If you assemble a list of TV shows that were cancelled too soon, Firefly series will very likely be on it. Starring actors like Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, and Summer Glau, the show was cancelled before all 14 episodes were aired. Fans were understandably dismayed and series creator Joss Whedon knows how they feel.
In a recent interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Whedon shared that the cancellation upset him so much that he couldn’t bring himself to return to episodic television for years. He shared that Firefly is “still the greatest grief I have about my career” and the whole experience made him “the sourest man alive.”
“I stopped having ideas, which for me is an extremely rare experience,” Whedon said. “It was something much more subtle [than losing hope], it took away my ability to think in terms of episodic television. For years.”
Whedon did return to television and the FOX network a couple years ago with Dollhouse. That series ran for two short seasons but he was at least able to craft an ending before it left the airwaves.
That also left him feeling pretty angry but Whedon feels like he’s in a good place now, especially with plans to direct the upcoming comics-based movie, The Avengers.
Whedon said, “Honestly, this year with my career, I’ve been going, Okay, is it over? Are they done with me, and is it time for me to start doing really small or make a graceful exit? Because I’m okay. I have my family, I love to write, I’ll always write, they can’t stop me doing that. But maybe I’m not going to get my shot to reach a mass audience. But then I got The Avengers. So, clearly, I’m an idiot.”
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Whedon’s Avengers movie?
It is plain that Firefly never elaborated fully its unique and rich possibilities. I believe that there is so much more for Firefly to accomplish in the entertainment field that one needs just to relax and wait for the right opportunity again to rise to the surface in the minds of uncreative studio executives.
Firefly requires nurturing in an environment that permits its writers to fulfill their creative processes in stunning growth patterns of drama and incentives. I will never give up on Firefly and I request that true fans hold the fire alive for Fireflies resurrection.
I have no idea who Joss is, his credits, or his history. That said, I’ve seen his skill. I loved Serenity and it made me watch the few episodes of Firefly as a result. It was funny, well acted, and you have to have stones to put westerns in space (just read anything on Gene Roddenberry). It is a heartfelt shame that the show was castrated by the network before it had the time it deserved.
Just stop working with Fox. Everyone knows they cancel anything decent in a heartbeat and they NEVER respect their viewers enough to give wrapups to series they start.
Can we write a letter to joss? tell him to keep writing the firfly series?? or atleast books!
i would settle for books. i just think it was a very interesting story. There was just so much left untold!! >< haha
I miss firefly so much PLEASE bring it back
yea I know, not gonna happen etc…
but come on, firefly season 2, at least try
why didnt Scyfy pick up Firefly after it was canceled? After it became a huge hit selling all the dvd’s and they madea movie out it? I never understood that!
Angel and Buffy made me fall in love with TV. I’m not a fan of space adventures but I watched Firefly because of that and, once again, I fell in love. What Fox did was terrible. I am looking forward to The Avengers movie because I believe in Joss Whedon. I don’t care what other people say. Alien Resurrection rocked!
I don’t think Joss should consider his career over, or even his episodic television career over. If he’s having ideas again then I will be more than happy to watch the shows. He has a huge fanbase that will give anything he puts out a try. He started that fanbase with seven seasons of Buffy and then brought in a whole other group of fans with Firefly. I don’t know, however, if network television is the right place for his type of show. Network execs and network viewers don’t seem to have the patience for shows with long-running story lines… Read more »
I will never, ever understand why so many people insist of calling Joss “Josh”.
Please stop.
Josh, Don’t go, not now that I have found you! I would think it has to really difficult for the artistic ego to stay in a good frame of mind when you put so much into it and then – crash – cancellation. DO NOT RETIRE, ok? I found Buffy & Angel on reruns – wow who knew? I just thought all TV was crap from the get go and then friend clued me in to a few. Firefly is/was amazing and to get Serenity as a movie after was great. I watch that movie over and over when I… Read more »