Shooting Order Vs Airing Order

[John T. Folden]

I just noticed when playing the preview for next weeks episode (ROE) on the SFC site they list it as episode #106.

[Priscellie]

I just noticed when playing the preview for next weeks episode (ROE) on the SFC site they list it as episode #106.

That's bizarre.  It flies against what was said in the press release a few months ago.  I'll have to check it out.

[kimluvs2read]

I find this re-ordering completely mystifying. Feather was not a stronger episode, it was throwing you into the middle of the series without explaining much of anything. There's a reason Storm Front was going to be the premiere, and two hours. It was the first book in the series, so I imagine it would have done what any good series premiere would, which was to set the stage, explain the basics, and open the world of the show to the viewer. You'd think the network execs would have figured out after Firefly that it doesn't work to pick a "stronger" episode from the middle of the season, and show it first, completely out of context, chronological and otherwise.

It seems Sciffy just didn't learn from the FOX fiasco. I wish they would have! I am enjoying the show though.

[iago]

Here's what I realized recently.  While the first two episodes weren't nearly as strong as the third, they did the heavy lifting necessary for us to understand who the core characters of the series are and what they do. 

The third episode, Hair of a Dog, was very strong by comparison -- and that strength was in part because it didn't have to stop to explain itself.  It benefitted from those first two episodes, even if those two meant the series didn't open as strong as it could have.

I'm getting pretty happy with the show's order of things when I think about this.

[BigMama]

There is also a feeling of escalating tension. The magic seems to be more complex and the characterizations a bit more intense.

[Soulless Mystic5523]

Although, I personally am a fan of the extra long premiere. It worked for Eureka, and other series in the past. By having that extra time, you can get your heavy hitting in, and still have time to explain everything. But with out having seen that origianl 2 hour pilot, we don't know how good a job they did doing that.

[John T. Folden]

That's bizarre.  It flies against what was said in the press release a few months ago.  I'll have to check it out.

I would love to know the answer to this, as well. It could just be a mixup on the site with who ever posted the preview just going off the numbers previously used for the last 3 episodes BUT...

Was the original pilot a single, two-hour episode (101) or was it two episodes (101,102) simply shown together. This would explain why "Birds..." was 103 as I've never heard any reason for Rules Of Engagement to be held back if it indeed is the 2nd episode in production order.

[John T. Folden]

Here's what I realized recently.  While the first two episodes weren't nearly as strong as the third, they did the heavy lifting necessary for us to understand who the core characters of the series are and what they do. 

Yes, for all the knocks it takes I thought "Birds..." worked exceptionally well as a pilot (and the flashbacks just added to that feeling). of the 3 we've seen so far it's the only one that really works well in that position, imo. Some people say it doesn't hand out enough of a 'starting point' but it doesn't seem radically different to the pilots for Buffy or the 2005 revival of Doctor Who (and it compares favoriably with those episodes, as well).

[John T. Folden]

Although, I personally am a fan of the extra long premiere. It worked for Eureka, and other series in the past. By having that extra time, you can get your heavy hitting in, and still have time to explain everything. But with out having seen that origianl 2 hour pilot, we don't know how good a job they did doing that.

Well, it's just my assumption but... given that they're going to the extra lengths to cut it down to a single hour, I'd guess it had more problems than just recasting...

[John T. Folden]

That's bizarre.  It flies against what was said in the press release a few months ago.  I'll have to check it out.

Priscellie, do you have any verifiable sources for the production codes? I've been adding them to the Wikipedia listing for the show but they get continually removed by other editors due to not having a valid source (and urls to web forums are apparently unfit.)

[Priscellie]

That's bizarre.  It flies against what was said in the press release a few months ago.  I'll have to check it out.

Priscellie, do you have any verifiable sources for the production codes? I've been adding them to the Wikipedia listing for the show but they get continually removed by other editors due to not having a valid source (and urls to web forums are apparently unfit.)

The numbers for the first five episodes in production order (Storm Front through Hair of the Dog) come from a press release from SciFi and NBC.  Unfortunately, I can't furnish you with a link.

[Phil Boswell]

Although, I personally am a fan of the extra long premiere. It worked for Eureka, and other series in the past. By having that extra time, you can get your heavy hitting in, and still have time to explain everything. But with out having seen that origianl 2 hour pilot, we don't know how good a job they did doing that.

Well, it's just my assumption but... given that they're going to the extra lengths to cut it down to a single hour, I'd guess it had more problems than just recasting...

Quite a lot of extra effort is required because Bob has changed from the face-in-the-fire concept to the walking-around-ghost, so they've had to reshoot those scenes.

Or to take your question in a different sense, the fact that they are going to these extra lengths to fit the "original two-hour pilot" into the new one-hour format would indicate that that original episode was worth saving, which bodes well

[John T. Folden]

Quite a lot of extra effort is required because Bob has changed from the face-in-the-fire concept to the walking-around-ghost, so they've had to reshoot those scenes.

Yes, very true but I'm not sure how that would have an effect on the editing of length, unless of course they opted to excise some of Bob's scenes rather than reshoot them all.

Or to take your question in a different sense, the fact that they are going to these extra lengths to fit the "original two-hour pilot" into the new one-hour format would indicate that that original episode was worth saving, which bodes well

My mention of problems was actually in direct reference to the pacing of the original. I just got the impression that the original might have been a bit 'slow' in the pacing department which is why they finally opted to cut it down rather than saving it all for a later 'super-sized' showing. I would indeed hope it was worth saving (and I have no reason to think otherwise as I've enjoyed every episode I've seen so far) but I just hope they don't have to cut out too much of the main plot or we may end up with something a bit clunky. I know a couple of the normal 43 minute episodes have had a few scenes removed that could have helped with the finer details here and there, it must be really tough to cut 50% of an episode and make it work.

[John T. Folden]

I just noticed when playing the preview for next weeks episode (ROE) on the SFC site they list it as episode #106.

That's bizarre.  It flies against what was said in the press release a few months ago.  I'll have to check it out.

Update on this, the episode as released through iTunes confirms that RoE is, indeed, #102. The editor at the SFC site just wasn't on the ball, I guess. 

ALSO: Bad Blood has a Production ID of 107, not 106, according to the same source.

[dawnsister]

AND Robert said we were going to get the two hour Storm Front at some point.