List of SFF Clichés

[Dianora]

Originally Posted by Crisspin

Don't forget they all speak English as well, as all other languages have fallen to the wayside (except the French who refused to play along ofcourse).

lmao. That's true of most historical films as well. One of my favorites was "Amadeus" about Mozart. Cracks me up, hearing them all speaking English... still, I hate subtitles, so I can't complain.

[Thadlerian]

Originally Posted by Crisspin

Don't forget they all speak English as well,

Yeah, but always with either Russian or German accent.

[zorcarepublic]

I'd love for some evil baddies to have a Swiss accent. That would be good. In between detailing his latest plan to take over the world/galaxy/universe, he and the entire crew start yodelling...

[Winters_Sorrow]

That sounds like cruel & unusual punishment, somewhat similar to Vogon poetry...

[Anomander]

Originally Posted by zorcarepublic

I'd love for some evil baddies to have a Swiss accent. That would be good. In between detailing his latest plan to take over the world/galaxy/universe, he and the entire crew start yodelling...

I thought it was the Austrians that Yodelled? (Sound of music et al....)

[SteveR]

Well my worst cliche has to be...

Big ugly, greedy studios cancelling top shows like Farscape and Firefly just as they are either getting really good or almost at the end of their story arc. T***ers.

Oh, yeah sorry, this is real life. Mmmmm.

Steve (seriously, sorry - really winds me up!)

[Azathoth]

We seriously need to form a lynching mob and go after those network guys. I mean, c'mon, how could they cancel Farscape? Or Futurama? And yet they'll air Sabrina: Teenage Witch, or Hercules, or Xena. BLAGH!

[Azathoth]

(Oh wow, that's so cool, SteveR. When I posted that, our post count became identical.)

[SteveR]

And now that I've posted again we're the same again. How long can we keep this up before we get bored!

hehe! Anyway, count me in on the lynch mob. Grrrrr....

[Nesacat]

Count me in too. I really miss Futurama, Firefly and Farscape. They had such a big audience I am sure they could have gone on profitably.

[Paige Turner]

One of the saddest things that can happen to a show is becoming popular enough to get the attention of the network people. It seems like, if shows are just marginally successful, they'll leave them on, what the heck. But if a show gets a following, and the network gets wind of it, then it goes to a (shudder) focus group, to be watered down and painted beige to appeal to the largest demographic. I've seen a lot of shows start out good, and different, and end up three seasons in being some version of Full Family, or whatever it was. (the one with the Olson twins)

The John Larroquette Show, back in the 80s (90's?) started out dark, and bleak, and gritty, and funny. Two years later, it was as dull as dishwater, and two years after that, it was gone. What's the matter with these people?

[j. d. worthington]

I recall a symposium of writers of SFF for radio, tv and movies which included JMS, HE, D.C. Fontana, Richard Matheson, and others... and listening to JMS talk about his experience with a focus group viewing the pilot for B5 is both hilarous and cringe-worthy.

Some of the other stories were not at all shoddy, either. If you enquire with the Museum of Radio, TV and Film, I believe that this is available for either purchase or study ... or may be broadcast on various public access channels periodically (which is where I saw it).... Well worth seeing both as a fan of the stuff, or for anyone interested in writing (not just writing for the visual/audial media).

[Azathoth]

Hey, it looks like we have enough people to form that lynching mob now. C'mon everyone! *lights a torch and picks up a pitchfork*

[j. d. worthington]

speaking of cliches.....

[chrispenycate]

Originally Posted by zorcarepublic

I'd love for some evil baddies to have a Swiss accent. That would be good. In between detailing his latest plan to take over the world/galaxy/universe, he and the entire crew start yodelling...

How can you have a Swiss accent? The Swiss French accent is inistiguishable (in English, evidently) to the French french, idem the Swiss Italian, while Swiizerteuch consists of so many mutually incomprehensible dialects that they speak high german between regions, and again, the accent on English is the same as german. Which leaves you with Romanch, and there are fewer who speak that than expatriate brits.
Oh, and while the Swiss definitely do jodel, (I've recorded several LPs of it) in the majority of cases it's the females who do so.