Perhaps We Can Learn From Firefly/Farscape Fans

[beaker]

I saw this great documentary on Firefly/Serenity fans, and even it looked like total doom for their beloved franchise, they banded together and got a whole new life for Firefly.

And look at the zealousy and unity displayed by Farscape fans, just a small sliver of the Henson legacy, yet with a thousand times more hardcore fans than Muppet fans.

Why is it these short lived sci fi shows seem to have a much bigger and massive hardcore fan community than the Muppet community and fandom?
With Muppets/Sesame/Fraggle/Henson works ya pretty much have Muppet Central, and a few assorted blogs or whatnots. And probably not that many hardcore fans. One of the most visible and long running franchises the world over, and it has a pretty small underground following. Why is that?

When Farscape fans and Firefly fans wanted their show back, they made darn sure the networks and companies heard their voice.
So far, NOTHING seems to be planned or in the works for the Muppets in 2007. this is very troubling.

If we want a "Muppetfest" like event for 2007 and smaller type events, if we want our voices heard, if we want to see clips and shows only a few get to see...we gotta get in gear more like the "browncoats"(serenity firefly fans)
or like the Farscape fans.

If say, "Captain Mal" or any Firefly related person appeared on a talk show, ya darn bet youd see it online with a link within hours...you darn bet that when companies dont organize fests, the fans organize nicely sized conventions.
Or help each other out and have a real sense of a community.

Anyone else familiar with the Firefly fan phenomenon? A show that lasted 10 aired episodes on tv in 2002, yet has a much bigger and visible hardcore fanbase than our own? Maybe we should take a proactive page from them^^

Here's a trailer to a documentary about them...if ONLY there was a documentary on Muppet fandom:
http://www.donetheimpossible.com/video_trailer.php

 

[Super Scooter]

When Farscape fans and Firefly fans wanted their show back, they made darn sure the networks and companies heard their voice.

Well, I'd say Muppet fans had this with the Fraggle Rock petition. I think maybe we need to do something like that again.

 

[Luke]

I think it's just that Sci Fi fans are traditionally more vocal, passionate about what they like and more clued up about communications and net stuff. Muppet fans aren't really so used to demonstrating for things or making their voice heard, and i think it takes more to be a hardcore Muppet fan than a hardcore sci-fi one. Muppets have so many "fans" who are really into them or make a point of watching them on TV but haven't quite got to the level of searching out MC or having like a merchandise shrine in their homes, lol.

I can see your point, and agree. It's just doing something that people will be able to get involved in, want to get involved in, and something Disney will take notice of.

 

[Super Scooter]

Let's face it, the average Muppet fan doesn't spend hours-on-end at Muppet Wiki.

... I find myself getting very caught up in that sight.

 

[Teheheman]

Yeah, I mean, look at what happened to Family Guy. They were cancelled, and put back on FOX because the sales of the DVD were spectacular, and the ratings for reruns on Adult Swim were beating Leno and Letterman. We just need to make sure that the Muppets have high selling DVDs and other assorted items. That'll tell Disney that there's still a market for these and they should put it on the air immediatly. I mean, what else do they have on ABC? They just cancelled 2 shows, and other than the big 3 or 4(Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Ugly Betty) they really don't have anything. They could easily put a Muppet show in the spot that one of the 2 cancelled shows were in.

Daniel