NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Firefly (TV series)

Firefly is an American science fiction television series created by writer/director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, under his Mutant Enemy Productions. Its naturalistic future setting, modeled after traditional Western movie motifs, presents an atypical science fiction backdrop for the narrative. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear. Image File history File links Fireflyopeninglogo. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction that transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers; it is the opposite of the science fiction western, which transposes science fiction themes onto an American Western setting. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... Firefly is a science fiction television series, which was first aired in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. ... Tim Minear (born October 29, 1963) is an American screenwriter and director. ... The single-camera setup (aka, single-camera mode of production) is a method of shooting films and television programs. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... The 16:9 aspect ratio (also known as widescreen) is an aspect ratio that is 16/9 or 1. ... High-definition television (HDTV) means broadcast of television signals with a higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL) allow. ... 1080i (pronounced ten eighty eye) is shorthand name for a category of video modes. ... Multichannel audio is the name for a variety of techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels that can be reproduced on additional speakers. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated American cult television series that initially aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ... Angel is a spin-off of the American television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Mutant Enemy, Inc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tim Minear (born October 29, 1963) is an American screenwriter and director. ...

Firefly premiered in the United States and Canada on the FOX network on September 20, 2002. It was cancelled after only eleven of the fourteen produced episodes were aired. Despite the series' relatively short life span, it received strong sales when it was released onto DVD, and has impressive fan support campaigns.^[1]^[2] It won an Emmy in 2003 for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series". The post-airing success of the show led Whedon and Universal Pictures to produce a film based on the series, titled Serenity after the fictional "Firefly" class spaceship featured in the show.^[3] The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... In television, cancellation refers to the termination of a program by the network, typically because of low viewership. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... An Emmy Award. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2003. ... Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios), a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the major American film studios. ... Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ...

The series is set in the year 2517, after humans have arrived at a new star system, and follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters who live on Serenity. Whedon pitched the show as "nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things".^[4] The show explores the vicissitudes of people who fought on the losing side of a civil war, as well as the pioneer culture that exists on the fringes of their star system. In addition, it is a future where the only two surviving superpowers, the United States and China, fused to form the central federal government, called the Alliance, resulting in a fusion of the two cultures, as well. According to Whedon, nothing has changed in the future: there are more people with more advanced technology, but they still have the same problems politically, morally, and ethically.^[5] Unofficial diagram of the Firefly universe. ... For other uses, see Serenity Serenity is a fictional spaceship originally featured in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production. ... The Unification War is a major event in the backstory of Joss Whedons cancelled television show, Firefly and its motion picture sequel, Serenity. ... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ... Alliance Flag Alternate Alliance Flag In the Firefly television series, the Alliance is a powerful government and law-enforcement organization that controls a large sector of colonized core planets. ...

Production

Genesis

Whedon developed the concept for the show after reading The Killer Angels, a novel chronicling the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. He wished to follow people who had fought on the losing side of a war and their experiences afterwards as pioneers and immigrants on the outskirts of civilization, much like the post-American Civil War era of Reconstruction and the American Old West culture.^[6] It was intended to be "a Stagecoach kind of drama with a lot of people trying to figure out their lives in a bleak and pioneer environment."^[7] Whedon wanted to develop a show about the tactile nature of life, a show where existence was more physical and more difficult.^[8] After reading The Killer Angels, Whedon read a book about Jewish partisan fighters in World War II that also influenced him.^[6] Whedon wished to create something for television that was more character-driven and gritty than modern science fiction. Television science fiction, he felt, had become too pristine and rarefied.^[9] Image File history File links FireflyPoster. ... Image File history File links FireflyPoster. ... The Killer Angels front cover The Killer Angels (1974) is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921 71,699 Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing) 23,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing) The Battle of... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ... For other uses, see Reconstruction (disambiguation). ... The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1888. ... Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Whedon wished to give the show a name that indicated movement and power, and felt that "firefly" had both. This powerful word's relatively insignificant meaning, Whedon felt, added to its allure. He eventually wound up creating the ship in the image of a firefly.^[8] Genera Curtos Cyphonocerus Drilaster Ellychnia Hotaria Lampyris Lucidina Lucidota Luciola - Japanese fireflies Phausis Photinus - common eastern firefly Photuris Pristolycus Pyractomena Pyrocoelia Stenocladius many others Wikispecies has information related to: Lampyridae Lampyridae is a family in the beetle order Coleoptera, members of which are commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glow...

Format

During filming of the pilot episode, Whedon was still arguing with FOX that the show should be displayed in widescreen format. Consequently, he purposely filmed scenes with actors on the extreme edge of both sides so that they would have no choice.^[8] However, the pilot was rejected by the FOX executives, who felt that it lacked action and that the captain was too "dour".^[10] They also disliked a scene in which the crew backed down to a crime boss, since the scene implied the crew was "being nothing".^[8] Thus, FOX told Whedon on a Friday afternoon that he had to submit a new pilot script on Monday morning or the show would not be picked up.^[10] Whedon and Tim Minear closeted themselves for the weekend to write what became the new pilot, "The Train Job".^[10] In this new pilot, the captain was more "jolly" and, at the direction of FOX, they added "larger than life" characters.^[10]^[11] These characters manifested themselves in the henchman "Crow", and the "hands of blue" men, which also introduced an X-Files-type ending.^[11] The inner box (green) is the format used in most pre-1952 films and pre-widescreen television. ... The Train Job is the second episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon, although it was actually the first to be shown. ... The X-Files is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ...

For the new pilot, FOX made it clear that they would not air the episodes in the widescreen format. Whedon and company felt they had to "serve two masters" by filming widescreen for eventual DVD release, but keeping objects in frame so it could still work when aired in pan and scan full frame.^[12] To give the audience an immersive and immediate feeling, the episodes were filmed in a documentary style with hand-held cameras, giving them the look of "found footage", with deliberately misframed or out-of-focus subjects^[8]^[13] As Whedon related: "...don't be arch, don't be sweeping - be found, be rough and tumble and docu[mentary] and you-are-there".^[14] Computer-generated scenes mimicked the motion of a hand-held camera. This style was not used, however, when shooting scenes that involved the central government, the Alliance. Tracking and steady cameras were used to show the sterility of this aspect of the Firefly universe.^[8] Another style employed was lens flares, harkening back to 1970s television. This style was so desired that the director of photography, David Boyd, sent back the state-of-the-art lenses, which naturally compensated for light flares, for cheaper ones.^[8] A 2. ... Categories: Stub ... Computer-generated imagery (commonly abbreviated as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... In motion picture terminology, a tracking shot is the same as a dolly shot or a trucking shot--the camera is mounted on a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken. ... To film this recreated Victorian London street scene, the cameraman next to the lamp post is using a steadicam and wearing the harness required to support it. ... Photograph of NASA lunar lander containing lens flare. ... David R. Boyd is an American cinematographer and camera operator best known for his role as director of photography for the FOX television series Firefly. ...

Exterior shots of action occurring in outer space realistically lack sound effects, an approach that stood in contrast to many science fiction films and television series. This style of special effects was developed by Zoic Studios, the company responsible for the special effects in Firefly. After Firefly was cancelled, Zoic Studios worked on the special effects for the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. In the introductory mini-series for Battlestar Galactica, Serenity can be seen flying overhead in an early scene.^[15] Image File history File links Serenity_BSG.jpg Licensing This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... Image File history File links Serenity_BSG.jpg Licensing This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... ï»¿ This article is about the fictional planet. ... Battlestar Galactica is a science fiction television program created by Ronald D. Moore that first aired on October 18, 2004 in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky One, and January 14, 2005 in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of movies, video games, music, or other media. ... Zoic Studios - written as ZOIC - is a special effects company based in Culver City, California which primarily deals with computer generated special effects for movies and television. ... The Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, which began as a 1978 TV series, was reimagined in 2003 into the TV miniseries. ...

Set design

Production designer Carey Meyer built the ship Serenity in two parts (one for each level) as a complete set, with ceilings and practical lighting installed as part of the set that the cameras could utilize, along with moveable parts.^[13]^[16] The two-part set also allowed the second unit to shoot in one section while the actors and first unit worked undisturbed in the other. As Whedon recalled: "...you could pull it away or move something huge, so that you could get in and around everything. That meant the environment worked for us and there weren't a lot of adjustments that needed to be made".^[16] There were other benefits to this set design. One was that it allowed the viewers to feel they were really in a ship.^[13] For Whedon, the design of the ship was crucial in defining the known space for the viewer, and that there were not "fourteen hundred decks and a holodeck and an all-you-can-eat buffet in the back".^[17] He wanted to convey that it was utilitarian and that it was "beat-up but lived-in and ultimately, it was home".^[18] In addition, each room represented a feeling or character, usually conveyed by the paint color.^[17] Whedon was also keen on utilizing vertical space; thus, having the crew's quarters accessible by ladder was important.^[16] Another benefit of the set design was that it also allowed the actors to stay in the moment and interact, without having to stop after each shot and reset up for the next.^[13] This helped contribute to the documentary-style Whedon strove for. Image File history File links Serenityship. ... Image File history File links Serenityship. ... For other uses, see Serenity Serenity is a fictional spaceship originally featured in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Zoic Studios - written as ZOIC - is a special effects company based in Culver City, California which primarily deals with computer generated special effects for movies and television. ... Genera Curtos Cyphonocerus Drilaster Ellychnia Hotaria Lampyris Lucidina Lucidota Luciola - Japanese fireflies Phausis Photinus - common eastern firefly Photuris Pristolycus Pyractomena Pyrocoelia Stenocladius many others Wikispecies has information related to: Lampyridae Lampyridae is a family in the beetle order Coleoptera, members of which are commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glow... Production designer is a term used in the movie and television industries to refer to the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. ... Carey Meyer is a production designer and art director for American television shows, best known for his role as production designer for both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. ...

The set had several influences, including the sliding doors and the tiny cubicles reminiscent of Japanese hotels.^[16] Artist Larry Dixon has noted that the cargo bay walls are "reminiscent of interlaced, overlapping Asian designs, cleverly reminding us of the American-Chinese Alliance setting while artistically forming a patterned plane for background scale reference".^[19] Dixon has also remarked on how the set design contributed to the storytelling through the use of color, depth and composition, lighting, as well as its use of diagonals and patterned shadows.^[19] Larry Dixon, artist and novelist, not be confused with Larry Dixon the senator or Larry Dixon the race car driver, is a classically trained artist with a diverse and adventurous history. ...

Their small budget was another reason to use the ship for much of the storytelling. When the characters did go off the ship, the worlds all had Earth atmosphere and coloring because they could not afford to design alien worlds. "I didn't want to go to Yucca Flats every other episode and transform it into Bizarro World by making the sky orange" recalled Whedon.^[14] As Meyer recalled: "I think in the end the feel was that we wound up using a lot of places or exteriors that just felt too Western and we didn't necessarily want to go that way; but at some point, it just became the lesser of two evils—what could we actually create in three days?"^[16]

Music

The theme song, "The Ballad of Serenity", was written by Joss Whedon and performed by Sonny Rhodes. Whedon wrote the song before the series was greenlit and a preliminary recording performed by Whedon can be found on the DVD release. The soundtrack to the series was released on CD on November 8, 2005 by Varèse Sarabande. The musical score expressed the cultural fusion depicted in the show. Cowboy guitar blended with Asian influence produced the atmospheric background for the series. As one reviewer stated: This is the soundtrack for the American science fiction television series Firefly. ... Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, Texas, he was the 6th and last child of Leroy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... VarÃ¨se Sarabande is a record label, which specializes in soundtrack record releases, and reissues of hard-to-find (sometimes long- or previously-unavailable) albums, and singles collections. ... Poster from the Western Music, directly related to the old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, was originally composed by and about the people settling and working in the American West and western Canada. ...

Greg Edmonson composed the musical score for the series. He stated that he wrote for the emotion of the moment. However, one reviewer averred that he also wrote for the characters. She went on to further state: "... Edmonson has developed a specialized collection of musical symbolism for the series ..."^[21] To help illustrate the collection, she gave key "signatures" various names, noting that "Serenity" recalls the theme of the show and is used when they return to the ship, or when they were meeting clandestinely; it was "the sound of their home." The slide guitar and fiddle used in this piece are portable instruments which fit the lifestyle of the crew: "... the music they make calls up tunes played out in the open, by people who were hundreds of miles away yesterday. 'Serenity' conjures the nomadic lifestyle the crew leads and underlines the western aspect of the show."^[21] Another emotional signature was "Sad Violin". It was used at the end of the Battle of Serenity Valley, but also helped set up the joke for when Mal tells Simon that Kaylee is dead in the episode "Serenity". The most memorable use of "Sad Violin", however, is at the end of "The Message", when the crew mourned the death of Tracey. This was also the last scene of the last episode the actors shot, and so this was seen by them, and Edmonson, as Firefly's farewell. To denote impending danger, "Peril" was used, which is "a low pulse, like a heartbeat, with deep chimes and low strings."^[21] The reviewer also noted character signatures. The criminal Niska has his own signature: Eastern European or Middle Eastern melodies over a low drone. Simon and River's signature was a piano played sparsely with a violin in the background. This is in contrast to the portable instruments of "Serenity": the piano is an instrument that cannot be easily moved and evokes the image of "the distant house and family they both long for." The various signatures were mostly established in the first pilot, "Serenity", and helped enhance the narrative. "In every episode, the musical score intensified my experience of this intelligent, remarkable show. Using and combining all these signatures, Greg Edmonson brought out aspects of Firefly's story and characters that were never explicitly revealed in the other elements of the series."^[21] Greg Edmonson is a music composer for television and movies. ... Serenity is the two-hour series pilot for the Firefly science-fiction television series created by Joss Whedon. ... The Message is the eleventh episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... This article is about minor characters in the television series Firefly. ... This article is about minor characters in the television series Firefly. ...

Casting

In casting his nine-member crew, Whedon looked first at the actor and their chemistry with others. Cast member Sean Maher recalls, "So then he just sort of put us all together, and I think it was very quick, like right out of the gate, we all instantly bonded".^[22] All nine cast members were chosen before filming began. However, while filming the original pilot "Serenity", Whedon realized that the actress initially cast as Inara Serra (Rebecca Gayheart) was unfit for the role. He shot her scenes in singles so that it would be easier to replace her.^[23] Morena Baccarin auditioned for the role and two days later was on the set in her first television show. "Joss brought me down from the testing room like a proud dad, holding my hand and introducing me,"^[24] Baccarin recalled. Inara Serra is a character from the science-fiction television series Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. ... Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971, in Hazard, Kentucky) is an American actress. ... Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra on Firefly. ...

Whedon approached Nathan Fillion to play the lead role of Malcolm Reynolds; after explaining the premise and showing Fillion the treatment for the pilot, Fillion was eager for the role.^[25] Fillion was called back several times to read for the part before he was cast. He noted that "it was really thrilling. It was my first lead and I was pretty nervous, but I really wanted that part and I wanted to tell those stories."^[26] Fillion later said he was "heartbroken" when he learned the series had been cancelled. Nathan Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian actor. ... Malcolm Mal Reynolds is a fictional character leading the ensemble in the science fiction television series Firefly, played by actor Nathan Fillion. ...

Alan Tudyk auditioned through a casting office and several months later was called in for a test audition, where he met with Whedon. He was then told to come back in to test with the possible Zoes (his character's wife) and that it was down to him and one other candidate. The Zoes did not work out and Tudyk was sent home, but received a call on his phone informing him he had the part anyway.^[27] His audition tape is included in the special features of the series' DVD release. Alan Wray Tudyk (born March 16, 1971) is an American stage, film, and television actor. ...

Veteran science fiction-fantasy actress Gina Torres (The Matrix Reloaded, Alias, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) was not at first interested in doing another science fiction show, but "was won over by the quality of the source material."^[28] As she recalled, "So you had these challenged characters inhabiting a challenging world and that makes for great storytelling. And no aliens!"^[28] Gina Torres (born April 25, 1969) is an American television and movie actress. ... The Matrix Reloaded is the second installment of The Matrix series, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. ... Alias is an American Spy-fi television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006, spanning five seasons. ... Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was a television series produced from 1995 to 1999, very loosely based on the tales of the classical culture hero Hercules. ...

For Adam Baldwin, who grew up watching westerns, the character of Jayne Cobb was a particularly resonant role.^[29] Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. ... Jayne Cobb is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Firefly. ...

Canadian actress Jewel Staite has been an actress since age nine. She videotaped her audition from Vancouver and then was asked to come to Los Angeles to meet Whedon, when she was cast for the role of Kaylee Frye, the ship's engineer.^[30] Jewel Belair Staite (born June 2, 1982 in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role in Firefly and the subsequent film Serenity. ... Motto: By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada Coordinates: , Country Canada Province British Columbia Region Lower Mainland Regional District Greater Vancouver Incorporated 1886 Government - Mayor Sam Sullivan (NPA) - City Council List of Councilors Suzanne Anton (NPA) Peter... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Kaywinnit Lee Kaylee Frye[1] is a fictional character from the short-lived television series Firefly and the movie Serenity, portrayed by Jewel Staite. ...

Sean Maher recalls reading for the part and liking the character of Simon Tam, but that it was Whedon's personality and vision that "sealed the deal" for him.^[22] For the role of Simon's sister, Whedon called in Summer Glau for an audition and test the same day. Glau had first worked for Whedon in the Angel episode "Waiting in the Wings". Two weeks later, Whedon called her to tell her she had the part.^[31] Sean Maher as Simon Tam in Firefly Sean Maher (born April 16, 1975 in Pleasantville, New York) is an American actor, best known for his role as Simon Tam in the short-lived science fiction television series Firefly. ... Simon Tam is a fictional doctor, played by Sean Maher, who originally appeared in Joss Whedonâ€™s short-lived cult-hit television series Firefly. ... Summer Glau as River Tam in Serenity (2005). ... Waiting in the Wings is episode 13 of season 3 of the television show Angel. ...

The veteran television actor Ron Glass (Barney Miller, All in the Family), has said that until Firefly, he had not experienced or sought a science-fiction western role but he fell in love with the pilot script and the character of Shepherd Book.^[32] Also, Glass' own religious beliefs (he is, in reality, a Buddhist) gave credence to the ambiguity over Book's creed versus his uncharacteristic knowledge of extra-legal affairs and mysterious past.^{[citation needed]} Ron Glass (born July 10, 1945 in Evansville, Indiana) is an American actor, best known for his role as the witty Detective Ron Harris in the long-running television sitcom Barney Miller (1975-1982). ... Barney Miller was a comedy television series set in a New York City police station that ran from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold (who also did work on Gilligans Island and The Brady Bunch) and Theodore J. Flicker. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Derrial Book is a fictional character played by Ron Glass in the science-fiction/Western television series Firefly and its sequel movie, Serenity. ...

Staff and crew

Tim Minear was selected by Whedon to be the show runner, who serves as the head writer and production leader. According to Whedon "[Minear] understood the show as well as any human being, and just brought so much to it that I think of it as though he were always a part of it."^[33] Many of the other production staff were selected from people Whedon had worked with in the past, with the exception of the director of photography David Boyd, who was the "big find" and who was "full of joy and energy."^[34] Show runner (alternatively showrunner,[1] or show-runner)[2] is a term used in the United States television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television series, in other words, the person who runs the show. ...

The writers were selected after interviews and script samplings. Among the writers were José Molina, Ben Edlund, Cheryl Cain, Brett Matthews, Drew Greenberg and Jane Espenson.^[34] Espenson wrote an essay on the writing process with Mutant Enemy. A meeting is held and an idea is floated, generally by Whedon, and the writers brainstorm to develop the central theme of the episode and the character development. Next, the staff meets in the anteroom to Whedon's office to begin "breaking" the story into acts and scenes. The only one absent is the writer working on the previous week's episode. For the team, one of the key components to devising acts is deciding where to break for commercial and ensuring the viewer returns. "Finding these moments in the story help give it shape: think of them as tentpoles that support the structure," wrote Espenson.^[35] For instance, in "Shindig", the break for commercial occurs when Malcolm Reynolds is gravely injured and losing the duel. As Espenson elaborates: "It does not end when Mal turns the fight around, when he stands victorious over his opponent. They're both big moments, but one of them leaves you curious and the other doesn't."^[35] A list of writers of Firefly (TV series). ... JosÃ© Molina, born in 1971 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a screenwriter. ... Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. ... Cheryl Cain is best known for writing the episode War stories for the cult television series Firefly. ... Brett Matthews is an american writer of comics, and TV shows. ... Drew Z. Greenberg is a television script-writer best known for working on Buffy, Smallville, , and Dexter. ... Jane Espenson is an American writer who has worked on several television series and comic books, as well as on a variety of other projects. ... Shindig is the fourth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ...

Next, the writers develop the scenes onto a marker-filled whiteboard, featuring a "brief ordered description of each scene."^[35] A writer is selected to create an outline of the episode's concept — occasionally with some dialog and jokes — in one day. The outline is given to showrunner Tim Minear, who revises it within a day. The writer uses the revised outline to write the first draft of the script while the other writers work on developing the next. This first draft is usually submitted for revision with three to fourteen days; afterward, a second and sometimes third draft is written. After all revisions were made, the final draft would be produced as the "shooting draft".^[35]

Costume

Firefly's original costume designer — Jill Ohanneson — brought on Shawna Trpcic as her assistant for the pilot. When the show was picked up, Ohanneson was involved in another job and declined Firefly, suggesting Trpcic for the job. The costumes were chiefly influenced by World War II, the American Civil War, the American Old West, and 1861 samurai Japan. In wanting to convey the feeling of "home" with the costumes, Trpcic used deep reds and oranges for the main cast, and contrasted that with grays and cool blues for the Alliance.^[36] Since the characters were often getting shot, Trpcic would make up to six versions of the same costume for multiple takes.^[37] Shawna Trpcic (nÃ©e Shawna Leavell) is a Hollywood costume designer. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

For the character of River, Trpcic used mostly jewel tones to set her apart from the rest of the Serenity crew. She also had River wear boots, to contrast with the soft fabrics of her clothes, "because that's who she is — she's this soft, beautiful, sensitive girl, but with this hardcore inner character," recalled Trpcic.^[38] Trpcic also wanted to contrast the character of Simon, River's brother, with the rest of the crew. Whereas they were dressed in cotton, Simon wore wool, stiff fabrics, satins and silk. He was the "dandy", but as the show progressed, he loosened up slightly.^[39] For Kaylee, Trpcic studied up on Japanese and Chinese youth, as originally the character was Asian. Other inspirations for Kaylee's costumes were Rosie the Riveter and Chinese Communist posters.^[40] Trpcic designed and created the clothes for the minor character of Badger, with Joss Whedon in mind, since he was slated to play that part. When Mark A. Sheppard played the role instead, he was able to fit into the clothes made for Whedon.^[41] For the Alliance, besides the grays and cool blues, Trpcic had in mind Nazi Germany, but mixed it with different wars, as the first sketches were "too Nazi".^[42] J. Howard Millers We Can Do It! - Many women first found economic strength in World War II-era manufacturing jobs. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

Plot

Back story

The series takes place in the year 2517, on several planets and moons. The TV series does not reveal whether these celestial bodies are in one star system, and does not explain whether Serenity's mode of propulsion is faster-than-light, only that it is a "gravity-drive". The film Serenity makes clear that all the planets and moons are in one large system, and production documents related to the film indicate that there is no faster-than-light travel in this universe. The characters occasionally refer to "Earth-that-was" and in the film, it is established that long before the events in the series a large population had emigrated from Earth to a new star system in multi-generational spaceships : "Earth that was could no longer sustain our numbers, we were so many." The emigrants established themselves in this new star system, with "dozens of planets and hundreds of moons." Many of these were terraformed, a process in which a planet or moon is altered to resemble the Earth. The terraforming process was only the first step in making a planet habitable, however, and the outlying settlements often did not receive any further support in the construction of their civilizations. This resulted in many of the border planets and moons having forbidding, dry environments, well suited to the Western genre. Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... A fictional universe is an imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction or translatable non-fiction. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other,[1] bound by gravitational attraction. ... A generation ship is a hypothetical starship that travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than that of light (see interstellar travel). ... Artists conception of a terraformed Mars in four stages of development. ...

Synopsis

The show takes its name from the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity that the central characters call home. It resembles a firefly in general arrangement, and the tail section, analogous to a bioluminescent insectoid abdomen, lights up during acceleration. Image File history File links Fireflyserenityhorses. ... Image File history File links Fireflyserenityhorses. ... For other uses, see Serenity Serenity is a fictional spaceship originally featured in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Genera Curtos Cyphonocerus Drilaster Ellychnia Hotaria Lampyris Lucidina Lucidota Luciola - Japanese fireflies Phausis Photinus - common eastern firefly Photuris Pristolycus Pyractomena Pyrocoelia Stenocladius many others Wikispecies has information related to: Lampyridae Lampyridae is a family in the beetle order Coleoptera, members of which are commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glow... Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Monura - extinct Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (may be paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Diaphanopterodea - extinct Protodonata - extinct Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Caloneurodea - extinct Titanoptera - extinct Protorthoptera - extinct Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera... The abdomen is a part of the body. ...

Throughout the series the Alliance are shown to govern the star system through an organization of "core" planets, following its success in forcibly unifying all of the colonies under a single government. DVD commentary suggests that two primary "core" planets comprise the Alliance, one predominantly Western in culture, the other pan-Asian, justifying the series' mixed linguistic and visual themes. The central planets are firmly under Alliance control, but the outlying planets and moons resemble the 19th century American West, with little governmental authority. Settlers and refugees on the outlying worlds ("out in the black" or "heading for the black") have relative freedom from the central government, but lack the amenities of the high-tech civilization that exist on the inner worlds. In addition, the outlying areas are rife with Reavers, a roving cannibalistic race. A major selling point of DVD video is that its storage capacity allows for a wide variety of extra features in addition to the feature film itself. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, for many a symbol of the changes of the Western culture during the Renaissance Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to generally refer to most of the cultures of European origin and most of their descendants. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Reavers are a fictional group of humans in the television series Firefly and the movie Serenity who live on the fringes of civilized space and have become animalistic. ... This article is about consuming ones own species. ...

Into this mix are thrown the protagonists of the show. The captain of the crew of Serenity is Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and the episode "Serenity" establishes that the captain and his first mate Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres) are veteran "Browncoats" of the Unification War, a failed attempt by the outlying worlds to resist the Alliance's assertion of control. A later episode, titled "Out of Gas," reveals that Mal bought the spaceship Serenity in order to continue living beyond Alliance control. Much of the crew's work consists of cargo runs or smuggling. One of the main story arcs is that of River Tam (Summer Glau) and her brother Simon (Sean Maher). River was a child prodigy, whose brain was subjected to experiments. As a result, she displays schizophrenia and often hears voices. It is later revealed that she is a "reader," one who possesses psychic abilities. Simon gave up a highly successful career as a trauma surgeon to rescue her from the Alliance and as a result of this rescue they are both wanted criminals. In the original pilot "Serenity," Simon joins the crew as a paying passenger with River smuggled on board as cargo. As Whedon states in an episodic DVD commentary, every show he does is about creating family.^[8] By the last episode, "Objects in Space," the fractured character of River has finally become whole, partly because the others decided to accept her into their "family" on the ship.^[8] Serenity is the two-hour series pilot for the Firefly science-fiction television series created by Joss Whedon. ... Zoe Washburne (nÃ©e Alleyne) is a character in the television series Firefly, played by Gina Torres. ... Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ... The Unification War is a major event in the backstory of Joss Whedons cancelled television show, Firefly and its motion picture sequel, Serenity. ... Out of Gas is the eighth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Summer Glau as River Tam in Serenity (2005). ... Simon Tam is a fictional doctor, played by Sean Maher, who originally appeared in Joss Whedonâ€™s short-lived cult-hit television series Firefly. ... Objects in Space is the fourteenth and final episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ...

Signature show elements

The show featured a blend of elements from the space opera and Western genres, depicting mankind's future in a different manner than most contemporary science fiction programs in that there are no alien creatures or space battles. Firefly takes place in a multi-cultural future, primarily a fusion of Occidental and Chinese cultures, where there is a significant division between the rich and poor. As a result of the Sino-American Alliance, Mandarin Chinese is a common second language; it is used in advertisements, and characters in the show frequently use Chinese words and curses. According to the DVD commentary on the episode "Serenity", this was explained as being the result of China and the United States being the two superpowers that expanded into space.^[43] Classic pulp space opera cover, with the usual clichÃ© elements. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, for many a symbol of the changes of the Western culture during the Renaissance Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to generally refer to most of the cultures of European origin and most of their descendants. ... Chinese Opera, one of the many aspects of traditional Chinese culture The Culture of China (Chinese: ä¸åœ‹æ–‡åŒ–/ä¸å›½æ–‡åŒ–) is home to one of the worlds oldest and most complex civilizations covering a history of over 5,000 years. ... Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ...

The show also features slang not used in contemporary culture, such as adaptations of modern words, or new words altogether (e.g. "shiny" as a synonym of "cool"). The Japanese katakana and an Old West dialect are also employed. As one reviewer noted: "The dialogue tended to be a bizarre puree of wisecracks, old-timey Western-paperback patois, and snatches of Chinese."^[3] Katakana ) is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet. ...

Tim Minear and Joss Whedon have pointed to several scenes that they believed articulated the mission statement of the show.^[8] One scene is in the original pilot "Serenity", when Mal is eating with chopsticks and a Western tin cup is by his plate; the other is in the "The Train Job" pilot, when Mal is thrown out of a holographic bar window.^[10] The DVD set's 'making-of' documentary reveals the series' distinctive frontispiece (wherein Serenity soars over a corral of unshod horses) as Whedon's attempt to capture "everything you need to understand about the series in five seconds." A volumetric display device is a graphical display device that forms a visual representation of an object in three physical dimensions, as opposed to the planar image of traditional screens that simulate depth through a number of different visual effects. ... In architecture, a frontispiece constitutes the elements that frame and decorate the main, or front, door to a building; especially when the main entrance is the chief face of the building, rather than being kept behind columns or a portico. ...

One of the struggles that Whedon had with FOX was the tone of the show, especially with the main character Malcolm Reynolds. FOX pressured Whedon to make his character more "jolly", as they feared he was too dark in the original pilot. In addition, FOX was not happy that the show involved the "nobodies" who "get squished by policy" instead of the actual policy makers.^[11]^[8]

The show also featured space scenes that did not feature any sound, implicitly observing the lack of sound transmission in the vacuum of space. This was unlike most other science fiction shows which add sound for dramatic effect or to enhance the action.

Cast

Main characters

Firefly maintained an ensemble cast that portrayed the nine crew members of the ship, Serenity. These characters fight criminals and schemers, Alliance security forces, the utterly psychotic and brutal Reavers, and the mysterious men with "hands of blue" — who are apparently operatives of a secret agency which is part of the mega-corporation referred to in the DVD commentary only as The Blue Sun Corporation. The crew is driven by the need to secure enough income to keep their ship operational, set against their need to keep a low profile to avoid their adversaries. Their situation is greatly complicated by the divergent motivations of the individuals on board Serenity. The show's brief run did not allow full elucidation of all the complex interrelationships of the cast and their external contacts. In the television series Firefly, The Blue Sun Corporation is a large, diversified corporation (or possibly Megacorporation), compared by creator Joss Whedon to a combination of Wal-Mart and Microsoft. ...

All nine regular characters appear in every episode, with one exception: Book is absent from "Ariel", with the explanation that he was meditating at an abbey. Malcolm Mal Reynolds is a fictional character leading the ensemble in the science fiction television series Firefly, played by actor Nathan Fillion. ... Nathan Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian actor. ... The Unification War is a major event in the backstory of Joss Whedons cancelled television show, Firefly and its motion picture sequel, Serenity. ... Zoe Washburne (nÃ©e Alleyne) is a character in the television series Firefly, played by Gina Torres. ... Gina Torres (born April 25, 1969) is an American television and movie actress. ... Hoban Wash Washburne is a fictional character who originated in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Alan Wray Tudyk (born March 16, 1971) is an American stage, film, and television actor. ... War Stories is the tenth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Inara Serra is a character from the science-fiction television series Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. ... Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra on Firefly. ... Inara Serra, a Registered Companion from Firefly In the television series Firefly and its feature film sequel Serenity, a Companion is a skilled, well-educated and well-respected member of a guild of professional courtesans/entertainers, somewhat similar to geisha, though with more obvious focus on sexual matters. ... A courtesan in mid-16th century usage was a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or upper-class men who provided luxuries and status in exchange for her services. ... An ukiyo-e print of an Oiran Oiran ) were high-class courtesans in Japan. ... Jayne Cobb is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. ... A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national of a Party to the conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a... Kaywinnit Lee Kaylee Frye[1] is a fictional character from the short-lived television series Firefly and the movie Serenity, portrayed by Jewel Staite. ... Jewel Belair Staite (born June 2, 1982 in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role in Firefly and the subsequent film Serenity. ... Out of Gas is the eighth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Simon Tam is a fictional doctor, played by Sean Maher, who originally appeared in Joss Whedonâ€™s short-lived cult-hit television series Firefly. ... Sean Maher as Simon Tam in Firefly Sean Maher (born April 16, 1975 in Pleasantville, New York) is an American actor, best known for his role as Simon Tam in the short-lived science fiction television series Firefly. ... Summer Glau as River Tam in Serenity (2005). ... Summer Glau as River Tam in Serenity (2005). ... A child prodigy is someone who is a master of one or more skills or arts at an early age. ... A genius is a person of great intelligence. ... Derrial Book is a fictional character played by Ron Glass in the science-fiction/Western television series Firefly and its sequel movie, Serenity. ... Ron Glass (born July 10, 1945 in Evansville, Indiana) is an American actor, best known for his role as the witty Detective Ron Harris in the long-running television sitcom Barney Miller (1975-1982). ... Safe is the fifth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Our Mrs. ... Objects in Space is the fourteenth and final episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Ariel is the ninth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ...

Three members of the Firefly cast appeared on Joss Whedon's other TV series as villains. Fillion was cast as Caleb in the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Torres and Baldwin took on recurring roles on Angel in its fourth and fifth seasons respectively (characters Jasmine and Marcus Hamilton). Baccarin was originally intended to portray Eve in Angel's final season, but in the end was unable to commit to the role. Summer Glau had appeared in the third-season Angel episode "Waiting in the Wings" before she was cast in Firefly. In addition, Jewel Staite appeared in several episodes of the Tim Minear-produced Wonderfalls. Caleb (played by Nathan Fillion) is a fictional character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe created by Joss Whedon. ... Jasmine is a fictional character on the television series Angel. ... Marcus Hamilton is a recurring character on the final season of the TV series Angel. ... Eve was a fictional character on the fifth season of cult television series Angel. ... Waiting in the Wings is episode 13 of season 3 of the television show Angel. ... Wonderfalls is a television series whose plot centers on Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy degree who holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a Niagara Falls gift shop. ...

Coincidentally, many cast members have also been involved as voice actors in the animated series Justice League Unlimited including Fillion, Baldwin, Baccarin and Torres. Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was the name of an American animated television series that was produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ...

Recurring characters

Despite the short run of the series, some recurring characters emerged from the inhabitants of the Firefly universe: This article is about minor characters in the television series Firefly. ... A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who is not a main character, but appears from time to time during the series run. ...

Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Unofficial diagram of the Firefly universe. ... Shindig is the fourth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Torture, according to international law, is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has... Christina Hendricks as Saffron in Firefly Christina Hendricks (born May 3, 1978 in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American actress. ... A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short, (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. ... Trash is the eleventh episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... The victim of a confidence game or magic trick is often called the mark, or the vic. ... Grifter redirects here. ...

Reception

Critical review

On the day it premiered, the Boston Globe ran a story that was positive, stating that Firefly "...is a mess - a wonderful, imaginative mess brimming with possibility. About a dysfunctional family of space cowboys, the sci-fi series arrives not fully formed, like an elaborate photo that's still clarifying in developing fluid. While many shows burst onto the scene with slick pilots and quickly deteriorate into mediocrity, I'm thinking "Firefly" is on the opposite creative journey."^[46] However, Tim Goodman with the San Francisco Chronicle panned it. He felt that the melding of the western and science fiction genres was a "forced hodgepodge of two alarmingly opposite genres just for the sake of being different."^[47] He summed up his scathing review with this statement: "To call "Firefly" a vast disappointment is an understatement. Whedon has proven he's capable of brilliance, but this is mere folly."^[47] Other critics appeared to dismiss the show after the first two episodes, "The Train Job" and "Bushwhacked". In its October 3, 2002, review, Salon.com stated: The Boston Globe is the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ... Bushwhacked is the third episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Salon. ...

The reviewer conceded, however, that with only two episodes, it was worth giving Whedon the benefit of the doubt and that the inability to resonate with its viewers could be the fault of FOX for not airing the original pilot.^[46] By the time the show was cancelled, however, subsequent episodes had drawn more favorable reviews:

When the DVD was released in time for Christmas the following year, The New York Times had this to say:

Cult status

In 2005, New Scientist magazine's website held an internet poll to find "The World's Best Space Sci-Fi Ever". Firefly came in first place, with its cinematic follow-up Serenity in second.^[51] Also, as of May 2007, it is the highest rated science fiction show of all time according to an online poll conducted by tv.com.^[52] New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ... TV.com is a website belonging to the CNET Games and Entertainment family of websites. ...

On May 9, 2006, the Firefly episodes were added to the iTunes Music Store for download as part of FOX Television Classics along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost in Space. The episodes were initially listed in the order FOX originally aired them, but due to comments from fans in the Store, the episodes were listed in the order in which Whedon originally intended. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into ITunes. ... Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated American cult television series that initially aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ... Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen. ...

Brad Wright, co-creator of Stargate SG-1 has said that "200", the 200th episode of SG-1, is "A little kiss to Serenity and Firefly, which was possibly one of the best cancelled series in history." In the episode, "Martin Lloyd has come to the S.G.C. because even though "Wormhole X-Treme!" was cancelled after three episodes, it did so well on DVD they're making a feature [film]."^[53] Brad Wright is probably best known as the co-creator and executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Television Series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. ... Stargate SG-1 (often abbreviated as SG-1) is a science fiction television series, part of the Stargate franchise. ... Episode chronology 200 is an episode from Season 10 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. ... Wormhole X-Treme! is an episode from the fifth season of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. ...

The follow-up film, Serenity, was voted the best science fiction movie of all time in an SFX magazine poll of 3,000 fans.^[54] Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... SFX is a British science fiction magazine, published every four weeks. ...

Fandom

The show generated a following during its short lifetime. The original fans, self-styled Browncoats, first organized to try to save the series from being cancelled by FOX. Their efforts included raising money for an ad in Variety magazine and a postcard writing campaign to UPN. While unsuccessful in finding a host network, support for the show led to a release of the series on DVD in December of 2003.^[2] Eventually, enough interest was shown to convince Universal Studios to produce a feature film, Serenity.^[3] Numerous early screenings were held for existing fans in an attempt to create a buzz and increase ticket sales when it was released widely.^[3] Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... UPN (which originally stood for the United Paramount Network) was a television network in over 200 markets in the United States. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ...

On June 23, 2006 fans organized worldwide charity screenings of Serenity in 47 cities, dubbed as Can’t Stop the Serenityor CSTS, an homage to the movie’s tagline, “Can’t stop the signal.” The event raised over $65,000 for Equality Now. Another campaign on June 23, 2006 referred to the date as Serenity Day, on which fans bought—and got others to buy—copies of the Serenity and Firefly DVDs in hopes of convincing Universal that creating a sequel was a good business decision. On this day, Serenity and Firefly were ranked second and third, respectively, on the DVD Best Sellers list. The date for both campaigns were chosen because it is series creator Joss Whedon’s birthday. is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In July 2006, a fan-made documentary was released, titled, Done the Impossible, and is commercially available. The documentary relates the story of the fans and how the show has affected them, and also features interviews with Whedon and various cast members. A percentage of the DVD proceeds are donated to Whedon's favorite charity, Equality Now. Done the Impossible is a fan documentary about the rise and fall and then rise again of Firefly and Serenity. ... EQUALITY NOW is a non-governmental organization working for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. ...

NASA Browncoat Astronaut Steven Swanson^[55] took the Firefly and Serenity DVDs with him on Space Shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 mission, which lifted off on Friday June 8, 2007. The DVDs will permanently reside on the International Space Station as a form of entertainment for the station's crews.^[56] The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Steven R. Swanson (born December 3, 1960 in Syracuse, New York) is an American astronaut. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... STS-117 is the current Space Shuttle mission being flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, which launched from pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center on June 8, 2007. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... â€œISSâ€ redirects here. ...

Awards

The series was also nominated for the following awards: An Emmy Award. ... The Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects has been a category for television shows, mini-series, and TV movies since 1984. ... The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ... The SyFy Genre Awards, considered one of the first major virtual entertainment awards, is a product of the science fiction and fantasy Web site SyFy Portal. ...

Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of movies, video games, music, or other media. ... The Foley artist on a film crew is the person who creates and records many of the sound effects, (thesedays many often associate the Foley artist with the job of capturing the natural/everyday sounds leaving the the role of special (audio-) effects to the Sound_designer. ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ... The Hugo Awards are given annually by members of the World Science Fiction Convention for the best science fiction or fantasy works. ...

Broadcast history

Firefly consists of one two-hour pilot and thirteen one-hour episodes. The show originally aired in the United States in 2002 on FOX, although FOX aired the episodes out of the intended order and did not air three of the fourteen episodes. Firefly is a science fiction television series, which was first aired in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. ...

Although Whedon had designed the show to run for seven years,^[58] and the show had a loyal following during its original broadcast,^[59] low ratings resulted in cancellation by FOX in December 2002 after only eleven episodes had aired in the United States and Canada.^[60] Prior to cancellation, some fans, worried about low ratings, formed the Firefly Immediate Assistance campaign whose goal was to support the production of the show by sending in postcards to FOX. After it was cancelled, the campaign worked on getting another network such as UPN to pick up the series. The campaign was unsuccessful in securing the show's continuation.^[61] The official logo for UPN. UPN (which originally stood for the United Paramount Network) is a television network in the United States, owned by Viacom Inc. ...

The Onion A.V. Club cited several actions by the FOX network that contributed to the show's failure, most notably the fact that FOX aired the episodes out of chronological order, making the plot more difficult to follow.^[62] For instance, the two-hour episode "Serenity" was intended to be the series' premiere episode, and therefore contained most of the character introductions and back-story. However, FOX decided that "Serenity" was unsuitable to open the series, and the episode, "The Train Job", was specifically created to act as a new pilot.^[10] In addition, Firefly was promoted as an action-comedy rather than the more serious character study it was intended to be, and Variety magazine highlighted Fox's decision to occasionally preempt the show for sporting events.^[60] The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. ... In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ... Look up Action film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Comedy film is genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humor. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ...

A box set containing the fourteen completed episodes (including those which had not yet aired in the United States), was released on region 1 DVD on December 9, 2003, region 2 on April 19, 2004, and region 4 on August 2, 2004. The box features the episodes in the original order in which the show's producers had intended them to be broadcast, as well as seven episode commentaries, outtakes and other features. The DVDs feature the episodes as they were shot in 16:9 widescreen, with anamorphic transfers and Dolby Surround audio. By September 2005, its DVD release had sold approximately 500,000^[63] copies and was one of the top movers at Amazon.com for months. At Amazon.com the DVDs had average daily rankings of between 1st and 75th in 2003, 22nd and 397th in 2004, 2nd and 232nd in 2005, and 2nd and 31st in 2006 as of June 27, 2006.^[64] FOX has recently remastered the complete series in 1080i Hi-Definition for broadcast on UHD.^[65] Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The aspect ratio of an image is its displayed width divided by its height (usually expressed as x:y or xÃ—y, with the joining colon or multiplication symbol articulated as the preposition by or sometimes to). Currently, the most popular standard ratios are the anamorphic (2. ... This article or section contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. ... Sign for Dolby Surround Dolby Surround was the earliest consumer version of Dolbys multichannel analog film sound format Dolby Analog SR (Spectral Recording). ... Amazon. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1080i (pronounced ten eighty eye) is shorthand name for a category of video modes. ... Universal HD, designed for HDTV, is a cable television network owned by NBC Universal. ...

Spin-offs

Joss Whedon said in an April 2003 USA Today interview that he had not given up on the show and hoped to continue it in any format ^{[citation needed]}. As a result, several spin-offs from the television series have been released in the years following its cancellation, spanning various forms of media. USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ...

Feature film Serenity

When attempts to have another network pick up the show failed, creator Joss Whedon decided to try to sell his concept as a film. Through a connection, he was introduced to Mary Parent with Universal Pictures, who immediately signed on after watching the episodes on DVD.^[66] By June of 2003, actors Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin confirmed this on the official Firefly forum, as did Whedon in several interviews.^[67]^[68]^[69] Serenity was released in Australia on September 29, 2005, the United States and Canada on September 30, 2005, and the United Kingdom and Ireland weeks later. It received generally positive reviews and opened at number two, taking in $10.1 million its first weekend, spending two weeks in the top ten, and totaling a US box office gross of $25.5 million and a box office gross of $13.3 million elsewhere.^[70] Serenity won film of the year awards from Film 2005^[71] and FilmFocus.^[72] It also won IGN Film's Best Sci-Fi, Best Story and Best Trailer awards and was runner up for the Overall Best Movie.^[73] It also won the Nebula Award for Best Script for 2005, the 7th annual 'User Tomato Awards' for best Sci-Fi movie of 2005 at Rotten Tomatoes, the 2006 viewers choice Spacey Award for favorite movie, the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form^[74] and the 2006 Prometheus Special Award. Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x889, 100 KB)Current poster for the movie Serenity File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x889, 100 KB)Current poster for the movie Serenity File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Mary Parent is a producer for and former head of Universal Studios. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Film 2006 is a weekly film review show on the BBC. The first series was broadcast in 1972 under the title Film 72, and the title has been updated annually to match the year of broadcast. ... FilmFocus is a British film website which has been running since January 2004. ... IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. ... Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Script. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Spacey Awards (also referred to as The Spaceys) are awards presented by the Canadian cable network Space: The Imagination Station. ... The Hugo Awards are given annually by members of the World Science Fiction Convention for the best science fiction or fantasy works. ... The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given out annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society (which also publishes a quarterly journal, Prometheus). ...

As a form of viral marketing for the film, Whedon released the R. Tam sessions, which are set before the television series. They were released unofficially by Whedon via the internet from August 16, 2005 to September 5, 2005. Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness, through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. ... The title card to one of the segments The R. Tam sessions were a series of five short videos released by Joss Whedon over the internet, which were set within his fictional Firefly universe. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

At a preview screening for the film, Whedon indicated that he would consider reviving the series if a network purchased the broadcast rights from FOX Television as he will not work with FOX again.^[75]

The film takes place around two months after the events of the final episode and focuses on the character arcs of River and her involvement with the Alliance, and Mal. As Whedon stated, the film is "Mal's story as told by River."^[76] Objects in Space is the fourteenth and final episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ...

Comics

A three-issue comic book miniseries titled Serenity: Those Left Behind was written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, illustrated by Will Conrad and Laura Martin, and published by Dark Horse Comics. It serves as a link between the final episode of the series ("Objects in Space") and the film Serenity. Each issue featured three different covers, depicting one of the nine main characters. In turn, each version had a different illustrator, including Joe Quesada, Bryan Hitch, Tim Bradstreet, John Cassaday and Jo Chen. The first issue was published in July 2005, and the final one appeared in September of the same year. The story focuses on the crew of Serenity taking a salvage job from Badger following a botched theft on a backwater planet, and the pursuit of River by the ominous blue-gloved men. The story is considered part of the Firefly canon and bridges the television show and the movie. The comics quickly sold out on release and both #1 and #2 issues went to second printings. A compilation trade paperback was released in January 2006. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Objects in Space is the fourteenth and final episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Joseph Joe Quesada (born December 1, 1962), colloquially known as Joe Q, is the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and a comic book writer and artist. ... The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover to Ultimates (v2) #12. ... Tim Bradstreet (born February 16, 1967, in Cheverly, Maryland), is an artist and illustrator, best known for his work on comic books (covers and interiors), book covers, movie posters, roleplaying games and trading cards. ... John Cassaday is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Planetary with Warren Ellis, and Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon. ... Cover art from Runaways vol. ... This article is about minor characters in the television series Firefly. ... Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ... A trade paperback can refer to any book that is bound with a heavy paper cover that is generally cheaper than the hardcover but more expensive than the regular paperback version. ...

It has been recently confirmed that Joss Whedon will re team with Brett Matthews to write Serenity: Better Days for Dark Horse comics to be released in the fall of 2007 as we see what happens when a heist goes right and the crew finds themselves on easy street. "This new story will take place in the 'Firefly' years i.e., everyone's alive," says Whedon. "Basically, they pull off a heist and everything doesn't go completely wrong. This, needless to say, has never happened, and it's about how they deal with success."^{[cite this quote]}

Roleplaying game

A role-playing game entitled Serenity, published by Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd, was released in 2005. The first adventure, Out in the Black by Laura and Tracy Hickman, was released on March 15, 2006.^[77] Serenity is a science fiction role-playing game released in 2005 and set in the universe of the movie Serenity and television series Firefly. ... This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ... Serenity is a science fiction role-playing game released in 2005 and set in the universe of the movie Serenity and television series Firefly. ... Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd is a publisher. ... Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is a best-selling fantasy author, most commonly known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR. They also wrote the Dark Sword trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Sovereign... Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR. They also wrote the Dark Sword trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Sovereign Stone... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Books

Following the motion picture release of Serenity and its subsequent novelization, a book series of original stories based on Firefly/Serenity were planned and contracted for by Pocket Books, who also published the Serenity novelization. However, while Pocket commissioned several proposals by a variety of authors (among them Keith R.A. DeCandido, Jamie Chambers & Margaret Weis, and Steven Brust), those proposals were never acted upon, and after over a year of waiting, Pocket cancelled the contract. Brust has done readings of his manuscript at various conventions since November 2005.^[78] He has also stated, as of April 8th, 2007, the following on his LiveJournal: Pocket Books is the name of a subdivision of Simon & Schuster publishers. ... Keith R. A. DeCandido (born April 1969 in New York, United States) is an American sci-fi writer. ... Margaret Baldwin Weis (born March 16, 1948 in Independence, Missouri, United States) is an extremely prolific fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in the world of Krynn. ... Steven Brust in 2004 at Minicon 39 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

According to Amazon.com, DeCandido is set to write a 304-page novel known as Mirror Image, which will be set in the Firefly universe, and is supposedly to be released on July 1, 2009.^[80] However, DeCandido has denied this in two interviews.^[81]^[82] is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A non-fiction book about the series, Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly, was edited by Jane Espenson with Glenn Yeffeth, and was published in paperback on April 1, 2005. Its collection of essays analyzes the various themes and ideas of Firefly. Another book of essays has been proposed; however, these would be scholarly essays about Firefly and Serenity.^[83]^[84] No specific publisher has been declared for the proposed book. As a follow-up to Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, Joss Whedon has, along with most of the cast and many of the crew, been interviewed for the two-volume Firefly: The Official Companion. Both volumes have now been published. They contain many previously unpublished photographs, along with the shooting scripts for each episode. Finding Serenity: Anti-heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedons Firefly is a compilation of essays edited by Jane Espenson with Glenn Yeffeth. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Computer game

On December 7, 2006, The Multiverse Network announced that it had obtained the rights from Twentieth Century Fox to develop a massively multiplayer online game based on the series, which is currently scheduled for release in 2008.^[85] is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Multiverse Network, Inc. ... World of Warcraft, a popular MMORPG Massively multiplayer online game (also called MMOG) is a computer game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. ...

Notes

^ Whedon: "This movie should not exist," he continues. "Failed TV shows don't get made into major motion pictures—unless the creator, the cast, and the fans believe beyond reason. ... It is, in an unprecedented sense, your movie." Russell, M.E. (24 June 2006). The Browncoats Rise Again. The Daily Standard. Retrieved on 2006-07-16.
^ ^a ^b Chonin, Neva (2005-06-08). When Fox canceled 'Firefly,' it ignited an Internet fan base whose burning desire for more led to 'Serenity'. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Russell, M.E. (24 June 2006). The Browncoats Rise Again. The Daily Standard. Retrieved on 2006-07-16.
^ Brioux, Bill. Firefly series ready for liftoff. jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
^ Whedon, Serenity: Relighting the Firefly, DVD extra
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, p. 8
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 6
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Serenity" commentary
^ Whedon, "Interview with Joss Whedon", Done the Impossible
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Train Job" commentary, track 1
^ ^a ^b ^c Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Train Job" commentary, track 7
^ Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Train Job" commentary, track 6
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Train Job" commentary, track 3
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 12
^ Fourteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds into the first episode of the Battlestar Galactica mini-series, in the beginning of the scene where Laura Roslin receives diagnostic of breast cancer. The Firefly ship is the third one to appear in the sky.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 11
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 10
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 10–11
^ ^a ^b Dixon, "The Reward, the Details, the Devils, the Due", Finding Serenity, 8
^ Steve, Townsley. Music in the 'Verse: Firefly and Serenity. tracksounds.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Goltz, "Listening to Firefly", Finding Serenity, 209–215
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 132
^ Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Serenity" commentary
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 68
^ Interview with Nathan Fillion - Dreamwatch Magazine 107. whedon.info (2003-09-09). Retrieved on 2006-07-11.
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 26
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 60
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 40
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 94
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 114
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 142
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 166
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 6, 8
^ ^a ^b Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 8
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Espenson, Jane. The Writing Process. FOX Broadcasting Company. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 150
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 154
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 128
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 127
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 24
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 120
^ Whedon, Firefly Companion, Vol 1, 66
^ This Sino-American (named the Anglo-Sino Alliance) allegiance is supported by the fact that upon closer examination of labels on the crates from the episode "The Train Job", the crates of Alliance goods are marked with a Chinese flag superimposed over a United States flag.
^ Whedon, Firefly: the complete series: "Train Job" commentary, track 10
^ Whedon, Serenity: Director's Commentary, track 7 "Mr. Universe"
^ ^a ^b ^c Far-out "Firefly" May Take Wing. The Boston Globe (September 20, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
^ ^a ^b Sci-fi 'Firefly' is a bonanza of miscues from 'Buffy' creator. The San Francisco Chronicle (September 20, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
^ Snell, Jason (December 12, 2002). Firefly vs. the Firing Squad. teevee. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
^ Nussbaum, Emily (December 21, 2003). A DVD Face-Off Between the Official and the Homemade. New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
^ Canceled TV Shows. MSN.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
^ The World's Best Space Sci-Fi Ever: Your verdict. NewScientistSpace.com (October 26, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
^ The Highest Rated Sci-Fic Show of All Time. tv.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.
^ Wright on Target. GateWorld.net (July 14, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
^ Serenity named top sci-fi movie. BBC Online. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
^ http://www.breakingatmo.com/status/2007/06/meet-your-browncoat-astronaut
^ http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/06/07/board-game-sci-fi-to-ride-shuttle-atlantis-to-iss
^ SyfyPortal Awards. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
^ Serenity Set Visit: IGN visits the set of the Firefly movie.. IGN (2004-11-08). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
^ Entertainment News. TV Guide (October 7, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
^ ^a ^b Snyder, Gabriel (21 March 2004). 'Firefly' feature alights. Variety. Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
^ The Fan Campaign: A Timeline of Fan Efforts to Keep Firefly on the Air. Browncoats.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
^ Firefly: The Complete Series - Review. The A. V. Club (January 12, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
^ Breznican, Anthony (September 21, 2005). 'Firefly' alights on big screen as 'Serenity'. USA Today. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.
^ Real time Firefly DVD pricing and ranking from Amazon.com. FireflyFans.net (June 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-27.
^ 'Firefly' Gets Hi-Def Makeover. TVWeek.com (August 3, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
^ Whedon, Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, p.17
^ Captain on Deck! hello to all. Official Firefly Forum (2003-06-13). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
^ "Serenity Saloon" is open fer bidness. Official Firefly Forum (2003-06-06). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
^ "Serenity Saloon" is open fer bidness. Official Firefly Forum (2003-06-06). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
^ Serenity (2005) - Daily Box Office. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ Films Of The Year. BBC. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ Serenity. FilmFocus. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ The Best of 2005. IGN Film. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners. Locus Online (2006-08-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ Completely completed SERENITY screens at Comic-Con! And.... Ain't It Cool News (2005-07-25). Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
^ Whedon, Serenity: Director's Commentary, track 1 "Living Weapon"
^ Hickman, Tracy & Laura Hickman (2006-03-15), Out of the Black, Lake Geneva, WI: Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd., ISBN 1931567522
^ Brust reading May 2006. SerenityStuff.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
^ Brust LiveJournal. LiveJournal.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
^ Amazon. Amazon. Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
^ Fireflytalk. Firefly Talk.
^ The Signal. SerenityFirefly.
^ Call For Papers: Critical Studies in Television (CST) is asking for proposals for a book of essays on Firefly and Serenity. Whedonesque.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
^ Call For Papers - Edited Collections: Firefly and Serenity. Critical Studies in Television. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
^ Firefly Reborn as Online Universe. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.

is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... The Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, which began as a 1978 TV series, was reimagined in 2003 into the TV miniseries. ... In the fictional universe of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin is the former president of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. ... Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic way. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GBÂ£4 billion. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... FilmFocus is a British film website which has been running since January 2004. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Locus Magazine is subtitled The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field. It reports on the science fiction writing industry, including comprehensive listings of new books published in the field. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR. They also wrote the Dark Sword trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Sovereign Stone... Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is a best-selling fantasy author, most commonly known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR. They also wrote the Dark Sword trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Sovereign... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Wired magazine is a full-color monthly magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jane Espenson is an American writer who has worked on several television series and comic books, as well as on a variety of other projects. ... Titan Books is a UK publisher of graphic novels. ... Stargate SG-1 (often abbreviated as SG-1) is a science fiction television series, part of the Stargate franchise. ... Episode chronology 200 is an episode from Season 10 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. ...

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since August 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | Articles with unsourced quotes | Firefly (TV series) | Space Westerns | 2002 television program debuts | 2003 television program series endings Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... Serenity is the two-hour series pilot for the Firefly science-fiction television series created by Joss Whedon. ... The Train Job is the second episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon, although it was actually the first to be shown. ... Bushwhacked is the third episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Shindig is the fourth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Safe is the fifth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Our Mrs. ... Jaynestown is the seventh episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Out of Gas is the eighth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Ariel is the ninth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... War Stories is the tenth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Trash is the eleventh episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... The Message is the eleventh episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Heart of Gold is the thirteenth episode of science-fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Objects in Space is the fourteenth and final episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. ... Derrial Book is a fictional character played by Ron Glass in the science-fiction/Western television series Firefly and its sequel movie, Serenity. ... Jayne Cobb is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Kaywinnit Lee Kaylee Frye[1] is a fictional character from the short-lived television series Firefly and the movie Serenity, portrayed by Jewel Staite. ... Malcolm Mal Reynolds is a fictional character leading the ensemble in the science fiction television series Firefly, played by actor Nathan Fillion. ... Inara Serra is a character from the science-fiction television series Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. ... Summer Glau as River Tam in Serenity (2005). ... Simon Tam is a fictional doctor, played by Sean Maher, who originally appeared in Joss Whedonâ€™s short-lived cult-hit television series Firefly. ... Hoban Wash Washburne is a fictional character who originated in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Zoe Washburne (nÃ©e Alleyne) is a character in the television series Firefly, played by Gina Torres. ... This article is about minor characters in the television series Firefly. ... The title card to one of the segments The R. Tam sessions were a series of five short videos released by Joss Whedon over the internet, which were set within his fictional Firefly universe. ... Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... Unofficial diagram of the Firefly universe. ... Alliance Flag Alternate Alliance Flag In the Firefly television series, the Alliance is a powerful government and law-enforcement organization that controls a large sector of colonized core planets. ... In the television series Firefly, The Blue Sun Corporation is a large, diversified corporation (or possibly Megacorporation), compared by creator Joss Whedon to a combination of Wal-Mart and Microsoft. ... The Unification War is a major event in the backstory of Joss Whedons cancelled television show, Firefly and its motion picture sequel, Serenity. ... For other uses, see Serenity Serenity is a fictional spaceship originally featured in the science fiction television series Firefly. ... Reavers are a fictional group of humans in the television series Firefly and the movie Serenity who live on the fringes of civilized space and have become animalistic. ... Browncoat is a term from the science fiction Western TV series Firefly (and its big-screen sequel, Serenity). ... Inara Serra, a Registered Companion from Firefly In the television series Firefly and its feature film sequel Serenity, a Companion is a skilled, well-educated and well-respected member of a guild of professional courtesans/entertainers, somewhat similar to geisha, though with more obvious focus on sexual matters. ...

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