Firefly (television series)

Firefly is a science fiction television series that premiered on television in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. It was created by Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fame. Whedon and Tim Minear were the executive producers. The series concept presents a story in the style of classic "Westerns" combined with elements of science fiction. The show applies naturalistic science fiction concepts, such as showcasing flawed characters in humble circumstances.

Setting

The show is set in the year 2517. The Earth's resources were depleted long ago and the human race left for the farthest frontiers of outer space in multi-generational ships. The show takes its name from the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity that the central characters call home. The ship's tail section lights up during acceleration causing it to resemble a firefly. Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds and his partner Zoë are veteran "Browncoats" of the Unification War in which they attempted to resist the Alliance, an organization that succeeded in unifying all of the colonized planets under a single government. A central core of planets is now under Alliance control while the outlying planets resemble the 19th-century American West, with little government authority. Settlers and refugees on the outlying worlds enjoy relative freedom from the government, but lack the amenities the high-tech "core" civilizations offer. After the loss of the war, Mal bought the spaceship Serenity to scrape together a way of life for himself and his crew by making cargo runs and performing other tasks, legal or otherwise.

Related Topics:
2517 - Spaceship - Serenity - Firefly - Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds - Unification War - Alliance - 19th-century

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Featuring a blend of elements from the space opera and western genres with a bit of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the show depicts mankind's future in a way that is uncharacteristic of many contemporary science fiction programs. Unlike most traditional space operas, there are no alien creatures or space battles. Firefly takes place in a multi-cultural future, where the divide between the rich and poor is great. Chinese is a common second language for many people; 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 is explained as being the result of China and the United States becoming the two superpowers that expand into space. This Sino-American allegiance is supported by close examination of labels on the crates from the episode "The Train Job", where crates of Alliance goods are marked with a Chinese flag superimposed over a United States flag.

Related Topics:
Space opera - Western - Robin Hood - Chinese - Curses - China - United States - The Train Job

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For fans, the dialogue and interplay between characters is central to the charm of the show, resulting in stories that are alternately serious and humorous. The show's visual style also differs from contemporary shows in that camera shots are often handheld, with deliberately misframed or out-of-focus subjects, in an attempt to give scenes an immersive and immediate feeling; computer-generated scenes mimic the motion of a handheld camera. Action taking place in outer space realistically lacks sound effects, an approach that stands in contrast to many science fiction films and television series.

Related Topics:
Computer-generated - Outer space - Sound effect

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