One major reason for Firefly 's early cancellation was its time slot. Fox chose to air the show on Fridays at 8 p.m. This time has often been called a “death sentence” for many shows. Actor ...

Fox’s treatment of Firefly inspired such low ratings that, ironically, the show didn’t get to air all of its initial 14 episodes in the U.S., with only 11 airing in America.

So when "Firefly" makes its debut Sept. 20 (8 p.m., KCPQ/13), don't expect an homage to the bar scene in the original "Star Wars." Whedon wants his dialogue to be chewy, not the characters.