Big Whedon-admirer myself.

Think Firefly didn't succeed because it was too episodic. All the new trend-setting major shows opted for stronger seasonal story arc. Loved it anyway.

Now for the film/TV/web speculation. Even with the bound-to-happen convergence of media, there's still a need for different formats, the feature-film stand-alone drama, the TV-show's more novel-like continued drama and the shorter, episodic, often comedy based web/sit-com format.

I wonder a bit about the nature of Whedon's talent. I am not sure he is a feature-film man. With especially Buffy it seems like he thrives on universe-creating and the continued relationship with audiences, the playing to and against expectation.
Serenity was a good script without any obvious faults. But I lack a sense of the definitive monolithic quality a major feature film should have. That said, Serenity was still better than most of the entertainment-crap posing for films.

TC - too episodic? this year's hits are all episodic (Mentalist, Fringe, etc) though with season story-arcs tying the series together. The problem is taht Firefly was too niche (sci-fi western) - it should've been on cable.

Regarding the web of it all, Joss Whedon can make web hits. In fact, he may singularly be able to do so with his built-in fanbase of tech and entertainment aware people. With his name, he can get money. Only a few people have created a successful television series (much less 2 like Joss) and want to go to the web. If you haven't created a TV show, I doubt you'll have the connections, skills and financial resources to successfully do things on the web for the time being.

Lobies.

They'd be called Lobies.

Fox murdered Firefly. Shifting air dates, nights, times. Airing the episodes out of order. And Firefly is NOT that episodic --

-- aside from the pilot, which introduces the main characters, and TWO main tensions that recur throughout the series; the Reavers, and people being after River, most of the episodes can be viewed in any order.

It's no wonder he sees Web serials as the wave of the future. He has full creative control in that medium.

Thanks for this.

ALL HAIL JOSS!!!