"Buffy" Musical Ordered To Close Down By 20th Century Fox!

‘’Buffy’’ Musical Ordered To Close Down By 20th Century Fox!’’

By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright October 20, 2005

The San Francisco Arts Group, CounterPulse’s live stage musical re-enactment and production of ‘’Once More With Feeling’’, the one time, infamous musical episode from 2001, of the cult fan favorite television series, ‘’Buffy The Vampire Slayer’’, has been ordered to close down by Twentieth Century Fox, who produced and owns all copyrights to the series.

‘’Buffy’’ fans were thrilled with the concept of a live, Broadway type staging of one of the most popular episodes of the series. A live band, dancers, choreography, the whole kit and caboodle were all set for the show’s planned 10 performance run which was to include 2 shows per night extending from October 20, through October 23, 2005, then wrapping things up on Halloween Eve.

Word spread faster than wildfire on numerous ‘’Buffy’’ fan sites, and via the press and media.

‘’Buffy’’ series creator Joss Whedon even gave the staging his blessing through an email sent by his assistant to CounterPulse.

But, in the end, the legal rights to ‘’Buffy’’ belong to Fox, who got wind of the show and it was their lawyers who proved to be the ultimate The First, killing off the show by sending a cease and desist letter to CounterPulse to cancel the show, threatening to take legal action against the Arts Group and demanding that CounterPulse also remove all copyrighted ‘’Buffy’’ images from its website.

In a letter sent to people who had already bought and reserved seats for the musical, CounterPulse issued this statement, ‘’We didn’t know the procedures or rules on trying to re-enact a television show, and we’ve found out the hard way, all about copyrights and getting permission, and potential punishment and cost for not getting permission.’’

Continuing the group states, ‘’All we thought was that putting on a San Francisco ‘’Buffy’’ show was a cool idea to locally celebrate Halloween. We are beside ourselves with the fact that we cannot go on with the show. We are desperately sorry we have to disappoint.’’

Personally, we would like to express to 20th Century Fox that CounterPulse’s proposed live staging of the ‘’Buffy’’ musical obviously would have only served to further promote and increase fan and media interest and hype, sales of DVD’s, merchandising, etc., for the entire ‘’Buffy’’ franchise, (which only the mere announcement of the production alone was already doing, big time!), and Fox no doubt would have reaped the trickle down, promotional after affect financial rewards that the stage show would have brought to everything associated with ‘’Buffy’’.

Why drive a stake through the heart of a tiny non-profit arts group who were not about to become millionaires off the show, where Fox could have gotten in on a piece of the pie, the cash cow, via GREAT cross promotion?

Fox should take a cue from a recent similar incident, where the United States Postal Service, sent a cease and desist letter to Indie rock band, The Postal Service (led by Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard), when the band first came about, for using and infringing on the Federal Government mail service’s copyrighted name.

Duh! Then, the good old United States Postal Service thought things through and realized what dunderheads they were and that they could CASH IN on a very financially lucrative idea.

The United States Postal Service could obtain relevant promotion geared towards today’s younger audience and demographic, lure them away from competitors like FexEx and UPS, because the United States Postal Service would be considered COOL! and cutting edge, and so they contacted Ben’s band, rescinded the cease and desist, and told the band they could keep the Postal Service name, and in return, had the band The Postal Service, perform at United States Postal Service events! Ca-ching!!

20th Century Fox…..if you read this…..hope the lightbulb goes off over YOUR heads and you realize, that you just shut down a veritable gold mine. Time to have your attorneys reach an agreement that benefits you and CounterPulse, as well as ‘’Buffy’’ fans everywhere. Fox, instead of everyone losing here, let’s go for a win/win situation. ‘’Buffy’’ fans everywhere will love you for it instead of you coming off as a blood sucking VAMP!

We invite ‘’Buffy’’ fan opinions HERE!

Source:
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271981481,00.html

Muse News And Micro Muse October 20, 2005

By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright October 20, 2005