36 best science fiction TV series, ranked worst to first
By Shawn Lealos
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 13: The Cast of Firefly (Standing L-R) Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk Tim Minear. Sean Maher, Nathan Fillion, (Kneeling) Summer Glau and Joss Whedon at the “Firefly” 10 Year Anniversary Reunion Press Conference during Comic-Con International 2012 held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on July 13, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
7. Firefly
Ask any fan of science fiction TV which show was canceled before its time and almost everyone will have Firefly somewhere on their list. The show came after Joss Whedon had reached great success with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it aired for the first time in 2002.
There was a huge problem from the start. Fox sabotaged the show and aired the episodes out of order, which confused viewers since they missed out on key information as the show was set up as a continuing journey.
Firefly is a science fiction TV series that mixes the space opera drama with the classic western. Nathan Fillion is Mac Reynolds, the captain of the spacecraft Serenity. Mac is former military and fought for independence. He is now more of a smuggler who takes on jobs for his crew.
The rest of the cast includes his second-in-command Zoe, her husband and the pilot of Serenity Wash, a “Companion” named Inara, a mercenary named Jayne, a mechanic named Kaylee, a Shepherd named Book, a doctor named Simon and his sister — the mysterious River (Summer Glau).
Because of Fox airing the show out of order and giving it no support, they canceled the series after 11 episodes aired, leaving three unaired. In 2003, those final three episodes aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. Whedon planned for a seven-year run but was lucky to barely get one.
However, the show reached critical and fam acclaim after its cancelation and was a huge bestseller on DVD. It even won an Emmy Award, which had to take Fox by surprise. Thanks to the support, it spawned a movie called Serenity in 2005 so that Whedon could tell more of the story.