Five TV Shows That Suffered From Network Interference

Wouldn't it be a fun world if networks just gave creative freedom to creators and showrunners? Sure, sometimes corporate executives know better what to do with someone else's story (one out of fifty times), but in most occasions their meddling is of no help. Let's take a look below at some shows that struggled with network interference and just how much it affected them.

Warning: spoilers follow.

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This Week: Sigh No More – Martha the Immortal Waitress – This Week in Casts – Serenity Sequel – To My Future Husband – Breaking Battle Creek – This Week in OMG – This Week in Cats

World's Sexiest Supernaturals: The Top 25

The E! channel here in the UK is famous for doing these kinds of countdowns, most of which I avoid like the plague. But, how does one resist watching when they are counting down some of my favourite types of characters? I set the DVR and sat down to see what the general consensus was. So, without further ado:

Joss Whedon Chat Thread

We're big fans of Joss Whedon's television shows here at Billiedoux.com. I have personally written episode reviews for the entire runs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (including the season eight comics), Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse. Some recent comments that were posted suggested that we could use a place to discuss the Whedonverse as a whole. (That's you, Gus.)

So here it is! No spoiler restrictions, no worries -- post any comment about any or all of these shows you like, including the spinoff comics. Fair warning, though. If you haven't seen one or more of these shows or read the comics, you run the risk of getting seriously spoiled.
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

NewsFlash: Three Fun Facts

Got the Tuesday blues? This might make you feel better.

According to TVLine and Blastr, the upper reaches of your cable guide (well, your cable guide if you are in the US) are getting that much cooler in the coming months:

1. Stargate: Universe returns Monday, March 7th for the last 10 episodes.

2. The SyFy Channel will start airing Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles reruns Thursday, April 7th.

3. The Science Channel is airing Firefly starting Sunday, March 6th. (The Science Channel? What is that?)

Firefly and Six Feet Under

And the winners are...

Yes, I know I didn't even mention it in my reader survey, but I finally got around to watching Firefly and Nathan Fillion just won me over. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Firefly also has the advantage of being an easy commitment review-wise because it was over way too soon.

Firefly: Objects in Space

River: "I'm not on the ship. I'm in the ship. I am the ship."

The opening scenes showed us Serenity from River's point of view. Her feet were bare, symbolic of her extreme vulnerability. Was River really hearing their thoughts, or was it more negative? The dislike of her that she imagined they felt? Simon, care of River's brain, said, "I would be there right now." Simon actually did say this later to Kaylee, so it probably was what he was thinking. Jayne said, "I got stupid. The money was too good." He actually said that to Mal at one point, so yes.

Firefly: Heart of Gold

Mal: "Well, any friend of Inara's is a strictly businesslike relationship of mine."

And now for the crew's impression of the Magnificent Seven.

This episode felt a bit like "Trash," a fun caper in an unusual setting. The most interesting thing about it was the development in the Mal/Inara relationship. Or non-relationship, as it were.

Firefly: The Message

Mal: "You murdered yourself. I just carried the bullet awhile."

See, I knew he wasn't dead. But he turned out to be, anyway, and in more ways than one.

Firefly: Trash

Saffron: "He's my husband."
Mal: "Well, who in the damn galaxy ain't?"

Just another wacky caper episode, and a return engagement with Mal's blushing, psychotic ex-bride, Saffron-Bridget-Yolanda.

Firefly: War Stories

Wash: "What this marriage needs is one less husband."

This was a clever, well-written episode about an important but as yet unexplored triangle: Zoe, Wash, and Mal.

Firefly: Ariel

Simon: "For this to work, River and I will have to be dead."
Jayne: "I'm starting to like this plan."

Again, a strong episode that showed Simon in a wonderful light: clever, courageous, risking his life for his sister. It's like Simon is our conventional hero, while Mal is our anti-hero.

Firefly: Out of Gas

Inara: "Mal, you don't have to die alone."
Mal: "Everybody dies alone."

Beginnings and endings, life and death.

Firefly: Jaynestown

Simon: "This must be what going mad feels like."

I found it hard to write about this episode. How many ways can you say, My god, this episode was funny? It's safe to say that, for me at least, "Jaynestown" is the funniest episode in the series. Some of it was outright hilarious. The mud, the "eerie-assed" statue, the "Ballad of Jayne Cobb," it was classic.

Firefly: Our Mrs. Reynolds

Shepherd Book: "If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."

After a job that appeared to have gone very well (despite Mal's frequent assertion that things never "go smooth"), the crew was bamboozled by a deceptive beauty who said she was married to Mal.

Firefly: Safe

Jayne: "See? That's my whole problem with picking up tourists. They ain't never what they claim to be."

Not my favorite episode, but it had its interesting points. Like, Simon would die for his sister, or with her. Shepherd Book has some weird connection to the Alliance. And beagles are easier to transport than cows.

Firefly: Shindig

Mal: "I got stabbed. Right here."
Inara: "You also lined up exciting new crime."

And it was the Mal and Inara show. They're so obviously in love. But the only place they seem to connect is on Serenity. Why can't he tell her how he feels? Why does he have to be all manly and obtuse? Instead, he snapped at Kaylee for no reason at all, and got himself into a duel he couldn't possibly win. Except that he did.

Firefly: Bushwhacked

Mal: "Looks like civilization finally caught up with us."

Moody and scary. And it started out so well.

Firefly: The Train Job

Mal: "They tell you never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is, on occasion, hilarious."

Very exciting, frenetic episode, full of action as well as exceptionally clever lines. The opening Unification Day barfight in particular was so much fun that I wanted to quote three-quarters of the dialogue. But this episode was also very much about moral choices, an important concept to establish when your heroes are outlaws.