

But this reminded me of something I found in io9 which gave ten alternative presidential tickets to the ones we're facing. One of them is Reynolds/Washburn, better known as Mal and Zoe. They're the "damn prettier" version of McCain/Palin, and more interesting, too. Actually, the ticket was Mal and Wash, but Zoe works better. Also, a more interesting ticket would be Jayne Cobb/Vera, but that's only if his gun could talk. Even though the election is done a Reynolds/Washburn campaign t-shirt is still a nice thing to wear, and it benefits Equality Now. Just click here to learn more.

Of course, this would all work if the Alliance had a democratic government that included everyone, even the border planets and people who kind of like the Browncoat way. Nah, I don't think such a government exists either, not in the Firefly-verse anyway. BUT...if it did, I guess they'd have an Electoral College or parliamentary system. If the Browncoat Party did have a signal that couldn't be stopped, aside from the other one from the movie, what roles would the Serenity crew have in government?

Simon is a cinch as Health Secretary, Jayne and Vera as Secretary of Defense, Inara as Secretary of State, Kaylee as Secretary of Transportation, and a much healthier River Tam as Secretary of Education, who would crack down of the Academy that she attended to make sure the "gifted" get a good and safe education.

How about those who aren't exactly Mal's best friends? The Operative, who becomes a bit more enlightened about the world, could be a good Chief of Staff. Badger may come up with interesting trade deals, and Saffron/Yolanda/Bridget sounds like a CIA head to me.

As someone once said, what do you think, sirs?

A modern lullaby from the Bedlam Bards

Take a look at this from the Bedlam Bards, the official minstrels of the Whedonverse. They got popular writing songs based on Firefly and Serenity, but sometimes they go into more interesting subjects.

If you saw Serenity, you know how it ends, with the crew uncovering a nasty secret the Alliance wanted to forget. Thanks to them, no one will. Anyway, the Bards wrote a "government-approved lullaby" to keep the public quiet. As you hear this, you can see there's a big connection to what's going on now. Just take a look.