If you like (blank) you'll like Firefly.
 

I know there are many fans here, but I never watched it. What is it like/about? I'm interested in checking it out, especially with the new movie coming out.

Hmmm, well I guess the obvious answer would be that if you liked Buffy/Angel than you should like Firefly. It has Whedon's trademark style, but is probably more accessible since so many people didn't like the "girl show" factor of Buffy. Of course then you have to deal with the "sci-fi" factor, but for people on this board I'm going to guess it won't be much of a problem. Either way a fun show for the short time it was on, and I would recommend checking it out.

the obvious answer is wrong. I know many people who hated buffy/angel and still loved firefly.

the main thing here is if you like sci fi and if you enjoy westerns. This is very unique and it very well combines the two while providing great characters and great situations.

As far as what it's about, briefly:

In the future, all of Earth's resources are used up, so humans venture into space looking for new worlds to populate. After a kind of civil war, the centralized government becomes oppressive, so some people choose to go to outer, more "wild frontier" type planets. One such ragtag group is the crew and passengers of Serenity, a small, Firefly class cargo ship. They go from planet to planet, taking whatever work they can get.

That's not a very elegant explanation, but it's the best I can do after a 10-hour shift!

Ah yes my interest is peaked. I get a sort of live action Cowboy Bebop vibe.

In my experience most of the people who say that saw one or two episodes and decided it wasn't for them. Now remember I said that if he liked Buffy/Angel then he should like this show because it has Whedon all over it. I never said the opposite was true. I'm using it as a starting off point because if you like Whedon's writing in those two shows there is no reason you shouldn't like it in this show as well.

I will add that "Firefly" is a show that should be seen from the beginning and watched in the correct order to be fully appreciated. Fox started with the third episode and ran the two-hour pilot last, skipping three episodes in the middle. The show plays much better on DVD, where the eps are presented int he order they were intended to be seen.

I think Firefly is more like Star Trek: TOS than people care to admit. It essentially is the "Wagon Train to the stars" concept that Star Trek originally was. The only difference being the crew of Serenity is non-military, and more pirate-like in their missions.

^^ I never really gave thought to that idea. But, I can certainly see several things they have in common.

That's a very good way to describe it. I was never huge into CB or really any anime, but my roommates and brother are, and from what I've seen of CB its a good comparison.

If you think a show about a Han Solo-type character flying with a crew around the galaxy and smuggling items past the Empire sounds good, then you will like Firefly

It's nothing like Buffy/Angel.

I would say that "If you like Westerns, you'll like Firefly" and "If you like Han Solo, you'll like Firefly."

It took me several episodes to get into this show, maybe 5 or 6.

Yes that is it.

I'll go off the beaten path, and say:

If you like the Xbox game "Crimson Skies", then you'll like Firefly.

Only instead of a bi-plane, you are on a Firefly class cargo ship. Oh, and just the plot aspect. Not as much the shooting, since the Firefly has no guns. Oh and add good dialogue.

Couldn't agree more. I tried to watch the "first" episode on TV and couldn't get through it. Gave it another shot a week later and the samething happend. Gave it a shot on DVD and couldn't stop watching it after I saw the pilot. It's a show that really needed to be aired in order to get any kind of flow to it.

When it is watched it will definitely be on DVD so I won't have the continuity issues. How many episodes were there? And what is the correct order? Looking at epguides.com they list them in airdate order.

Farscape without the aliens.

Blake's 7 without the "Take-down-the-evil-Federation" agenda.

That would be the quickest bare-bones way to describe it to a newbie.

Farscape? I wouldn't go there. I'm a huge Farscape fan, I enjoy Joss, liked and own both Buffy and Angel. Still, I caught about 5 or 6 episodes of Firefly and it never really did much for me. Not trying to detract the thread, but thought I'd enter in a contrasting view as I'd say there's no hard and fast rule regarding the appreciation of this one.

I found the Western attributes of Firefly to be superficial, put on display to give it a taste of an oater (in an attempt to appear distinctive? I don't know). Overall, I never thought the show really embraced the thematic content and style that are inherent in the genre.

But I still enjoyed the show, so I don't consider the above much of a detriment because its other facets (actors mainly) seem worthwhile.

I think 15 eps (off the top of my head), including three unaired. They are in the correct order on the DVD set.

The basic plot is that it's a crew of renegades, misfits, smugglers and fugitives traveling through space and stopping off for misadventures in some off-world colonies. But it's not really about that, just like Buffy the Vampire Slayer really wasn't so much about a vampire slayer and Angel really wasn't so much about a vampire. It's all about how this group of people interact with each other while facing some crisis or another.

There are 14 episodes (counting the two-hour pilot as one episode). The airdate order is so screwed up it's not even worth thinking about. If you watch them in DVD order you're set.

A warning....don't get too addicted to the show like I have because you will be angry that there will not be a season 2.

I'm just a caveman, so I don't know what an "oater" is.

But I disagree entirely with your assessment that the Western attributes are only superficial. Several of the episodes could be reset to a Western setting without losing the key story ingredients.

Seems like in space you either get a Western or a naval/submarine comparison (or Japanese Samurai ;) ).

I thought those were the rules? I mean really, who else does go to space? :)