Firefly: gone too soon (Picture: Twentieth Century Fox)

It’s a show that became a quiet cult hit – one that, even now, commands a dedicated following.

It’s often the first answer to the question ‘which show was cancelled before its time?’ or ‘which show would you most like Netflix to bring back?’

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It is, of course, Firefly: Joss Whedon’s space western.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the show’s debut.


I’ve cheated a little bit here, of course; while today is 15 years since Firefly first aired, it’s not been 15 years since the first episode aired.

As any of the show’s more dedicated fans would tell you, the episodes were aired out of order; the first episode that introduced the premise and the characters didn’t air until December 20, after three months’ worth of episodes had played in a largely random sequence.



Part of the reason for the show’s cancellation is often attributed to this choice, having made it much more difficult for viewers to follow the story.

Firefly’s creator, Joss Whedon (Picture: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

It’s always interesting to look back on a show that is as popular as Firefly became – there’s an expectation that, perhaps, it won’t live up to the reputation its garnered, a belief that perhaps the cancellation was justified, and really everyone does need to just get over it.

But, it’s got to be said, the show did have a very strong debut.

Firefly’s two-part premiere Serenity, not to be confused with the later movie of the same name, is nothing short of a mission statement, boldly declaring a strong vision for the show.

It’s a clever premise with a lot of potential, the juxtaposition of science fiction with westerns, and one that’s been populated with boldly drawn characters.

(Picture: Science Channel/Twentieth Century Fox)

Opening as the series does with a flashback to an unknown battle immediately establishes a status quo, letting audiences understand not only the world they’re in and why the main characters operate in shades of grey.

They’re each well-defined too; granted, this is an introductory piece, so the characters are all at their simplest here, but the performance from each of the leads helps immeasurably.

The highlight among them is, of course, Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds; it was Fillion’s first lead role in television.

Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds (Picture: Twentieth Century Fox)

Further, on a production level, the show is particularly well made.

Back in 2003, Firefly won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects; they’ve aged, as you’d expect they would have, but they’re still impressive in their own way.

They’re supported by skilled production design and heavily stylised direction that gives the show a more ‘real’ feeling; emphasising the chaos, and putting emotions at the forefront.

Ultimately, Firefly had a strong opening episode.

It’s not hard to understand why it garnered the fan base it did, and it’s easy to imagine that, in the television landscape of 2017, it’d do similarly well, if indeed not better.

Alex Moreland is a freelance writer and student based in London. You can read more of his work here.

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