I remember when Firefly was announced: Joss Whedon’s new show was going to be a western in space, an idea that many folks considered absolutely revolutionary; apparently these well-paid critics had never seen Outland or even Star Wars, both of which contain many of the elements that make memorable westerns so compelling. I remember watching the first episode and being absolutely unimpressed. It didn’t even move me enough to try a second episode. It was of course cancelled, as many predicted it would be. With the complete series released on DVD, many reputable friends recommended I give it another viewing. The first episode was not what I saw on television; apparently the network executives, in their infinite wisdom, determined the actual premiere movie was not worthy of taking up two hours of their oh-so-precious Friday night schedule. Instead they aired the second episode. The premiere introduced the characters, background, and made watching the rest of the series a necessity.

Perhaps Mr. Whedon failed with Firefly. The format of television is such that one episode of any of the most intriguing shows should be able to stand on its own, and should not only not turn away viewers but should be able to suck them in. I watched and enjoyed the entire series, and Whedon is now working on a Firefly feature film, based on the strong DVD sales of the entire series. Did Firefly succeed as entertainment? Absolutely. Did it succeed as a television show? No. Should you watch it? If you like intriguing characters, witty and intelligent dialogue, sci-fi and/ or westerns, and have over 10 hours of time, definitely!

But please, watch them in order.

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