It is interesting when you think about how some of the most beloved sci-fi TV shows of all time never even got the chance to tell their story to completion. Indeed, among the many great series cancelled far too soon, one of the most oft-referenced examples is Firefly — a unique take on space odyssey stories by incorporating styles and themes reminiscent of classic Western movies and TV shows.
Unfortunately, even with a talented cast led by Nathan Fillion and being the brainchild of Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, this 26th century tale of a misfit crew of outlaws traveling a distant, colonized solar system was tragically halted before its journey had reached its intended destination. So, why exactly did Fox pull the plug on Firefly after airing just 11 of the 14 episodes that were filmed? Let’s see if we can answer that question below by analyzing the most essential factors of the cult favorite’s brief broadcast history.
In addition to this, Whedon played chicken with the network. He was leveraging the last season of Buffy and Angel to push for FF’s success.
His action resulted in S5 being the last season for Angel, cut short, Buffy S7 being a mess, and killing his own passion project Firefly. His hubris killed the show as much as the network did