When I first heard about Firefly, all I could think was, “Hmmm…live-action Cowboy Bebop.” The set-ups are remarkably similar-so much so that most feedback from geek cognoscenti has cried rip-off at every turn. Add to that the fact that this show is written by the same guy who gave us Buffy, and you’ve got a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
Well, I’m relieved to say that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Fox has been willing to take quite a few risks over the years, especially with their prime-time lineup. Sometimes they’ve stumbled and quickly moved past such mistakes, and sometimes they give the right push to something that turns out to be not only brilliant but highly influential. Witness the success of The Simpsons or the X-Files.
They’re certainly taking a big risk here. Prime-time science fiction hasn’t done well since the original Star Trek run in the ’70’s. Continued...