# Fox Close to Renewing Fringe



## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

It's not a guarantee and probably won't be a full 22 ep season but I'll take it!

http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/04/exclusive-fox-to-renew-fringe-for-fifth-and-final-season/


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

I hope so it's still my favorite show!


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Sounds a lot like what WB did with Chuck... drop the licensing fee dramatically to get a limited concluding run of a *very* niche show, one that is not getting the ratings that merit a renewal.

I wouldn't be surprised to see production budgets get slashed for next season as well.


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## Mr. Soze (Nov 2, 2002)

:up:


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

Wow. Chuck had about 50% higher demos and wasn't the lowest rated show on the network. In fact most NBC comedies were getting around Chuck's ratings.

I prefer 13 episodes and force the writers to tighten things up and get rid of the waste.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I'd rather have a six episode, filler free miniseries that wraps everything up.


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## ElJay (Apr 6, 2005)

Do they really need more time to tell this story? It feels like the entire past season has just been going round in a big circle to get back to a point they were already at.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Family said:


> Wow. Chuck had about 50% higher demos and wasn't the lowest rated show on the network. In fact most NBC comedies were getting around Chuck's ratings.
> 
> I prefer 13 episodes and force the writers to tighten things up and get rid of the waste.


Fridays are a completely different animal when compared to the rest of the TV week. Friday's reduced expectations allowed NBC to bring Chuck back for a final 13-episode season, and Friday allowed FOX to renew Fringe last season, and potentially again this season. I think it's time to rename the "Friday Night Death Slot" into something else.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

ElJay said:


> Do they really need more time to tell this story? It feels like the entire past season has just been going round in a big circle to get back to a point they were already at.


Depends on how they end this season. I don't like that the finale they shot can be "either a series or a season finale"--I never like those. If a show is gonna end, I want it to end right which for me means a ton of notice. Chuck getting a 13 episode final season, that was branded as a final season, was what I want for Fringe, whether it's 6, 8, 13 episodes...

Given the fact that I don't have many serialized shows left to be into, and none that are sci-fi oriented, I want Fringe to come back, and to be ended correctly.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

mrdazzo7 said:


> Depends on how they end this season. *I don't like that the finale they shot can be "either a series or a season finale"*--I never like those. If a show is gonna end, I want it to end right which for me means a ton of notice. Chuck getting a 13 episode final season, that was branded as a final season, was what I want for Fringe, whether it's 6, 8, 13 episodes...
> 
> Given the fact that I don't have many serialized shows left to be into, and none that are sci-fi oriented, I want Fringe to come back, and to be ended correctly.


Where did you hear that? I read that they shot two different endings for this season's finale, so that if they get renewed, they show the one that implies the story continues, but if they don't get renewed, they show the one that wraps everything up.


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

DevdogAZ said:


> Where did you hear that? I read that they shot two different endings for this season's finale, so that if they get renewed, they show the one that implies the story continues, but if they don't get renewed, they show the one that wraps everything up.


That's what I meant sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't like it either way though, but I guess it's better than nothing. I guess one way would end the storyline as it is and leave it at that, where the other would end the storyline but then have an extra scene opening something new up (just speculation, I didn't read the full article on it so I'm not sure what they're doing).


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> I think it's time to rename the "Friday Night Death Slot" into something else.


"Friday Night Zombie Slot"?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

mrdazzo7 said:


> Depends on how they end this season. I don't like that the finale they shot can be "either a series or a season finale"--I never like those. If a show is gonna end, I want it to end right which for me means a ton of notice. Chuck getting a 13 episode final season, that was branded as a final season, was what I want for Fringe, whether it's 6, 8, 13 episodes...





DevdogAZ said:


> Where did you hear that? I read that they shot two different endings for this season's finale, so that if they get renewed, they show the one that implies the story continues, but if they don't get renewed, they show the one that wraps everything up.


You're both right, initially the production team was interviewed and said they had shot a season finale that could function as a series finale, it's only the past week where they have said they shot additional footage so they could swap out the ending.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Friday Night I'm Not Dead Yet I Feel Happy I Think I'll Go For a Walk Slot?


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## whitson77 (Nov 10, 2002)

13 episodes with a great finale, and it will go down as one of the best sci-fi series period. BIH Lost...


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

whitson77 said:


> 13 episodes with a great finale, and it will go down as one of the best sci-fi series period. BIH Lost...


Is Buffy considered science fiction?


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## MikeMar (Jan 7, 2005)

Reaper was the best, come on people!!!!

Man I miss that show, so great and full of cheese


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

Just looked in the Tivo guide for tonights episode of Fringe...

From the description:



Spoiler



Looks like we might get to find out what happened when Peter was transported into the future after using the machine. :up:



If that is what happens, I'm looking forward to it!


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Family said:


> Is Buffy considered science fiction?


No, definitely not. Horror would be the closest genre description.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

I think Buffy would be closer to the Urban Fantasy genre.


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## DouglasPHill (Feb 10, 2005)

She was certainly one of my fantasies.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

"Urban Fantasy?" Never even heard of that as a genre.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

LoadStar said:


> "Urban Fantasy?" Never even heard of that as a genre.


Walk through the sci-fi section of a B&N, and look at all those tight-leather-clad women staring at you from the book covers, usually tattooed, usually holding some kind of weapon. That's Urban Fantasy.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Fleegle said:


> I think Buffy would be closer to the Urban Fantasy genre.


Did Buffy initiate the Urban Fantasy genre? Or is there an earlier example?


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## bkc56 (Apr 29, 2001)

john4200 said:


> Did Buffy initiate the Urban Fantasy genre? Or is there an earlier example?


I guess it depends on which Buffy you consider "real" (in terms of an Urban Fantasy prototype). If you take the movie (1992) then perhaps so. If you take the series (1997), then Xena predates it (1995). The Buffy character from the movie and series are pretty different to me and I'd be inclined to say Xena is before (the real) Buffy.

But I'm sure there are other movie examples that predate both.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Xena isn't even remotely Urban Fantasy...she's straight, old-school fantasy.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Walk through the sci-fi section of a B&N, and look at all those tight-leather-clad women staring at you from the book covers, usually tattooed, usually holding some kind of weapon. That's Urban Fantasy.


This description sounds to me like Lara Croft. Was she the beginning of that trend? Is it possible that a video game inspired a genre, or was she just a product of the genre that already existed.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Not really.

Urban Fantasy is set in the modern world, involves (usually) a heroine who often but not always possesses some kind of supernatural ability, but always dealing with the supernatural. It also usually involves romance to a greater or lesser degree.

It's almost entirely a literary form. Oddly, there isn't a lot of Urban Fantasy TV or movies. Probably the best example of it on television is Blood Ties (Canadian show about a female detective and her vampire quasi-boyfriend)

I suspect where it came from is aspiring sci-fi/fantasy writers who liked romance novels, and wanted to combine the two.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

Lost Girl on SyFy and Grimm on NBC would btoh be considered Urban Fantasy.

I've found that most Urban Fantasy books tend to walk be written by women and end up being quasi-romance novels. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher is a great example of how the genra can be done well.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Lost Girl definitely.

Dresden Files I'd say is kinda borderline. It share some elements, but goes its own way.

Grimm seems to me to be the mainstreaming of Urban Fantasy (and when the mainstream catches on to a cultural movement, that's often a sign that it has already died ).

I suspect you and I are just arguing for broader and narrower definitions respectively.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

I would define Urban Fantasy as stories set in the modern day world that involve traditionally "Fantasy" elements such as wizards, elves, faries, etc. The Dresden Files has all of that in spades. 

What makes you say it's borderline?


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Fleegle said:


> I would define Urban Fantasy as stories set in the modern day world that involve traditionally "Fantasy" elements such as wizards, elves, faries, etc. The Dresden Files has all of that in spades.


Well, I think the fantasy part of urban fantasy is more slanted to less traditional fantasy, like vampires and werewolves. But I agree that Dresden Files is definitely smack in the middle of the urban fantasy genre. I'm not sure what the heck Rob is thinking.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I don't know what Dresden Files is, but no way is either Xena or Lara Croft urban fantasy.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Well, I would define it as being set in the modern world, involves (usually) a heroine who often but not always possesses some kind of supernatural ability, but always dealing with the supernatural. It also usually involves romance to a greater or lesser degree.

Dresden Files reads to me more like somebody who likes the same things, but doesn't have the same sensibility. But again, I think this is just a case of you and I arguing for broader and narrower definitions respectively.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

laria said:


> I don't know what Dresden Files is...


Well, you can read it (Jim Butcher) or you can watch it:

http://thetvdb.com/?tab=series&id=79759&lid=7


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Urban Fantasy is set in the modern world, involves (usually) a heroine who often but not always possesses some kind of supernatural ability, but always dealing with the supernatural. It also usually involves romance to a greater or lesser degree.


Sounds like 1987's _Beauty and the Beast_...


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Which will soon be 2012's Beauty and the Beast. They are remaking it for fall.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

cmontyburns said:


> Which will soon be 2012's Beauty and the Beast. They are remaking it for fall.


On two different networks.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

WhiskeyTango said:


> On two different networks.


Yes and no. One is a depiction of the fairy tale (ABC), the other is a remake of the romance/procedural starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman (CW).

Neither have received series orders yet, so it isn't a given we'll see both/either.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Renewed. It's unclear how many episodes, though.

http://tvline.com/2012/04/26/fringe-renewed-for-season-5/


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

This makes me happy 

And it's for 13 episodes in its final season according to the Fringe FB page...


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

LoadStar said:


> Renewed. It's unclear how many episodes, though.
> 
> http://tvline.com/2012/04/26/fringe-renewed-for-season-5/


:up::up:

Almost unbelievable! I am a very happy person today because of this. Yay!


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Updated - 13 episodes, and this will definitively be the last season.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

They deserve it, and so do we. Great news.


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)




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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Excellent news! Congrats to the Fringe team. 13 episodes will get them to exactly 100 total. Not that this really matters anymore, but it certainly can't hurt.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

[media]http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/008/603/010_comic_peanut_by_hiugo.gif[/media]


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

LoadStar said:


> Updated - 13 episodes, and this will definitively be the last season.


Smeek...


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

Cool I guess I'll start watching this season then.


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## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)




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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

vertigo235 said:


> Cool I guess I'll start watching this season then.


You haven't been watching? In case it was the last season?

Does that mean that you won't watch next season then?


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

Amnesia said:


> You haven't been watching? In case it was the last season?
> 
> Does that mean that you won't watch next season then?


I was worried the story lines might not get wrapped up properly.


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## Kamakzie (Jan 8, 2004)

Very nice, gives them 13 eps to wrap things up and put a nice neat bow on it.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Question is - have they already wrapped filming for this season already, assuming it was the last season? Hard to wrap everything up when you wrapped it up earlier and find you have to do 13 more episodes...


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## getbak (Oct 8, 2004)

Worf said:


> Question is - have they already wrapped filming for this season already, assuming it was the last season? Hard to wrap everything up when you wrapped it up earlier and find you have to do 13 more episodes...


They apparently shot two different endings to this year's season finale, which airs in two weeks.

That's probably why they had to get this done now (rather than waiting for next season's schedule to be announced in May), so the producers would know which way to go when doing the final cut of the finale.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

getbak said:


> They apparently shot two different endings to this year's season finale, which airs in two weeks.


And apparently there were some things set up in a certain recent episode that might or might not open up future storylines, and the two different endings reflect that.

Speculation: Schrödinger's Etta?


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## That Don Guy (Mar 13, 2003)

LoadStar said:


> Updated - 13 episodes, and this will definitively be the last season.


Confirmed by Fox


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

That Don Guy said:


> Confirmed by Fox


Float in Heaven Fox


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## GoHalos (Aug 30, 2006)

Awesome! :up:

I wonder if we'll ever be able to see the "series wrap-up" ending to this year's last episode. Has anything like that ever been included on a DVD set? It would be interesting to watch that after all the episodes have aired to see how different the ending would have been.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

GoHalos said:


> I wonder if we'll ever be able to see the "series wrap-up" ending to this year's last episode. Has anything like that ever been included on a DVD set? It would be interesting to watch that after all the episodes have aired to see how different the ending would have been.


That could be problematical, if the "this year" ending would give too much away for the "next year" ending...


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## GoHalos (Aug 30, 2006)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> That could be problematical, if the "this year" ending would give too much away for the "next year" ending...


Oh, sorry, I meant after all of the episodes had aired, including next season's. So we could compare how it actually ended and how it might have ended (if it had ended this year).


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## gchance (Dec 6, 2002)

On the DVD set for 24, they put the alternate ending that would have aired, had the series ended after S1. Sounds plausible.

Greg


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## GoHalos (Aug 30, 2006)

gchance said:


> On the DVD set for 24, they put the alternate ending that would have aired, had the series ended after S1. Sounds plausible.
> 
> Greg


Cool. Thanks - hopefully they'll do that here as well. I think it would be interesting to see.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

gchance said:


> On the DVD set for 24, they put the alternate ending that would have aired, had the series ended after S1. Sounds plausible.


But again, I think it would have a lot to do with how much in common the series finale this year and the series finale next year have. If it would give away plot points for next year, there's no way they'd put it on this year's DVDs. And it would be a bit odd to have an alternate ending for a previous season's episode on next year's DVDs...

I doubt the alternate ending for 24 Season 1 spoiled the ending for 24 Season 8!


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

OK, let's not #%^(* it up like BSG.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

wprager said:


> OK, let's not #%^(* it up like BSG.


How do you type that sentence without using the word "frak?"


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## cheerdude (Feb 27, 2001)

Was 24's S1 alternate ending really done in case of not getting reviewed? I thought that Fox didn't like the original ending (too shocking) and told the producers to give them something else. 

They did, but pushed hard for their ending... for the better IMHO


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

DevdogAZ said:


> How do you type that sentence without using the word "frak?"


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## Johncv (Jun 11, 2002)

laria said:


> I don't know what Dresden Files is, but no way is either Xena or Lara Croft urban fantasy.


Laria, get the Jim Burcher books, much better then the TV show. Also, some here may enjoy reading the "Nightside" books by Simon R. Green.

Liongate really "frak-up" the show.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> But again, I think it would have a lot to do with how much in common the series finale this year and the series finale next year have. If it would give away plot points for next year, there's no way they'd put it on this year's DVDs. And it would be a bit odd to have an alternate ending for a previous season's episode on next year's DVDs...
> 
> I doubt the alternate ending for 24 Season 1 spoiled the ending for 24 Season 8!


Surprisingly no, actually. It can be put on as extras on next season's DVD set to boost the disc count. After all, with half the discs required, people would want the last season to be cheaper, and Fox doesn't really want that so it would be appropriate to throw in some extras to make it more appealing.

Toss in a couple more episodes (Season 4 "series finale", season 3 "series finale". Season 1 was standalone, season 3 got renewed way early in season 2). and Fox gets more content to fill the discs with, and fans get to see the "missing" episodes.

(The cost to add an extra disc is minimal, so it's more of value to the consumer. If the DVD season set is $40, a half-season with half the discs doesn't seem so worth it at $40, but if you can toss in an extras one...).


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## Enrique (May 15, 2006)

Wow, this is the most generous I've seen Fox with a TV show. I think someone up top must love the show.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Enrique said:


> Wow, this is the most generous I've seen Fox with a TV show.


Except maybe for Dollhouse.

Or Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Fox has been AMAZINGLY generous with genre shows in recent years! FiH, Fox, indeed...


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Except maybe for Dollhouse.
> 
> Or Sarah Connor Chronicles.
> 
> Fox has been AMAZINGLY generous with genre shows in recent years! FiH, Fox, indeed...


Fox gave those shows one extra season. This is a second one!


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Family said:


> Fox gave those shows one extra season. This is a second one!


Yes, but renewing a low-rated first-season show is actually more of a stretch than renewing a show for a fourth or fifth season. In Fringe's case, the production studio reduced the license fee low enough that FOX couldn't say no. They do this because syndication is imminent and the more episodes, the better. A studio is not going to do that for a one-season show, because syndication is unlikely.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

Add me to the "happy dance" crowd!

And Rob, you are plain wrong. If Dresden is not Urban Fantasy, nothing is. 

For anyone who has not read the Dresden books and likes Fantasy, go and get them. Now.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

eddyj said:


> And Rob, you are plain wrong. If Dresden is not Urban Fantasy, nothing is.


Well, all I have to say is if this can't be the cover...








...it may be urban and it may be fantasy, but it is not, strictly speaking, Urban Fantasy.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

You just want hot chicks. While nice, they do not make it Urban. Although they might make it your Fantasy. 

You know, that author is doing it wrong. I went to check her out, and saw she had a whole series. Cool, I love finding a new series. But then, I saw the Kindle books were $8. No way I am paying that, when I can get the Paperback for half of that. And since I don't want to bother with the PB, I'll do without. If the first book had been priced cheap, I would have tried it, and maybe gotten hooked and bought the others. Too bad.

And yes, I know this might be the publisher's decision, not the author's. Too bad for them too.

edit: I see she has another series, in ebook only, and priced much better. So I guess I can blame the publisher.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

GoHalos said:


> I wonder if we'll ever be able to see the "series wrap-up" ending to this year's last episode. Has anything like that ever been included on a DVD set?


(I don't even watch this show -- I liked it, but I think had conflicts and/or too many shows to watch a few years ago, so stopped.. I'm waiting for an install to get done so browsing..)

The Dollhouse season 1 sets (dvd/bluray/streaming) have an unaired last episode of S1 that was going to be the series finale, until it was renewed. I haven't watched it yet, but apparently it includes a lot of ideas that were then used in the second season.

(Wow, it was 7 years ago, but after "American Dreams" finished, there was _talk_ of an extended finale episode IIRC.. but it never happened.)


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

mattack said:


> The Dollhouse season 1 sets (dvd/bluray/streaming) have an unaired last episode of S1 that was going to be the series finale, until it was renewed. I haven't watched it yet, but apparently it includes a lot of ideas that were then used in the second season.


That was Epitaph One...it wasn't shot as a series finale, it was shot because they were contractually obligated to supply 13 episodes for the DVD, and they were informed the unaired pilot (which was cannibalized and used in a couple of other episodes) wouldn't count, so they put together a new episode on the cheap. But it was canonically part of the first season, and there was a direct sequel to it in the second season finale (Epitaph Two).


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes, but renewing a low-rated first-season show is actually more of a stretch than renewing a show for a fourth or fifth season. In Fringe's case, the production studio reduced the license fee low enough that FOX couldn't say no. They do this because syndication is imminent and the more episodes, the better. A studio is not going to do that for a one-season show, because syndication is unlikely.


Yes true.... but still impressive.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

eddyj said:


> You know, that author is doing it wrong. I went to check her out, and saw she had a whole series. Cool, I love finding a new series. But then, I saw the Kindle books were $8. No way I am paying that, when I can get the Paperback for half of that. And since I don't want to bother with the PB, I'll do without. If the first book had been priced cheap, I would have tried it, and maybe gotten hooked and bought the others. Too bad.


The first book in one of her series (not the one Rob showed) is the Kindle Deal of the Day today, for $1.99. So I'll give it a shot. See, publishers, lower prices do work!


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

GoHalos said:


> I wonder if we'll ever be able to see the "series wrap-up" ending to this year's last episode. Has anything like that ever been included on a DVD set? It would be interesting to watch that after all the episodes have aired to see how different the ending would have been.


No.


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## GoHalos (Aug 30, 2006)

OK, fair enough!


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