Why is Firefly's Cancellation So Unforgiveable?

[Andonagio]

TV stations have canceled a lot of good shows over the decades before their time, but I've never seen as much of a grudge held against a TV station as viewers did toward Fox for canceling Firefly. Never mind that Fox canceled a number of other good shows as well (Futurama, Family Guy, etc.): it seems like canceling Firefly was the move that classified Fox as THE station unfriendly to science fiction.

So what is it about Firefly that makes it different from so many other canceled shows? Why do the fans of this show seem more rabid compared to so many other fan bases?

[the Dagman]

I am someone who never got into the show (nor anything else Joss Whedon has done. His work doesn't do anything for me), but the reason it is unforgivable even to me is that none of the hard core fans of the show will shut up about it even now, years and years later.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Hard core fans of *anything* never shut up. Browncoats don't seem any different.

[RoJoHen]

The main reason people were most upset about Firefly's cancellation is that it almost seemed like FOX was trying to doom it from the start. Had the show been presented with original premiere, in order, without being pre-empted by sports, it might have actually stood a chance at succeeding. FOX never even let it try to succeed.

[the Dagman]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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Hard core fans of *anything* never shut up. Browncoats don't seem any different.

At least I would give them this if I could to quiet the bitching. At least then, the talking about the show would be largely limited to the weekly episode discussion threads. But it would have to be that Jayne was written out of the show or recast. Because I need Adam Baldwin for my favorite show currently in production, Chuck.

RoJoHen wrote:

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The main reason people were most upset about Firefly's cancellation is that it almost seemed like FOX was trying to doom it from the start. Had the show been presented with original premiere, in order, without being pre-empted by sports, it might have actually stood a chance at succeeding. FOX never even let it try to succeed.

That reminds me very much of my own feelings about CBS in the early 90s regarding the Flash tv show with John Wesley Shipp playing Barry Allen.

[ManOnTheWave]

the Dagman wrote:

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That reminds me very much of my own feelings about CBS in the early 90s regarding the Flash tv show with John Wesley Shipp playing Barry Allen.

I remember that. There were like three weeks of consecutive episodes, and then it was spotty at best. I honestly thought it ran a few weeks and got canceled. Then it would show up again in odd times, sometimes unannounced, sometimes showing only half an episode because of some event programing.

As for hate against FOX, firefly was only one of like thirty shows they killed before letting them find legs. FOX deserved the hate.

[Chrisisall]

Fox killed Brisco, Dark Angel & Firefly; they deserve to die.

[MeanJoePhaser]

They really should've come up with a therapy program for fans to help them come to terms with the cancellation. I suggested it years ago.

[Checkmate]

Bad ratings are bad ratings. Can't blame a station for people not tuning in, especially for one they advertised as much as they did (and they most certainly did despite the rabid fanbois protests; I remember seeing the ads on other channels at the time).

I'm personally disappointed that the Adventures of Brisco County Jr. was cancelled, but it was hardly Fox's fault.

People just can't seem to accept that their personal preferences in a show aren't necessarily the same as everyone else.

[paudemge]

I don't think it is unforgivable. I never saw it in the original run, but when i started to watch in reruns I thought it was a very good show. But as others have said it is just another show, I got hooked on Deadwood via dvd's and it stopped while it was still very good. If they don't get the ratings they don't get the chance to thrive.I wouldn't blame Fox, they don't want to cancel shows

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Checkmate wrote:

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People just can't seem to accept that their personal preferences in a show aren't necessarily the same as everyone else.

Quite.

We are not the network. We don't know what it's like to run one. We don't know jack shit, really.

In the end, TV shows really only exist as an excuse to make ads. (Although if execs thought they could get away with making a channel that showed nothing BUT ads, 24 hours a day, I think they'd try.) So any show that doesn't bring in ratings, doesn't sell products, and is therefore useless to the bottom line. Sad, really, but that's the reality of it.

[Deckerd]

It wasn't unforgiveable. It's just the way things go. Since I only saw the series a couple of years after it aired, it makes no difference to me one way or another.

[Rii]

the Dagman wrote:

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the reason it is unforgivable even to me is that none of the hard core fans of the show will shut up about it even now, years and years later.

I think you mean "detractors".

[cultcross]

the Dagman wrote:

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the reason it is unforgivable even to me is that none of the hard core fans of the show will shut up about it even now, years and years later.

As a poster on a Star Trek board, that statement strikes me as... ironic.

[the Dagman]

Rii wrote:

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I think you mean "detractors".

If the Browncoats would be quiet and people stop making threads about the damn thing, you'd never hear me mention it again. At least I said if it was in my power I'd give you people the show back. Anything, just to shut you up about it.