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JMS and Wachowskis Teaming Up for New Netflix Funded Scifi Series
Via Engadget, comes a press release that might bring joy to fans of science fiction dismayed by years without any new scifi shows: "Continuing its quest to sate subscribers' appetites with a flow of original content, Netflix has announced a new original series, Sense8. Due in late 2014, it's being developed by the Wachowskis of The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Cloud Atlas and Speed Race fame, as well as J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5. Details are thin, but the press release promises a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted with a ten episode run for its first season."
Hopefully it'll end up available on DVD eventually, for us poor GNU/Linux users who are not worthy enough for Netflix (or: to any Netflix engineers reading, make it work).
You might want to read the news... http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/03/16/1836233/netflix-to-start-creating-original-content House of Cards was the first series and is top notch. Amazon is doing the same thing (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417007,00.asp), as is Youtube (http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/10/17/2043252/original-content-coming-to-youtube) and Hulu (http://blog.hulu.com/2013/01/08/2013-original-and-exclusive-series-preview/). This is one of the most exciting trends in video entertainment today.
Someone clearly didn't get the memo. Neflix on Linux is dead simple to run now. Here is a video for noobs that breaks it all down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfte5su5DIA
Install and enjoy!
Netflix has been working in wine for quite a while.
http://www.iheartubuntu.com/2012/11/netflix-on-ubuntu-is-here.html
Way to be out of date slashdot.
Huh, that's going to be one seriously polished series.
Ezekiel 23:20
So just going from past history...
JMS = doesn't really start to hit his stride until the second season.
Wachowskis = each part of an episodic thing they work on is worse than the one that came before
So either the strengths of one will compensate for the weaknesses of the other, or it's going to start out as on okay show with some promise but a lot of problems to overcome and then go downhill from there.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank
It's good if politics interests knows and you have a decent attention span. You do have to pay attention to the show, but I've watched the series to the end and I think it's was worth it. Everything fits together at the end.
They have been trying to start producing their own content for a couple years now. It was mentioned in the article, but i am excited they are bringing back Arrested Development as part of that effort.
poster is a basement dweller who only uses a traditional computer for everything
why would you need a blu ray player if you torrent all your movies
Who still watches netflix on their computers, anyways? At least half the blu-ray players on the market today can play netflix out of the box. Every major game console can as well. Quite a few TVs have it built-in now, too. Why on earth would you want to watch it on your computer?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Clearly the Author lives in 2002.
There Can Be Only One...
so 95% of the world won't be able to see it...
I'd say the chances are quite good that production will be co-financed through partnerships with other networks and services.
Honestly, it sounds ... well, it has potential anyway. I seriously enjoyed three of the four movies mentioned (let's just play pretend and say that fourth one never happened, mmmkay?)
Fringe is over after a good run, V was canceled just as it was getting really good and there's not much else out there I can find with as much character depth.
Bring it on!
Even worse, look at the editor bitching about Netflix not working on Linux when it's a solved problem.
Violence is like duct tape. If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.
I like how Netflix delivered "House of Cards" in one shot. That's how TV shows should be. No more Neilsen ratings crap. There are SO many great shows that were axed because of prime-time competition. I hope this model will work and become the norm for TV entertainment and kill those NBC/CBS/ABC/ and other networks.
I have two htpc's (AMD A-10 and A-8 and Linux Mint 14 KDE). One at home and one at work. Watch online content, Netflix, Hulu and play Stream. With 700+ dvd's who needs a BluRay player? Skipped right over it to all digital. Thanks....
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Laugh all you like, but my traditional computer hooked to my TV means I can watch HULU while laughing at their HULU+ adds TV and Bluray player support commercials.
If you have just a little know how making a wife friendly HTPC is pretty simple. No, there is no mouse in my living room and no the computer is not visible nor does it have fans.
AMC was just doing what its name suggests, running old movies, until they started with Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead. So this model can produce good stuff.
Recording a netflix stream is possible without cracking it directly. You could even just record off the HDMI output since HDCP is trivial to crack.
...i am excited they are bringing back Arrested Development...
Yes! Will the Bluths still be as hideous to each other after an 8 year hiatus? At least George Michael will look exactly the same.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
As a cable TV boycotter, all I can say is :
"All good as long as cable companies do not make a cent of it)
Maurice W. Hilarius Voice: (778) 347-9907
First our hands are in every pocket, now we're isolationists. Fuck you.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
There were several new shows in the past years. Not many made it though..
From memory, and the amount of scifi might be discussed but in no particular order:
Threshold, Werehouse 13, Defying Gravity, Lost, Person of Interest, Revolution, FlashForward, Eureka, The Event, Fringe, Alcatraz, Stargate Universe, Continuum, Heroes, V (the new one), Dollhouse..
Harald
You either have gigabit internet, or don't mind recompressed video quality. Some of us don't have that kind of bandwidth and appreciate a good picture.
Is it really proper to say, "of Cloud Atlas and Speed Racer fame"?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
i have a tiny apple TV, don't use HULU and only subscribe to netflix
i only pay for cable from time warner cable and get free HD quality broadcast channels over the same wire as the internet comes in since they aren't encrypted. that's how my wife watches a lot of her shows
Do you also complain when people say RMS, or ESR?
---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
Yeah, while it is annoying that Netflix doesn't work under *general* Linux, it does work under *some* Linux-ish operating systems. Like on my Android phone/tablet, my "smart" TV (which does run Linux) and apparently soon in some Chromebooks. Yes, they should move away from Silverlight. Yes, the UI on the "smart" TV leaves a lot to be desired (why on earth should I plug in a USB keyboard I can only use the arrow keys and enter, instead of you know, typing?). But all in all, I'm not losing any sleep over it. It'll get there eventually, Silverlight is a dead end.
i got bored after 30 minutes
I'm sure that's why they hired the Wachowskis, they need shows to appeal to those with no taste. It's too bad they couldn't land Michael Bay for you.
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
I have no cable, I have netflix and FIOS internet.
My wife has 0 interest in shows that start at any time other than when she starts them or that cannot be paused.
Once again some idiot is confusing Linux users at large with RMS.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
No Kidding. That's certainly the same actor from Weird Science that played Gary Wallace. And Weird Science was released in 1985, swear to God.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090305/
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
In the end, Netflix, will compete with HBO and then be purchased by Disney after their contract runs out.
My understanding is Netflix is producing as exclusive, but then planning to syndicate to other networks.
Thx, I may be two years late to the news but I'll be interested to see if they can do better than the traditional sources of production.
That group of bovine standing over there appears quite portentous. That's right it's an ominous cow herd.
Makes me set my expectations low, if religious mystery is already communicated in such prominent a line. As much as I liked B5, JMS's embracing of everything religious and metaphysical was in my opinion the most annoying aspect of the series. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to find out whether my prejudice will be proven right or wrong!
JMS was JMS before Java Messaging Service. And probably has more internet acclaim than java messaging does as well.
Dang, JMS was on GEnie yes, before the world wide web was even popular. Hell, JMS predates Java itself
Sorry your failed at your nerdiness...
A copy of the material that originated on DVD is still going to be better than any of those options. Many of those devices aren't "current' or feature complete. All of them depend on a constant and robust network connection. Many of them have interfaces that are just crap.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
The Spam problem has been somewhat annoying, and when I saw the opportunity to keep the bot from locking in the first spot I jumped on it. And then followed up with an on-topic reply to self to give the community a place to comment guaranteed to be above the bot. It appears to be working.
That group of bovine standing over there appears quite portentous. That's right it's an ominous cow herd.
Some people are more demanding. A lot of those people read Slashdot. This demanding nature also includes the TV watching experience. Slashdot users are much more likely to be early adopters of things like Tivo, HTPCs, and streamers.
I would love to be able to liberate a Netflix show from the Netflix user interface.
We're not a herd of sheep here.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Most BD players these days are as cheap as dedicated streamers and have exactly the same apps that you would want from the dedicated appliances.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Wait....did you just say you're interested to see if they can do better than Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo? Seriously?
House of cards is moderately good -- better than most TV fare -- but underplays the level of corruption in Washington. We haven't seen any depiction of entrenched values and religious fuckery, either, and those are part and parcel of Washington's current operations.
In the SF vein, news that would make me (and a lot of other people, I'm guessing) smile is someone pulling Firefly back together. IMHO, that show was the most consistently well done SF show ever. It had everything; it was quirky enough to be interesting just from a plot-assembly POV, it was often very funny, almost everyone had a great role (River's the exception, but it's pretty clear they were developing her slowly) and, oh, I don't know, a host of other things. A touch of genius, certainly. Perhaps several.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
I thought Lillyhammer was the first series?
I think the great thing about House of Cards is that it's the first TV Series I've seen that didn't have to go through all the censors or ratings boards whatsoever. I think this allows them to make it more true to life. There's swearing, drugs, violence, and even some brief nudity. Also, because it wasn't made for TV, each episode is exactly as long as it needs to be. It rarely seemed like they added content simply because they needed to make the episode longer.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Well, I meant "do better than something I'd be prone to watch from the traditional producers of the televised media." I have no intention of comparing anything to either of those shows due to the fact my sense of integrity would require me to actually seek out and experience them first hand. -shudder-
That group of bovine standing over there appears quite portentous. That's right it's an ominous cow herd.
Even if you can't get Netflix working under Linux, you can always buy an AppleTV or Roku box for under $100 and run Netflix on that. The experience is superior anyway, no plugins or updates, Netflix runs really well and you can easily attach it to any TV.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
No constant reminders of what has happened and trailers of what is going to happen? I might just have to check it out.
You may think me a tired, old, cynic. I'd have to disagree about the tired bit.
You put three links, none of which take you to the person who did it.
Soooo easy. sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ehoover/compholio sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install netflix-desktop Done.
What's currently running in the U.S. is just a remake of a BBC series from 1990. Naturally it doesn't really eflect Washington in 2013.
" might bring joy to fans of science fiction dismayed by years without any new scifi shows:"
If you can't find new scifi shows, you aren't looking.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
This is why it is important to not run your life (our country) based on other peoples views of you. Granted, since presidents are elected, it is a little different. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, though, a vocal group hate us. They have their reasons and there really isn't much we can do to change their minds. If we rush to help, we are imperialists, if we don't, it cause we are cold and only care about ourselves. It is easy due to the size and influence of our country to find things to fault.
pulling Firefly back together. Everyone has moved on. Notably Nathan Fillion and Josh Whedon have very big and lucrative gigs. No matter how affectionately they talk about Firefly, neither of them is likely to be able to do it. And Fillion is noticeably less lean and mean now.
I loved the show too, but they got another shot in Serenity and blew it. Time for the fans to give it up.
In what was does a BD with a dedicated 'streamer' Magically increase the person bandwidth?
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
If by "solved" you mean that a software engineer grad student and his pocket protector stand an even chance of knocking it out in a spare weekend then yes my good sir, that problem is solved.
Assuming most people can copy/paste, it is extremely easy.
Open a terminal from the menu and paste "sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ehoover/compholio" Enter your password when prompted. Then "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install netflix-desktop"
It is now installed in your programs menu.
I really don't see how this is more difficult then installing in windows.
no. Not knowing JMS means - geek point.
Thinking JMS is Java Messaging Services is + nerd points. You know, the points that ACTUALLY matter.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
"Why is that important to add?" /. has a large userbase of people who want that. It's right AT the demographic.
Becasue
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
This is why it is important to not run your life (our country) based on other peoples views of you.
If you think that's how it's really run you're an idiot.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
Not everyone runs Ubuntu. I wouldn't consider it solved until it's an easily installed package on most or all of the major distros.
And the masses cried out, "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0!"
Can they top Shark Week?
Zombies attack Vampires while the Transformers and Supergrandpa look on in the 25th century. Can't wait. Sci fi has been a lost art for eons now.
Wuddooeyeno? IITYWYBMAD? Like nuts? eclecticallyincorrect.com
The other cool thing about the format is that there's no "last week, on House of Cards ... " wastes of time, because you're not presumed to have waited a week since you saw the last episode. Nor "next week, on House of Cards" teasers ...
Actually, Lillihammer was the first. Too bad there wasn't a second season, as it was quite good.
Things I own that will run Netflix.
My android phone. My android tablet. The blu-ray player in the living room. The blu-ray player in the bedroom. The xbox. The Wii.
I don't see how running linux would stop any common person from using it. It's virtually everywhere.
My studio - www.graylands.ca
I run several flavors of Linux at home and work and am disappointed that Netflix doesn't work natively under Linux. Rather than fudging around with a virtual machine or trying to get things working under Wine, I walked into my local electronics store and paid $70 for a nice blu-ray, internet enabled player. A Smart TV box. I now watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube and more without taking a hit on my laptop performance.
JMS produced Babylon-5 for 5 years on a shoe-string budget with his own production company for an impoverished basic cable channel. I don't see why he'd have a lot of trouble pulling off the same feat for Netflix.
If you're not running the "Linux for human beings" distro, then I would operate under the assumption that you know what you're doing enough to adapt the instructions to your distro of choice.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it! --Longbottle
And, of course, this is news for nerds -- NOT news for *geeks*
I will now change my life based on your feedback. Thank you :)
Thanks, glad at least one AC gets the point!
It's all about context, and there are very few people who would get that JMS is a person (let alone a specific person) from that awful headline. This is news for nerds. I expect a lot more nerds to know what JMS is regarding software than I would expect them to know who JMS is regarding people. You may be confusing nerds and geeks.
Not to mention expensive to do properly.
You have to postulate working anti-gravity without acknowledging the ramifications of that technology. Or spend more on wirework and/or CGI than can be coped with by a standard show's budget.
And you have to find plots that haven't been done before. Without resorting to reversing the polarity of the neutron flow or getting this cheese to Sickbay. There's what, about 800 episodes of Trek in all its incarnations, plus Galactica old and new, Babylon 5, and stuff that only made very short runs, S:AAB, Space Rangers etc.
All the science fiction from the last decade I can think of is earth-based, and I don't think it's because it's easier or cheaper to make, although it probably is. I think much of it is because any time someone comes up with an idea for a space-based series, it just sounds like Star Trek, The Nth Generation, or Babylon 6.
95% of the world can't get Netflix? Wonder why... Netflix doesn't like taking money from those dang foreigners or something?
Anyways just torrent it.
Well, if they're planning to do a science fiction show/movie, then they're automatically doing better -- because there isn't any science fiction on television.
It was an enjoyable watch, but in retrospect, it was a one-trick pony.
On the other hand, if most of the people who know you think you're an insufferable selfish asshole, you just might actually be one.
They didn't blow anything with Serenity.
But everyone calls him JMS. Besides, what the hell is Java Messaging Service anyway? I think there's a reasonable chance that more people on Slashdot know JMS the writer than JMS the middleware (heck, I don't even know what middleware is, much less JMS). This is news for nerds, not news for Java professionals.
ok, I'll bite -- "blew it" how?
You *do* realize that the degree of creative freedom in a movie is a fraction of what it is over many episodes, right?
I'd really like you to elaborate here.
Other than that, yeah, I gave up already, but that doesn't change what I'd like to happen. :)
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
I dunno, doesn't seem to have slowed you down much. You go right ahead, fellah. :)
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Seriously, JMS gave us the first major space TV series to use physics...
Zero G fighters, rotational ship/station compartments.
Granted a lot of typical sci-fantasy. But dang, it was leaps and bounds above Star Wars/Trek science. And he was one of the earlier internet fandoms to interact with his fans. Heck, even gave nods to internet culture "Lurkers".
Nah, JMS = J Michael Staczynski - he is far more cooler, nerdier, than Java Messaging Service.
Worse than that, an impovershed and failing alliance of UHF syndication channels, that loved Star Trek more than him despite Babylon 5 clearly being superior. And then an impovershed basic cable channel that destroyed everything :(
HAL 7000, fewer features than the HAL 9000, but just as homicidal!
If they want my money they are.
HAL 7000, fewer features than the HAL 9000, but just as homicidal!
Hopefully it'll end up available on DVD eventually, for us poor GNU/Linux users who are not worthy enough for Netflix (or: to any Netflix engineers reading, make it work).
You know, I get netflix on a bunch of embedded systems in my house - one TV, two refurbished blue-ray players I got from Woot! I'd be surprised if none ran Linux. Oh, and my kindle fire gets it, it's Android, so ... Linux.
Really, you felt an article about a new show was improved with a "pity me, I'm persecuted because I use Linux" whine? It's like complaining that your electric toothbrush doesn't run Linux, but you hope Colgate will fix it. I love Linux, doesn't mean that I expect one tool to do everything. Well, Perl, but that's a different story. (And a quick search on CPAN shows WWW::Netflix::API. I'm scared.) Buck up, put out a good story, and if you're editorial doesn't add to it, leave it out.
Circling back around, I was just thinking about rewatching B5 again, it's been a couple of years. I'm looking forward to this, I wonder how long it will take to produce and when it will come out.
LITTLE GIRL: But which cookie will you eat FIRST? C. MONSTER: Me think you have misconception of cookie-eating process.
More to the point, hopefully it comes out on DVD so that the >95% of the world that does not live in the USA gets to watch it as well! All of this wonderful new content being exclusive to the internet streaming services is a real blow for most of the denizens of our fine planet, as they cannot access any of it!
They blew their chance to appeal to anyone except the (tiny) existing fan base. The Reaver conspiracy made little sense unless you were already a fan of the series. And they pissed off those fans by killing off two major characters. And yes, I know Whedon does that. Doesn't make it popular. It had its moments, of course, but wasn't near as involving as many of the episodes. And critical analysis aside, it was a commercial failure, didn't make its cost back until the DVD sale, despite fan campaigns to publicise it. Thats what killed the "franchise".
Uh, I think JMS was on GEnie circa '84 before the Web existed, late Summer and Fall of '91. I seem to recall some of his posts in the sci-fi and writers roundtables, but I was spending most of my time in the Atari ST RT and over at Pournelle's RT.
The franchise was long dead before the movie was even made. All that Serenity did was to give a beautiful eulogy to the series and wrap up story lines for the fans... and give a little bit of fun along the way.
Quite possibly something like Firefly will be remade, and I love watching the shows on Hulu or elsewhere when I can see them. It is quality science fiction and something that definitely has a fan base, but it will take a new series to make things happen where something original must be put together that is just as fresh as Firefly was when it originally came out.
I really liked how Battlestar Galactica ended up with its reboot. Arguably it was better than the original series with Loren Greene, Richard Hatch, and Dirk Benedict. The reboot wasn't nearly the same as the original series, but it borrowed many of the same things and ultimately had a much better run (with much better spin-offs... I really love Caprica!)
If Firefly went through a similar kind of reboot with some new characters (even a whole new series "set" in the Firefly universe), I might even enjoy watching that kind of show. It would be different though and on that point you would be correct.
I think the great thing about House of Cards is that it's the first TV Series I've seen that didn't have to go through all the censors or ratings boards whatsoever. I think this allows them to make it more true to life. There's swearing, drugs, violence, and even some brief nudity. Also, because it wasn't made for TV, each episode is exactly as long as it needs to be. It rarely seemed like they added content simply because they needed to make the episode longer.
So, you never saw Weeds, The Sopranos, or countless others on the cable networks?
I'm not a fan of the Battlestar Galactica remake, too much soap opera and not enough plot for me... and the human Cylons, total cop-out meh. But Caprica was an amazing surprise, head and shoulders better than BG ever was in either incarnation.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
> or: to any Netflix engineers reading, make it work
Because only trivial numbers of sci-fi fans use Linux, and only trivial numbers of sci-fi Linux fans know how to use torrents when they can't get it legally, even though, as engineers, they can easily afford it and want to to support it.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'm on the Japanese porn star diet: I only eat paper. But I can eat all the paper I want.
Have you tried banh trang?
Ezekiel 23:20
It was blown from the beginning by the stupid FOX managers who aired the episodes out of sequence. I originally saw that first episode and said WTF? and gave upon on it right away. Years later when it arrived on Hulu, I gave it another chance, and saw the episodes in the right order. Loved it right away! If you miss that critical first episode, you are lost as to the whole meaning of the show.
Quit playing Monopoly with Bill.
Linux - of the people, by the people, and for the people.